Crewel by Gennifer Albin

High School Fiction

G/A. Albin, Gennifer. Crewel. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2012. 357p. 978-0-374-31641-9. $17.99.

Although intentionally trying to fail the Guild’s tests, Adelice’s gift to weave the very fabric of life cannot be denied.  She is taken in the night by the Manipulation Services and is forced to become a Spinster for the Guild.  Many girls dream about having the luxurious life of a Spinster, the glamour, the parties, the beautiful clothes and beautiful apartments, but for Adelice this "privileged" life comes at too high a cost. 

The Fox Inheritance

General YA Fiction
VG/A. Pearson, Mary. The Fox Inheritance. Henry Holt and Company, 2011. 294p. 978-0-8050-8829-8. $16.99.

Locke and Kara lost their lives in a gruesome car accident. Their bodies did not survive, but their minds were scanned and uploaded into a special environment, a cube measuring no bigger than 6x6 inches. There they were stored in the hopes that a future technology would exist to bring them back to life. Two hundred sixty years later, Locke and Kara awaken to find themselves in new, improved bodies with heightened senses and greater strength fashioned for them by Dr. Gatsbro. Not only do they have to become acclimate to their new selves, but also to a much changed world. Nothing they remember is still the same. No one they remember is still alive, until Dr. Gatsbro tells them about Jenna. Jenna was also in the accident that fateful
day. She was also saved with technology from Fox BioSystems, but two hundred sixty years earlier and is still alive. Locke and Kara set out determined to find Jenna, intent on discovering why she never came to help them all these years. Although, a sequel to Pearson’s The Adoration of Jenna Fox, this story can stand on its own.

C. Campos, LAPL, Angeles Mesa Branch

Divergent

General YA Fiction

VG/A. Roth, Veronica. Divergent. HarperCollins, 2011. 496p. 978-0-06-202402-2. $17.99.

In a futuristic world, in an effort to maintain peace, society has split into five factions based on human personality: Amity, Erudite, Candor, Abnegation, and Dauntless. Working together with each faction contributing to a different sector of society; Amity members are counselors and caretakers; those in Abnegation are selfless leaders of the government; Candor members are leaders of the law, while Erudites are teachers and researchers and all are protected by the Dauntless. At sixteen each member takes part in a Choosing ceremony to decide to stay with your faction or select a different one for the rest of your life. “Faction before blood”. Your faction is more than your just family—it is where you belong. Beatrice, a member of Abnegation, chooses the freedom that Dauntless offers and renames herself Tris. However, Tris has a secret that if revealed could very well mean her death. She’s a Divergent; Tris does not fit neatly into any of the five categories. Furthermore, she has to undergo trials to prove herself worthy of Dauntless and only 10 out of all initiatives will be chosen to become members. Will she be able to survive the highly competitive trials that will not only test her physical strength but also her emotional and mental strengths as well? A dystopia novel that will entice readers and keep them engaged throughout the story. The first in a trilogy by debut author Veronica Roth. -C. Campos, LAPL, Angeles Mesa