And you thought the SATs were bad.

Review:

The best leaders make mistakes and then learn from them. The best leaders never make the same mistakes again. The only way you can learn is if you understand the mistakes that were made.
--Chapter 17

Imagine a dystopian future where only certain people are selected to take the test to go to college. Then, that selection, once made, is not an option. If you are selected, you must participate in the testing. The testing itself is not as simple as filling in some blanks. And not everyone will complete the process. But, what happens to those who don't finish and will those who do finish ever be the same again?

I loved this book. Malencia (Cia) is a 16-year old girl with dreams of changing the world and making a difference. I enjoyed her character. She has doubts along the way but she tends to follow her instincts. She is fiercely loyal and, despite a warning not to trust anyone, she cannot help but trust people who have given her no reason to mistrust them.

While reading, I felt immersed in Cia's world. I could picture what the landscapes looked like after their world was destroyed by

the Seven Stages of War - The Four Stages of Destruction that humans wrought on one another and then the following Three Stages in which the earth fought back.

And I was afraid for her when she was out in the wilderness alone. There is plenty of danger and drama during the testing, including edge of your seat moments when you don't know who will survive and some surprises that I didn't see coming. And a love interest, but no real triangle (hooray!).

The minute I finished this book, I downloaded Independent Study and started reading. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. It can be so satisfying to read a series after it has been completed, never having to wait for the next book to come out. But, sometimes I do like going crazy waiting for eagerly anticipating the next book.

Recommended to:
Grades 6 and up (or high readers in 5th grade). There is some violence but it is not widespread. And, of course fans of YA Dystopian books. The writing, the characters, the story itself - all very well done.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1248837/and-you-thought-the-sats-were-bad

Reblogged from: Jessica's Book Thoughts

Yep!

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1252130/post

Finally finished...

Review:

The Glorious Path wants complete control of the country. Those they capture are give the choice: Join or Be Killed.
Fifteen-year-old Callum Roe and his younger brother, James, were captured by the Glorious Path -- a militant religion based on the teachings of a former U.S. soldier -- and forced to join six years ago. As a war rages between the Path and what's left of the U.S. government, Cal gets along by working in the Path's dog kennels. But soon Cal is presented with an opportunity to move up in the Path's ranks, putting him on the verge of becoming one of the Path's deadliest secret agents.Then Cal befriends a stray dog named Bear and kills a commander who wants to train Bear to be a vicious attack dog. This sends them both on the run, and sets in motion a series of incredible events that will test Cal's loyalties and end in a fierce battle that the fate of the entire country rests on.
--From the book jacket

This isn't a bad book, but it took me a very long time to read. Partly because it is a physical book, I think. At night I mostly read on my Kindle because it is more convenient. But I also think the plot just wasn't that compelling. The blurb on the book jacket (see above) sounds very exciting. But the story just didn't live up to the excitement. Maybe if I had read just this book all at once, it would have been more enjoyable.

The bond between Cal and Bear really touched me. Once Bear trusted Cal, he was a faithful companion and would never leave Cal's side. But I just didn't get some of the actions Cal took when it came to Bear. Even though one time especially it was for Bear's own good, it really bothered me.

Nathan Hill wasn't a very scary villain and we didn't get to know him enough to feel his motives or to hate him. I hated the organization (The Path) more than I hated Hill. I get why Cal and James agreed to join, they didn't want to die. But it seemed like others could have fought back and didn't. The book tells us that Hill was very persuasive and his followers practically worship him. I think that is how James becomes a believer. They are taken at a young age; Cal was 9 and James was younger but I don't remember exactly how much younger. And maybe Cal was able to resist Hill's teachings but James needed something to believe in.

The end was predictable to a point. But I was really disappointed by part of it.

I do like that the final ending of the book wasn't cut and dried. You don't know exactly what happens to Cal, James & Bear, but you have hope that they will be okay.

Recommended to:
Fans of young adult dystopian fiction or fans of the author Jeff Hirsch.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1248337/finally-finished

Forgiveness....

Review:

When Desmond takes his new bicycle out for a ride through his neighborhood, his pride and joy turn to hurt and anger when a group of boys shout a very mean word at him. He first responds by shouting an insult, but soon discovers that fighting back with mean words doesn’t make him feel any better. With the help of kindly Father Trevor, Desmond comes to understand his conflicted feelings and see that all people deserve compassion, whether or not they say they are sorry. Brought to vivid life in A. G. Ford’s energetic illustrations, this heartfelt, relatable story conveys timeless wisdom about how to handle bullying and angry feelings, while seeing the good in everyone.

Teaches kids that everyone, even bullies, have feelings. And that forgiveness feels good, even when the other person hasn't apologized. Also shows that anger can eat you up inside and make you feel awful.

Based on a true story from Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s childhood in South Africa.

Recommended to:
Elementary school read-aloud.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1246156/forgiveness

The Science of Friendship

Review:

Pirate is friends with Scientist. Scientist is friends with Viking. Pirate and Viking are NOT friends. What will Scientist do? Use his brain, of course! Scientist forms a hypothesis, conducts an experiment, observes his results, and tests his subjects again and again until he discovers the perfect formula for friendship.

Scientist really wants his two friends to like each other. He uses the scientific method to figure out what he can do. This is a cute book about friendship that helps young students learn about the scientific method in a fun way.

Recommended to:
Great read-aloud for elementary school science teachers that want to teach young children about the scientific method.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1246133/the-science-of-friendship