Sam and CY students & staff are reading…

Who would like this book? People, 7th grade and up, who like time travel, action, danger, murder, and some humor in a steampunk mix of Victorian and modern London. It’s also for fans of Artemis Fowl who are looking for more intensity.

The goods on this book: Chevron Savano is a 17-year-old FBI agent in modern London who has been demoted to watch over the long inactive W.A.R.P. (Witness Anonymous Relocation Program) time machine pod that allows agents to take at-risk witnesses to the safety of Victorian London. The only problem is that an evil assassin, Albert Garrick, is training his unlucky apprentice Riley to make the kill on their current mark who happens to be the FBI agent from the future. When the wormhole opens, Riley is sucked into the future, where he meets and teams up with Chevie. The two of them embark on a wild attempt to escape Garrick, who becomes an even more formidably nefarious force because of what happens to him in the wormhole. Garrick has other enemies, though, and the plot’s many threads weave through time with complications that unwind into a very satisfying conclusion. If you like nonstop action and don’t mind some blood and a bit of humor, grab this book!

The details: 341 pages; 2013   Review by Samrarian

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Who would like this book? Fans of dark science fiction with multiple, interlacing plot lines will love this book.

Why? Advanced technology meets medieval mentality in this thrilling story. Finn, 17, is a prisoner in the mysterious and rough world of Incarceron. Though this prison is a closed system and all its residents have been born there, Finn has vague memories of a life “Outside.” He also has a tiny tattoo that seems to have some significance. When a woman that he has captured recognizes the tattoo and reveals a crystal key, Finn becomes obsessed with the need to discover his origins. Meanwhile, beautiful and headstrong Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron is unhappily betrothed to Caspar, the spoiled heir of the Realm, a world that is trapped in the 18^th century. Claudia was originally destined to marry Giles, who was killed in an accident when he was young. She believes that he is still alive and is obsessed with finding him. The stories of Finn and Claudia are riveting, and the plot takes many surprising twists as their stories come together. Incarceron is a fully successful combination of good characters, engrossing world-building, and a fast-paced storyline. Even the nature of Incarceron itself is a captivating mystery.

The details: 442 pp. 2007   Review by Samrarian

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Who would like this book? Fans of science fiction and steampunk adventures, 6th grade and up.

Why? Fever Crumb, a steampunk sci-fi story full of action and great characters, is set in a London thousands of years in the future that feels like something out of a Dickens novel. The action centers on an orphan, Fever Crumb, who has been raised by Dr. Crumb and the Order of Engineers to be completely rational and unemotional. Her mysterious beginning leaves her with questions about her identity, which become more pressing when she is sent to assist a young archeologist in a secret project that unearths a lost part of London’s past. She has lived her life in the protection of the Engineer’s unlikely home in the head of a massive sculpture, and her perspective and experiences as she ventures into London make for an exciting, thoroughly engaging adventure, full of interlocking mysteries and fully realized characters. She faces danger at every turn, from the ruffians in the city and from the memories that fill her mind but are not hers. Philip Reeves writes with rich prose and is able to keep the action popping without sacrificing style. Add in well-placed, understated humor, and the result is one find read! The Web of Air and Scrivener’s Moon follow; this trilogy is a prequel to Reeve’s Mortal Engines Quartet.

The details: 336 pp. 2010  Review by Samrarian

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Who would like this book? Anyone who likes adventure and bravery! 🙂

Why? This story is about a brave prince and a brave girl. The prince, Alek, has no mom or dad. The king and queen have been murdered in the war, World War I. Now the prince, Alek, is on the run, trying to find a safe place with his small crew of men. Meanwhile, a girl who always wanted to join the army has gotten her wish. That’s right! She dressed up as a boy. Her name is Deryn. Her dad passed away before then and now her mother is trying to get Deryn to be as girly as she can get. Deryn ran away.

The details: 440 pp. 2010 Review by Grace

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Who would like this book? This is a OBOB book that people who like a alternate past would like this book.

Why? Prince Alek must escape Austria after the assassination of his parents. The Archduke was first in line after the emperor. But Alek’s father married a commoner, making Alek only a Prince. His loyal servants help him get away in a walking, armored war machine, a Stormwalker. Alek is running from his own murderous people commanded by the emperor who have found out that a secret document has been made making Alek the first person in line to be emperor. Deryn, a common British girl with the sole aim of being on an airship, disguises herself as a boy and earns a place on the Leviathan, a living airship that uses an ecosystem to keep the Hydrogen in. The British and their allies are the use biotechnology to create their weapons. How will Alek get away from the Germans? Will Deryn be able to hide her secret?

The details: 440 pp. 2010  Review by Mason

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