Dancing Through the Jungle

Outlaw by Ted Dekker
Genre: Action/Adventure Fiction (slightly historical fiction)

Insert from inside cover: "The story of how I, Julian Carter, and my precious two-year-old son, Stephen, left Atlanta, Georgia and found ourselves on a white sailboat, tossed about like a cork on a raging sea off of Australia's northern tip in 1963, is harrowing.

"But it pales in comparison to what happened deep in the jungle where I was taken as a slave by a savage tribe unknown to the world. Some places dwell in darkness to deep that even God seems to stay away.

"There, my mind was torn in two by the gods of the earth. There, one life ended so another could begin. Some will say I was a fool for making the choices I made. But they would have done the same. They, too, would have embraced death if they knew what I knew, and saw through my eyes.

"My name is Julian and this is my story. But more, it is the story of my son who was born to change the world."

Well, there you go. That about wraps it up, so I'll be signing off now.... Not really :). Like every book I read, I have opinions, so you better listen up!

Outlaw was both an exciting and enlightening read. I really like how Dekker portrays the flesh in this novel and the war between darkness and light. Although still remaining courteous and in the story, Dekker did get a little preachy towards the end. It was nice, though, to read something from him that's not about serial killers or murders.  So if you're not into that kind of thing, but still want an exciting, meaningful read, pick this book up.

Several of the story-lines and characters seemed to have gotten pushed aside at the end, and I wished Dekker would have gone into a little more detail about them and how one of the mc's felt. This could be because the author switched the point of view about a quarter or so into the novel, which was fine, but he could have switched back or just cleared up a few things; it seemed like he didn't think those characters or obstacles were important anymore.

The characters were very real, and I felt like I could hear the children laughing, feel the humidity pressing on my lungs, and see the beauty of the dark-skinned people of the tribe. Dekker did a good job of bringing the reader into the world, which makes sense, since he lived in Indonesia for a while as a child.

Overall, I rate this novel a 3.5 out of 5 and recommend it for 16 year-olds and up for a brief love scene.

What I learned: Our bodies are merely costumes, not the real us. If we are followers of Christ, we belong to something other than this world and should not let our emotions or anything besides Christ define us.

One of my favorite quotes: "The body makes a better canvas than any flat object, because it lives and breathes."

A Review: Champion

Champion by Marie Lu
Third and last book in the Legend trilogy
Genre: YA Dystopian

Insert from the inside cover:  (WARNING: May give away things if you haven't read previous two books!)
"June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic-and each other-and now their country  is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government's elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position.

"But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic's border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country's defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything."

This was a great conclusion to the trilogy. It is just as action-packed as the previous two novels, but also continues to develop the relationships between the characters, specifically Day, June, Eden, and Anden. I enjoyed returning to these characters and their vivid personalities.

I like how the 'lovey-dovey' stuff in this book isn't the main focus, and the people have to deal with larger things, like war and disease. And I loved seeing Day's relationship and his love for his brother and how that played out.

There is plenty of events in this tale to keep you on your toes! It is slightly heavier and more depressing than the first two novels, but that was to be expected after the cliff-hanger in the second novel, Prodigy. It deals with some real-life stuff, but in a way that is not highly disturbing or depressing.

The only major problem I had with this book was the ending, which brings it down for me to a 3.5 out of 5. Endings pretty much make or break a story for me. Don't worry, it's not super sad, although it slightly is. It felt unsatisfying and kind-of cheap to me. I think Marie Lu could have solved the main problem with June and Day's relationship a different way than that, but perhaps not. You'll have to tell me what you think if you read it (and you most definitely should).

Recommended for ages 16 and up for violence, a scattering of cuss words, a 'hot' scene (if you know what I mean. And there are references to homosexuality too, by the way).

What I learned:  Love is sacrifice. No matter what kind it is.

*Check out more info about Marie Lu and her books on her website: http://www.marielu.org/index.html

A Review: Joseph Andrews

Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding
Genre: Dramatic Fiction (?)

This novel was written in the 1700s as a satire to Samuel Richardson's novel, Pamela, where a very moral young woman is always sought after by not very moral young men. In Joseph Andrews, Joseph (Pamela's brother) is a supremely handsome young man who is loved by many women but himself loves one beautiful poor girl. This novel follows his travels with Parson Adams and this young woman across the British countryside.

I read this novel for my History of the Novel class, and I found it hilarious. The characters, which are more like caricatures, are just hilarious and very dramatic. They main characters are naive and get into very funny situations. Also, Henry Fielding just has a witty writing style and makes fun of many different things (hence the satire aspect).

Since this is a very early novel (some argue it is the first one), it's a little difficult to read sometimes. The narrator is very intrusive, which can be irritating at times, as well as his random tangents. He is like a character himself, and can be funny too.

Joseph Andrews is a very entertaining, funny, and exciting novel, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading, since it is an important part of the history of this genre. I give it a 3.5 out of 5.

What I learned: It is important to read people truthfully so one will not be taken advantage of, and see people for who they really are.

A Review: Prodigy

Prodigy by Marie Lu
Genre: YA Dystopian
Sequel to Legend

"June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request-June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It's their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she's haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood- what if the Patriots are wrong?"

How epic does this novel sound?! And it truly is. I loved it just as much as Legend. The tension is higher, the suspense greater, the action more intense, and of course, the romance is not forgotten, although at times it seems like the love between June and Day is not real or will not last. What will happen between them? You must read it to find out.

There is also more twists in this novel than in the first one, which really took me by surprise. The ending was sad and leaves you hanging, especially since the third and final novel, Champion, does not come out until November. Why do authors do this to readers?! (Actually, I can't complain because I plan on doing the same thing in my own writing). I think it shows that the author has pulled you into the character's world when you cry or laugh when something happens to the characters, and I was definitely tearing up at the end.

Prodigy has a couple of cuss words and hints at homosexuality, and for this I recommend it for fifteen-year olds and up. But it is just as well-written and exciting as Legend, and I give a 4. If you enjoy adventure and action (or even if you don't), you must pick this series up and read it.

What I learned: Relationships and love is messy and difficult. A hero is someone who can relate to the people and is fighting for their hopes and beliefs. Most countries don't need collapse or confusion, they need change.
 

A Review: Legend

Legend by Marie Lu
Genre: YA Dystopian

"What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in one of the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths-until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets."

I love this book. I've read it twice and plan on reading it many more times in the future. It has practically everything I enjoy in a good novel: excellent writing, intriguing, realistic characters, and an intense, action-filled plot. And although there is a lot of action in this novel, I like how Marie Lu doesn't just focus on that aspect, but also fills her characters with dreams, pain, and fears. I especially enjoyed Day's flashbacks and the obvious differences between him and June. Their relationship is highly interesting, and with this thrown into a futuristic world where the government is not what it seems, the novel is riveting.

I also liked that the romance aspect in the story is not the main focus, like it is in many YA books. The plague idea in this novel is in several dystopian books I've read (Reached and Cinder, for example) so it's not that unique, but everything else is different and the novel definitely keeps the reader on his toes. I give Legend a 4 out of 5 and recommend it for older middle-schoolers and up.

What I learned: People are not always what we expect them to be and we should live in the day-to-day because we never know if we'll have tomorrow.

A Review: The Scorch Trials

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
Genre: Dystopian, Adventure, YA
#2 in the Maze Runner Series

Summary: "Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to.

Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated-and with it, order-and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity" (yum!) "by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim... and meal. The Gladers are far from done running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them."

Zombie-like creatures, silver death balls, super-hot lightning: this book will definitely keep you on your toes. I liked watching how Thomas and his friends responded to the crazy things that the organization known as WICKED threw at them, and the creativity in these things. I also enjoyed the flashbacks Thomas had; they helped clear some things up and were good pictures into his personality and how much he has changed.

But this novel was more violent and depressing than the first one. I also didn't like a particular plot twist in the middle of the novel and how it changed Thomas' relationship with one of the characters and thus, how the reader sees that character. And personally, I'm not much of a zombie person, and they creep into this novel, and are pretty creepy :) For these reasons among others, I give The Scorch Trials a 2 out of 5. Sorry, Mr. Dashner.

If you like action though, you should definitely try this novel, because there's plenty of it.

What I learned: People are not always what they appear and it might take a long time to know who they are. And the thought-provoking question: how far would you go to save someone's life? Would you go so far as to make them think you hate them?

A Review: The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Genre: Dystopian, Adventure, YA

Incerpt from the back of the novel: "When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is empty. But he's not alone. When the lift's doors open,Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as anyone can remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, for just as long, they've closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the Maze after dark.

The Gladers weren't expecting Thomas's arrival. But the next day, a girl is sent up-the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might find their way home... wherever that may be. But it's looking more and more as if the Maze is unsolvable. And something about the girl's arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers-if he can only find  way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind."

So, I have been wanting to read this novel for a long time because it's dystopian, and for some reason, I really like end-of-the-world, not-everything-is-as-it seems books. And be forewarned, this novel is a series, and you have to keep reading them to understand everything. I liked how it pulls you into the world pretty quickly, and there is a lot of action to keep you hooked to the story.

It was a little frustrating, however, that there are so many things that the characters, and thus, the reader, doesn't know. I spent most of the book asking what was happening, just like Thomas. But there are some answers toward the end, although only enough for the reader to feel a little satisfied, and nothing is fully answered in this first novel.

The plot reminds me a lot of The Hunger Games because other people are playing with the characters' lives, except that these characters know nothing about what's going on. I felt sorry for them because such horrible things were happening to them and they didn't know why, but it's amazing how tough they are and how much they long to survive. I give it a 3 and recommend it to highschool age and up and for anyone who likes action and dystopian novels.

And check out James Dashner's website. It's really cool.

What I learned: Humans have a strong sense of survival, and true loyalty and love is being willing to lay down your life for a friend (which sounds a lot like what Jesus did).