The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey - Book Two of The Fifth Wave

Buckle your seatbelts because this book is a ride! The Infinite Sea continues where The Fifth Wave left off and the storyline is just as gripping as the first book. Yancey is incredibly crafty with mind twists, horrific alien technology, and suspense. Beware if you are a reader who has children--this book will keep you up at night--both because you can't stop reading it and the events are haunting. I recommend this to readers who like action, suspense, survival stories, mystery, and a dash of science fiction. Warning: You cannot put this one down. And then you have to wait for book three...

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

No one is safe after the fourth wave of attacks by the Others, even though the children who have been taken into custody are repeatedly told, "You are perfectly safe." In this fast-paced, intense sci-fi thriller, teenager Cassie Sullivan is on a mission to find her little brother Sammy. Her last image of Sammy is of him waving happily from the back window of a schoolbus, which was taking him to safety. Or so she thought.
This is an action-packed survival story that will keep readers up late into the night. It has strong, interesting female and male main characters that will appeal to readers. I recommend this book to readers who like action, adventure, survival stories, and a little bit of science fiction. This book would be a great start into the sci-fi genre since it seems very realistic--especially for those who believe that we are not the only intelligent life in this galaxy. 

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Alex is a regular guy who wants his mom to stop nagging him about how many hours he plays video games. When his parents and little sister leave him home alone for the weekend, Alex is planning for the best weekend ever. Until disaster strikes--a supervolcano erupts and the world as Alex knows it ceases to exist. This fast-paced survival story will capture the interest of many readers, but I highly recommend it for upper middle school boys who like a lot of action and aren't afraid of some gory violence. (Honestly, for some of my students, the promise of a little gore pulls them in). I also LOVED Darla, a character who is nowhere near a "damsel in distress" (Hurray for strong female characters). Although the book's thick size may be daunting for some readers, a solid book talk with a read-aloud teaser will hook teens into this engaging trilogy series. I can't wait to read books #2 and #3.  

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

Thanks to getting back to school, my blog has been on hiatus. I'm hoping to be back to a more regular schedule...
This book is categorized as Science Fiction because it involves time travel, but it takes place mostly in current time which makes it a good crossover book for students considering sci fi. The main character Prenna travels "back" in time to 2010 and the story takes place in 2014. The future where Prenna comes from basically takes all of our current worst fears and makes them true and magnified: an enormous food shortage, a major epidemic without a cure, and the worst effects of global warming. Prenna and a group travelers come back in time in hopes of a better life, and to also "fix" the problems that resulted in this horrible world. However, Prenna and the travelers are forced to follow strict rules about how they can interact with time natives, or the people who have not traveled back in time. The most serious rule of all is no physical contact, or falling in love, with a time native. Prenna abides by the rules until she meets Ethan. Then everything changes and Prenna challenges every belief that holds her community together. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy science fiction, survival stories, action/suspense, and books such as the Divergent or Legend series. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars!