Five Survive by Holly Jackson

On their way to spring break in Florida, six friends find themselves lost on a country road in South Carolina. They are stranded with no cell service when all four tires go flat on their borrowed RV.  When a hole is shot the gas tank, they realize this was no accident. 

Red feels guilty. It's her fault they couldn't fly like everyone else. Plane tickets are too expensive for her. She lives with her dad who has checked out on life since Red's mom was killed in the line of duty as a police officer. 

They try to escape the RV, but the shooter will not let any of them leave until one of them tells their secret. Oliver, the oldest of them, is a natural leader. He always has a plan, but is not above putting his safety first. Still, no one is quick to reveal their secrets even with the morning deadline approaching. 

Imagine six young people trapped in an RV with the threat of being shot and killed if they leave. Friendships and loyalties are tested. Secrets revealed. Some will stop at nothing to protect their futures and reputations. You can almost feel the sweat in the cramped RV as anger and accusations fly. 

I realize my description does not include too many details. It would unjust for me to reveal too much of this incredibly suspenseful book where, as the title suggests, only five survive. Strap in and enjoy. 

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog. 

Survive the Dome by Kosoko Jackson

The city of Baltimore is covered in a dome. Not a solid dome, but a virtual one that keeps people from coming in or going out. It also cuts off any communication with the outside world. 

Going into this story, I expected science fiction. It is actually a story of police brutality of African Americans and other people of color. The dome is used as a way to amplify how trapped some people are in our world of systemic racism and the power that is used to keep them that way. 

In the wake of a not guilty verdict for an officer in a police shooting, protests have been organized in Baltimore. Jamal, a high schooler dreaming of becoming a photojournalist, heads into the city to capture the moment and report it. He doesn't expect the impenetrable dome to trap him there in the midst of martial law (aka letting the police do whatever the want). 

Before the dome closes the city, Jamal befriends a protester named Marco. He leads Jamal away from the police violence to a meeting of a subversive hacking group. But under the dome (and often in real life), danger follows those trying to make a difference. The two young men grow to trust each other as they try to avoid the police while thinking of a way to take down the dome. They eventually (and reluctantly) become a trio by the addition of Catherine, a skilled fighter, who shows up just when they need her. 

The dome is used to illustrate the horror and violence that has become a daily part of the lives of non-white people. In this case, the state authority has created a cage to keep in the 'bad' people so they can be dealt with. 

The story is brutal and unflinching in its truth. Even though the dome is probably an impossible creation in reality, the actions of the people who created it are not exaggerated. Sadly, this is a story for our time.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site. 

 

All That I Can Fix by Crystal Chan

Wild animals running free in a small town - sounds wacky. But it is not a humorous story. In fact, the animals play mostly a peripheral part in the story of Ronney whose life is in turmoil. 

Ronney's dad tried to commit suicide a few year's ago and only managed to injure himself. Since then in his state of depression, he barely leaves his room and says little to his family. Ronney has worked to keep the house repaired. He also has stepped up to emotionally support his younger sister. Ronney is really angry at his dad for trying to abandon them and then just barely existing while the family's lives go on. And he lets his dad know it, too. Any chance he gets, Ronney reminds his dad about how worthless he is.

Ronney and George have been best friends forever. The thing is George is a girl and Ronney has more than just friendly feelings for her. Jello, his other friend, tries to convince Ronney to help him photograph some of the animals to help propel his career as a photographer. 

And what is with the kid who keeps showing up saying Ronney stole his jeans. One, it's annoying. Two, it's creeping him out. And Ronney has never met him before. 

Ronney is angry at everything which is not an endearing quality for a character.  He isn't mean to people because he is a jerk; he really seemed to have things working against him. But I kept reading to see how Ronney dealt with his anger and his life (and do they get all those animals running amok?).  

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site. 

Game Theory by Barry Jonsberg

Jamie loves math. Recently, he has become interested in game theory, the strategy of determining your opponent's actions. He practices it with his clever, precocious younger sister, Phoebe.

Jamie's older sister, Summerlee, buys a lottery ticket on her 18th birthday and wins 7.5 million dollars. Already rebellious, the money causes her to break free of her family. Against her parents' advice, Summerlee lets the world know that she won and goes on a spending spree.

One day when Jamie and Phoebe go to the grocery store together, Phoebe is kidnapped. The sudden horror and remorse Jamie feels is gut wrenching. Phoebe is the best of the family. Even Summerlee who can be nasty to anyone is never cross with Phoebe.

Is the kidnapping related to Summerlee's sudden financial windfall? No one knows for sure, but they do know that the kidnapper(s) will only speak with Jamie. Maybe he can use game theory to outwit the kidnapper and get Phoebe back. But dealing with the kidnapper without the police is a risk.

This is a story filled with tension and suspense. So if you are looking for something with some mystery that is a little different, check this one out.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog.

Surface Tension by Mike Mullin

Jake loves being on his bike. He lives for it. He is an amateur competitive cyclist and is hoping to make the USA team and go to Belgium. Jake also has a beautiful girlfriend. So his life is pretty good. Until...

Jake is riding one morning on what are normally deserted roads when he encounters a group of tanker trucks. It is his misfortune that the trucks are part of a terrorist attack that brings down an airplane leaving the nearby airport. Without giving too much away, let's just say that Jake wakes up in the hospital with no memory of what happened.

Betsy's life is pretty good, too. Her mother disappeared along time ago, but her dad has given her goals. She wants to become the first female member of the Sons of Paine, a patriotic group who want to make the United States a better place. Her dad is an important member and gives her a task to prove herself - killing the only witness to the plane crash, a guy about her age named Jake who managed to escape.

The author has written a suspenseful tale of a young man who is in danger at almost every turn. The terrorists want him dead, and the FBI wants him for questioning. It becomes difficult for Jake to know who he can trust. And since so many people think his head injury is causing him to hallucinate or remember things that never happened, no one really trusts him.

We also get the viewpoint of Betsy, a young women who has grown up learning to hate Muslims and thinks nothing of killing innocent people for the end goal of finally eradicating them from the United States. But all is not what it seems even for a young women willing to commit terrorism.

A bonus for me is that this story is set in Indianapolis and mentions many places. I know the city well, so I enjoyed having the characters go to so many specific locations.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Wolf By Wolf by Ryan Graudin

It's 1956 and Hitler is still alive. The Axis Powers (Germany, Japan and Italy) won World War II. The current resistance could start a true uprising and bring the Third Reich to an end if Hitler could be killed. Unfortunately, he rarely appears in public.

There is one hope: Yael could be the one to kill Hitler. She is the only one who can get close enough to do it. Every year, an intercontinental motorcycle race is run pitting the best riders from each country. The winner is celebrated at the Victor's Ball attended by Hitler himself. Last year's winner (and only female racer) Adele Wolfe danced with him.

Due to vicious experiments in a concentration camp, Yael can change her appearance at will. She will become Adele and take her place in this year's race. She must win against the best, so she can get close enough to Hitler to shoot him.

The race is grueling: fighting with other riders, battling the elements, facing mechanical breakdowns, thwarting sabotage. And then there is Luka, another rider who was a love interest of Adele's. Can Yael trust him? Is he flirting or just waiting for a chance to take her out of the race.

Add to all of this Adele's brother, Felix, who joins the race to keep an eye on his sister. Can Yael fool  him and the other's who know Adele so well? Yael has endured much already in her life, so she is ready for this challenge.

It is a drama filled, action packed alternate history. I am ready to jump into the sequel for the rest of the story.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Bang by Barry Lyga

When Sebastian was four years old, he accidentally killed his infant sister with a gun. Ten years later, Sebastian is waiting for the right time to use a gun on himself. The voice in his head will tell him when.

Sebastian lives with his mother in the same house where the accident happened. She won't talk about his sister Lola and what happened that horrible day even though Sebastian needs her to. By trying to avoid it, neither can ever escape it for long. His dad left long ago.

Sebastian is the guy who shot his sister. Everyone knows it even if they don't talk about it anymore, so Sebastian is pleased when he meets Aneesa, a new girl in town. He is immediately taken with her face and how it is framed by the scarf wrapped around her head. Aneesa is different and doesn't know anything about Sebastian's past. They begin hanging out and quickly bond.

Aneesa suggests that she and Sebastian start an online video series of Sebastian making pizza (after impressing her with his cooking skills). They hope they will eventually be able to make money if the videos become popular enough. Is his friendship (and maybe more?) with Aneesa enough to stop the voice in his head?

The horrible death of his sister has eaten away at Sebastian, and it has come to define who he is. Heart wrenching but with hope - just what you expect from Barry Lyga.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

School assembly. The auditorium is full of students and teachers. The doors are chained shut. Tyler enters with a gun in his hand. For some it is the end. For others it is the beginning of a nightmare.

This story is told from four different perspectives. Claire, Tyler's former girlfriend, is excused from the assembly for track practice. She is outside with her fellow runners when the shooting the starts.

Autumn is Tyler's sister. She is in the auditorium. Since their mother died, Tyler has been acting differently, but she never foresaw this. Tyler had supported her dancing even as she hid it from their father. Dancing reminded their dad too much of their mother's tragic death.

Sylv is Autumn's friend. She is in the auditorium with Autumn. She was threatened by Tyler for getting too close to Autumn and 'corrupting' her. Sylv has avoided Tyler ever since. Is she the reason Tyler is here?

Thomas is Sylv's brother. He and his best friend, Fareed, are breaking into the principal's office during assembly. As the only unconfined people in the school, can they save anyone else? Thomas confronted Tyler and slammed him against the lockers over hurting his sister. Is Tyler looking for Thomas?

Opportunity is a small town. Everyone knows about everyone else. At least they think they do. Some saw the cracks forming after Tyler and Autumn lost their mother, but no one saw how deeply it affected Tyler. As we go minute by minute through this tragic event, we can only ask who will live and who will die and why.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

This Is Our Story by Ashley Elston

Five young men, close friends, enter the woods after a night of partying to go hunting, but only four come out alive. Grant, the prankster, is left lying on the ground with a gunshot wound. Which one of the four took the shot? None will admit to it. Grant was killed with his own Remington rifle, the only one in the group. Who grabbed the rifle that morning?  While standing over Grant's body, they all agree not to say anything.

While the five River Point Boys go to an expensive private school, Kate Marino attends the public school. As a senior, she has a paid internship at the district attorney's office. Her job is mostly filing for Mr. Stone, a lawyer who is close to retiring. Bowing to the pressure of the boys' fathers (who are highly influential in the community), the DA assigns the River Point Boys case to Stone with instructions to go easy with it. Mr. Stone and Kate agree that determining the shooter should be a priority.

Under normal circumstances, Kate would have no involvement with a case. Mr. Stone's vision is deteriorating and Kate is a photographer with a keen eye for detail, so he asks Kate to help him interpret evidence. She watches taped interviews, examines photographs and even visits the crime scene.

Things get complicated when the four accused boys are expelled from school and start attending Kate's school. She is told not to interact with them. Although Kate knows the importance of the case and her potential conflicts due to working for the prosecuting attorney, she can't completely avoid the boys. Of course, she never told Mr. Stone or her mom (who works in the same office) that she had been texting Grant in the weeks leading up to his death - including the night before he was shot.

It is a compelling story with enough nail biting moments to keep you guessing to the end.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Smash & Grab by Amy Christine Parker

Girl meets boy. Boy likes girl. Boy and girl rob a bank. OK, it's more complicated than that. Let's start with the boy...

Christian lives in rough part of Los Angeles. Even though he is a good student and gets accepted to college, he has not been able to avoid being involved with a gang. The gang takes care of his alcoholic dad's debts as long as Christian fulfills his obligations: robbing banks with his crew.  The crew (aka the Romero Robbers) stage hold ups and keep some of the money with the rest going to the gang leaders. Keep the jobs quick and small - get too ambitious and you get careless. That's how you get caught. But now Christian's boss wants a big job: breaking into a vault.

Lexi goes to an exclusive private school. She, her brother and their friends do extreme activities (like illegally BASE jumping from the top of an office building). Her life is pretty good until her father is arrested for a fraud scheme at the bank where he works. Her family's accounts are frozen and the school kicks her and her brother out. Lexi is so angry that her father's boss is probably also guilty but continues to live his luxurious life. She must find a way to take him down even if it means breaking into the bank to find incriminating evidence.

After a few chance encounters, Lexi and Christian have an attraction, but are suspicious of each other. Once they reveal their plans, they decide the best course is to team up to rob the bank - him to get money and her to get documents. They need each other, but they have different objectives that do not always mesh.

The story is involved, suspenseful and a fun exploration of a topic not often seen in teen books.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

23 Minutes by Vivian Vande Velde

Imagine if you could go back in time to change something. Correct an answer on an exam. Take back something hurtful you said. Save someone's life. It seems easy enough, but time can be unforgiving. Suppose you can only go back 23 minutes. Zoe can. She doesn't know why, but she has the ability to jump back 23 minutes (and reset 10 times before the she reaches her oringinal starting time).

So on a rainy day, she ducks into a bank to stay dry and finds herself in the middle of a robbery. The young man who steps between her and the gunman should not have to die, no one should. Zoe tries to intervene using her time travel abilities.

It should be easy enough - call the police before the robbery happens; try to stop the robber from entering the bank; tell the young man not to enter the bank. Zoe has ten tries to stop people from dying. Her time travel has never been needed for something so important.

The author has given us a tight scenario with strict rules that makes for a tense story.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Need by Joelle Charbonneau

Imagine a social media site that gives you what you ask for - for a price, of course. Not money, but a task. Complete the task and get your wish, your want, your need. The teens of Nottawa, Wisconsin are invited to join NEED. Some teens ask for small things like a new cell phone; others concert tickets. But Kaylee just wants one thing...

Nate invites Kaylee to join NEED. She thinks its ridiculous and a scam. How could a website afford to give away things for free? But they both know it works because Nate's brother Jack got the phone he ask for.

Everyone knows that Kaylee has only wanted one thing for the past few years - a kidney for her brother DJ. She has asked everyone she knows to get tested to be a donor. She has tried hunting for her father (who ran out on them when DJ got really ill). Kaylee has been so desperate that she has alienated her classmates, broke school rules and ended up seeing a therapist. Her mom is not happy and does not trust her at all.

With nothing to lose, Kaylee asks NEED for a kidney. And then the bad stuff starts happening - minor crimes at first but it quickly escalates. It is amazing what some people are willing to do just to get something they want. Often their task seems innocuous but it is part of a more sinister plan.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

The Only Thing to Fear by Caroline Tung Richmond

What if Germany had won World War II? The life you know would not exist - you would not exist. There would have been no Beatles, no Martin Luther King, no walk on the moon, no President Obama. Everything we have known for that last 70 years would not have happened.

Knowing the premise, I expected that Germany would have won the war by changing one thing in history (like they built the atomic bomb first), but it turns out that they created genetically altered superhumans. That's how they overran Europe and eventually the United States. The US has been divided up: Germany controls the East, Japan the West, and Italy the Dakota region.

Zara lives in the same year we do now, but you wouldn't recognize it. Nazi's live in big, fancy houses in the center of town. Zara lives with her Uncle Red in a shack on a farm in the country. She is the descendent of Americans - even worse for her, she is part Japanese. Mixed race people are looked down upon even more than non-Germans.

Zara's uncle is a resistance fighter, but lost all energy after her mother was killed for being part of the resistance, too. Zara wants nothing more than to be part of the resistance and fight the Nazi's but her uncle refuses to let her. She lives a dreary life being a cleaning girl in a fancy prep school during the day and working on the farm until dark. The Nazi rule has left little hope for anyone not in step with the regime.

Zara is also an anomaly, a person with special powers (just another bit of science fiction). She can control the wind, even creating a tornado if she chooses. If the Nazi's found out, they would kill her for sure. It is this secret and her family's connection to the resistance that make Bastian's attention so unnerving. Bastian is a student at the prep school and the son of one of a ruthless Nazi colonel. Zara must choose her words carefully when he speaks to her, because she does not know his motive for the conversations.

As the Nazi atrocities hit closer to home, Zara is swept up in the movement to help restore America. The action and suspense will not disappoint.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

The Hit by Melvin Burgess

This pill will kill you. You live the ultimate high for seven days and then you die. Why would anyone take such a drug? It enhances your physical and mental strength. If your life is already a mess, you could have one last grab at glory, mark off as many items on your bucket list as possible and go out on top. Of course, you could also do something illegal, get arrested, be denied bail and die alone in a jail cell.

The setting is what I will call an economic dystopia. Conditions in England are so bad that society is on the verge of a revolution. Manchester is the epicenter of the movement to overthrow the current government and the location where the pill Death is manufactured.

Adam and (his hopefully girlfriend) Lizzie are right in the middle of it all as the first big riot by the Zealots happens. They are there when city hall is taken. It is exciting to have so much hope and change on the horizon.

Adam's life is good until...he pushes Lizzie too fast in their relationship and his brother Jess is declared dead. Suddenly, taking the pill doesn't seem like such a stupid idea. He could make lots of money to help his parents, make up with Lizzie, do something for the revolution, maybe even kill somebody who deserves it (and have sex, of course). It's amazing what someone can accomplish with an extra boost and the ultimate deadline.

This story went places I was not anticipating when I first chose this book. There is the drug kingpin and his psycho son who causes much trouble for all the main characters (theft, violence, kidnapping - you know typical gangster stuff). The oncoming revolution is always happening (mostly in the background). It is a dark and nasty world, but worth a brief visit.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Invasion by Walter Dean Myers

War is hell. It's a cliche, but it is so true. Walter Dean Myers holds nothing back in his depiction of the horrors of combat: the terror, the exhaustion, the hunger, the death, the blood, the dirt, the explosions. Imagine living a life where you could be killed any minute of every day; a life where you are talking to a buddy one minute and seeing him laying on the ground bleeding from a hole in his chest the next; a life where your fate is in the hands of leaders who sometimes seem as confused as you.

During World War II, Josiah Wedgewood (aka Woody) of Richmand, Virginia, lands on the beach with his platoon at Normandy and moves across France fighting the Germans. We are with Woody as he thinks about a girl at home; as he talks with fellow soldiers; as he sees friends die. Like Myers' other war stories, this on has no real plot; it is just the daily existence of soldiers in the middle of a war. There are only brief appearances of African American soldiers underlining the segregation that existed at the time in the armed forces.

This story is loosely connected to Myer's other books Fallen Angels and Sunrise Over Fallujah. Family members from three generations end up fighting in three different wars: in Europe, in Vietnam and in Iraq. How many generations must go to war? The futility of it all is part of Myer's point.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Gated by Amy Christine Parker

Lyla knows the world will end and that many people will die. She knows because Pioneer has told her and all the other members of the Community. Her parents are so convinced that Pioneer's visions from the Brethren are true that they helped build a walled, isolated community so they could prepare for the inevitable end to modern civilization.

Pioneer came to Lyla's family after her sister went missing right after 9/11. He saw it as the beginning of the end. He gathered other families and built an underground bunker to house them all when the time came. The bunker's entrance is hidden in the Community so suspicions will not be raised among the outsiders. When the end comes, some outsiders may want in, too.

Everyone's life is carefully controlled by Pioneer. It is for their own protection; it is the price they pay for being chosen. Lyla's intended (chosen for her to marry someday) is her best friend Will. They, like the rest of the young people, are not allowed to have contact with the outside - no phones, no television, no magazines. They must work like all the adults to keep the Community running and prepared.

Lyla is not always sure of her abilities. Will she able to help protect their way of life if the outsiders come? It is that lingering doubt that confuses her even more when she meets Cody, an outsider. Her attraction is instant and much stronger than anything she has ever felt toward Will.

No matter how much Pioneer tries to control everything, he cannot stop Lyla from feeling emotions that teens feel. Lyla has desires, and sometimes she just wants and needs to be a regular teen. It is a struggle that reveals much about Pioneer and his followers. Even though life in the Community is all Lyla really knows, she starts to wonder if it is safer outside the walls than it is in.

For more info check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

I often wonder why I am drawn to stories with dark premises. I don't have an answer. And it's not all that I read, of course. Part of me wants to go to these dark places because I know the world has many of them and I want to see the characters find their way out.

...so Leonard Peacock is planning to kill his former best friend, Asher, and then take his own life. He has it all planned out. He has a World War II P-38 that his grandfather took from a Nazi. He will use it for both shootings on this day - his birthday, that no one remembered including his mom (who he calls Linda).

On his last day, Leonard delivers farewell gifts to the people important to him. As he makes his deliveries, he hopes not to tip them off to his plans.  He's showing to many signs of a person contemplating suicide like cutting off his long hair. His elderly neighbor, Walt, is concerned. He and Leonard have bonded watching Humphrey Bogart movies. Sometimes they quote the movies at length and other times they do not need to say anything.

Leonard's favorite teacher, Herr Silverman, is also concerned when he receives his gift. He teaches a Holocaust class and is the only teacher Leonard respects. Herr Silverman makes a deal with Leonard that he hopes will keep Leonard alive.

This journey with Leonard is a difficult one. He is so matter of fact about his plans. He sees no worth in staying alive because of the pain he has experienced. You can only hope that Leonard will learn that his life will get better.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Message to Adolf Parts 1 and 2 by Osamu Tezuka

This is an amazing complex story set in Japan and Germany in the 1930s and 40s during the time of the Nazi regime and World War II. There are three Adolfs in the story. One is Adolf Hitler. The other two start out as young boys in Japan. One is a Jewish boy whose family owns a German bakery. Having always lived in Japan, he feels like he is Japanese even though he was born in Germany. The other Adolf's father is a German official living in Japan and his mother is Japanese.

Each boy struggles with the rise of the Third Reich as Jews become persecuted
throughout Europe and life in Japan becomes affected. Friendships are tested and loyalties questioned as the Nazis become more powerful and Hitler's views spread. After the United States enters the war, the Japanese people must deal with rationing and bombing raids. This portrayal of every day struggles I found fascinating. It is not a view we often see when learning about the 'enemy.'




A thread throughout the story involves secret documents that some believe could bring down Hitler. The documents pass through many hands and are hidden and secretly moved about throughout the country. People will torture and kill to obtain the documents before they become public.

You have no idea how much more I want to share from one of the best graphic novels I have ever read, but it would spoil key elements of the intricate plot. There is action mixed with deeper questions of identity and loyalty to country and race. There are moments of humor, too; mostly in the forms of character overreactions to situation (as depicted in the way the characters are drawn). These reactions are very much in the manga tradition. No surprise since the author is a pioneer of manga and anime.

Make no mistake, this is the Holocaust and the Nazi persecution of the Jewish people is graphically portrayed. It is not just the actual violence, but the thought of how human beings were treated that is sickening.

For more info about these books, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog for part part 1 and part 2.

Colin Fischer by Ashley Miller & Zack Stentz

A gun goes off in the cafeteria. Everyone runs - except Colin. He has been carefully observing everyone. It's one of the things Colin does that he can't help. He observes and records his observations in his notebook. Colin can't help it. He really can't. He observes, records and analyzes. He is like his hero, Sherlock Holmes.

It's Colin's condition that sets him apart from others and causes him to investigate. He doesn't like to be touched. He doesn't socialize. He carries a sheet with facial expressions so he can recognize them on other people. His own younger brother doesn't understand (and is often annoyed) at Colin and his condition.

But that day in the cafeteria, things change for Colin. He knows that Wayne (the kid who has bullied Colin since elementary school) did not fire the gun, but can he prove it? The principal tells Colin to leave it to the police, but he will not, cannot, stop searching for the real perpetrator.

He enlists the help of Wayne who can't figure out why Colin wants to clear his name. Colin's answer - he wants to find the truth. Oddly, Colin begins to do things he has never done like lie to his parents. Colin doesn't behave like a typical teen, but he begins to feel more like one.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog.

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

Think, the Hunger Games, only brutal. In all fairness, this story came before the Hunger Games. It also is only similar in the overall concept of young people being thrown into a situation by their government where they must fight to the death.

In this case, 40 members of a junior high class think they are going on a field trip but wake up in a class room on an island as part of 'the Program.' Everyone in the country of Greater East Asia knows about the annual program since the results are broadcast. Still it is shocking to awake and realize the other students sitting next to you will be killed in the next few hours.

Shuya can't believe that anyone in his class would be willing to kill anyone else. Maybe if they all get together and refuse to participate they can all stop this insane exercise. He teams up with Noriko, the girl his friend had a crush on. He feels compelled to look after her even when she is hurt.

After being released on the island, the students take different paths over the next few days. Some scheme to escape. Some want to destroy the leaders who are making them do it. Some are just hiding hoping it ends soon. Others, in spite of what Shuya may hope, are ready to kill others to win.

The center of the story revolves around Shuya, Noriko and the mysterious loner Shogo as they work together to survive. All the students are mentioned, many in detailed sections describing their own schemes to survive; others are only mentioned at the moment of their deaths.

This is a gripping story for those who don't mind graphic descriptions of violence committed by young people.

For more information about this book, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog.