TeenZone Blog

If you like reading creepy, gruesome horror stories, you definitely have to pick up The last apprentice series by Joseph Delaney. In this series, Tom, the seventh son of a seventh son, begins working for the village spook. Being the village spook doesn’t mean that Tom goes around pretending to be a ghost. He actually does the opposite–protects others from witches, boggarts, and other creatures of the “Dark.” So far I’ve listened to every book in the series on CD, but I definitely want to pick up the actual books–I hear there are pictures that will get your spine tingling.

In Attack of the fiend the latest book in the series, Tom’s family is being held hostage by a clan of malevolent witches determined to raise the Fiend (otherwise known as THE devil). In order to save them, Tom will have to face a legendary assassin witch who enjoys snipping her victims to pieces and a hooved creature that can not only see the future, but also loves the taste of blood. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart! I’m listening to it on CD right now and I’ve had to stop a couple of times because it was just getting too stressful! I can’t wait to see how it ends…I just hope I can make it until then.

Imagine a future in which drugs have not only cured all diseases but grant people with everlasting life as well. Imagine what happens when people don’t die and babies continue being born. That’s right. The world slowly becomes overpopulated. To stave off the depletion of resources, “The Declaration” has been passed prohibiting those who have taken longevity drugs from having children.

Anna is a “Surplus”–a child born in violation of The Declaration. Like all Surpluses, she has been raised to believe that her parents were selfish people for having her. Groomed for life as a servant, Anna is convinced that the only way to make up for her existence is to become the most Valuable Asset to come out of Grange Hall.

I just started listening to The Declaration on CD. A brand new Surplus named Peter has just arrived on the scene and I just know that he’s going to be the one who turns Anna’s world upside down. I won’t tell you any more but as you can tell, I’m already hooked.

I am a HUGE Scott Westerfeld fan. I loved Peeps and all the books in the Uglies series. Right now I’m listening to Extras on CD and so far I think it is my MOST FAVORITE Westerfeld book yet. It’s not just because of the cool Japanese gadgets, the hot guys, and the high speed train surfing, it’s the story itself.

It’s been a few years since the Mind Rain and, in Aya’s city, fame is everything. Every one has a popularity ranking. The higher your ranking (also known as “face”), the more privileges you get. How do you get more face? By doing things that get people saying your name.

Aya Fuse, with a ranking of 451,369, is an no-face Extra. When she tracks down the Sly Girls—an elusive clique of girls that strives to remain as far down the ranks as possible, Aya knows that “kicking” their secret will get her more face for sure. Hanging with the Sly Girls thrusts Aya into a thrill seeking world that she’s not quite ready for. How far will she go to become famous?

If you’re an Uglies fan, I’m sure you’ve already read Extras so DON’T TELL ME WHAT HAPPENS! If you’re not an Uglies fan and are intrigued, you have to give this book a try. This book is great because it stands on its own AND will make you want to go back and read the rest of the series.

I’m currently listening to Chris Crutcher’s Deadline on CD. I am a HUGE Chris Crutcher fan so I could not resist picking this one up.

The summer before his senior year of high school, Ben Wolf finds out that he has just about a year left to live. Ben refuses medical treatment and keeps his illness a secret from his friends and family. Somehow, he has always known that his life wouldn’t be a long one. Ben decides to live the life he has left full throttle. To start, he gives up cross country stardom for football and asks out his dream girl.

Now that I’m moving past the narrator’s tendency to give the male characters very nasally voices, I’m really getting into the book. I just finished the part about the Homecoming Game and he definitely redeemed himself there. The reading was so exciting I was ALMOST paying more attention to the story than to the road!

I’m pretty sure that I’ll be bawling as I get closer to the end of the book but at least I think I know how it turns out. Ben’s thinking about the legacy he’ll leave behind has definitely got me thinking about my own life. What would YOU do if you only had a year left to live? How would you want to be remembered? Leave us a comment and let us know!