Ganked by Liam O’Donnell
Summary: Headed to Toronto for StrifeCon, the convention for Kingdom of Strife fans, Orin, his brother Baz and his friends Landon and Rasheen are expecting an awesome gaming weekend. Instead, a well-known game loot vendor is killed and Baz is framed for his death. As an insider in the gaming world, Orin feels it is up to him to follow up the clues missed by the police. Aided by his friends as well as Neya, a kick ass player herself, Orin pursues the killer’s trail through the real and virtual world, trying to balance competing in the PvP tournament with clearing Baz’s name.
Number of Pages: 257
Age Range: 13-15
Review: It was completely over-the-top, but I had fun reading Ganked by Liam O’Donnell. From witty humour to dramatic action scenes, it was an entertaining read with a great mystery.
I loved the Star Wars references once I realised they were purposeful, and I was instantly immersed in the Massively Multiplayer Online gaming world. Even though I wasn’t a gamer, my lack of knowledge didn’t hold me back from enjoying O’Donnell’s story.
My favourite character was Neya, because she was fierce. I’m not sure I would have been able to participate in a Player versus Player tournament after a close family member had just been murdered, but O’Donnell helped me understand why gaming was so important to her. There’s more depth to gaming than I originally thought, because it seems to provide players with a sense of accomplishment and can actually be a source of income.
I liked that Orin was dedicated to clearing his brother’s name to keep his family together. He stuck by Baz declaring his innocence even when it looked like he was the only one who could have committed the murder.
My one complaint was that I wanted Neya’s uncle to have more motivation for the things he did. I was glad O’Donnell provided enough detail for a noob like me to understand what was going on, but I still wanted more background because I was hooked. Maybe a prequel to tell Neya’s uncle’s story from when he was in college.
Ganked moves smoothly as a story despite a couple of editing issues, and if O’Donnell comes up with other Geeked Out Mysteries, I would read them. Definitely a must read for teen gamers.
Memorable Quotes:
“Maybe I was being paranoid, but it felt like everyone’s eyes were on me as I moved through StrifeCon. People spoke in whispers as I passed. A few took photos of me, but casually and from a distance. It wasn’t like celebrity-hunting because I was some hot PvP superstar. It was more like when people slow down to rubberneck an accident on the side of the road. My dad used to get so mad at those people when we were on a road trip. He said they were like vultures feeing off someone else’s tragedy. Mom would try to calm him down while Baz and I would press our noses against the window, fighting for the best view of the carnage. Now I was the heap of twisted metal on the side of the road. The vultures were staring at me.” – Orin from Ganked by Liam O’Donnell, pages 53-54
“Neya played with the fury of a long-trapped demon newly released. Hazel eyes glued to the screen, elegant fingers dancing on the keys, mouse moving in a blur as she constructed her next move, luring, charming, and cajoling her opponents into their own fiery funeral. She was a bringer of doom to all who opposed her. I didn’t know if I was falling in love or beginning to fear for my life.” – Orin from Ganked by Liam O’Donnell, page 70
“‘He started it.’ I knew I sounded like a sulking first grader, but Landon’s money had a way of seeping into every part of our friendship. I also knew he was right. That’s what really got under my blue-painted skin. Without Landon, there would be no StrifeCon, no hotel, no rental car. The more time I spent around Landon the more I learned money give power. It’s fine to tag along and enjoy the benefits, but things change when the ride gets bumpy and that power turns on you. Only then do you learn who truly has control. Landon seemed to know this all along.” – Orin from Ganked by Liam O’Donnell, page 81
“Only Neya would be thrown off a balcony then refuse help. If there’s one thing I figured out about her, she can take care of herself in game and in real life.” – Orin from Ganked by Liam O’Donnell, page 243
Ganked by Liam O’Donnell is published by Feeding Change Media, (2013).
The Game by Teresa Toten
Summary: To survive having an abusive father, Dani and her younger sister Kelly escape by playing a made-up fantasy game. One day Dani finds herself in Rosewood, a mental institution, after a suicide attempt and she has trouble remembering the previous year of her life. Forbidden to see her father, and at odds with her mother, Dani writes to Kelly to warn her to be careful at home and avoid drawing the abuse on herself, but receives no response. Instead she finds family in Alison and Kevin, fellow patients at Rosewood who also know hardship first hand. Together, they support each other and find the courage to face the truth of their lives, taking care of themselves before others for once.
Number of Pages: 208
Age Range: 15-17
Review: At first I wondered why Teresa Toten titled her book, The Game, because while Dani and her sister have their own world and adventures, it wasn’t talked about a whole lot in the story. But then about halfway through I realised how many games were actually being played. Definitely more than I first thought.
I loved the complexity of Toten’s story. Dani finds herself in a mental institution with limited memories about the past year of her life after a suicide attempt. The tension is palpable and steadily builds as readers discover more and more about Dani’s life during the book’s skillful progression. I appreciated the scenes of backstory involving Dani and her father as well as Dani and her sister, as Toten informs without overwhelming her reader.
What struck me was though Dani and her sister were working through their reality by battling imaginary dragons in something they called the Game, Dani and her friends were actually unwitting players in much more serious and real games. Dani endured her father’s physical abuse since she was five years old, playing the game of keeping him happy even though she was never sure what the rules actually were. In the mental institution, some patients are there because their parents can’t deal with reality, and others because their parents have enough money to keep them out of jail. In this manner Toten introduces her reader to the games we play to survive, denying abuse and sexuality to appease the ones we love until the truth must come out. The best part is the mental institution is a haven for previous game players because it is a place where only truth is valued.
Dani’s friends, Alison and Kevin, in the mental institution are wonderful, but I was especially touched by Dani’s relationship with her mother. There was so much her mother had to answer for in her years of silence about the abuse, and Toten honoured the feelings of anger Dani has while bringing about a believable reconciliation. I loved that even if things didn’t work out with her mother in the long run, Dani still has the option of a home with her family of friends.
It’s a thought-provoking story, and while I did suspect what was coming, I still had my questions when it actually happened. Was Dani’s father playing the game with her sister too?
I’d recommend The Game for mid-teen female readers looking for a book with excellent character growth.
Memorable Quotes:
“If you think I was bad for not seeing Mother for a few weeks, there’s this multiple on D Ward with eleven different personalities and none of them will have anything to do with her mother. I admire a lunatic with principles.” – Dani from The Game by Teresa Toten, page 96
“‘Not ever.’ She turned away. ‘Not you, me, Scratch, Bobby, or Janice or even Jared. No matter what they say.’
‘But then what, Kevin? There has to be a “better” than this, a “better” than how I was before this. There has to be more than how I am now, please God.’
He started to amble around the room. ‘The way I figure it is that whatever brought you in here, Dani, you got to face it. Square. And when you get out, you learn how to wear it.’
‘Huh?’
‘Yeah,’ he nodded, ‘like some kind of invisible coat that you can’t take off. It has to be on all the time, every single moment of your life.’
This was so not what she wanted to hear.
‘Okay, so sometimes it’s too hot, and sometimes it’s too heavy because, I don’t know, it’s wet with rain or something. But it’s your coat. You learn to wear it. There’ll be times when you don’t even know you’ve got it on. And then sometimes there’ll be a breeze and you walk around unbuttoned and it’ll be okay. And then one day you’ll be actually grateful, because it’s just so unbearably cold and that stupid coat will save your butt.’ He smiled, delighted with himself. ‘Yeah.’
Dani got into his pacing path.
‘Do you get it?’
‘I do.’ She stopped suddenly and they collided. ‘Sort of.’
‘I’m still working it all out in my head,’ he pouted. ‘I wasn’t ready for a formal presentation.'” – Conversation between Kevin and Dani from The Game by Teresa Toten, pages 139-140
‘”I had to cut to survive the next minute. I couldn’t not or I would explode.’ She faced Dani again. ‘It’s like when you’d leave for the Game. You said you couldn’t not leave. You couldn’t stop it. I understood, Dani. I understand even before you could explain it properly.’ She glanced back to her arm. ‘But that was then, as they say. Only . . . only . . . look, Dani. Look what’s left.’ Tears welled in her eyes. ‘I make myself sick.’
‘No, Alison, don’t. They’re battle scars.’ Dani gently stroked her arm. ‘It’s like this war took place all over your body. But you won, Alison. The only thing I really understand is that you won and then you helped me win.'” – Conversation between Alison and Dani from The Game by Teresa Toten, pages 171-172
The Game by Teresa Toten is published by Red Deer Press, (2001).
Deviants by Maureen McGowan
Summary: Living in a community under a dome after asteroids pulverize Earth’s surface, Glory is hiding her injured brother, Drake, from the authorities to save his life after her father kills her mother with his deviant powers. Life in the dome is highly regulated, and Compliance Officers are on the lookout for people who are considered Parasites and Deviants. With her ability crush people with her mind and her brother’s armour that appears when he feels threatened, both have targets on their backs. But when Glory finds out her dad is still alive after a guy named Burn comes to take her and her brother to reunite with him, she discovers there is a whole, complicated world outside of the dome.
Number of Pages: 312
Age Range: 14-16
Review: The first book in the Dust Chronicles, Deviants by Maureen McGowan sets up a post-apocalyptic world where the dust from asteroids hitting the Earth affects its some of inhabitants like a drug. Since the end of the world, humans have survived in a dome by rationing food and using every last scrap of resources in a highly organized environment.
Glory’s just about to finish school and she’s keeping some secrets of her own. After her father kills her mother, cripples her brother and is expunged, Glory is left to care for Drake without anyone knowing. If the authorities find out Drake is alive, he’ll be taken to the dome hospital that no one comes out of alive.
But Drake’s existence isn’t the only secret Glory has to keep, she and her brother have special powers that make them Deviants, the most feared type of person in their community just short of the Scabbers that live outside the dome high on dust. A mysterious guy named Burn appears, telling Glory her father isn’t dead after all and that she and Drake need to get out of the dome.
It’s a tale for teens just getting into dystopian fiction, because I though McGowan did an fine job developing Glory’s life in the dome and her dystopian world. I’m not exactly clear on how the asteroid dust mutated human DNA to make some people Deviants, and I kind of thought maybe the story of asteroids hitting the Earth was actually a cover for a nuclear event, but I can’t prove it. Still, with all of the lying the management in the dome is doing, I wouldn’t be surprised.
While I enjoyed the world itself, I had some trouble with Glory’s relationships. I empathized with her need to punish herself after the truth comes out, but there was nothing about Glory’s power to made me think she couldn’t control it or that she did not deserve love as a result. Unlike Burn, I thought she could handle her powers even in times of attraction and emotion. Burn, on the other hand, had a superpower that seemed to be a creepy throwback to the Hulk and primitive man at the same time, turning him whenever he felt any strong emotion from anger to protectiveness to lust. If Glory hadn’t been able to use her superpower after they kissed, it would have been a rape scene instead of one of only violence. I wonder if it was really necessary.
Deviants is the first in a trilogy and I’d like to know more about Glory’s world, especially after the way McGowan ends the book.
Memorable Quotes:
“But some of the things we’re taught about life Before The Dust – like air travel and long-distance telephones – seem like science fiction, not history.” – Glory from Deviants by Maureen McGowan, page 12
“My mother’s name, Anna, flashes to mind and my thumb flies to her ring. I want to be like her, not my father, but to survive I need a little of both.” – Glory from Deviants by Maureen McGowan, page 66
“‘He’s lucky to have you as a sister.’
‘No.’ I shake my head. ‘I’m lucky to have him.’ But my joy hardens. Family is a loaded concept for me, the bad hidden in the good like a terrorist’s bomb.” – Glory from Deviants by Maureen McGowan, page 215
Deviants by Maureen McGowan is published by Amazon Publishing, (2012).
Cry of the Giraffe by Judie Oron
Summary: Wuditu lives in Ethiopia and is a part of the Beta Israel community with her family. Secure in her family’s love, things begin to change slowly at first when the government orders all adults to be educated, progressing to Wuditu’s family being exiled from Ethiopia. Driven from their homes, Wuditu and her family journey to live in the refugee camps in the Sudan in the hopes to catch an airplane to a new life in Israel. Instead her family gets separated and Wuditu finds herself having to leave her sister behind in the search to reunite with them. On her own, Wuditu goes through terrible things to survive, until a foreigner starts asking after her in town.
Number of Pages: 190
Age Range: 15-17
Review: A harrowing story of adversity and survival, Cry of the Giraffe by Judie Oron is based on the real life experiences of Oron’s daughter Wuditu (not her real name) and her family’s exile from Ethiopia.
It’s a painful read because Wuditu goes through many events she should never have to face, but my favourite part was the conversation she has with Judie after being reunited with her family. As a devout Jew, Wuditu has trouble facing the things she had to do to survive and what she witnessed, but Judie reassures her that God understands and values human life above all, even when it means breaking the rules to stay alive. I’ve included the conversation in my Memorable Quotes section because Judie’s compassion and understanding at a time when Wuditu was feeling insecure about being able to fit into her family again stuck with me.
Reading often highlights my ignorance about world events and Oron’s book was no exception. Through her writing I learned about the Ethiopia Jewish people who wanted to live in Israel, as well as about the discrimination and blatant ignorance they faced while living there. The story made me want to learn more about the real life events behind the scenes, and I hope Oron writes an autobiographical work next because I would like to read her side of the story too. From the bio I read on her website, she’s led a very interesting life.
With mature themes including the repeated rape and pregnancy of a fourteen year-old, Cry of the Giraffe is for mid to older teen readers.
Memorable Quotes:
“Was I really hearing this – in school? Did even my beloved teacher believe these terrible stories about us? And now he was teaching others to think the same way. How could a learned person do that?” – Wuditu from Cry of the Giraffe by Judie Oron, page 30
“I felt bad about lying to such a nice woman. I longed to tell her the truth. My lies and my loneliness had become such heavy burdens. But the truth was too dangerous to reveal.” – Wuditu from Cry of the Giraffe by Judie Oron, page 96
“I didn’t tell anyone how I was feeling, but Judie seemed to understand without my saying anything. She took me aside on my last day in Addis. She though for a moment and then said, ‘You do know that whatever was done to you while you were away from your family wasn’t your fault, don’t you?’
I nodded my head, but in my heart I didn’t believe her.
She said, ‘Your people were separated from the rest of the Jews for a long time, and there are some things about our religious laws that have evolved and changed over the years. When you get to Israel, you’ll learn about piku-ach nefesh, the saving of human life. We believe that saving a life is more important than anything else, that it overrides almost every other Jewish law, even the one to keep the Sabbath. All the time that you were away from your family, Sabbath. All the time that you were away from your family, you did everything you could to save your life. Isn’t that right?’
‘That’s true.’ I nodded, for surviving had been my greatest concern.
‘You see – you’ve fulfilled God’s highest law,’ Judie said. ‘Not only should you not be blamed for trying to save your life, but according to our laws, you should be praised for doing so.’
When I though about what she said, it did make me feel a little less ashamed, but I still hoped that God would show me the way to save my good name.” – Conversation between Judie and Wuditu from Cry of the Giraffe by Judie Oron, pages 182-183
Cry of the Giraffe by Judie Oron is published by Annick Press, (2010).
Chanda’s Secrets by Allan Stratton
Summary: Sixteen year-old Chanda has a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. After the death of her youngest sibling, Sarah, her Mama is sick with grief and something else, and her step-father is drinking and sleeping around to forget. Chanda’s family lives in a community where gossip is rampant and reputation is everything, so when Chanda suspects her mother may actually have AIDS, she keeps it to herself. But the secrets in Chanda’s life are building up, and when her Mama goes away on a trip she doesn’t return from, Chanda must find the courage to break through the silence to care for the people she loves.
Number of Pages: 193
Age Range: 14-16
Review: I was completely engrossed by Chanda’s Secrets. Allan Stratton’s story flow beautifully, and it is a story about family, love, and the power of the truth. I had read Borderline by Stratton before and liked it, but Chanda’s Secrets was above and beyond my expectations.
Just as Sharon E. MacKay’s War Brothers fictionalizes the story of child soldiers, so Stratton fictionalizes a real life tragedy of AIDS in Africa. While being a good read, it’s also an educational one that opens up a previously taboo subject through the simple act of writing about it. It’s not a story about the day-to-day grind about living with illness, instead it is about having the courage to tell the truth and to be honest about what’s going on, even if it’s a topic that causes embarrassment or others consider it to be shameful.
The part I liked best was Chanda’s righteous anger. She’s surrounded by secrets – some are her own but most are the secrets of those around her – living in a place where keeping those secrets is encouraged. When it gets to be too much and Chanda realises keeping secrets isn’t helping anyone, she reacts with anger toward others who keep the truth from her. Her anger helps fuel change because ultimately Chanda realises she isn’t willing to play by the rules anymore.
Mostly though, Chanda is driven by a fierce love for her family. And reading about how that love unfolds was a true pleasure.
Memorable Quotes:
“Hearing ‘I’m sorry’ is nice. What I hate is: ‘It’s for the best. Sara’s with God.’ I want to say, ‘If being with God’s for the best, why don’t you go kill yourself?’ I also hate, ‘Trust God. He has a reason.’ I want to say, ‘Oh? Is it the same reason He made you stupid and ugly?'” – Chanda from Chanda’s Secret by Allan Stratton, page 53
“We stare at each other. Time disappears. I feel the world turn calm. My shoulders melt. I close my eyes. I see Mama, big the way she used to be. Her arms cradle me. I hear the sound of her laughter, rich and round. My heart glowed with her warmth.” – Chanda from Chanda’s Secret by Allan Stratton, page 128
“I’m not the only one waiting for Mama to call. Before supper on Monday, Soly’s sitting at the side of the road. He’s been going there to wait for Mama ever since she left.
I watch him from the window. He was patiently. Then a butterfly will flutter by and he’ll chase it. Or he’ll squat down and stare at an anthill or do a somersault. Or make up a song.
That’s what he’s doing now as I sneak up behind him. It’s a simple song: ‘Oh, I’m waiting, I’m waiting, I’m waiting, I’m waiting, I’m sitting here waiting for Mama, just sitting here waiting for Mama, just sitting here waiting, and waiting, and waiting…’
Hearing his thin, tiny voice waver in the breeze overwhelms me. Soly catches me listening. He stops singing, and stares at the ground as if he’s been doing something bad.
‘What’s the matter?’ I sit beside him.
A pause. Then he says in a quiet voice, ‘I was singing.’
‘I know. It was nice.’
‘It was?’
I nod.
His forehead wrinkles up with questions. ‘You mean it’s all right to sing…to play…to have fun…with Mama gone?’
‘Yes.’ I squeeze him. ‘ Mama want us to be happy.'” – Conversation between Chanda and Soly from Chanda’s Secrets by Allan Stratton, page 136
“When I don’t laugh back, she turns on the radio to the Bible station. A preacher says: ‘ The Lord never gives up more than we can bear.’ I think of Mama. I think of Esther. I want to smash his face in.” – Chanda from Chanda’s Secrets by Allan Stratton, page 162
“‘No. You listen to me, Mrs. Tafa,’ I shout. ‘I’m tied of lies and hiding and being afraid. I’m not ashamed of AIDS! I’m ashamed of being ashamed!'” – Chanda from Chanda’s Secrets by Allan Stratton, page 181
“Mama said I should save my anger to fight injustice. Well, I know what’s unjust. The ignorance about AIDS. The shame. The stigma. The silence. The secrets that keep us hiding behind the curtain. The Welcome Centre throws back that curtain. It lets in the fresh air and light.” – Chanda from Chanda’s Secrets by Allan Stratton, pages 192-193
Chanda’s Secrets by Allan Stratton is published by Annick Press, (2004).
(Buy this book: Amazon
| Canadian Booksellers)
The Baby Experiment by Anne Dublin
Summary: Hired to care for babies without speaking to them or giving them affection for an experiment about language, Johanna’s concern grows as the babies become listless and start dying. Unable to take it anymore, Johanna decides to rescue baby Rebecca and make her way from Germany to the Netherlands. As a Jewish girl living in the early 1700s, her journey is filled with religious discrimination and sexism, but the kindness of strangers help her achieve her goal and start a new life in a country where she is considered to be worthy of being a citizen.
Number of Pages: 150
Age Range: 14-16
Review: I was a bit confused because I read some reviews labeling The Baby Experiment as a work of historical fiction. Besides perhaps giving her reader a glimpse into life for a Jewish girl in the early 1700s, Dublin explicitly states at the beginning of her book that the story is a complete work of fiction. I did gain insight into a pre-war Germany that was still anti-semitic, and learned about more about the Netherlands, but I think Dublin’s book was meant as more of an imaginative story than being a historical study.
While Dublin’s book is not exactly historical fiction, it does draw on real life experiments. I looked it up because I was so horrified, and it turns out that in a effort to find out if there is one true language, experiments have been conducted involving infants being deprived of all language in the hope that whatever language they end up speaking is ingrained in them from birth. Sort of part of the human genome. It’s a study that has been repeated a few times, with varying results. I loved Dublin’s premise from the Talmud – because Johanna realises while she is in a powerless situation, she does have the power to save one life, and she does so willingly, even though it puts her in danger. By saving Rebecca’s life, she has saved the whole world.
It’s a quick read with full of plot twists, and Johanna is a worthy heroine.
Memorable Quotes:
“‘Whoever destroys one life it is as though he had destroyed a whole world, and whoever saves one life it is as though he had saved a whole world.'” – Talmud (Mishnah, Sanh, 4-5) from The Baby Experiment by Anne Dublin
The Birth Experiment by Anne Dublin is published by Dundurn Press, (2012).
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