The Search for WondLa

Author: Tony DiTerlizzi
Ages: 9 and up
Rating: 4/5

About: Eva Nine has grown-up under ground, in a place called the Sanctuary. Her mother is a robot, who is training Eva in survival skills. But the world above ground is full of dangers neither Eva or Muthr can prepare for.

Thoughts: This is a fun new fantasy book. The adventure takes Eva all around a bizarre world, a world that she needs to find her place in. I liked reading about all the different animals on the surface, and the wandering forest was cool. But I would have liked to learn a little more about Rovender, and the colonization of the planet Urth.

The answers Eva gets at the end of the novel are a surprising, though not very satisfying. But it looks like there will be another book to follow this one, and I will definitely read it to find out what happened to Eva's people, and how she'll make her way in the... universe maybe?!

Boneshaker

Author: Cherie Priest
Ages: Adult, good for Teens too
Rating: 4/5

Summary: Briar and her son are outcasts. Years ago, while she was pregnant and didn't know it yet, her husband created a terrible machine that undermined a whole city and unleashed a toxic gas. Now that city has been walled up, the gas trapped within along with those who were unable to evacuate in time. And since her husband cannot be found, many feel Briar should be held accountable. Tired of the injustice, her son sets out into the old toxic city to find answers. But he can't know what dangers lie inside the wall, and soon Briar must go after him.

Thoughts: This was a great adventure story. An abandoned city, a secret community, airships, zombies, heroes and bad guys... I had fun reading this one. Honestly I was worried about the zombies, but though they are an ever present threat, the story is not about zombies.