Lisa’s Comments (group member since Jul 11, 2011)

Lisa’s comments from the Topeka & Shawnee Co. Public Library group.

This is turning out to be quite a series. Margaret Peterson Haddix has a clear succinct writing style, which is good since this is a bit of a complicated plot. The first book Found begins with a bunch of babies found on an empty plane.

::Spoilers follow::
It turns out these children are missing children throughout time. Think the likes of Anastasia or Virginia Dare. It seems some nefarious time travelers stole the children from their original time with the plans of selling them in the future. Of course, things don't turn out right and time becomes damaged. So these children have to be sent back to their original time to repair the damage.

Jonah and Katherine are our two reluctant heroes as they help the other children repair their original time. Since many of these children likely die in their original time, they also plan to return them to the present time right before their moment of death.

The science of the series is a bit questionable, but the real enjoyment comes from finding out who these children are, and learning their real (and sometimes fictionalized) story. The author has a nice section in the back of the book discussing her research and the facts versus fiction.

Though the storyline sounds complicated, I would recommend this book to older elementary, younger teens and reluctant readers. It would also be useful as a unique history project

Jeff wrote: "I just started Rothfuss' The Wise Man's Fear. It is the second in a trilogy. The first book, Name of the Wind was one the best crafted novels I have read in a long time. Finely crafted prose and a ..."

I have read both of these works and concur. The writting is simply excellent. I found myself re-reading paragraphs just because they were so beautiful. The story is well crafted, though as with any large fantasy works, the start is a bit slow.

I would say this series is just as good(and certainly has the potential to be just as long) as the Song of Fire and Ice series(Game of Thrones.) A must read for any fan of fantasy.

Divergent by Veronica Roth is the next "Must Read" teen book. Like the Hunger Games, Divergent takes place in a dystopian future. The city, which was once Chicaco is divided into sects. There are the Dauntless, who believe bravery to be the most important trait. They live in peace alongside the Abnegation(selflessness), Candor(truth), Amity(Peace), and the Erudite(Intellegence).

At 16 each child must pick what sect they belong to But something is different about Tris and this difference marks the beginning of change in the city.

If you enjoyed the Hunger Games you are going to enjoy Divergent. The writing is good, and the pace is perfect for one of those "unputdownable" reads. I really enjoyed reading about the lifestyles of the different sects and would have liked to see more of it. Although the heroine is a girl, readers of both genders will enjoy it.