Truth (XVI #2) by Julia Karr review

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR XVI!

An exciting dystopian thriller, and sequel to XVI

Nina Oberon's life has changed enormously in the last few months. When her mother was killed, Nina discovered the truth about her father, the leader of the Resistance. And now she sports the same Governing Council ordered tattoo of XVI on her wrist that all sixteen-year-old girls have. The one that announces to the world that she is easy prey to predators. But Nina won't be anyone's stereotype. And when she joins an organization of girls working within the Resistance, she knows that they can put an end to one of the most terrifying secret programs the GC has ever conceived. Because the truth always comes out . . . and the consequences can be deadly.

From Goodreads

Nina is all too familiar with how dangerous the truth can be to anyone & everyone. She has lost almost everyone she holds dear to the truth. After her mother's "accident" left her and her little sister "orphaned" in the eyes of the government, the girls are living with their grandparents; but their worries are far from over. Because of her strong convictions & absolute refusal to bow to how others think she should behave, Nina is her own person and is determined to prove it.

When tragedy strikes her family again, Nina vows to do whatever is in her power to make things right. She wants to expose the all important truth so that everyone is free to do as they please and make up their own minds. Unfortunately that's where even she has trouble. With her family life in taters, naturally her love life will follow suit. Torn between what she thinks she wants & what she's struggling to deny she wants, Nina must make some difficult choices that could have serious ramifications for them all.

This was such a great follow up to XVI. Julia Karr has done a phenomenal job continuing right where she left us. Nina is as determined & strong-willed as ever to ensure that her little sister is protected while trying to find a way to make adequate use of her skills in the Resistance. Unfortunately women are shunned from actual "dangerous" work in order to keep them safe. What I love about Nina is that she is not overly concerned with her safety. She is self-sacrificing in a non-pathetic way. She has no intention of being overlooked simply because of her gender. 

Her friends are also wonderful because they vary so greatly, allowing the reader a wide vantage point of the society at large. There are so many facets to be considered that one could easily get lost among the details, but Julia gives many of those facets names and attitudes that permit us to recognize just who & what they embody.

The writing is top notch. The details are spread out enough that you don't find yourself overwhelmed, but still targeted enough to get the message across. There wasn't an overabundance of fluff. Everything had a purpose that either tied together well or laid out a path that I believe will serve a future purpose.

In short, if you haven't already. you should read this series. If for no other reason than the amusing references to today's pop culture, you really should read & enjoy this series. In theory the final installment is due for release sometime this year.

XVI by Julia Karr

Sixteen isn't so sweet anymore. Nina is terrified of turning sixteen because of what it means to society. She'll be branded with an XVI tattoo proclaiming her status as a sex-teen. While she'll be allowed to have her GPS removed so the government can't watch her every step, Nina is truly concerned that her best friend is obsessed with following what all the media says is the best way to act, dress & behave. Nina's mom had always been a little on the cautious side, encouraging Nina & her sister Dee to explore other alternatives to the government-supplied media.

When her mother is brutally murdered, Nina is entrusted with a very heavy secret. All that was once true in her world is now just an elaborate lie to help uncover the real truth behind the government-sponsored Female Liaison Specialist service. It is compulsory for lower-tier girls (like Nina & her friend) to apply to this program; but it is far from what it seems. With the help of several friends, including the dashingly handsome Sal, Nina discovers that, despite her mother's murder & her father's death before she was born, she has never been alone.

I absolutely loved this book! There was so much going on all the time that I couldn't put it down. The characters are very well written & have appeal for both guys & gals. Nina is such a strong person, despite her weaknesses, I really wanted her to succeed. She had such a good heart & really only wanted what was best for everyone that it was hard not to root for her. I can't imagine what I would be like if my life was turned completely on its head. She maintained her focus on protecting her little sister & fulfilling her promise to her dying mother. While some of her actions were misguided, I think it gave her a human-like quality. No one is perfect.

I also really enjoyed her friends. They were all so diverse, representing not only different ethnic groups, but also different tiers within the story. They all seemed to help put together the overall image of the setting. Let me tell you, this 2150 Chicago was so different from today that I couldn't even fathom living in a society where you are constantly bombarded with advertisements, the media controls your life, you are completely subservient to the government with absolutely no real freedoms... There was just so much to absorb.

My favorite part of this book was the writing. Julia Karr makes this book so easy to read, but you have to work to get the whole picture. She doesn't start out by telling you everything that has changed from present day to the book's setting. As the story moves forward & we learn more about our characters, we also learn more about the setting. The best example I can give you is that one of the guys plays a musical show at a club. When asked what kind of music, he responds with zydeco from New Orleans. Someone says, from where? The character explains about how New Orleans was wiped out by a series of monstrous hurricanes several decades earlier. Those kinds of nuggets made the book worth reading.

I will caution sensitive readers, that there is a lot of sexual discussion & innuendo (including porn) & some serious violence. Obviously if you've read my review & the blurb, you knew that this was a possibility, but I just wanted to make very clear that, in my personal opinion, this book is truly intended for older teens. I hope you enjoy it anyway.

What are your thoughts about this subject? How much is too much when it comes to sexual content in YA?

Inside Out by Maria Snyder

I've got a bad habit of making summaries too complicated and this one is just so well written and appealing that I'm going to use it. Thanks Goodreads! :)

I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? Not like it's all that dangerous - the only neck I risk is my own. Until I accidently start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution. I should have just said no...

-From Goodreads

Trella is a unique character. Her attitude and personality remind me so much of myself that I was immediately drawn into this book. Trella spends as much time as possible up in the piping, away from others, that she tends to have issues relating to most people. Yet her determination, ingenuity, and bull-headedness tend to get her through sticky situations. I really enjoyed watching her struggle with what she believed because while it was obvious that she didn't believe all the information she was given, it was still a tough lot for her to deal with the truth.

The writing was absolutely fabulous, despite being a little heavy handed. I understand that this is a dystopian novel set in a completely different place and that some explanation & description is warranted, but I felt like there was too much sometimes. I didn't skip anything because it was all useful and mildly interesting, but a lot could have been left to the imagination. Hopefully there will be a little less extreme detail in the sequel Outside In which is currently slated for a 2011 release. All in all it was a good book and I'd recommend it for people who liked The Giver.

This book was graciously provided by Around the World Tours.

Nostalgic Friday: Invitation to the Game

Welcome back to Nostalgic Friday! Since I love all things historical (culturally, physically, and personally) I do a post on Fridays honoring some awesome book that is a bit older. Many of them are books I enjoyed in my teens and others are books that I discovered as an adult that I think are relevant to YA readers.

This week's selection is Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes published in 1991. This is probably the first dystopian novel I ever read and I feel whole-heartedly that it is responsible for my love of this genre.

In 2154, eight recent graduates find themselves unemployed. They are all highly intelligent and soon become bored with living in their warehouse, despite the easy-going, feel-good lifestyle they enjoy at night.

Soon though, they receive a mysterious invitation to participate in The Game. It's an alternate reality game where you interact with other players in a controlled setting. It's quite safe as the system keeps you from getting injured and warns you of danger.

But as the players get more and more engrossed in the game, they realize that the rules have changed. Now it seems that they can be injured and that it isn't just a game. The government is using them as guinea pigs and they don't really care what happens to them when the experiment is over. What is the government up to and can the kids stop before they really get injured?

This book blew me away as a kid. At the time, the thought of playing an interactive, live-action game in a virtual world was kind of unheard of. I really identified with these kids as I was a relatively gifted child as well. They really seemed to stand out like kids from my advanced classes.

The Game was also very intriguing to me. I couldn't fathom the idea of using a virtual world as a training module for the government and I was even more blown away by the ruthlessness of the government. A great example of this kind of usage was seen in the film TOYS starring Robin Williams. The militaristic government decides that it knows what is best for the safety, well-being, and prosperity of its people, which may be the case, but they go about it the wrong way.

I must say it has been quite a while since I read this, but I am definitely looking forward to a re-read. If you like The Giver, Ender's Game, or The Hunger Games, then this will be a great addition to your dystopian/sci-fi collection.