You’ll Like it Here (Everybody Does) Book Review

Author: Ruth White. Release date: 2011. Publisher:  Delacorte Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9780385739986.

Annotation:  The Blue family is forced to suddenly abandon their home in North Carolina when the residents suspect the truth about them: they are originally from the planet Chroma. Seeking a new place to live, the Blues end up in Fashion City, where everything appears harmonious and they are told over and over, “You’ll like it here. Everybody does.” But as they learn more about their new home, they realize that not everything is at it seems.

Personal thoughts:  I have to admit that the title of this novel is really what grabbed me. The creepiness of that phrase really elevated my hopes for the story. I was not disappointed! I really enjoyed You’ll Like it Here (Everybody Does) for many different reasons. It was an incredibly quick read, and I found myself unable to put it down, something that doesn’t often happen for me. I really found the author’s writing-style to be appropriate for young readers but far from juvenile. There are also many references in the novel that only older readers will be able to pick up on, making it even more interesting for parents, teachers or librarians who want to familiarize themselves with the story. I hope that this title makes school reading lists because I really think it has the potential to be a modern classic.

Plot summary: Eleven-year-old Meggie Blue and her older brother, thirteen-year-old David, love their lives in North Carolina. They live with their mother and loving grandfather who they call Gramps on a big ranch in the countryside. After a tragedy strikes their small town, however, the residents begin to suspect the truth: the Blues are not exactly human. Originally from the planet Chroma, they have been forced to relocate after pollution and disease caused their planet to become uninhabitable.  Now the Blues must flee again in the device that brought them to Earth, a “glass rocket-ship” called the Carriage. The Carriage brings them to their new home, a place called Fashion City. At first, everything about the city seems to be harmonious. They are given food, shelter and clothing and told over and over again, “You’ll like it here. Everybody does.” The population of Fashion City may be a bit drab, but the Blues are welcomed into their new lives of factory work, school, and frozen meals. It seems that in Fashion City, violent crime has been eradicated and, in its place, people are punished for things like uniqueness, daydreaming and ambition. As Meggie and David learn more about Fashion City, and the mysterious Fathers who the population praises as ensuring the survival of their town, the Blues begin to wonder if the place is truly as harmonious as it seems.

Review:  Calling to mind such classics as The Giver, Fahrenheit 451 and To Kill a Mockingbird, Ruth White’s You’ll Like it Here (Everybody Does) is a quick but very thought-provoking novel for young readers. The story is told in alternating voices between eleven-year-old Meggie and thirteen-year-old David. Meggie begins narrating the story, and, for the first several chapters, it is not evident that the Blues are, in fact, aliens. The discovery of the truth makes for just one of many exciting twists in the plot. As adult readers are bound to pick up on, there are definite literary references in White’s description of the “utopian” Fashion City. The residents seem to be perpetually locked in a muted, communistic way of life devoid of any creativity, self-expression or ambition. Elders are rounded up for Vacation 65, a form of retirement that takes those who are no longer useful in Fashion City to a tropical paradise. The sinister overtones of the oppression in Fashion City will not be lost on younger readers. At one point in the book, a friend of Meggie’s describes how all of the pets in the city were recently rounded up as animals were found to be carriers of disease. Although the novel does take some dark turns, it doesn’t dive too intensely into the horrors of absolute control and oppression, making it a very appropriate introduction for tweens into dystopian fiction. Overall, You’ll Like it Here (Everybody Does) is a very satisfying and entertaining read for tween, teen and adult readers alike. This title would be especially interesting for a classroom discussion or book group.

Genre: Science-Fiction

Reading level: Grade 4+

Similar titles: The Giver by Lois Lowry, Wrinkle in Time series by Madeleine L’Engle.       

Themes:  Uniqueness, being different, aliens, oppression, race, dystopian, coming-of-age, perfection.  

Awards/Reviews:  Written by Newbery Honor Award winning author.

Series Information: N/A   

Discussion questions:

- Find out what the phrase “unreliable narrator” means. Would you describe Meggie in the first few chapters as an unreliable narrator? Why or why not?

- Were you surprised to learn that the Blues were not from Earth?

- Name four historical figures that appear in Fashion City. Why were they important to society in real life? What do you think the author included them in the novel?

- Which character did you like better: Meggie or David? Why?

- When did you realize the truth about Vacation 65?

- Would you like to read a sequel to this novel? What would you include in a sequel if you were writing one?

The Power of Six Book Review

Author: Pittacus Lore. Release date: 2011. Publisher:  HarperCollins. ISBN: 9780061974557.

Annotation:  John, Sam and Number Six are on the run after surviving the Mogadorian attack in Paradise.  Unsure of what the future holds, they desperately try to evade their enemies, and the authorities, while uncovering more of the secrets in their past on Lorien. Meanwhile, in Santa Teresa, Spain, Number Seven, a girl named Marina, must cope with an oppressive life in a Catholic orphanage, a life her guardian seems to have no desire to leave.       

Personal thoughts:  I have to admit, I almost didn’t want to read this book after being disappointed in the mediocre film adaptation of I Am Number Four. I know there is a whole backstory about the authors behind the series and how it was sort of “bred” to be made into a commercial franchise. I am happy that these thoughts didn’t stop me from picking up The Power of Six because I was very engrossed from start to finish. The novel is truly entertaining and surpasses I Am Number Four in many ways.  Perhaps it was the absence of the sappy romance between John and Sarah and, in its place, the perpetually butt-kicking Number Six. Perhaps it was the non-stop action and the constant forward motion of the plot. Whatever the cause, The Power of Six is a fun page-turner, and I will be certain to pick up the third installment in the series with gumption!

Plot summary: After Henri’s death and their narrow escape of the vicious Mogadorian attack in Paradise, John, or Number Four, his best friend Sam, Number Six and Bernie Kosar flee Ohio and go into hiding. Meanwhile in the small village of Santa Teresa, Spain, Number Seven, a seventeen-year-old girl named Marina, is stuck in an oppressive life in a Catholic orphanage. Her Cêpan, Adelina, seems to have forgotten about their mission to remain hidden as Marina’s Legacies develop, and Marina is left to discover her powers on her own. Looking for news of the other nine Loric children, Marina is constantly scanning the internet for unusual news stories that might point to their existence. She is shocked to learn about John, now deemed an international terrorist accused of destroying the high school in Paradise himself, and is convinced that he is a member of the Garde like her. Marina is also consumed by visions of a raven haired girl with extraordinary powers, someone who she has never met but who she knows plays an important part in her future. Back in America, John and Six continue to train even while living life on the run, working to hone their Legacies while training Sam how to fight in the process. But as John and Marina both continue to have visions of Mogadorian battles and mysterious figures, it seems that their fates are bound to collide sooner than they realize.

Review: This second installment in the popular Lorien Legacies series manages to surpass the adventure and action of the first, making for a sequel that is actually more enjoyable than I Am Number Four. While the first book was somewhat hampered by high school melodrama and over-attention to detail, The Power of Six moves right into the thick of things, making for a page-turner that is nearly impossible to put down. The addition of Number Seven, or Marina, and her life in a Spanish orphanage adds a great deal of depth and substance to the story. Instead of focusing solely on John, this novel shift to a dual voice makes it far more pleasing than the first installment. Added elements in the stories of Six and Sam also add to the fun. Overall, an enjoyable novel that is sure to be a popular addition to the series.

Genre: Sci-fi/Adventure

Reading level: Grade 7+

Similar titles: I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore.

Themes:  Aliens, danger, superpowers, duty, friendship.     

Awards/Reviews:  Positive reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, The Horn Book, Booklist, and Chicago Tribune.

Series Information: Second novel in Lorien Legacies series by Pittacus Lore.   

Discussion questions:

- This story is told in a dual-voice. Do you prefer that method of story-telling over the single-voice in I Am Number Four?

- What do you think is the significance of each of the items in John’s Chest?

- Do you think it’s possible for John to love Sarah and like Six at the same time?

- How do you think the love triangle between John, Six and Sam will unfold in the next novel?

- Do you think Adelina truly gave up her mission to protect and teach Marina?

- What do you think of the character Ella? Héctor? Crayton? Who do you think has the most influence on Marina?

- What was your interpretation of what happened between Sarah and John?