Crashed

Crashed (Skinned trilogy #2) by Robin Wasserman

In the follow up to Skinned, Lia Kahn has left the home of her former family and is living in a compound/mansion with other mechs. Rights of the mechs' are in question as the Brotherhood become more vocal about how dangerous this new breed of people may be. When Lia's former friend Auden begins speaking out for the Brotherhood against the mechs, Lia is devastated.

Even though she has had no contact with her family in months, when things get tough, they pull through for her.

While living in the compound and trying to figure out or forget what she has become, Lia finally lets someone get close to her. She gets to know Riley.

Although I love the 'idea' of these books, I felt like this one was pretty flat. It took about three hundred pages to feel like I had finally reached the heart of the book. Before that there was too much emotional turmoil........you know the kind.........where you just keep rehashing something you can't seem to get over.

I was glad to see Lia finally have a friend. She felt much more angry in this book and I wasn't going for it.

I did however like learning more about the society after the big wars, and how the caste system had placed people in cities, corp-towns or rich suburbs.

Rating 2.5 I did like the book. It just took a lot of time to cover little ground.

Rating R For language, sex, some homosexuality, drug use (even though it was more like a download, you still understood that it was drug use).

Zlata's Diary

Zlata's Diary by Zlata Filipovic

Zlata began her diary as any other fourth grade girl. She liked junk food, music and her friends. She seems incredibly well spoken for her age. Her world quickly changes from what most of us would find in our everyday life to having her home and country torn by war. War is raging in Sarajevo between Serbs, Croats and Muslims in the early 1990's. Friends and family flee the country or are killed during bombings and shellings.
Zlata is compared to Anne Frank. She is afraid her fate may be the same as Anne's. Because Anne had a name for her diary, Zlata decides to name her's Mimmy.
As I read through this diary, I felt like I was reading the stories of my own people. I couldn't fathom having my normal life ripped at the seams over night. Zlata and her family were starving by winter. They lost water and had to haul it in order to have it on hand. Many times electricity was lost for days and then later rationed to those with priority. Her parents went from a well educated happy couple to thin and terrified. Much of their time was spent hidden in the basement of their apartment building as the shelling raged outside. Family and friends fled the country in order to save themselves. As her early tween years passed, Zlata spent her time in the safer parts of her apartment, mostly her kitchen, or in spotty school attendance when there was no shooting. Where she had once had many friends, language and music lessons, she mostly only had her parents and close neighbors while Bosnia Herzegovina suffered under attack as the 'kids' (politicians) played at their games.
Striking and moving blow by blow of daily life in a war torn country. I would recommend for anyone to read this. Because she was so young, Zlata does not cover the reasons behind the war. She admits not understanding, only wishing for peace. During the same years covered by the diary, I was only a few years older. I cannot remember much from the political history of the time and will be reading more to find out. Having had family leave Yugoslavia in the early 1900's I felt like every picture or detail contained people that could have been me.

Rating 4.5
Rating PG The warring and violence although terrifying to Zlata was not greatly described in horrific detail and therefore not rated R. I would let my 9 year old read this.

When We Meet Again Children of the Promise Vol. 4

When We Meet Again Children of the Promise Vol. 4 by Dean Hughes

WWII is nearing it's end. The Thomas family anticipates reunion.

Alex is sent to army intelligence. He must drop in to enemy territory with a German ex patriot to find landing zones and heavy artillery that must be destroyed. He is successful, but when he tries to return to the Allies he is taken captive and his partner is shot and killed. Finally the Allied troops believe Alex and he is released. The war ends in Europe. Alex is sent home to Anna on leave. He cannot stay until their baby is born. He returns to Germany because he is fluent in German. He is to seek out Nazi and Gestapo leaders to be turned over for their war crimes. His son Gene is born in London. Alex is able to find Anna's father. He tells Papa Stoltz that he will continue looking for Peter, but that he should return to London and care for Anna and her mother and the new baby. Papa agrees but is reticent to give up on the search.

Anna is used by Allied intelligence to translate recordings of Allied spies from German to English. She hears Alex's voice. She fears for his safety and is angry that he would risk so much when he has a child on the way. She and Alex are reunited for a short time before the birth of Gene. She knows that the end of the war for Europe will not be the end of the war for Alex. With his skills, he will be left behind to attend to much of the damage and rebuilding.

Bobbi is on the Naval hospital ship The Charity. They are sent out to the Pacific Islands as the war there rages on. Her ship is bombed by a Kamikaze pilot. She and Richard are engaged but Richard is home in Utah having reconstructive surgery on his hands. He seems concerned that President Thomas has big plans for his family involving money and production plants after the war. Richard is afraid he will not be able to give Bobbi the same kind of life. Bobbi is upset because she wants Richard to fight for her and not care about income. Richard meets the Thomases.

Wally is still a POW in Japan. He works the Japanese mines. When Hiroshima has an atomic bomb dropped, the war ends in the Pacific soon after. The POW's are released. Many have built up anger towards their captors. Wally begins to feel bad for the general public of Japan. Once he has been able to get food for himself, he begins traveling around sharing what he has with the Japanese. Eventually Wally is able to make it out of Japan and home to America. He finally learns of Gene's death as he contacts his family. He and the other men wonder how deep the scars from being held captive and abused will run. They wonder if they will ever be able to act normal again.

LaRue befriends a boy in her class that is intelligent and easy to talk to but he doesn't keep up on current fashion. She leads him on with her friendship knowing that he could never be more to her because of his "coolness" factor. LaRue and President Thomas continue their power struggle. LaRue thinks that her father doesn't like her.

Once again I am loving this series. I feel like I have learned so much about this era. My favorite is the way that Wally still has such a deep urge to remain humane and spiritual despite the horror he is shown by his captors.

Rating 5

Rating PG war

Soldier Boys

Soldier Boys by Dean Hughes

Dieter and Spence are two boys caught up in WWII. Spence an American boy wants to prove his worth to those back in his home town. Dieter has joined Hitler Youth and wants to help Hitler wipe out the evil Americans and kill the filthy Jews.

Each boy finds that the glory of war is not what they thought it would be. They are starved, frozen and wounded. They see the baseness of humanity. As their lives are on the line and quickly coming to an end, they realize the hatred that they carry is not the men they want to be. Spence risks his life to help Dieter as he lay dying after battle. His kind and charitable hand is paid with the price of his own life when German soldiers gun him down as he drags Dieter to medics.

Quick tender read. Very reminiscent of Children of the Promise series. Great in helping understand history, current and future war events.

Rating PG violence, war
Rating 3.5

Far From Home Children of the Promise #3

Far From Home Children of the Promise Vol. 3 by Dean Hughes



The Thomases are still a war torn family. President Thomas is grating on my nerves with his holier than thou attitude.....but I also see where he is coming from.....sometimes. Sister Thomas is standing up to him......go Bea.

Alex is still in the heat of the battle near the front lines. It is winter 1945 and things are miserable for every soldier. Along with the battle the cold is tearing them up. Alex is freezing and fight for most of this book. He loses one of his men that reminds him of Gene........he finally has enough feeling left to cry. Alex finds out at the end of the book that he and Anna will be parents.

Bobbi rarely hears from Richard. She remains close to Ishi (an AJA in her ward) and her children as they also wait for news of Daniel, their husband and father. Bobbi finds herself tiring of Afton (her friend and roommate). Afton has found love in Sam, a Hawaiian. She leads him on for awhile knowing that he feels deeply for her but that she will not marry him because of their racial differences. Bobbi learns that Richard's ship has been sunk near the Philippines. She waits for so long to hear from him that she fears he is dead. Richard is finally rescued and sent back to the hospital at Pearl Harbor where Bobbi is stationed. He and Bobbi decide they do love each other and want to get married. Bobbi will soon be leaving on a naval hospital ship.

Wally is a POW in Japan. Conditions are still terrible for him. He is working in coal mines. The Japanese are under pressure to mine the coal and are horrendous to the prisoners. Wally and the other POW's suffer from extreme conditions, little food, disease, unsanitary situations, and the wrath of the Japanese. Wally struggles to get his hatred under control.

LaRue is only fifteen but acting much older. She has begun volunteering at the USO. She dances and flirts with the soldiers leading them to believe she is not just fifteen. Ned, a soldier from Hill Field falls in love with LaRue. Despite President Thomas' urging and harsh criticism LaRue cannot get enough of the attention she is attracting from the older boys. When Ned professes his love and asks LaRue to marry him before he is shipped out to the battle, LaRue has to come clean about her age. Ned is enraged but he loves her so much he asks her to wait for him while he is at war. She agrees to write to him but will not become engaged. She is also flirting like wild fire with the boys her age. LaRue begins to realize that she doesn't like what she is turning into.

The Stoltz's are separated. Anna and her mother are in London. Father has joined the Allied forces and is spying for then against the Nazi's in Germany. He is also hopeful that he will be able to locate Peter. Peter is caught by the Gestapo. He runs. In an effort to hide from then he finds that he must join the army even though he hates the Nazi's and what they are doing to Germany and the other nations. Conditions for the German troops fighting the Russians are horrid. Peter and the other boys are so young. They are freezing and starving. Peter and his last friend are sick and wounded. They finally make it to a hospital where Peter's friend Hans dies. Peter can take no more. He goes AWOL and joins fleeing refugees in hopes that he will not be caught. He is determined to never kill again even if it means forfeiting his own life.

This is another great addition to the already great series. I have loved watching Wally and the other POW's struggle with their determination to quell their hatred and find a way to forgive the Japanese. Also Alex and Peter are able to show that even though a nation may be wicked, not all of the people in the nation are. Despite desperate times and evil in the world, good can still be found in individuals.

Rating 5
Rating PG 13 War, violence, violent death, injury, hatred.

Since You Went Away

Since You Went Away by Dean Hughes Children of the Promise Vol. 2

In this second volume of Hughes WWII series, the Thomas family is pulled apart by the raging war. Alex joins the army paratroopers. Bobbi joins the navy as a nurse. Wally is still a POW in the Philippine Islands. When Gene graduates from high school, he joins the marines. Alex's love, Anna fights the Gestapo and her family is forced into hiding.

President and Sister Thomas are having to face the realities of war. Their children are being called to the corner's of the earth and the Thomases are hoping that they will all live to be reunited.
Alex joins the army after hard thought about staying to run his father's parts plant. He becomes a paratrooper, with the army's promise of later moving to intelligence because of his German background. Alex has a hard time thinking of German's as the enemy. The other soldier's in the paratroopers doing like his soft heart and love of the enemy. Even Alex's leaders think he is not cut out for the elite group. Alex proves them wrong and finds himself quickly working his way up the ranks. He is dropped behind the lines just before D day to make way for the incoming beach landing. Alex with only a very small platoon is able to disarm four large weapons. Just days later, while trying to lead his men toward enemy fire, Alex is shot in the leg. He ends up in a hospital in London. There he meets Anna again. They are reunited for the short time Alex recuperates. They get to know each other and find they are in love as much as they dreamed they would be. They marry and have a short honeymoon before Alex is shipped back to the front lines.
Anna and her family find themselves stalked by the Gestapo. Kellerman, the agent that hated the missionaries is on a mission to ruin the lives of the Stoltz family. He comes to their apartment one day while Anna is alone. He attempts to brutalize her. She slashes his face deeply with a knife and seals the fate of the family. Kellerman will never stop until he has had Anna and killed her family. The Stoltz's go into hiding by running away to Berlin and seeking refuge with another LDS family. On the verge of being discovered they run away and live in a bombed out building. Finally, Brother Stoltz is lead by the spirit to find the identification of dead man. He uses these to get other legal papers and find a job. The family is blessed to get an apartment and through Brother Stoltz's government job, their own legal papers. They work and lead a quiet life, waiting for the day they are discovered by Kellerman. Brother Stoltz hates the Nazi's. He decides to join an underground network in order to help save the lives of Jews. The family takes in a small Jewish family to hide. The Stolzt's are found out. They escape, but the Jewish family is taken away. The Stoltz family is able to escape Germany, but in the process are separated from Peter (Anna's brother). He is left somewhere inside of Germany. Anna and her parents make it to England where Anna and Alex are reunited.
Bobbi is stationed in Hawaii. She meets Afton, an LDS girl. They become friends, room together and attend church together. While at church they meet an AJA (American of Japanese Ancestry). We learn of the Japanese Americans being interred in camps because they could be spies. They are then asked to fight for the country that has treated them so regretfully. Bobbi and Afton also meet Richard Hammond, a sailor and also LDS. Bobbi and Richard fall in love but Richard is not able to reveal his feelings because he is afraid there will be no future for he and Bobbi.
Wally is still being held as a POW on the Philippine Islands. He is subject to atrocity after atrocity; no food, disease, death, violence, brutality, and hard manual labor. He is loaded on a train at one point, with so many men there is no room to move. His friends die or he is separated from them, but still he has the grit and desire to continue on. Wally is always the one trying to help those around him. He is proving to himself that he is not the family quitter. He dreams of the day he can return home and show his father what he is made of. Finally Wally is taken to Japan.
Gene joins up as soon as he graduates high school. He is a sweet and kind boy that has been better at sports than even his older brothers. Gene doesn't want to go to war but he feels like it is his duty. He joins the marines and stays true to who he is, not becoming foul and corrupt like many of the soldiers. Gene is able to be with Bobbi in Hawaii for a short time before he sees battle. On his first day on the beaches of Saigon, Gene is shot down and killed. The family mourns greatly over knowing that they will never be a whole family in this life again.

This is my favorite book so far, in this series and in the series to follow. It is heart wrenching and also a historical feast. Fabulous!
Rating 5
Rating PG 13 War and its atrocities.

Rumors of War

Rumors of War Children of the Promise Vol. 1 by Dean Hughes

The first book in Hughes WWII series is Rumors of War. The Thomas family has made it through the Great Depression and WWI. Hitler is rising in power across Europe and Russia. He promises to strengthen the dying economy. In truth he is out to strengthen communism and wipe out the Jews.

Alex Thomas, oldest son of Al and Bea, is on a mission for the LDS church, in Germany. He is there for the conversion of the Stoltz family and their beautiful daughter Anna. He is also there for the rise of Hitler. Jews and foreigners are being persecuted, including missionaries. After witnessing many atrocities towards Jews, the mission is being closed. Alex and other missionaries must flee the country before the borders close and trap them. The Gestapo is after them.

Once home, Alex wants to return to college, but his father, President Thomas has other ideas. Strict and opinionated Al is investing in a parts plant that he wants Alex to run. Al knows he can make his son rich and keep him out of the war this way. Alex sees things differently. He can't let other members of his family and community serve without joining his own effort. He knows someday he may have to fight the Germans that he came to love. He and Anna promise to ride out the war and find each other.

Bobbi oldest Thomas daughter is engaged to Phil, the man of every girl's dreams. Every girl except for Bobbi. She finds one of her professors more intellectually stimulating. Finally realizing that she doesn't want to be Phil's 'little woman', she breaks off the engagement. President Thomas is furious, especially when he finds out that Bobbi is thinking of marrying her English Lit. professor, David. David is brilliant and right up her alley, but he does not share her faith. He encourages her to master in literature and become a professor herself. When things aren't going the way David wants, he takes another position in Chicago. Bobbi's heart aches for him and she decides to travel to Chicago to visit. She has a wonderful time and things that maybe she can live without David's dedication to the church. David finally sees how that would change Bobbi and tells her they should end the relationship. Bobbi returns to Utah with a broken heart. She strikes a deal with her father that she will become a nurse. Something that President Thomas finds worthy of her time. The war is really raging now, and after Bobbi's brother is caught up in the middle, Bobbi realizes she must join her effort. After graduation Bobbi plans to sign up with the navy.

Wally, second son in the Thomas family is not living up to the Thomas name, at least in the eyes of his father. Wally deems himself the family quitter. When he can't beat Alex in anything, he gives up. His grades drop and he feels depressed. The only thing he loves is Lorraine. And she doesn't want to love him back. Finally when Wally sees that he can't be the man Lorraine wants, he joins the air corps.

Wally is stationed in the Philippines. He is quickly rising in rank and living a life of leisure. Then Japan storms Pearl Harbor and the Philippine Islands quickly follow in a desperate take over. Wally becomes a true soldier over night as he and his men are sent on a death march across the island. The Thomas family back home is frantic. They see the world changing over night. Alex and Bobbi join the fray with the blessing of their father.

The history in this book is amazing and terrifying. Everyone I have spoken with loves this series even more than the follow up series The Hearts of the Children. I can't wait to immerse myself into history with personal perspective.

Rating 4.5

Rating PG 13 War time violence

Fahrenheit 451

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451, the temperature books burn at. This is a futuristic book by Bradbury in 1950. The future held drug abuse, big screen T.V., war, the desire for happiness through entertainment and lack of choice, looking down on those with differing views. I think he was eerily correct.

Guy Montag is a fireman in 1990. Firemen in 1990 burn. They respond to alarms telling them of homes that contain books. When they arrive they spray on the kerosene and torch the place, people included if they do not leave the premises.

One night on his way home from the station, Montag meets his strange teen neighbor, Clarisse. Instead of listening to the little seashell in her ear and watching the walls (television takes up a whole wall and you can make every wall in a room a television), she likes to think, walk, and talk about things. Very strange and frowned upon. People are highly entertained by nothing and live without much of a choice because that decreases their anxiety. Clarisse grows on Montag and he begins to think about the things she says. He realizes that he isn't happy and my not be in love with his wife.

Arriving home from work, Montag finds his wife has overdosed on her crystals. He calls emergency and two men come, pump out her stomach and give her new blood. Good as new. This is such a common occurrence these days that a doctor doesn't even attend an overdose, just these plumber like men.

One night Montag responds to an alarm where an older woman refuses to leave her books. The firemen prepare to set her and her house ablaze. She sets herself on fire first. Montag begins to wonder what is so great about books that you would die for them. He grabs one, conceals it and takes it home.

Montag can't find Clarisse. He is told that she is dead and her family has moved on. He begins to realize how unhappy he is. He asks his wife if she can remember where they met. She has no recollection. He tells her she overdosed and she refuses to believe him. Finally in an attempt to break free of the discord with his wife and life, Montag shows Mildred (his wife) the book. He has saved The Bible from the flames.

Montag remembers an old man he met in a park once that might understand what he is going through. He seeks out Faber. The old man claims to be a weakling. He tells Montag that he didn't agree with the way the world was headed but that he did nothing to stop it. He tells Montag that he would like to help him now. He gives Montag the green bullet. An ear piece that he has invented which lets them communicate with each other.

Montag is sick. He is fevering with his disdain for life and its insanity. His chief comes for a visit and tells him that it happens to everyone. He also tells him that if a fireman were to take a book, he would have twenty four hours to look at it and then burn it himself. If he doesn't burn it, then the chief will come and burn it for him. Mildred freaks out. The chief sends the mechanical Hound to sniff out the house. The Hound hates Montag. If it catches him it will shoot him full of poison. It can smell the other books Montag has hidden in a heating vent.

Mildred's friends show up to watch the walls and drink. Montag wants to do something wild. He shows them a book and begins reading the poetry to them. They freak out. Faber tries to tell him to stop. Montag accuses them of the horrible things they have done with their worthless lives. They run out.

Montag returns to work. The chief gets very intense with him. They are called to an alarm. It is at Montag's house. Millie's friends have turned him in. Millie runs from the house and leaves Montag. Montag is forced to burn his own home. Then the chief tells him he is under arrest. The chief finds the green bullet. Montag turns his flame thrower on the chief and the two other firemen with him. He burns them. The Hound arrives and attacks Montag. Its poisonous needle shoots him in the leg. Montag burns the Hound. He takes off with his leg in pain. He returns to Faber. Faber tells him he will try to reach a printer that can copy The Bible. He gives Montag some of his clothing to cover up Montag's personal smell. A new Hound is after him and the Hound never fails.

Montag is chased by the police, the Hound, and the media. Everyone is told to open their doors and look for him. Montag escapes to the river. He puts on Faber's clothing. He floats downstream. Finally he comes to a camp along the railroad with other people that have left society. They all have books that they 'remember' in their minds. They hope that when society begins to change that they will be able to retell these books and bring them back to life. As the men let Montag into their midst, jets fly over. A new war has begun. The city Montag has just left is blown sky high. Montag can see the future changing.

Rating 4.5 Ray Bradbury did a great job of predicting future events!

Rating PG 13 Violence, murder, abortion as birth control, drug use

Shadow Puppets

Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card

The third volume following the former Battle School children.

Bean and Petra finally admit their love for each other, get married and implant an embryo. Bean doesn't want his genetic mutation to be inherited by his babies so they go through genetic testing. The doctor preforming the testing is none other than Volescu, the man that mutated Bean's genes. Of course all of the embryos except for the one implanted in Petra are kidnapped by Achilles.
Peter is finally figuring out that his parents aren't low on IQ points. They save him from assassination after he decides to steal Achilles from the Chinese. Peter and his family then go off planet to the old Battle School to bide time until it is safer for them to return to Earth.
Verlome begins an uprising by getting the small villages of people in India to start building a wall to keep out the Chinese, which have over taken their country.
Lots of warring. The Muslims begin to rise in power with a new Caliph, Alai.

I had fun with this book. I liked seeing the human side of Petra and Bean. I am glad that Peter is finally recognizing that his parents aren't idiots. The warring and scheming get to be more than my interests allow.

Rating 3.5 This book is as good as its predecessors, maybe even better during the parts about Bean and Petra, but I am tired of the world war.

Rating PG 13 War, War, war, war, murder

Zion's Trail Last Days Vol. 2

Zion's Trail by Kenneth Tarr

This is the second volume of The Last Days series.

Pioneer One, the wagon train from Utah, is on its way to Missouri. They are attacked by bandits, shot at, go through a blizzard, dust storm, raging heat, disease, death, and dissension. Satan even makes an appearance.

The Antichrist is rising in power along with his formerly polygamist prophet.

The saints are persecuted in every nation as the Antichrist tries to rid the world of religion.

There were actually many good points brought up about emergency situations, natural plants and herbs for medication, war, and natural disaster. I had a good time reading this book. I was also thoroughly depressed and freaked out.

This series seems like it needs at least one more book. From the information I have found, it doesn't look like there is one. The rise of the Antichrist, the Saints left in Utah, the Saints around the world, and the nut job prophet that communes with Satan..........all of their story lines drop off and we never know what happens. I would really like to read about the building of Zion once Pioneer one reaches Jackson County.

Rating 4
Rating PG 13 Lots of violence, Satan, rape, murder, gang violence, natural disaster, disease.

The Gathering Storm

The Gathering Storm by Kenneth Tarr

This is an end of days book. Just the kind of book I should never read........mostly because I will never have built my food storage to its maximum requirement.

Steven is raising his children alone in Utah County. He lost his wife to a polygamist group in Southern Utah. His brother John is obsessed with dooms day preaching........and is therefore prepared. There are earthquakes, dam breaks, floods, tornadoes, plagues, wars, nuclear bombs, asteroids, tsunamis, break down of government, martial law, the mark of the beast, weapons removed from all Americans, the rise of the Antichrist, the desperate need for food storage and bomb shelters, and the need to know how to build a handcart. Yes this book has it all.
After natural disaster, plague, riot and death, Steven and his brothers are called to take the first company of Saints back to Missouri. Steven also finds a new wife from his new ward. She helps infiltrate the polygamist group that kidnaps one of his children.

I was pretty entertained........and scared witless. All I can say is I hope the end of the world is nothing like this, or I hope it is ages away because I don't want to be there. Steven and his family, although stricken with many trials don't seem to have the anxiety factor that I would feel. They get along fairly well.
In some ways the book seemed over the top with doom, but I guess if the world is going to end there is probably more than one way to do it. Sure it isn't the best lit out there but all in all I was truly entertained and plan to read the second volume to see what happens when the Saints move east.
Rating 4
Rating PG The book is clean of filth like sex and bad language but the natural disaster alone is terrifying.

A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

In this edition of A Clockwork Orange, the last chapter is added, which was original to the British book, but taken out of the America version.

The language in this book is a mix of Russian, English and invented slang.

Alex is a teen (Nadsat ......or Russian numbers 11-19) hoodlum with a gang of other boys. Society is over run by the likes of these boys. They spend time in bars, getting high, street fighting and committing heinous crimes against society. Alex likes to shoot up and then listen to classical music. He hallucinates and gets all worked up.

Alex is the leader of his small gang. He at times feels threatened by the other members and beats them up.

The boys beat up an old man coming from the library. They go out into the country and break into a house. They knock around the husband and tear up the book he is writing (A Clockwork Orange) and rape his wife. The final act that puts Alex in prison; the boys go to an older, wealthy part of town where they plan a break in. They want to steal goods from the home. They are unable to gain access through the front door so Alex climbs into an upper story window. By now the old person living there has called the police. Alex comes downstairs and eventually knocks the elderly in the head with a statue. She later dies, solidifying Alex's time in prison. As the police arrive, Alex's buddies chain him up and leave him because he beat them up earlier.

Alex spends two years in prison. (He is committed to a fourteen year term.) He plays the music on a stereo in the prison chapel. He is housed with many other men in one cell. Finally he beats up one man for laying on the same bed. The man dies and the government decides they must do something about the over crowding. They use Alex as a guinea pig in their new treatment.

Alex is taken to some new buildings on the prison grounds. They tell him he will be cured of doing evil and returned to society within two weeks. He gets very excited. He is shown to a nice room that he doesn't have to share. He is given good food and what the doctors tell him are vitamin shots because he is malnourished. Then he is taken to watch movies. He is strapped to a chair and his eyelids are held open. Alex is made to watch graphic violence with classical music. The 'vitamin' shots make him ill. He is conditioned by the government to become ill at the mere thought of violence. When he is able to become ill without the medication and only violence, he is returned to society.

Alex goes home and finds his parent's have rented out his room to someone else. He wanders the streets, goes to a bar, gets high. When he comes down from the high he is suicidal. He can't even think of ending his own life without becoming sick from the violent images in his head. He decides to go to the library and find out a way to kill himself without violence. At the library he runs into the old man that he and his friends beat up on the streets years ago. The old man attacks him along with the other old men in the library. The police come. Alex sees that one of his old gang and one of his enemies have become policemen. They take him out to the county and beat the tar out of him and leave him there. Alex wanders until he just happens upon the house where he and his friends beat the husband and raped the wife. He stumbles to the door and is taken in by the man. The man recognizes Alex from the newspaper article about the government's experiment. He gives Alex food and a place to sleep. He does not realize Alex is the person that broke into his home over two years ago. Alex and his friends would wear masks when committing some of their crimes. The man also named Alexander tells Alex that he will call some of his friends and they will use him as an example that the government has gone too far in taking the will of a person away. The friends come and take Alex to an apartment where they lock him in. By now, because of some of the things Alex has said, Alexander has identified him as one of the people that raped his wife which lead to her death. Alex falls asleep on the bed and wakes to some of his favorite music playing in the next apartment. Unfortunately for Alex he is now conditioned to become violently ill at the sound of this music because it was used during the graphic scenes he was forced to watch. He cannot escape the sound and gets sicker and sicker. Finally he throws himself from the window. The fall is not enough to kill him. He ends up in the hospital.

The government sees that they have gone too far with their experiment and 'cure' Alex, or return him to his former state. His parents come and tell him he may come home. He goes back to his old life and forms a new gang.

The final chapter, formerly left out of the American version; Alex is out with his new gang and begins to feel depressed. They want to go out and cause harm and chaos but Alex doesn't feel like it. The other boys go about their business and Alex goes out for some tea and milk. He sees Pete a member of his old band of friends. Pete only nineteen but newly married to a lovely girl. Alex and Pete talk for a minute. Pete and his wife leave to go to a party. Alex begins to realize that he is not depressed, at the ripe old age of eighteen he is just maturing out of his violent stage. Now he thinks he should begin looking for a wife so they can have a baby.

I loved this book. At first the language threw me off, but you figure it out quickly. (There is a Nadsat Glossary if your book doesn't contain one.) The violence is terrible but strikes a chord. I liked the controversy that it put forth about how far to go to 'cure' society of its many ills. I truly thought about this because of the socialism that is ever creeping nearer under the guise of 'government help'. Honestly, even though I know it is wrong to take someones will away........I was really glad that they did it to Alex. He was a beast.

The book became a little far fetched for me towards the end. The fact that Alex just happens to show up at the same location he committed a crime years ago and the victim and he form some kind of relationship....felt a little contrived. Also the fact that he was repaid with violence by just about everyone he crossed was a bit over the top. And finally his turn towards good by growing out of violence? In some sense most people mature and grow out of some of their youthful mistakes but I'm not sure about growing out of violence to the degree.

Rating 5 I totally recommend this book, BUT...........

Rating R violence, rape, language, drug use, murder.

Hunter's Heart

Hunter's Heart by Julia Green

Fourteen year old Simon is new to a small coastal British town. He has moved there with his mother and sister. Simon's father died in a motorcycle accident when Simon was younger. He is pubescent and angry. Simon is very interested in survival literature, living off of the land, hunting, sling shot and air rifles.
Simon and his mother don't communicate well. He is angry at her for being protective. She is protective yet spends little time with him. She begins dating Simon's art teacher from school. This makes Simon even more angry if possible.
Leah is Simon's sixteen year old neighbor. Her mother is an alcoholic and her father seems to be having an affair. She spends a lot of time laying out in the sun. She and Simon strike up a friendship. They swim and walk around together. They find an old burial mound/cave. Leah brings gin. She gets drunk. They have super quick sex.......no joke, he's fourteen.
Simon thinks that he is being followed by a war vet named Mad Ed. Mad Ed is mysterious and seems quite psychologically scarred by Desert Storm.
Leah likes Simon's art teacher.......the one his mother is dating. Matt, the art teacher, hires Leah to clean his house and studio. He has been doing drawing of Simon's mother in the buff. Then he begins drawing Leah this way also. Simon visits the studio and sees the drawings. He becomes jealous. He finally gets the air rifle that he has wanted. He follows Matt and Leah to the art studio. When he sees Leah without her shirt on and Matt drawing her, Simon snaps. He first begins shooting at the art. Then he hits Leah in the leg. Just then Mad Ed shows up.........he always seems to be around. Matt and Leah see Mad Ed, not Simon. Simon dashes home and hopes that no one will be the wiser. He feels awful. Mad Ed drowns himself. Simon's secret is safe.
Weird book. It seems the British drink a lot. Alcohol seemed the norm even for the youngsters.......wine and beer anyway. The book felt mysterious and I can't say it ever cleared up for me. I am disturbed that it is aimed at young teens. The book wasn't so bad, I just didn't like the sex with no consequence.
Rating 3 Not the best......not the worst. Entertaining.
Rating PG 13 Teen sex, drinking, violence.