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When ice caps collapsed and lowlands flooded, earth was in chaos, human survival was in jeopardy, and people grew desperate.   Out of this chaos grew two superpowers that seized the few resources remaining.  These actions led to civil wars and to international breakdown.   During an economy-crushing petroleum embargo, many Earthbound individuals fled to Lunar Base, “a beacon of humanity for the glory of science” (47). Through mind-numbing propaganda, not unlike that spewed in 1984 by George Orwell, lunar citizens recite a National Anthem and other political slogans that brainwash them into believing untruths about security, life essentials, employment, and community connections.  Organized much like theRead More →

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Boston, Massachusetts, teen turned Montana transplant, Tella Holloway has taken on the challenge of the Brimstone Bleed to save her brother Cody’s life.  Tella used to be “the girl who catalogued sandwich shops by which had the best oatmeal cookies.  Now [she’s] the girl who catalogs death and the girl who vows revenge” (187).  She’s not the lone Contender in this competition that covers four ecosystems: desert, jungle, ocean, and mountain; each with its own misery, dangers, and threats.  Because it is a sequel, Salt and Stone by Victoria Scott features the last two ecosystems and picks up the plot where Fire and Flood leftRead More →

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As a female rhesus monkey, Papina has brown fur and a pink face, while Mico, a male langur monkey, has grey fur and a black face.  Although appearance, biology, and gender separate the two, they are not that different.  Living in Kolkata, India, both envision a more nearly perfect world, one where determination, courage, and wit are celebrated; rather than one’s size or social rank.  Daring to question and unwilling to blindly obey, both want to understand the mysteries and deceptions that surround monkey life.  Sickened by violence, they wish to understand why killing is necessary to keep the peace. Through the stories of theseRead More →