Stolen

by Lucy Christopher

Gemma is on vacation with her parents, en route to Bangkok, Thailand. They are at the airport, and she sees a young man who seems familiar. They talk, he buys her a cup of coffee, and for Gemma, sparks fly. But the next thing she knows, she's drugged in the trunk of his car, and she has no idea where he's taking her. She ends up in the Australian Outback, so far from any civilization that he doesn't even have to tie her up. He's been stalking Gemma for years, and wants to keep her. At first she is terrified, but soon realizes he doesn't want to hurt her any more than he already has. Can Gemma find a way to escape? Does she really want to?

This was kind of a strange book, first because the protagonist is British, and the setting is Australia, so there is some terminology that may seem unfamiliar. The suspense was pretty intense, and as a reader, your wishes and hopes for Gemma shift as you move forward in the story, which is pretty unusual. She's in a complicated situtation. It's difficult to place yourself in her shoes, but I think that's sort of the point.

Freakling

by Lana Krumwiede

Taemon lives in a city where everyone can move objects with their minds. It’s a power called psi, and his people are proud and haughty about their abilities. One day, while arguing with his brother, he hears a strange voice, and is asked to make a difficult choice. His decision costs him his psi. He attempts to fake his abilities for awhile, but it’s next to impossible. Without psi, he can’t even feed himself, since using his hands would reveal his secret. It doesn’t take long before he ends up exiled to a colony of “powerless” people. The colony isn’t as backwards as Taemon was raised to believe, though, and here he learns valuable lessons about the power he lost, and the power still inside him. Meanwhile, his cruel and heartless older brother is being groomed as the True Son, a much-revered individual who, according to prophecy, will bring on the next Great Cycle. All of this leads to a gutsy conclusion which clearly leaves room for a sequel. While the concept of psi and all of its intricacies is described well, at times it feels repetitive to constantly remind the reader that every action is accomplished through psi. However, memorable characters, a smooth plotline with building suspense, and a fascinating premise make this a worthy addition to the dystopian crowd.

The One and Only Ivan

by Katherine Applegate

Ivan is a gorilla who lives in a "circus" housed in a shopping mall right off the highway. He's the main attraction, along with his friend Stella the elephant. The animals aren't treated well, but Ivan has only slight memories of being taken from his home, and the deaths of his parents and sister. When the owner purchases a new elephant, baby Ruby, Ivan sees the deep sadness in Stella, and makes an almost impossible promise to her that he will make sure Ruby doesn't spend her life at the circus.

Ivan's story is told from his point of view, so we see life through the eyes of a gorilla. He likes to throw "me-balls" (poop!) at the humans gawking at him through the glass, and he loves watching westerns on the small television in his cage. It's sad and uplifting at the same time as he slowly gains awareness of his predicament by caring for young Ruby. This book is based on a true story, which makes it even more interesting, and heartbreaking.

Another very cool thing about this book is the way Ivan uses art to communicate. It's an integral part of the story, and if you're an artist, you'll appreciate what this story says about the importance of art in our lives.