Robert Charles Wilson

Just finished Gypsies by Robert Charles Wilson and "A Bridge of Years," and am now reading The Chronoliths. "The Chronoliths is set in the near future (about 2020) where a giant monument appears mysteriously in the middle of a jungle. Examination of the object show that it is a monument to an unknown military leader celebrating a military victory - 20 years in the future. More of these objects begin to appear, some with catastrophics results when they land on cities and kill hundreds of thousands of people. As the date on the monuments draws closer, people try to ignore their appearance or desperately try to figure out their meaning. Julian Comstock, set in a post-appocalyptic North America, follows a charismatic young military hero who is deemed a threat to the status quo by his uncle - president of the country.

The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex

Where to start with Smekday? Okay. The earth is invaded by a bunch of aliens called Boovs. The Boovs generously "give" Americans Florida so that they can have the rest of the country. When eleven-year-old Gratuity Tucci's mom is taken by the Boovs to be a translator, she decides that she will drive to Florida by herself with only a cat named pig for company. Along the way, they meet a Boov who calls himself J.Lo (he's been hiding out in the magazine section of a store). J. Lo is on the lam from other Boovs, although Gratuity doesn't know this at first. Eventually, when another group of aliens called Gorgs arrive, J.Lo has to admit that he accidentally sent out radio signals to the Gorg. The Gorgs are much worse than the Boov and will not only kill all humans but will completely destroy the planet. But Gratuity, with the help of J.Lo and Pig manage to save the day.

At over 400 pages, there are alot of detours into side adventures, meeting with quirky characters, and lots of humour. But Gratuity and J. Lo are always at the heart of the story, their initial fear and antagonism gradually giving way to respect and frlendship. A fine book whose story and characters will remain with the reader long after the last page is finished.

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

With five minutes before my kids got home for lunch and fifteen minutes before I had to head to work I was racing through the last few pages of Life As We Knew It. I really wanted to know how things were going to turn out for 16-year- old Miranda and her family who are trying to survive after a meteor knocks the moon into closer orbit to the earth, resulting in tsunamis, earthquakes, illness, and starvation (among other things).

As a reader, you know from page one that disaster is just around the corner. But of course, everyone is looking forward to viewing this night-time spectacle - many of Miranda's neighbours are hosting parties to coincide with the meteor's arrival. Maybe not such a bad idea, since no-one's going to be celebrating again for a long time - if ever.

As the year progresses, things get progressively worse for the family. While not directly affected by tsunamis, volcanoes erupting around the world block out the sun and cause food shortages. The local and national infrastructure is fractured and gradually oil, internet, radio, and medical help disappear. Through it all, life becomes increasingly precarious for the family but they are determined to survive if at all possible.

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

When Daisy's father and stepmother send her to live in rural England with her aunt and cousin, the country is on the brink of war. At first, life seems idyllic to the teens, free from adult supervision when Daisy's aunt must leave the country to participate in peace talks. But when war breaks out, the farm is taken over by the army and the boys are forced to take refuge with one family while the girls are sent to another. Here Daisy sees the fallout of war - food and medicine shortages, a disintegrating infrastructure, and violent deaths. But she also sees people who are trying to milk cows, harvest crops, and perform other vital but unfamiliar tasks. Witnessing this, she is eventually pulled out of her self-absorbtion to perform her own acts of heroism - caring for her young cousin as they cross enemy territory to get back to the farm and reunite with her cousins. Although a short novel, Where I Live Now covers a lot of ground. The kids initially enjoy the war vicariously, then are thrust into the middle where they struggle to survive and finally must deal with going on with life after the war ends. Recommended for teens.