Life of Pi, by Yann Martel

Martel, Yann (2001 ). Life of Pi.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN: 0395977894

Summary: Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, follows the adventures of 16-year old Pi Patel.  He, his family, and all of the animals from his family’s zoo are aboard a cargo ship moving from southern India to North America when disaster strikes and the ship sinks. Things become even more disastrous for Pi when his lifeboat becomes a refuge for several zoo animals, including the Bengal tiger. 

Additional Comments:  Life of Pi is an imaginative and suspenseful tale of survival in which Pi examines not only his place in the immediate surroundings of the lifeboat but also on a philosophical level, his place in the universe as well.

Black Orchid, by Neil Gaiman

Gaiman, Neil (1991).  Black orchid.  New York: DC Books.  

ISBN: 0930289552

Summary:  Black Orchid is a super-hero who is "hybrid"--part plant and part human.  Unclear of her origins, Black Orchid seeks to find out who, or what, she is. She unravels the story of her life as a human that ended in murder and was followed by rebirth or creation by a childhood friend who was a scientist. 

Additional Comments:  Black Orchid was originally a comic book series from the 1970's.  Gaiman's vision of her life story is mysterious and dreamy and slightly confusing as events are out of sequence.  Comic book aficionados will appreciate this unique story that goes from Gothic City to the Bayou to the Amazon.  Readers who are unfamiliar with the genre may get lost in the narrative that requires a good deal of inference and patience to follow.

Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer

Meyer, Stephenie (2006).  Twilight.  New York:  Little, Brown and Company. 

Summary: Bella's dreary days in rainy Forks, Washington become much more exciting when she strikes up a romance with her beautiful, mysterious lab partner, Edward.  As their relationship intensifies, she learns that he and his pale, godlike family are not human but vampires.

Additional comments:  This page-turning romance features sharp-witted dialogue between the passionate, young lovers as they unravel the mystery that the other presents.  Readers will get easily hooked and find themselves looking for the next book in the series.  The November 2008 release of the film version of Twilight will further solidify the Twilight fan base.  

Feed by M.T. Anderson

Anderson, M.T. (2004). Feed.  Cambridge: Candlewick Press.

Summary:  Set in a fantastical and futuristic version of America, Titus is a teenager who, like the majority of Americans, has a "feed" transmitter in his brain that broadcasts ads, shows, and music, and also networks with other "feeds" so that people can im chat around the clock.  On a trip to the Moon, a stranger hacks his "feed", which puts him in the hospital, exposes him to life without the "feed", and introduces him to Violet, a girl who tries to resist the "feed".

Additional Comments:  A scary vision of corporate America completely taking over every aspect of individual life and personal expression.  In the spirit of Brave New World, 1984, and The Giver, Feed presents an alternate reality and dystopia in which the general public doesn't question the corporate power structure and the mysterious lesions that are breaking out on everyone.