Teen Reads: Book Reviews Of "Gone" And "Incarceron" By Dylan Lewis

GONE
Review by Dylan Lewis, 14, (freshman at Montclair High School in September)
506 pages
Author: Michael Grant

    In California, things start to go wrong for the residents of Perdido Beach. They start to develop super powers, and a barrier appears that is unable to be broken. Everyone older than 15 "poofs" is never to be seen again. They are cut off from the world and no electronics work. Groups start to form: the rich kids and bullies taking charge while the others follow through fear.
    Sam, Astrid, and Quinn, a group of friends, all start to try to find a way out of the barrier, before they "poof." Caine and Diana, two rich kids that have powers, chase them down. They get all the bullies to try and kill Sam's group. It turns into an all- out war between the two sides: Caine and the bullies versus Sam and all the kids. Who will prevail in this battle of good versus evil?
      This is a fantastic twist on a classic story, or so I think. It reminds me so much of Lord of the Flies. This book is a fantasy book with a touch of Sci-fi. Everyone should read this book. It makes you want to keep on reading. The characters are well developed and it has a good plot. If you are a fantasy or Sci-fi fan, this book is a must. I would give this book is a 5 out of 5 stars.

Incarceron
Review by Dylan Lewis
464 pages
Author: Catherine Fisher   

     In a prison called Incarceron, Finn wants to find a way out. Incarceron is a prison that "lives": it creates, kills, and plays, with its prisoners. Finn finds a key and learns he can communicate with someone on the outside. That someone just happens to be Incarceron's warden's daughter, who also has a special key. He and his friends try and get out, but they find there is no escape. The girl on the outside is being forced to marry someone (a prince to be exact) whom she doesn't like. She believes that Finn is her long lost love whose death was faked because he was too kind and wouldn't be fit to rule. Finn is actually the prince's younger brother, who was going to take the throne by marrying Claudia. She wants to help him get out to save herself, and he just wants to see the outside. It is up to Claudia and Finn to work together and find a solution.
    This book was very good. It had some Sci-fi fiction in it and had a cool concept. My favorite part was when they found out where Incarceron was kept. It was just so astounding. The details were very descriptive. There were many twists and turns throughout this book that kept you hooked from the start. If you like science fiction or fantasy books, you should definitely read this one. It is one of my favorites. Out of 5 stars, this was a 4.