Back after a long intermission

Well, it occurs to me that despite my initial goal of posting a book review a day, the beginning of the school year got in the way and it has been almost two whole months since I posted a review. I am determined to be good at this (or at least consistent). The school year has gotten off to a hectic start (for those of you in normal states, we start at the beginning of August, when it is still triple digits outside). I just completed our first book fair of the year (success!!) and found a ton of books I want to read and am excited to introduce to our students.Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at things), this leaves me with a bunch of new books to add to my "To Be Read" list. I have finally come to terms that I will never get to the end of the list of books I want to read and I believe this is an AWESOME feeling.

But, I digress. On to today's book review.

Roar by Emma Clayton

In a world rapidly filling with dystopian-society books, following close on the heels of the success of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games (although this is not a new concept, by any means), The Roar, by Emma Clayton, once again captures the imagination of those constantly wondering "What if?"

Mika, our main character, lives in a futuristic Earth behind a solid concrete wall, topped with barbed wire, and guarded night and day by Ghengis Borgs. This wall, Mika was taught, was built to keep the animals out. The animals carry a plague that devastated the human population, turning them into savage beasts who would kill without warning. The wall was meant to keep everyone safe. Or, at least, this is what Mika has always been told.

A devastated human population has been pushed behind this wall, crammed into the Northern Hemisphere. To accommodate so many in so little space, an upper level of London is built, where the people of wealth can live in relative peace and happiness.

But Mika lives Below, where water is everywhere, mold is rampant, and sickness is never far away. But Mika's biggest problem is his sister. His fraternal twin, Ellie, went missing about a year before. Shortly after, the police informed Mika and his parents that she was dead, drowned in the water. However, Mika has never believed this story. He still feels that she is alive. Because of this conviction, Mika is an outcast - among his peers and among his family. He knows that something just isn't right. When the government suddenly launches a program to get the entire generation of children fit and healthy, Mika is suspicious. When they announce that the children will be competing in a dangerous game that could bring them riches and fame beyond their wildest dreams, he sees an opportunity. Although he still does not trust the government's plan, he is convinced that this game is a way to finally get the answers he has been seeking. But what does this game really hold in store for Mika and his friends?

This book started very slowly for me. For the first 30-45 pages or so, I struggled to get into the story. There was a lot of back story and very little action. It wasn't long, however, before I was swept into the story, anxious to find out the outcome of the game and curious as to how Ellie and Mika would finally be reunited.

The characters in this book were very well developed. While I could see the petulance common in a boy of Mika's age ringing true through his thoughts and actions, I also felt the underlying desperation of a boy about to break. I constantly rooted for him to win. A couple of the characters were a little over the top, though. Mika's arch-nemesis, almost as good at the game as Mika himself, had an intense anger issue that didn't seem to fit the story. It seemed unnecessary to be taken quite to the extremes it was, but perhaps this will hold meaning in the second book.

I also found myself drawn into the plot. While you could guess that Mika would go far within the game, the twists and turns the children are put through was a surprise at every turn. I was on the edge of my seat, excited to see the real reasoning behind the training the children were given. I was also very intrigued by the wall. Much was hinted at as to why the wall was significant and the secret held on the other side, but it was very hard to guess at what was being hidden. Clayton did not reveal until the end of the story what was truly on the other side and, I must say, I did not see it coming.

All in all, despite it's slow start, I highly recommend this book for those who liked The Hunger Games. Well-written and exciting, this receives four out of five stars.