Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari

Sixteen year old Lucy is surviving alone in the wilds of Central Park. The plagues, floods, droughts, and insane weather have wiped out 99% of the population.When Lucy meets another survivor, Aiden, she reluctantly joins his camp.  While life in camp is still difficult, Lucy enjoys being with people again, and eating fresh food. But things aren't quiet for long. The Sweepers are searching for something, and Lucy is on their radar.

I LOVED this book and I'm hoping for a sequel!

The Limit by Kristen Landon

Thirteen year old Matt lives in a world not much different from our own. In his reality, kids are taken to workhouses when their parents reach their debt limits.  Of course that could never happen to him. Until it does. Now he must figure out what's going on in his new "home" that's giving kids migraines, and why some of his fellow workers just, disappear.

Great kids book. Very action packed and a quick read!

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Insurgent picks up right where Divergent leaves off (literally, no time passes between the last sentence of the first book and the first sentence of the second book!) which makes it very hard not to give anything away. Let's just say Tris is trying to live with some of the choices she's made and not let them destroy her. She's trying to maintain her relationship with Tobias, which is harder and harder with all of the secrets she's keeping. Meanwhile, the unrest between the factions is heading towards an all-out war and the Divergent seem to be the focus of it all.

I have to say, Veronica Roth ranks right up there with Cassandra Clare for me right now. Not only does she write intriguing characters and fast-paced and heart-wrenching story lines, she sure knows how to leave the reader hanging! I'll admit, I got a little annoyed with Tris and her trust issues (seriously, Tris, just let Tobias in on what's going on!) but at the same time, Roth wrote her so clearly that I also understood where she was coming from. And the last book, which is still nameless (I'm going with Emergent, but we'll see!), doesn't come out until the fall. I swear, this fall cannot come fast enough! I'm already planning a re-read in the meantime!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Beatrice Prior has lived her life putting others before herself. After all, she's part of the Abnegation factor, the factor of service and selflessness. She has always admired the Dauntless, though, and their fearlessness and freedom. As she turns 16, she knows that the Choosing Ceremony is coming, and along with it, the aptitude test that will help her decide which faction she should choose: Abnegation, Dauntless, Erudite, Amity, or Candor. But Choosing is not as simple as it should be for Beatrice. Should she stay with Abnegation and her family or forever lose them while she searches for herself in Dauntless? And then there is the frightening result of her aptitude test-Beatrice is Divergent. She has an aptitude for several factions, which is viewed as dangerous by all of the factions. 

I have to say, it was VERY hard to do a write-up of this book without giving too much away. All of the above happens in the first few chapters and the way the story unrolls after that is just AMAZING!!! It's been a long time since I've read a book that I just couldn't put down, and this finally gave me that again. Tris's transformation and struggle are so real. I love her evolving relationship with Four. Something about it takes me back to older books I've read that just get inside of me and effect me. I've been waiting too long for a new book/series/author to give that to me! This book quickly rose to become one of my favorites (and that is not a term that I throw around lightly when it comes to books!) Do yourself a favor and just READ IT!!!

Pure by Julianna Baggott

Partridge lives in the Dome. His life is perfectly structured; every minute of every day dictated. He doesn't know much about life outside of the Dome, except that the beings that exist there are wretches, fused with the things around them when the detonations occurred. Partridge believes that his mother is out there, among the wretches, and decides to escape the Dome.
Pressia is one of the wretches. One of her hands is fused to the doll's head that she was holding when the detonations happened. As her 16th birthday approaches, she knows that she must turn herself in to either become part of the militia or a live target for them to use for practice.
Both on the run, their paths cross, and the future will be forever changed.

While I enjoyed this book, I found it somewhat predictable. It was definitely a different kind of story than I typically read; lots of war-like situations, very disturbing imagery of a world after nuclear detonations. The storyline was exciting, though, so it kept me reading. Waiting for Fuse to come later this month.