By a vote of 9 to 1, we vote for Scythe by Neal Shusterman, over Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere by Julie T. Lamana, to go through to the next round. Here are our reasons why:

Judy:  Upside Down in The Middle of Nowhere is based on real events.  It clearly shows the struggles and strength of people in times of catastrophe.  It also portrays how the will to survive kicks in plus people pitching in and reaching out to help others during tragic events. Scythe hits right to the heart and makes you examine the meaning of life and death. It is thrilling but also chilling all at the same time. In coming to a discussion, I pondered a few questions such as, “Which one leaves me wanting more OR which story stuck in my head like an ear-worm OR has you questioning and thinking about life -could that really happen - what would I do??? Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere and Scythe are both good reads for totally different reasons. BUT hands-down, not even a blink I liked Scythe more -right down from the book jacket cover, to the name Scythe (grim reaper) to the last page of the story.  Definitely looking forward to the sequel Thunderhead.

Suanne:  Judy got it right, without a doubt Scythe is the clear winner. Now let me go back to reading Thunderhead! Oh, and if you want to you can ask the Thunderhead a question.  

            

Ask the Thunderhead

Warning: Don’t ask Thunderhead about Scythe.

Monica: Although the beginning of Scythe had me hooked and I was liking Shusterman’s writing style, I found the tone quickly became one that I could not complete. I tried on a few occasions to keep reading but as the topic of the novel came through, I was disturbed and found myself getting angry and anxious. Therefore, I could not finish this novel and will not be recommending it.

Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere gets my vote. The way in which Lamana brings across the devastation of Hurricane Katrina was page turning. I was captivated by the description of the setting, the worry, the sacrifice, the honesty of the characters reactions, and the telling of this natural disaster from a child’s perspective who was just looking for a normal birthday. I appreciated how the chapters were short as I am a reader who has to finish a chapter before taking a break. However, I found myself wanting to read on and find out exactly what was going to happen next. This would be a novel I recommend to young readers. Not only does it portray a strong female character, Armani, but it connects with a real-life situation that can create excellent discussion and reflection.

Mark: He was overheard saying that he liked Scythe and wanted to see this book move on.

Katrina: Obviously I vote to move on Scythe.  There are many, many dystopian books that have come out in the last couple of years and it is easy to become a bit bored and start overlooking the genre.  I am really glad I did not do that with this book. As I read this book it made me think about would I want to live forever?  Would my life become meaningless after a while because there is no real struggle?

I really enjoyed the beginning of Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere, I enjoyed the main characters voice at the beginning, her interaction with her family and those around her. I really wanted to keep loving this book, but once Hurricane Katrina hit and the family became separated I started to lose interest. I just felt the characters started to fall a bit flat and it wrapped up a little too neatly.

Of the two books in this read I felt Scythe was the better read.

Linda: My choice to move forward in this round is Scythe. This novel is the new dystopian or speculative fiction of our time. This novel begs the reader to think. Although the context may be difficult for some readers, it is necessary to force our young readers to think and ask some tough questions. Through the personal relationships between scythes and the apprentice scythes, the reader is able to think and reconcile their ideas about these ideas presented in the novel. This is a novel that has sparked many conversations with students and colleagues. A must read for any ELA teacher!

Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere - For me this novel seemed to reach to younger readers in the 9-12 age group. Meant to be a coming of age novel, the author is not consistent in her voice. This novel had potential, but for me, fell flat. For a younger reader, this would be an engaging text to teach about loss in the face of a disaster.

Eleni (and Shannon): While Shannon indicated she preferred Scythe over Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere, I loved Scythe.  I thoroughly enjoyed Faraday’s journal entries because of his focus on empathy and how empathy “makes us human”.  I found it quite relevant considering the state of our current world.  

Fred: Loved Scythe and all the twists and turns that it offered. Was intrigued by the dilemma faced by Citra and Rowan on their 'chosen' life path and the added twist with the possibility of having to glean each other. Found the book hard to put down and it would certainly appeal to a teen reader.  Lots of moral questions raised in this book which could lead to great class discussions. I'm a fan and can't wait for the movie version!

Miriam: Scythe gets my vote. I thought the idea of a sentient internet cloud was fascinating, especially the fact that an AI can solve humanity’s problems, instead of being responsible for its destruction. I thought this was a fresh take on the whole “machines taking over” trope. I also thought the concept that without something to fight for, people become aimless and bored, so they go through the motions. Not so different from the world we live in now: people, bored and aimless, put their faith in technology to solve all their problems. Lots of food for thought in this book.