Proxy, by Alex London

People in the future are operating under a social system where everyone is divided into 2 categories: rich and poor. The rich people, obviously, are rich, and so they have numerous advantages, such as living in a better part of the city. The poor live in the really bad part of the city, and they are kept poor by ever-increasing debt. There is also a strange system, where the rich are not punished for their crimes. Instead, they have a special person, called a proxy, that takes the punishment for them. The rich have to watch the proxy get beaten and punished. It's a psychological kind of punishment. The book starts off with 2 characters: Knox and Syd. Knox, the rich person, accidentally kills someone, and Syd is sentenced to death. Since Syd does not want to die, and Knox does not want to watch him die, the two boys escape, and go on a long adventure. Proxy, by Alex London, is a very well written book. The two main characters in the book, Syd and Knox, are very realistic and believable, unlike some books, where the characters are perfect humans who never make mistakes. Knox and Syd all of flaws, and they each have their own personality. They have a lot more depth than other characters, and this shows Mr.London's skills at character building. It was also interesting to see the world from both points of view, and this helped me understand both sides of the story. The growing relationship between Syd and Knox was also an interesting thing to observe. Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 8 Grandview Library

War of Worlds, by Herbert George "H. G." Wells

Aliens from Mars have come to invade Earth, and they are succeeding. the humans have tried to fight, but they are being killed off quickly, and there is very little hope for survival. Eventually, all attempts to fight back by the humans have stopped, and the narrator as well as other people are scavenging for food and fighting for survival. Martian plants are growing all over the Earth, and multiple war machines have landed. Is there any hope left for Earth? War of Worlds, by Herbert George "H. G." Wells, is very, very good. When I first read it, I thought that it just had to be one of the classics, and sure enough, it is a major book in the science fiction community. This is a must read for anyone who considers themselves to be a fan of science fiction. This book was very thought provoking and the ending was unexpected and obvious at the same time. I would recommend this book to my friends for sure. Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 8 Grandview Library

Dune, by Frank Herbert

The world is governed by various houses, that are in a struggle amongst themselves. One of these houses, House Atreides, is given control of the planet Arrakis,which contains a spice that is a very powerful substance. The emperor fears that House Atreides will be too powerful, and he pits the rivals of House Atreides, House Harkonnen, in a war with them. Soon, only Paul, the heir of House Atreides and his mother are left. They join the Fremens, a civilization, and Paul finds out that he is a prophet. It is now up to him to make things right again.

Dune, by Frank Herbert, was very enjoyable, and I can see why it is one of the best selling science fiction books ever. The political and social situation was complex and it served as a really good setting. There were many moments in the book that were full of suspense, making me wait to see what would happen in the end. The mixed ending was very nice, and it was the perfect finish for this book. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 8

Grandview Library