Futuristic Fiction: The Archived, Project Paper Doll and Nobody

Even with all the fantasy, dystopian and science fiction books on the market now, it's hard to find one that doesn't make me think, "Oh, this is just like..." I just finished The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau, which is a highly publicized first book in a new trilogy that is a Hunger Games clone, down to the cover. This month I would like to suggest three fantastic novels that have a unique twist. First, The Archived by Victoria Schwab  introduces the premise that after we die our souls are archived and monitored by keepers. Project Paper Doll: The Rules by Stacey Kade is the first book in a new science fiction series whose main character  is part human and part extraterrestrial. Finally, Nobody by Jennifer Lynne Barnes takes place in a futuristic world populated by Normals, Nulls and Nobodies.

The Archived is the first book in a new series that  introduces a world where the dead are called Histories and rest on bookshelves in the Archive. Mackenzie Bishop is a keeper who stops violent Histories from escaping into the Outer World.  Obsessed with communicating with her dead brother, Mac lets it cloud her judgment. She gets involved with Owen, a history who has a strange calming effect on her.  Meanwhile, someone is altering the histories and with the help of Wes, another keeper, she must save the Archive before it is destroyed. Kirkus reviews calls it, " a refreshingly angel free departure in afterlife fiction that features nuanced characters navigating a complex moral universe."

Having escaped from a genetics lab where she was created, Ariane Tucker, the main character of Project Paper Doll: The Rules, wants nothing more than to blend in with the human students at her high school. Part human, part extraterrestrial, Ariane can read people’s minds and move objects telekinetically, but she has trouble controlling her abilities. When Rachel, the school’s queen bee, plays a cruel prank on Ariane’s best friend Jenna and then turns on Ariane, the anonymity Ariane sought is a thing of the past. Seeking revenge, Ariane finds unexpected support from Zane Bradshaw, one of the popular boys in Rachel’s crowd.  This first book in a new science fiction series will leave readers clamoring for the sequel.

In Nobody's  futuristic world of Normals, Nulls and Nobodies, Claire and Nix live under most people’s radar.  They are Nobodies, who are rarely noticed and have the ability to fade, becoming invisible and able to transport themselves great distances. Nix has been trained as an assassin by the Institute and is tasked with killing Claire.  But when he sees her, he is immediately drawn to her kindred spirit. Together they decide to take on the Institute in the hopes of having a future together. This book is a stand alone sci/fi romance that kept me riveted until the last page.