Saved By the Bell: The Dystopian Years

Teenagers make great subjects for dystopian tales.  Something about the inherent melodrama and confusion of being a teenager translates nicely to the way in which we understand and connect with tales of society gone horribly, yet sometimes, exquisitely wrong.  A few months ago I suggested you read The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins.  Having now completed the series, I heartily endorse it in its entirety.  IMDB tells me that they are making these books into movies, too.

In a slightly less successful attempt to break into the teen dystopian series game, Ally Condie brings us Matched, the story of Cassia, a teenage member of The Society, a futuristic society that has eradicated genetic disease through an intricate matching system of arranged marriages for optimal results.  She finds herself falling for the mysterious, brooding Ky, instead of her intended match.  She then begins to question everything.  Unfortunately, Cassia is shrill and not very likable.  Also, the world of Matched is just not as interesting as some other offerings in this spectacular genre.  It is however, available as a free downloadable audiobook to borrow from the Brooklyn Public Library, so if you live in Brooklyn, check it out!

Now for some classics:  The Giver, by Lois Lowry, may be the most well known teen dystopian novel.  It takes place in a society without the burden of memory.  That burden belongs to one person, the Giver. In this story we follow Jonas, as he is chosen to fulfill this role for his society.  This book raises incredibly complex issues in a way that middle school kids can understand, yet still offers plenty for the adult reader to ponder.  Technology, control, memory, and the potential of human emotions all play a role in this fascinating and moving book.

Gathering Blue, also by Lois Lowry, is not a sequel to The Giver, but more of a companion novel.  This novel follows Kira, an orphan with a gift for fiber arts.  She is, like Joseph, is the caretaker of a coat of many colors.  Rather than enrage her brothers, this coat tells the story of her society.  But it holds many secrets.  Kira is another resourceful and humble yet powerful girl that makes these kinds of stories so great.  Kira lives some time in the future, yet humanity seems to have lost the knowledge of many kinds of technology we currently enjoy.  Lois Lowry creates an intricately layered world with many compelling details and characters.

Any other Young Adult dystopian fiction you know and love?  Leave 'em in the comments!

Matched  by Ally Condie 2.8 ipods
The Giver  by Lois Lowry 4.6 ipods
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry 4.7 ipods

A Wednesday Night in Brooklyn

Chad: You should check out this dystopian teen lit trilogy about [blah, blah, blah...]

Hollis: You had me at dystopian teen lit trilogy.

And so, may I present the first installment of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Audible, my audiobook service, happened to be having a "first in the series" sale so I got it cheap. The audio version is narrated by Carolyn McCormick.

The book takes place in a post America future in the fictional country of Panem. I'm actually not sure how its spelled because I listened to this, rather than read it. Chad, correct me if that's wrong. There is an all powerful and rich Capitol with 12 oppressed districts who make and grow things for the Capitol's enrichment. There is massive inequality and injustice between and within the Capitol and the districts. Our heroine, Katniss, lives in the coal mining District 12, which is what used to be Appalachia.

Many years ago the districts rebelled against the Capitol and were subsequently crushed back into submission. To remind the people of the Capitol's absolute power, every year the Capitol holds the Hunger Games. I won't reveal what it is, but if you have seen Battle Royale, you know what's coming.

Why you will like this book: It's pretty short and moves very fast. The main character is a self-reliant, smart teenage girl. The Hunger Games talks openly about class oppression. It's part of a dystopian teen lit trilogy.

Why you won't like it: It's short. It's violent. Really violent. It leaves many questions unanswered (but presumably at least some of them will be answered in the next two books).

A word about the audio version: I generally liked the narrator, but at times I found her voice to be too mature for a sixteen year old, no matter how responsible and resourceful she is supposed to be.

The Hunger Games

By Suzanne Collins

4.5 ipods

Quality Literature or Bodice Ripper? Maybe both...

I used to worry that my desire for constant aural or visual stimulation was rooted in deep seated emotional problems. Then I decided even it was, eff that. I love audiobooks. A few weeks ago my audiobook service, Audible, had a $5 dollar book sale. Seeking to embrace my new hobby, I bought 6 audiobooks sort of on a whim. One of those was The Prince of Tides. That worked out spectacularly. I tend to choose audiobooks both based on subject but also on length. I like to feel I'm getting my money's worth. So when I saw a 32 hour novel, I took notice. (Roots is a little longer. I bought that, too). This 32 hour epic is called Outlander.

Outlander takes place, mostly, in the Scottish Highlands in the 1740's. It is a fabulous work of historical fiction. It made me want to watch Braveheart again, something I thought I would never ever do. So here is the thing: This book contains a lot of "adult content." Like a lot. It's mostly tasteful, and some of it is downright smokin'. But I find myself discrediting this book as less than real literature because of all the sex. Am I really so puritanical? My views on hard work say otherwise.

So the conclusion I have come to is this is a wonderful story with interesting characters set in an interesting time-period and it has lots of graphic sex. Does the latter take away from the former? Only if you let it.

Now that I have convinced you this book is a little, um, racy, let me tell you a little more about the plot. The book centers around British Nurse Claire and Scottish Hunk Jamie. Claire is intelligent and feisty. Jamie is like Scottish Hercules. Let's just say, I will never look at Grounds Keeper Willy the same again. Claire, the Outlander, the stranger not from the Highlands, must navigate the world of Scottish Clan relations and British nastiness. Jamie, a mysterious yet gallant man, soon finds his fate intertwined with Claire's.

If you are a history nerd like me there is another fabulous element of the book. The author, Diana Gabaldon, clearly did a lot of research on everyday life in the Scottish Highlands of the 18th century. There is a huge amount of information on how people lived and the culture of the time.

Because I listened to this, rather than read it, I need to comment on the reader, Davina Porter. She was very good with the Scottish and British Accents, but I found her "man voice" to be a little jarring. She was fabulous with the woman characters, though. I would rate her 4 out five ipods.

One last thing it has going for it: Outlander is the first in a VERY long series. If you like the first book, you have more to look forward to. I personally love series, as long as they don't decline in quality (I'm looking at you, Shrek). I just started listening to the sequel, Dragon Fly in Amber. So in 38 hours I can let you know.

What do you think? Does lots of sex preclude something from being great literature?

Outlander

by Diana Gabaldon

4 ipods