DystopYA Challenge

The DystopYA Challenge has ended! Unfortunately, I didn't make it to three, but I finished two and they were both delightful. I'll have to get to Hunger Games later this year. In the middle of our move, I went to our new library to get it and found that I was 500th on the list . . . so yeah, that didn't happen. But I WILL get to it this year--I'm determined. =)


Join the challenge here.
Ends: December 31, 2009
Challenge: Read 3 dystopic young adult novels.

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2. The Giver by Lois Lowry - 12.31.09
3. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff - 11.15.09

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Genre: Young adult
Publisher, Year: Bantam Books, 1993
Other Works: Number the Stars
Flags: Teen angst
Rating: A or Great Read
Challenge: DystopYA
Premise: A young boy in a perfect society finds his life is not as simple as he thought.

I’ve been meaning to read this book for some time and finally got a chance to as part of the DystopYA Challenge, hosted by Books on the Nightstand. I enjoyed it as much as I thought I would, but I feel like this is a book that could stand for re-readings in the future.

Jonas lives in a perfect community. One that is defined by fairness—a place devoid of pain and fear. The rules that govern this society cultivate the best environment for growth and development as a whole. All decisions are taken care of and every person’s life is set out in front of them, step by step, defined by what is best for everyone. And the people live in a state of unperturbed content. That is until Jonas receives his Assignment--the job he'll perform as part of the community. He's been given a position of great honor, but of also great responsibility. And as he works his way through training, he realizes new things about his perfect life that makes him question everything he's been taught. +/-

I think children are very capable of understanding the importance of such things like individuality and freedom of choice. Although these topics can be heavy, in my opinion, Lowry's bold move to approach these topics in a children’s novel was and is something needed. It encourages critical thinking about life in a new way from an altered perspective. I loved how a part of this perfect society was that there was no color, no music. The pallor of life when all choices have been made and emotions are irrelevant. It’s exactly as I would have imagined it myself—it made sense to me. That without certain things, our existence as human beings would change drastically: our relationships with each other, our feelings toward our occupations, our very nature.

For Jonas, the knowledge he gains not only makes him think and makes him question, it moves him to act. It compels him to change--to risk everything for a belief. If I'm being honest, sometimes that scares me. Because if someone is allowed to act on good and right beliefs, then that also gives rise to extremists or fanatics who are equally as passionate and who can inflict pain. But I think that's an important point in Lowry's work. You can't have one without the other--when you pick up one end of the stick, you can't help but pick up the opposite end. And so the question remains: if you could live happily in ignorance, closing your eyes to unpleasant things, could you? Would you? Or would it be too difficult, once you knew the truth, to go back and close your eyes as before?

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The compare and contrast of the needs of the collective and the individual was an interesting one for me, and I enjoyed this more simplified look at a dystopia. It’s one I will definitely recommend.

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Genre: Young adult
Publisher, Year: Puffin Books, 2004
Other Works: The Bride's Farewell, What I Was
Flags: Teen angst, Tenuous references
Rating: A+, or Must Read Now!
Challenges: Book Awards, Dystopya, Countdown
Premise: A teenage girl, Daisy, leaves her parents to live with her cousins in England. Soon after she arrives, a war breaks out. Left to their own devices, Daisy and her cousins fend for themselves before they get shipped out in different directions. Daisy and her little cousin Piper fight to survive, hoping to find a way to the ones they care about.

I had heard so many good things about this book, I was excited when it fit right in with a couple of challenges I wanted to do. When I picked it up from the library, I was surprised to see how short it is. But, don’t let that fool you—literary gems come in all shapes in sizes.

I didn’t really know what to expect from this book, but I have to say that I was very pleased with it in the end. I think Rosoff created a very fair and interesting depiction of the delicate and frank, not to mention hormonal, teenage look at the instability of our world. Daisy is a complex character and her voice is strong and resonating. Although she is a flawed character, there’s something pure about her as well, which I found refreshing and puzzling at the same time. +/-

I also enjoyed the author’s writing style, with misplaced capitalization and sans quote marks. Usually things like that add a level of difficulty and confusion (Who’s talking? Where did that that thought end and this one begin? I’m lost!). But I really felt these grammatical liberties enhanced the flow of conversation, provided a bit of levity for such a serious topic, and made the plot altogether easier to follow—which seemed a considerable feat.

I think this is a book every teenager should read. Having said that, there are scenes that my disturb you or offend your moral code. However, I believe Rosoff has approached these subjects in a way that not only faces hard fact but also increases understanding, in a world where very little makes sense. I came away from this book with a new perspective on life, or perhaps an old perspective (my own teenage one) being asked to think about subjects I rarely pondered on at that age—instability and war and pain. And that is the reality for far too many young people today. Rosoff’s book is truly a thing of beauty—highly recommended.