Synthesis

Following is a brief synthesis of my observations on young adult dystopian literature.  At this point I have read a fairly large amount of these books and think I can offer some insight on the things these books have in common and offer some final advice about how these books could/should be used in schools.

I already typed up a list of elements that these novels have in common, but I think it warrants reposting it here.  Every one of the young adult books that I read contained each of these to some extent, and the two adult novels contain all but number 5.

1. Dystopian society with members who follow blindly/unknowingly.
2. A leader/head figure/group of people who know(s) the dark secrets of the society.
3. A hero/heroine who discovers these secrets and seeks to alter and expose the travesties.
4. An emphasis on choice or the lack thereof.
5. An ending that gives the feeling of hope for change and renewal of choice.

I don't think this list needs any revising after reading more novels; it still seems pretty complete to me.  Each novel contains a dystopian society, oppressive and totalitarian.  The post-apocalyptic novels still fall into this category, as the governing bodies that are present are corrupt and total.  Each novel also contains a her, who I might also call an outsider.  This is someone who realizes the travesties committed by the new government, often through gaining knowledge about the way things used to be.  This illuminated character is the most identifiable for the reader, and seeks to dismantle, or rebel against the totalitarian government.  In young adult novels, there is always a glimmer of hope at the end of the novel or an overthrow of the corrupt government.  In the two adult novels mentioned, this is not the case.  Finally, is the focus on choice.  Each of the novels focuses on choice: how it has been taken away and how the characters plan to get it back.  This should be particularly attractive to young adults who are coming to an age where they have more responsibility and more autonomy, therefore more opportunity to make choices.  Also, young adults tend to be skeptical of authority, and these novels all teach that this is okay, and in fact they recommend it.  

Each of the novels in this blog should be enjoyed by young adult readers, though some undoubtedly more than others.  Each post contains a brief recommendation from me for use in the classroom.  I'm not expert, and the opinions are solely my own, but I think that all of these books would be valuable to have in a class library and some of them would be great gateway books to more canonical texts. 

The dystopia is probably my favorite genre, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading these books and writing about them.  I hope you enjoy reading them/about them!

Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. Modern classics Ed. New York: Harper Perennial, 2006. Print

Similar to 1984 is Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.  This classic text is used in classrooms, and while it is also not classified as YA lit., it is being read by young adults in school and out.  Many of the YA novels in this blog reveal influences from Brave New World so it receives treatment here.  Here is the SparkNotes summary for this great novel.
Summary: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/bravenew/summary.html

Dystopia: This novel contains all of the dystopian elements I have pointed out as well.  The main character, Bernard Marx, fails to fit in to his society, and feels discontent uncharacteristic of a member of one of the upper strata in the society.  Everything is controlled by the government: embryos in test tubes are scientifically altered to have certain characteristics, and children are raised in ways to fit their predetermined class status.  This theme of scientific alteration is a huge dystopian theme found in YA novels such as Across the Universe.  People are often given Soma, a drug similar to LSD which makes them complacent and provides powerful trips of pleasure.  People's everyday lives are lacking in sensation, so the government sanctions these Soma "orgy porgies" in order to control its people.  Control through drugs is also found in Blood Red Road and Across the Universe.  The social class setup in Across the Universe also looks very similar to Brave New World where people are forced into a class and occupation from birth.  

An unlikely hero arises in this novel. John, a man born on an island isolated from the control of the government, used as a tourist attraction, is taken back to civilisation from his island.  He recognizes the tyranny of the government and is unable to fit into the class system set up there.  He rebels against this control, committing suicide when he realizes he does not fit in.  Like 1984, Brave New World ends without the glimmer of hope found in the YA novels, but again the message for the reader is made even more profound by this fact.  The people in Brave New World are lost, but the reader is not, unless he/she allows these travesties to become reality.  

This book is also widely read in schools, and contains themes comparable to 1984, while it might be a bit easier to read and a bit less powerful.  Again, I would recommend using a YA novel to bridge the gap between this loftier literature and students' daily lives.  With characters that students' can identify with, the YA novels become gateways to these more difficult texts where the dystopias are taken even further and are more devastating   

1984 - George Orwell

Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Signet Classics, 1949. Print.

While 1984 is not considered young adult literature, nor would I argue that it should be, it is being read by young adults in schools.  Usually read in high school, 1984 may be the quintessential dystopian novel and happens to be one of my favorite novels.  Because it is highly read in schools, I will give it a treatment here, not quite as thorough as I have done for the YA books.

Here is a great summary from SparkNotes: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/1984/summary.html

Dystopia: As I said, 1984 may be the ultimate dystopian novel.  Many of the YA novels contain elements of dystopia similar to those found in 1984 and they all contain the same big three I have been discussing throughout my blog.  Big Brother, the all seeing, all knowing government has become a symbol for oppression the world over.  Appearing in street art, music, etc., Big Brother has come to represent all that is controlling and oppressive about government.  Shepard Fairey is one such street artist who uses big brother in his "Obey" pieces.  

The people in 1984 live under total control from Big Brother.  In Oceania, they can even be punished for thoughtcrime - improper or rebellious thoughts.  Big Brother operates under the mantra "War is peace, Freedom is slavery, Ignorance is strength."  This alone shows the warped nature of the government in 1984.

Winston, the unlikely hero of the novel, pens the phrase "down with Big Brother."  Recognizing the tyranny of the government, and discovering a book detailing the way things were before Big Brother, Winston wishes to break free from the control of Big Brother.  Along the way he meets Julia, who seems to share his goals.  Together the two slowly defy Big Brother more and more until Winston is captured and tortured for his crimes.  1984 ends without the glimmer of hope typical in YA novels.  1984 ends when Winston completely gives in and accepts the complete power of Big Brother.  This novel serves as a stern warning from Orwell about the dangers of totalitarian governments.  

Readers struggle with this novel.  It is super dense, and while Orwell's language is not that convoluted, the events in the story can be hard to follow.  The themes remain the same as the YA novels however, and that is why I recommended some of them as companion texts to be used to help understand these more difficult canonical texts.  There is so much to do with 1984 and its influence can be seen all over pop-culture, so it is definitely still relevant today, it just may take some work to help students realize this.  Pairing a YA novel with 1984 may be a powerful way to help students explore the difficult themes and messages found in these novels.

Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc., 2008. Print.

Summary: Katniss Everdean lives in District 12 in the new United States.  Her district is known for coal mining, is in Appalachia, and is one of the poorest districts.  The other 11 districts all have their own industry, but the Capitol reaps all the profits.  Each year, the Capitol holds a reaping in each of the districts in order to recruit members for their annual Hunger Games.  In The Hunger Games, two people from each district, one boy one girl, between the ages of 12 and 18, are set into a controlled field where they are forced to fight each other to the death.  There can only be one winner.  The Capitol does this in order to remind the districts of their attempted rebellion and keep the districts subservient.  Katniss volunteers as tribute for the Hunger Games in place of her younger sister at the reaping and now must fight for her life.  Along with co-tribute Peeta, Katniss must find a way to survive the Hunger Games and get back home to her family and friends. 

Here is a link to a trailer for the excellent movie adaptation of The Hunger Games: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMGRhAEn6K0

Dystopia: Katniss lives in a United States completely different from the one we know today.  Each of the twelve districts has one key resource that the Capitol needs in order to run the country.  The wealth of each district varies depending on the resource.  District 12's main resource is coal; therefore, it is a very poor district.  Appalachia, the area where this district is located is a poor section of the country today, so Collins stays true to modern life in this sense.  This may be where the similarities stop.  The Capitol uses electricity to power its hover cars, automated showers, and other extravagancies, while Katniss is forced to illegally hunt with a bow in order to provide for her family.  The disparity between wealth and poverty is even greater than the one we know today.  The Capitol uses its wealth and firepower to intimidate the other districts into obedience.  The districts, especially the poorer ones, have no say in their laws, and see practically none of the benefits of their labor.  The Capitol and its rulers collectively become the Big Brother of this story, representing the oppressive  totalitarian government.  

The hero of this story is harder to pin down.  Throughout the Hunger Games, Katniss seems most concerned with surviving in order to get back home so she can take care of her mom and sister.  She questions the authority of the Capitol, but, in this book, challenges it but a little.  Peeta, however, seems to question the authority of the Capitol, especially in regards to the Hunger Games more deeply.  As shown in the trailer, he refuses to let the Capitol take away who he is.  Together, Peeta and Katniss force the Capitol to allow two winners in the Hunger Games, exposing a crack in the otherwise impenetrable armor of the Capitol.  This sets up the rebellion in the following novels (which I have not read but know something about).  I would call Katniss and Peeta the heroes of this story, even though Katniss is clearly the main character.

While the story remains unresolved in this novel, the novel ends with a glimmer of hope typical of dystopian novels.  The world that these characters live is so far from what we would recognize, and the people have so little control over their lives.  The dystopian rule is truly oppressive.  Students from 12 to whatever will enjoy this novel, as evidenced by its extreme popularity and adaptation to the big screen.  The main character is a girl, but she is not lacking in masculine qualities as well.  Girls and boys should both enjoy this novel.  I highly recommend it for use in the classroom, both as a standalone and a canon companion.  There is enough material in the novel itself to inspire many activities in the classroom, and the movie follows the book wonderfully and would be helpful to use as well.

BZRK - Michael Grant

Grant, Michael. BZRK. New York: EgmontUSA, 2012. Print.

Summary: Instead of a written summary for this novel, I have a link to a book trailer I made for BZRK.
https://vimeo.com/54921405

Dystopia: The world of BZRK is a strange one.  Nanotechnology, originally developed to cure diseases, is being used by the super-company Armstrong Fancy Gifts Corporation to control people in order to make them "happy."  By wiring everyone's brains a certain way, the AFGC will eliminate nearly all emotions, making humans impervious to emotional pain, but also incapable of any real happiness.  The rebel group BZRK wants none of this.  The book follows Sadie and Noah, two teens drafted into BZRK.  A band of teenagers, BZRK fights against the AFGC using biots, biological creatures that are connected to their controllers, the twitchers.  Most of the nanobot operators for the AFGC are teens who were incredible video game players, as controlling a nonobot is like controlling a video game.  The fighting takes place inside of people, in the "micro", but also in the "macro."  For this reason, BZRK can get confusing at times, but overall Grant does a good job of letting the reader know where the story is at.

The main dystopian element of this text is the plot from the AFGC.  The world that these characters live in now is not yet dystopian, the world AFGC seeks to create is one of total control.  The seek to provide happiness by eliminating war, poverty and sickness, but also eliminating freedom.  As mentioned earlier, BZRK fights for the "right to be miserable."  They realize that is AFGC is allowed to rewire peoples' brains, they take away the choice that makes people human.  Here comes into play a key element of what I have noticed in most of the dystopias I have read: choice is at the center of it all.  BZRK, in fighting for misery, is actually fighting for choice.  Like the other heroes I have written about, the collective heroes of BZRK recognize the foul play in AFGC's plan, and fight against the control.  BZRK is interesting in that the real fighting in this novel takes place unseen.  Unseen to anyone, nanobots and biots crawl all over, accessing people's brains through their ears and eyes. 

While the dystopian elements of this novel are not all that impressive (it is more of a science fiction novel), what is impressive are the other media elements of this texts.  With a fully functioning website and an app that allows you to control a biot, the electronic media connections for this text are impressive.   The app is mildly entertaining, but it's interesting to get a chance to control a biot!  The website, http://gobzrk.com/, is much more involved.  It offers book trailers, news on BZRK, community boards, a blog, and more.  Definitely worth a look.

This book may not be the best for assigning in your classroom, but I would definitely have it on the bookshelf and make it an option for students.  While the characters in the novel are weakly developed, the world building that Craft does is incredible.  He clearly did his research before writing about the human body and the biots' adventures underneath people's skin.  Students should particularly enjoy exploring the electronic expansions of the story and playing with the app.  The connection to video games will also be enjoyed by some students.

Specials - Scott Westerfeld

Westerfeld, S. Specials. New York, NY: Simon Pulse, 2006. Print.

Summary:  Finishing the story that began with Uglies and Pretties, Specials is the final book in the Uglies trilogy.  It continues to follow Tally Youngblood and her adventures in the world where everyone is turned Pretty.  After being captured from the Smoke at the conclusion of Pretties, Tally has been turned into a Special: a human enhanced by surgery in order to become super-human.  While in the previous books Tally fought against the city and Special Circumstances, she is now one of them, and works alongside her best friend Shay trying to find the New Smoke and stop the spread of the cure for pretty-headedness.  Tally is no longer a free-thinking Pretty.  She is a fierce predator, and will go to all ends in order to find the New Smoke.  Things go wrong, though, when Tally and Shay attempt to free Zane so that they may track him to the New Smoke.  Zane tries to convince Tally to remember the way she was before, when she thought her way out of pretty-mindedness.  Tally does begin to release herself from the rage and pressure of being a Special, but cannot completely do so before she reaches the New Smoke, which turns out to be an entire city filled with people who do not have brain lesions.  This new city, Diego, comes under attack from Tally's city under the premise that Diego destroyed Tally's city's armory.  In reality, Shay and Tally were responsible for the demolition of the building.  In the end, Tally is able to end the war between the two cities, but promises she will remain to protect the earth from the New Smoke if need be.


Dystopia: Specials continues the story of Tally and her adventures as a Pretty.  This book is probably the least relevant to dystopia out of all of the series, but it still continues the themes.  Most intriguing is the war between the dystopian city which Tally hails from and Diego, a city much more tolerant of differences than Prettytown.  Tally finds herself in the middle of this war, and in fact is the partial cause of it.  Prettytown wishes to promote sameness throughout the world, and the policy of no city interference is jeopardized when Prettytown singles out Diego as the source of the cure for Prettyheadedness.  Prettytown attacks Diego in order to wipe out the cure.  Most interesting is Tally's role in all this.  In the beginning of the novel, Tally is now a Special, a member of a special band of Specials in fact that is allowed freedom to roam wherever they want so long as they attempt to stop the spread of the cure.  It's a bit unclear in the novel, but in the surgery to make her a special, the Dr. relesioned Tally's brain in order to make her mostly Prettyminded again.  For this reason, she now helps Shay in seeking out and destroying the source of the cure: The Smoke.  Tally's role as the hero of the dystopian novel is now somewhat blurred, and the novel becomes hard to read, not knowing who exactly to root for.  At this point, my list breaks down a bit.  Tally, however, still remembers being able to think for herself, and in the end plays a role in helping protect Diego, regaining her status as the hero.

At the expense of spoiling the ending, I would like to talk about it.  In the end of the novel, it is decided that Diego shall become the new model for how society should be governed.  Diego, though, practices some of the same behavior as the Rusties, exploiting the earth for materials, and encroaching into forestry in order to make room for civilization.  While they're practices are more ethical and responsible than the Rusties (they replant the forest, etc), Tally worries that Diego's practices will cause the same devastation to the earth that the Rusties did.  In the end, when everyone else decides to undergo surgery in order to revert back from being a Special, Tally runs away and elects to keep her enhancements, vowing to become a guardian of the earth.  This ending is slightly disappointing as it completely shifts the focus from the exploitation of humans, and the manipulation of humans through science to the exploitation and manipulation of nature.  While this is a worthwhile theme and and issue that arises throughout the series, I though that Westerfeld really pulled the focus away from the main theme of tyrannical governments and human modification.

Despite this last flaw, Specials overall is a very satisfying finale for the Uglies series (although Westerfeld later added another novel).  The plot gets confusing at times, and it seems that Westerfeld might be going for the wow factor, but in the end, our hero Tally ends up the hero after all.  I would argue that Uglies is still the most valuable for use in schools as it discusses the human modification and government control indicative of a dystopian novel more than the other two.  As an entertaining read, appropriate for kids in secondary education, this novel comes recommended.

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Blood Red Road - Moira Young

Young, Moira. Blood Red Road. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2011. Print.

Summary: Blood Red Road follows Saba in her quest to free her brother after mysterious men kidnap her from their home.  Saba and Lugh are eighteen-year-old twins who live with their father, Pa, and younger sister, Emmi, in a civilization that follows the modern age of the "Wreckers."  One day, three mysterious men in dark robes arrive at Saba and Lugh's home and capture Lugh, taking him away on horseback and killing Pa in the process.  It appears the reason they have taken him is because he is an eighteen-year-old boy born at midsummer.  While he is being taken, Saba vows to Lugh that she will find him and set him free.  Thus begins her journey.  Saba sets out with her sister Emmi and heads for a safe place to keep her while she hunts for Lugh.  Emmi, however, follows Saba through a desert where the two are captured by a woman who sells cage-fighters.  After living as a fighter for a month, Saba is able to escape with the unlikely help of a group known as the "Freedom Hawks."  When she escapes from the fighters' camp, she rescues a man named Jack from a fire, and he tells her he can lead her to "Freedom Fields" and her brother.  Together, Saba and her new found friends voyage to Freedom Fields, conquering many trials and challenges along the way.  Saba realizes that she is falling in love with Jack, and he makes no attempts to hide his mutual feelings for her.  Eventually, they find Lugh and free him from his captors heading off to a new land and a better way of life.

Dystopia: This book continues in the vein of post-apocalyptic dystopian novels, similar to While I Live, Fever Crumb and Ashes, Ashes.  Saba and her companions live in a time after the Wreckers, or modern day.  The civilization has collapsed, and now the people live under no governance, or in the case of Hopetown, the only city, there is a king and a corrupt governing body.  The king uses a plant that seems to be similar to tobacco called chaal to control his subjects and keep them compliant.  This is similar to the ruler of the ship in Across the Universe dumping chemicals into the water supply in order to keep control over the ship and dull the thinking of the passengers.  This book then has something in common with the others.  It seems to be a trend to set a dystopian novel in a post-apocalyptic world.  Perhaps this allows the author to easily demolish the current society structure and construct their own in a believable fashion without having to do much work.  Also, the thought of what society would be like after our own has ended is intriguing and makes for an exciting setting.  The world Young set up is quite similar to the other novels I listed above, and it was interesting that, again, the hero of the story is female.  Saba, at eighteen, is slightly older than the other girls I have encountered, but Young still builds her as a fairly angsty teenager who is still shy around men.  

Saba is initially in the dark about the state of the society she lives in because she has grown up isolated from it.  She and her family live on a plot of land that is in a desert, far away from the city.  It is not until she is taken to Hopetown that she realizes the corrupt state of affairs.  Saba, however, does not act as the main force against the dystopian society.  She meets, and falls in love with a man named Jack who wishes to take down the king, while Saba's only real goal is to retrieve her brother.  Throughout the course of the novel, with Jack's influence, Saba does become disgusted with the king and wants to help Jack.  This book is the first in a series, so it is possible that, in the following novels, Saba and her friends further attempt to change the society.  This book also follows the guidelines because it ends with a feeling of hope.  Saba does get her brother back, and the band are able to kill the king in the process.  Saba achieves her goals, and is now able to start a new life with her brother and sister.  

The dystopia in this novel is slightly less convincing than those of the other novels because it takes a side role to the rescue of Saba's brother.  Young does not need to develop the state of things as much because the conflict is not between the hero and the society because it is corrupt, but between Saba and the king because he is holding her brother.  As such, this book would not come as highly recommended as the others.  Also, the language used in the book is a form of English similar to a heavy Southern or Old-Western dialect, and can be quite cumbersome and distracting at times.  The themes in this novel also do not match up as well with the others because, again, the dystopia does not play a prominent role.  It acts almost exclusively as a setting, and does not become an enemy itself like it does in other novels.  Rather, Young chooses to emphasize the quest for Saba's brother and the romance between Saba and Jack.  There is also quite an interesting relationship between Saba and her younger sister Emmi which develops throughout the novel.  The book was an enjoyable read all said and done, and I would definitely put it on the shelf.

Pretties - Scott Westerfeld

Westerfeld, Scott. Pretties. 1st Simon Pulse ed. NewYork: Simon and Schuster, 2005. Print.

Summary: Pretties is the second installment in the Uglies trilogy.  In this story, Tally has been turned pretty after turning herself in from the Smoke.  She now lives in Prettyville with her friends Peris and Shay, and is a member of the elite clique the Crims, lead by a boy named Zane.  The Crims is comprised of members with a past as tricky Uglies -- those who did pranks.  Together with Zane, Tally finds the secret to staying bubbly.  Being bubbly means one is less pretty-minded and thinks more clearly.  Zane knows that there is something else to being pretty than just a physical transformation, and has figured out that by thrill seeking, he can clear up his mind.  When he shares this secret with Tally, it spurs her to remember that there is a cure for being pretty-minded, and one of the members of the Smoke has left it inside of the city for Tally to find.  Together, Tally and Zane find the cure and split the two pills.  They are each cured, but Zane experiences chronic headaches which they believe are a side effect of the pill.  The two plot to leave Prettyville and find the New Smoke so they can have Zane treated, and help to spread the cure amongst all Pretties.  When they finally arrive at new Smoke, Tally finds out she took a pill that did not contain the cure, and realizes that she managed to cure herself by staying bubbly.  The New Smoke is discovered shortly after, however, and Tally and Zane are captured.  They are to be turned into Specials, the unit which fights outside threats to the city.  Will Tally be able to stay bubbly even as a Special and manage another escape so she can spread the cure?

Dystopia: This book continues the story that Westerfield began with Uglies.  Finally, Tally finds herself turned into a Pretty, but the circumstances are very different than she imagined.  She has joined the dystopian society as a fully-fledged member, and as such, this book delves deeper into the working of the city and Prettyville.  Enter Zane.  Tally meets Zane through her friend Shay, who appeared in the Uglies novel.  Zane is the leader of the Crims clique amongst the New Pretties.  The only people who can join The Crims are those who were "tricky" when they were Uglies.  Tally has gained wide fame for her escape from the city to the Smoke and her eventual return.  This makes her a shoo in for the Crims, and Zane takes a special interest in her.  He reveals that he is able to stay "bubbly" by remaining tricky as a Pretty and using stimulants like caffeine.  Somehow he has figured out that the operation means more than just physical alteration, and he has found a way to combat the effects of pretty-mindedness.  This detail is crucial to the story.  While bubbly, Zane and Tally are able to see the corrupt nature of the society they live in, and forms plans to escape and spread the cure.  We also learn that Special Circumstances actively recruits tricky Uglies to convert them to Specials.

As Pretties is a continuation of the Uglies series, it contains all of the dystopian elements that were there, with the addition of a new hero, Zane, and the fall of a former hero, Shay.  As the middle novel of the series, it becomes the one where the plan is formulated.  Zane and Tally, like the heros in the other novels in this blog, plot to release the society members from the snares of its corruption.  Like Amy in Across the Universe, there new-found knowledge allows them a new perspective.  This novel continues the theme of knowledge as power and ignorance as weakness.  The society in Pretties is able to maintain control over its members because they are unaware of the lesions in their brain.  They are further dulled because these lesions block their critical thinking.  Like the drugged water in Across the Universe, the operation is disguised as something beneficial, but really it is a device Special Circumstances uses to keep its members ignorant.  Like Soma in Brave New World, the lesions in a pretty-brain are a mind control device.

This novel was a good follow-up for Uglies and I enjoyed it even a bit more.  It's shorter, and I felt that sometimes the events in Uglies were dragged on.  I am excited to read the last book in the trilogy, Specials, and once I finish that book, I will be able to round out my analysis of these books, and see if they align with the list I constructed.  As I said, this book was also enjoyable, and comes recommended.

Uglies - Scott Westerfeld

Westerfeld, S. Uglies. New York: Simon Pulse, 2005. Print.


Summary: Tally Youngblood is an Ugly nearing her sixteenth birthday.  On this day she will undergo an operation that will turn her into a Pretty: the biological standard of attractiveness.  Living in Uglyville, separated from her friends in Prettyville, who have recently been turned pretty themselves, Tally longs for her birthday so she can join them in their constant partying.  During her period of limbo, she meets another almost-sixteen Ugly, Shay.  As it turns out, they even have the same birthday.  Shay and Tally become fast friends, pulling their last pranks as Uglies before they are expected to grow up.  When Shay tells Tally that she is running away to the Smoke, a place where no one is forced to become pretty, Tally is shocked and refuses to go with her.  She just wants to be pretty and party with her best friend Peris.  When she is taken to the hospital on her birthday, however, Tally does not get the operation but is transferred to Special Circumstances.  Here she is given an assignment.  She must follow the directions Shay left her to find the Smoke and activate a tracking device so Special Circumstances can destroy the Smoke.  If she refuses to take this assignment or fails to fulfill it, she will never be turned pretty.  When Tally arrives at the Smoke however, she realizes that there may be something better about life outside of Prettyville, and decides not to activate the signal.  In the Smoke Tally learns the true meaning of being pretty: tiny lesions in a Pretty's brain which cause them to be complacent and dull-minded.  Things go wrong when Tally accidentally activates the beacon, and although she was able to escape capture, she decides to turn herself in and become pretty.  She must make this sacrifice because there may be a cure to pretty-mindedness and they members of the Smoke need a Pretty to test it on.


Dystopia: The society in Uglies has set up a futuristic world that no longer exploits the earth in the way the "rusties", modern day humans, did.  The rusties were wiped out by a plague that targeted the world's oil.  This plague changed the composition of oil to instantly ignite when exposed to oxygen.  Due to this, the rustie's world was wiped out completely, leaving the ruins of giant cities, and a new order was put in to place with smaller cities all run locally with large expanse of wild between them.  This new population of people remain "ugly," or unaltered by operation, until they are sixteen years old.  At this time they are surgically altered to be "pretty."  This means that all people are modified to the standard of what is biologically attractive.  What the characters in this novel discover is that becoming pretty does not only alter your physical appearance.  It changes the way you think as well.  During the operation, tiny lesions are made in the person's brain.  This causes the patient to become more complacent and less critically minded.  This is the set-up for the dystopian society found within this novel.  With these lesions, Pretties are perfectly happy with their way of life.  The government need not set up alarms in forbidden areas.  Keep out signs work because the Pretties blindly obey everything they are told.  The life of a new Pretty also consists of constant partying and drinking, which further dulls their minds.  In this way, the government in Prettyville is able to enforce order, and the people blindly follow whatever rules are put in place.


Like the other Young Adult dystopias, this novel contains the five components that I listed earlier.  The role of the leader who knows the secrets of the dystopia is played by Dr. Cable -- the head of an organization known as Special Circumstances.  This organization maintains the society and rule found in Prettyville, and protects against "threats" from outside sources.  The Smoke, a village of people who have escaped the operation, represent the hero and the knowledge that the society of Prettyville is based on lies.  With the knowledge she gains from the Smoke, Tally acts as the protagonist and sacrifices herself in order to work for a cure for the lesions.  Like the other novels, this one ends with a feeling of hope.  It is a series, however, so the novel does end with a bit of a cliffhanger.  Uglies like Across the Universe was a very satisfying read, and also contains elements of science-fiction and romance.  I did like the emphasis on environmental issues, and found that this also appears to be a common theme.  Just like 1984 captured the issues of its time, and warned against the possible outcomes, this novel is a, perhaps hyperbolic, example of what may happen if today's society does not care for the environment and maintains an emphasis on physical beauty.  Imagine America's Next Top Models at a healthy weight and all over the place, and you'd pretty much have Prettyville.  This novel warns against what may have with issues of our time, and does so in entertaining fashion.


I did enjoy Westerfeld's writing for the most part, and found the story in Uglies rather compelling.  While I have read other books that begin a series and found myself unwilling to go on, I did want to continue reading this series when I was finished with Uglies.  This book is very popular: many of the students at the camp where I work have seen me with this book and asked me about it.  I do think that it's a quality book, and I'd definitely recommend it to any teen.  


-Zach O

Across the Universe - Beth Revis

Revis, Beth. Across the Universe. New York: Penguin Group, 2011.


Summary: Amy and her family are being frozen and stored on a spaceship destined for a new inhabitable planet a three-hundred-year's journey away.  She and her family are part of a program designed to optimize life on the new planet and populate it with people.  Rather than arriving and waking up on schedule, however, Amy is de-thawed early.   Amy only survives her awakening because Elder, the boy who will take over as leader of the ship when the Edlest passes away, discovered her in time.  Now she must live on the ship with its inhabitants, doomed to be older than her parents when they are unfrozen.  Onboard the ship, all of the inhabitants looks the same, and act the same.  Differences are the first cause of disorder, so they have been gotten rid of.  Amy's unfreezing was not an isolated accident, though.  There are other unfreezings, and some are not so lucky to survive.  Together, Amy and Elder seek to apprehend the murderer aboard the ship.  What they find and piece together reveals the corrupt leadership of Eldest and a ship that operates on lies.  They must battle Eldest and the murder in order to restore the peoples' choices.  


Dystopia: Across the Universe was a very satisfying dystopian novel containing all of the elements that tend to show up throughout the books.  Referring to the list I have made in this blog, all five typical elements of dystopian novels show up in this book.  Eldest, the current leader of the ship, insists that the reason all of the members of the ship look the same and because there was a plague that decimated the members of the ship.  In reality, there were uprisings on the ship in which people died.  Since then, a system has been in place where differences have been genetic removed from people, and "medicines" are put in to the water to keep the ship members complacent.  All the current members of the ship are unaware of these realities and truly believe that a plague wiped out the ship.  The members blindly follow the rules set by Eldest because of the drugs in the water, and are genetically modified to be competent in their assigned tasks.  This dystopian society remains unchallenged by the ship members until the heroine steps on to the scene.  When Amy is unfrozen and found by Elder, she realizes that the ship is corrupt because of her experience back on earth.  Along with Elder, she seeks to expose the corrupt nature of the society.  This novel contains all of the elements found in The Giver, Ashes, Ashes, and Fever Crumb.


This novel also shares an interesting theme/element with Ashes, Ashes.  In each novel there is a plague that wipes out the population and causes the dystopian system to be put into place.  Although the "plague" in Across the Universe is fake, it is interesting that those who are in power in these two books have gotten there because of a tragedy that has ravaged the population.  Additionally, in While I Live, the system in place is because of war.  The threat of another plague causes the members of the society to blindly follow the leadership of the society leaders.  


Another interesting aspect of this society is its use of drugs and medical procedures to keep its members complacent and dull their critical thinking.  This will keep show up again in the Uglies series which I will blog about in the future, but it reminded me of Brave New World.  Eldest, in Across the Universe, introduces the drug Phydus into the ship's water supply.  This is similar to the use of Soma in Brave New World.


Overall, this was a very satisfying novel.  I really enjoyed finding all of the classic elements of a dystopia, and watching Amy and Elder figure out the true nature of their society, just like Winston did in 1984.   The novel itself is well written, and I like the switching back and forth between Amy's perspective and Elder's.  This way, I got the story from the outsider heroine and the ship member who was turned on to the truth.  I would definitely recommend this book for a slightly older audience (high school) and it should appeal to both genders and many readers due to its elements of science-fiction, mystery and romance.  


-Zach O

Ano

What I've Noticed So Far - The Dys. List

At this point in my blogging process, I think I have read enough dystopian novels to be able to lay out some common features of dystopian young-adult novels.  This way, I can refer back to this list as I compare the novel to each other and discuss them each individually.  I will edit the list as I continue to read if need be.

Y.A. Dystopia:

1. Dystopian society with members who follow blindly/unknowingly.
2. A leader/head figure who knows the dark secrets of the society.
3. A hero/heroine who discovers these secrets and seeks to alter and expose the travesties.
4. An emphasis on choice or the lack thereof.
5. An ending that gives the feeling of hope for change and renewal of choice.

Fever Crumb - Philip Reeve

Philip, Reeve. Fever Crumb. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2011.


Summary: Fever Crumb is a fourteen year-old girl living in London after the time of present day technology and society.  Modern advances in technology and thought have seemingly been wiped out, and people have started to build from the remains of the present day.  Women are again valued less than men, and London is recovering from the rule of a being known as the Scriven.  Scriven, or homo-superior are further evolved humans who do not show the signs of age as much as homo-sapiens, and think themselves worthy of the rule they maintain.  Fever Crumb, is unknowingly half human, half Scriven, and lives with her father in the Order of Engineers.  The engineers confine themselves to only rational thought, attempting to force emotions from their existence.  All of this changes, however, when Fever is sent on a mission to unlock the secret chamber of the former leader of the Scriven, Godshawk.  Fever slowly discovers where she comes from, and who she is.  Meanwhile, a nomad troop with a moving castle are invading London, intent on gaining the knowledge held within Godshawk's chamber.  Having been taught to be rational all her life, Fever discovers what it means to have emotions and be human and not so human at the same time.  In the end, Fever sets off to discover herself, while the nomads seek to build a moving city.


Dystopia: As seen from the summary, this novel sets up another of Philip Reeve's: Mortal Engines.  While I haven't read this novel, I can assume that the nomads from this novel will build their moving city and engulf others that they come in contact with.  I do not know what Fever's part will be in all of this, but guess she'll work to stop the nomads.  Perhaps it would be worth reading on in the series to see how the dystopia progresses, but Fever Crumb does do a good job of setting up a dystopian society while following the maturation of a teenage girl.  In the London of Fever Crumb people live in fear of the Scriven, and due to Fever's unique appearance - her eyes are different colors - she causes an uproar among the society members.  Led by an old Scriven hunter, some set out to find Fever, while others use the opportunity to riot and ransack the city.  Throughout all this, the mayor is thrown out of office, and a sleazy business man takes over.  His rule is short, as the nomads soon take over, but consists of mostly drunkenness.  In all of this, there is a dystopia of fear.  The Londoners are afraid of anyone who appears slightly Scriven-like and are wary of those who would claim power.  Although she is half Scriven, there is nothing that makes fever dangerous to the people of London, and in fact she stands up for them when the nomads propose building a moving city out of London. 


This sets up the second dystopia in the novel.  The nomads from north of London plan to build giant moving fortresses and roam the land, taking what they need from other cities by force.  Although this does not happen in this book, the following book covers this story.  The potential dystopia here is one similar to other books, just on wheels.  A crude dictatorship would run this moving city, and those who support the idea do so blindly without thinking about the consequences.  Interestingly enough, those who are trained to think rationally, Fever and her father the engineers, are the ones who see the abomination of this plan.  Even though, rationally, this city would be very effective, Fever sees the moral crime involved.  This novel does not end with her taking a stand, but, rather disappointingly, she escapes London in order to figure out who she is.  This ending is tolerable because there are other books, and I plan to read the rest to see where the story goes.  Overall, this story is one of a girl finding her place in a dysfunctional society fueled by fear.  She navigates the dystopia and escapes it in order to further grow.


Like the other books in this blog, there is a focus on choice in this novel, but it takes a supporting role to the importance of Fever discovering her true identity.  Like The Giver's Joel, Fever discovers she is special among the people of her society, and must decide what to do with this realization.  She does make choices, and it is most interesting to watch her struggle with her rational side and her newly found emotions.  She learns to make her choices based on both of these sides of herself.  Like other characters, she grows and becomes stronger and more sure of herself.  This novel diverges though, because Fever does not choose to confront the faults she sees in her society, but rather she flees.  Unlike  the characters The Giver and Unwind, Fever does not try to immediately change the world she lives in for the better, although I expect her to do so in the sequels.


I found this book fairly enjoyable to read and I think that the content is not a substantive as some books, but redeeming.  This book is creative, and it has been interesting to see how many female main characters I have encountered even in books written by men.  Perhaps this is a sign that more girls are reading these books?  Or just an indication that authors are trying to incorporate girls more widely?  Either way, it is nice to see strong female characters in these novels.  This book should please a lot of readers, and the suspension of disbelief is doable, even with some inconsistencies on the author's part.  I recommend it.


- Zach O

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Ashes, Ashes - Jo Treggiari

Treggiari, Jo. Ashes, Ashes. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2011.


Summary: Lucy Holloway lives in a post-apocalyptic world.  Ninety-nine percent of the world's population has been wiped out by a vicious plague.  Living in Manhattan, Lucy builds a small hut in what used to be Central Park.  There she takes care of herself, avoiding the Sweepers and Scavengers, until one day she runs into Aidan.  Aidan is a scavenger living in a small colony of people leftover from the plague.  When a tsunami chases her out of her home, Lucy reluctantly marches to the colony, planning to leave as soon as possible.  When the sweepers come and take some of her new friends away, however, Lucy can't help but to want to go to the hospital and free them.  As it turns out, the sweepers do not want Lucy's friends.  They want Lucy herself.  Most of those who survived the plague were vaccinated, but Lucy has not been vaccinated for anything in her life, and yet she survives.  The sweepers and they're leader, Dr. Lessing, seek out Lucy in order to drain her of her blood and find the answer to the plague.  Lucy herself is eventually captured, and with the help of her friends, must choose whether to escape or to stay in the hospital and give herself to a cure.


Dystopia: Ashes, Ashes contains more traditional elements of a dystopia than While I Live.  Like the other novels, there is a new power structure in place.  At the start of the novel, Lucy must take care of herself.  She has lost her parents, friends and anyone she was close with.  Similar to Ellie, Lucy is thrust into an extreme situation and must survive using a survival book and her common sense and perseverance.  She does not remain alone for long though, when she runs into Aidan.  These two become the heroes of the novel like the ones I have encountered before.  They will be the ones who discover the true operations of the dystopian society, in this case the hospital, and they will challenge these operations and overcome them.  Although the story begins as more of a survival story, it becomes clear as the plot progresses that there are things happening that do not seem quite kosher to Lucy and her companions.  The sweepers begin kidnapping people from the colony and running tests on them, even injecting them with the plague to see if they hold the secret to immunity.  Like the society in The Giver, the people in the hospital are killing others in order to further their goals.  Lucy struggles with this concept, just as Jonas did in The Giver.  Part of her knows it is important to battle the plague, but again the issue of choice arises.


Like all of the other novels, the drama in Ashes, Ashes hinges on the main character's ability to choose.  While in the hospital, Lucy in drugged and put to sleep, and her blood is taken from her without her permission.  She explicit thinks about how Dr. Lessing has taken away her ability to choose what she does with her own blood.  This does not sit well with the stubborn Lucy, and she decides to escape and take her records with her.  She does, however, leave the vials of her blood.  Like Jonas, she realizes that people should have the right to choose and to fight for themselves, but she also knows the plague must be dealt with.  


This novel has more in common with traditional dystopian novels, but it also reaches out to an interest in a post-apocalyptic niche.  I think that students will enjoy this novel.  I liked it a lot better than I have some of the other books.  The story is easy to follow, and the world Treggiari sets up is believable despite its extremes.  The characters in this novel are really well developed, and so I found myself highly invested in this story.  The plot is compelling, and there is conflict enough to please anyone.  This book would be helpful for teaching the importance of interdependence as well as the importance of staying critical of society and one's government.  Overall, this book comes highly recommended.  

While I Live - John Marsden

Marsden, John. While I Live. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2007.

Summary: While I Live is the story of Ellie Linton and her struggles to keep her family farm after her parents are brutally murdered.  Living on the border between two hostile nations in a divided, post-war Australia, Ellie must fight many battles.  After members of the enemy nation kill her parents in a random, cross-border raid, Ellie shoulders the burden of keeping up her family's struggling farm while taking care of Gavin, her deaf, adopted brother.  With the help of her friends and her own personal courage, Ellie faces legal disputes and the every day grind of running a farm by her self while trying to finish school.  On top of this, her friend Homer, and ex-boyfriend Lee are caught up in a group called the Liberation, which seeks to free prisoner's of war.  When Homer becomes one of these prisoners, Ellie gets caught up in the Liberation's activity, using her experience from fighting in the war to help her.  Throughout the book, she grows and becomes even braver, facing her challenges and overcoming them.  In the end, she wins the rights to the farm, and saves her friends from those that would harm them.

Dystopia: The civilization in While I Live, is not typical of a dystopian novel.  In fact, I'd be much quicker to call this book a coming-of-age novel.  It is, however, set in a post-war society, where the government is still recovering from the shocks of war.  I think the story before this novel would be better suited for a dystopian novel: a world in which teenagers are fighting in a war.  This book, however, does not delve deep into the state of the government or the civilization, but focuses much more on Ellie, and her struggles with running the farm, raising Gavin, and continuing a battle that was supposed to have ended, all while dealing with the normal pangs of adolescence.  I think that the story contained in this novel could be looked at as the possible rebuilding after the dystopia has been abolished.  Most dystopian novels involve the set up of a dystopian society, a character's realization that the society is corrupt, and a character's decision to rebel, or not.  In this story, Ellie is not outwardly dissatisfied with her society besides the court system where her voice goes unheard.  She is relieved that she can once again rely on the police and resume trade for livestock.  Ellie must fight to maintain her lifestyle, and this is the real intrigue of the story.  After fighting in the war, Ellie must now fight to protect her farm, her family, her friends and herself.  In this way, there is a similarity between this book and the giver or unwind.  Teenagers are placed in extreme situations due to the state of their societies and they rise to the occasion.  

One theme that has ran through all of the novel I have read so far is choice.  This idea is very explicit in this book as well.  Ellie battles for her right to choose to keep the farm when there are those who would have her sell it.  She is forced to grow up all to quickly when she discovers her parents dead, and is faced with the choices her situation presents.  Slighter older teens reading this book will identify with Ellie's increased responsibility and the tough situation she faces while admiring her persistence and courage.  While I felt like there was too much going on in this story, I did enjoy reading in parts because I was excited to follow Ellie's choices.  This story may not be quite dystopian, but it is an interesting tale of a girl who is forced to make tough choices and overcome intense struggles.  

D

Unwind - Neal Shusterman

Shusterman, Neal. Unwind. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2007.


Summary: Unwind follows Connor, Risa and Lev as they seek to escape their unwinding by surviving until their eighteenth birthdays.  After the second civil war in America, the Heartland War, expecting parents are no longer allowed to abort unborn babies.  Once the child turns thirteen and before they turn eighteen, however, parents can choose to have their child unwound.  In this process, the child is dismantled alive and their parts are given to others in need of transplants.  Connor is a troubled teen whose parents have chosen to have him unwound.  Before he is taken to the harvest camp, however, he escapes in glorious fashion taking the state home teen Risa and the tithe Lev with him.  Rise is being unwound because there is no more room in the state home for her and Lev is willingly being unwound for religious reasons.  Connor and Risa get separated from Lev, but the three eventually make it to the same AWOL camp under the command of the Admiral.  From there, things get dicey and Connor and Risa end up in a harvest camp after a revolt at the AWOL camp.  Lev's take on unwinding has drastically changed and he seeks revenge on those who would have kids unwound.  The three make waves when they eventually escape unwinding, taking down a harvest camp with them.


Dystopia: In Unwind, Neal Shusterman takes on many topics of debate in modern times.  Abortion, organ donation and other topics all come up.  In this story, like The Giver, there is a government in place with policies that seem radical to the reader.  There are also the revolutionaries in this novel.  While Jonas sought to change things in his home, Connor, Risa and Lev seek to escape the fate they feel has been unjustly thrust upon them.  Unwind is slightly different from other dystopia texts because of its lack of a perceived utopia.  In many novels, like The Giver, the people of the society believe that their government is perfect or are at least forced to act as such.  In Unwind, however, there is clear dissent against the practice of unwinding, and there are many AWOL unwinds.  In 1984, Brave New World, and The Giver, it is just one or two citizens who come across some knowledge that causes them to question their government.  The story in Unwind takes place shortly after the Heartland War, so the people of this society have not come to fully accept the unwind policy and can remember the way things were before the war.  Also, the America in this novel seems to still be democratic based on clues given, although Shusterman never explicitly states this is so.  Therefore this novel veers from the traditional dystopia, but perhaps becomes more effective because it deals with issues so prevalent and so touchy in today's time that it becomes more relevant.


Again, the biggest connection in this text to the others is the concept of choice.  Is it right for the parents to be able to choose to have their children unwound?  Should abortion and unwinding even be matters of choice?  Also, the soul is a recurring topic in this novel that is dealt with interestingly.  When a child is unwound, it is unknown whether he/she keeps his/her soul.  Does it die?  Does it spread out with all the physical parts?  In many religions, the soul and the ability to choose are what set humans apart from other animals, and these ideas are connected in this novel as well.  What further sets Unwind apart is its lack of any real answers to these questions.  The novel ends with Connor receiving transplants to replace his arm and his eye.  Risa, however, refuses to receive transplants from unwinds and will be paralyzed the rest of her life.  There is also a scene where the Admiral gathers all the people who have gotten transplants from his son, and it appears that the soul of the unwound still remains.  Shusterman carefully dodges taking any sides in this novel, which may or may not be for the better.  The novel is thought provoking, but often the best way to mould opinions is to present an argument and let the reader choose for his/herself.  Shusterman beats around the bush and loses a lot of force, I think, in doing so.  That being said, there are very touchy issues in this novel, and I do think that he did a good job of setting up a world in which these radical things are possible, and giving believable characters for these things to happen to.  I know what his characters believe, and I see how terrible the things are that they go through, I just think the ending lacks resolution that it needs.  


I would recommend this book to students, but it would come with a caution.  It does get somewhat graphic in parts, and the topics could spark strong emotions in some readers.  This is not a bad thing, it is just nice to have a warning.  Also, I do not find the book to be a quality piece of writing.  This is me being snobby, but I find it poorly written.  There are errors throughout, it seems far too long to me, and the plot twists and turns in ways that cease to be exciting and become annoying instead.  Also, the POV become very distracting when Shusterman switches from person to person and verb tense to verb tense.  This aside and off my chest, I did actually enjoy Unwind once I forced myself to look past its flaws, and I give a nod to Shusterman for taking on the issues here.  I feel that students who are less prone to look for technical errors, and more prone to look for an engaging read at their level will enjoy this book and take something valuable away from reading it.


-Zach O

Dys

The Giver - Lois Lowry

Lowry, Lois. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993.


Summary: The Giver tells the story of the twelve-year-old boy Jonas and his assignment as the Receiver of Memories for his village.  Jonas lives in a society where uniformity is law.  From birth, members of this society are taught to behave and look in the same way.  Throughout time, as this society has formed, even colors have been forgotten and wether is regulated so that all things are uniform.  The only large distinctions made amongst members are assigned tasks.  These are given to twelve-year-olds at the Ceremony of Twelve.  It is here that Jonas learns he is to take on the most honorable position in the society: the role of Receiver of Memories.  With the guidance of his mentor, the Giver, Jonas learns the truth about his society and the Giver transfers all of the memories of the way things were before the society.  Jonas makes a decision to return the memories to society so that things will go back to the way they were before being so regulated.  With the help of the Giver and through his own determination, Jonas seeks to restore the people's ability to chose and makes his way to "Elsewhere."  




Dystopia: In this novel, the dystopia is present in a similar manner to other texts.  Like other stories such as 1984, Brave New World, etc., the emphasis is on uniformity.  Members of the society are raised and bred to look similar and act in the same ways.  Any divergence from this norm is seen as inappropriate or bizarre (such as Jonas' lighter colored eyes).  The members of society adhere to a strict code, and are ignorant of any other way.  As Jonas receives the memories from the Giver,  he becomes aware of the horrifying realities of his society.  The most striking example of this comes when Jonas learns the truth about being "released" from society.  Jonas father releases a twin from the community, and thinks that he is just sending the child to another place.  However, the Giver reveals to Jonas that his father has actually killed the child, and sent him down a chute.  Old members of the community are disposed of in a similar manner.  While the rest of society believes that release is a harmless thing, Jonas learns the truth and is shocked by it.  At this moment in the story, he decides, along with the Giver, that something must be done.  


Like Winston from 1984, knowledge is that which opens Jonas' eyes.  When he learns that there was once such thing as color, war, and sledding, Jonas sees that life in his community is unfair.  It is unfair, because there is no choice.  Without pain, members of the community have never experiences great joy.  Without the ugliness of war, they cannot appreciate the beauty of a field of flowers.  In fact, color itself has disappeared.  


Unlike some dystopian novels, this one ends with a glimmer of hope.  Jonas releases the memories of the past back into the community, and therefore opens people's eyes to choice and another way of life.  In the ending image he thinks he hears music, but in true dystopian fashion, Lowry tells that it may have been just an echo.  This ending gives hope, but allows the novel to retain its grave tone.  


This novel is heavy to be classified as YA lit., and is different because it does not focus so heavily on one character and his/her growing pains, but on the issue of society as a whole.  However, it does follow a twelve-year-old and his comeuppance in his own society, making it most appropriate and identifiable for younger readers.  It is a great novel to discuss the topic of choice and skepticism when it comes to governments and ruling bodies in general.  I think students would enjoy discussing the similarities between the novel and what can be found in the real world.  In this way, it is a good novel to help students who are prone to being self-involved shift their view from self to the larger picture.  It is an enjoyable book to read, and the plot is compelling and the action fast enough to keep students interested.  The writing is appropriate for younger, middle-school, but the material is thought-provoking enough to engage readers of 20+.


-Zach O  

T