Fantastic Finds

 Matched, by Ally Condy

For Cassia, nothing is left to chance--not what she will eat, the job she will have, or the man she will marry. In Matched, the Society Officials have determined optimal outcomes for all aspects of daily life, thereby removing the "burden" of choice. When Cassia's best friend is identified as her ideal marriage Match it confirms her belief that Society knows best, until she plugs in her Match microchip and a different boy’s face flashes on the screen. This improbable mistake sets Cassia on a dangerous path to the unthinkable--rebelling against the predetermined life Society has in store for her. -Plot summary borrowed from Amazon

Both The Giver and City of Ember are more for the tween set, but now we're getting to the truly YA dystopias. I picked up Matched on the recommendation of a co-worker (and, ok, because of the beautiful cover design!) and was not disappointed. This is mostly an intellectual adventure story- no breaking into government buildings or joining guerilla resistance movements here. Condy focuses more on Cassia's growth away from the dysfunctional society that has shaped her life and into a new awareness.

I enjoyed seeing this different way of telling a familiar story (Protagonist dutifully follows Society, slowly realizes Society is Bad, Rebels against Society). There does seem to be subtrend of Dystopian Romances, and this clearly fits into that category, and throws in the ever-present love triangle for good measure. I was less interested in the romance aspect, although I think Condy did a better job with her triad than most. What I really liked was Cassia's introspection and quest to understand the world around her with new eyes, and to balance her newfound views on life with her relationships.

The ending ramps up the action and will leave readers anxious for the sequel, Crossed, which is due out this fall.

The City of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau
It is always night in the city of Ember. But there is no moon, no stars. The only light during the regular twelve hours of "day" comes from floodlamps that cast a yellowish glow over the streets of the city. Beyond are the pitch-black Unknown Regions, which no one has ever explored because an understanding of fire and electricity has been lost, and with it the idea of a Moveable Light. "Besides," they tell each other, "there is nowhere but here" Among the many other things the people of Ember have forgotten is their past and a direction for their future. For 250 years they have lived pleasantly, because there has been plenty of everything in the vast storerooms. But now there are more and more empty shelves--and more and more times when the lights flicker and go out, leaving them in terrifying blackness for long minutes. What will happen when the generator finally fails?

Twelve-year-old Doon Harrow and Lina Mayfleet seem to be the only people who are worried. They have just been assigned their life jobs--Lina as a messenger, which leads her to knowledge of some unsettling secrets, and Doon as a Pipeworker, repairing the plumbing in the tunnels under the city where a river roars through the darkness. But when Lina finds a very old paper with enigmatic "Instructions for Egress," they use the advantages of their jobs to begin to puzzle out the frightening and dangerous way to the city of light of which Lina has dreamed. As they set out on their mission, the haunting setting and breathless action of this stunning first novel will have teens clamoring for a sequel. -Plot summary borrowed from Amazon

I had been wanting to read this book for awhile, partially for its slighlty steampunk setting, but mostly because a non-reader friend of mine raved to me about how he couldn't put it down. It was pretty interesting and reluctant-reader friendly: fascinating setting, sympathetic characters, and the plot was definitely nail-bitingly tense towards the end. There were a few things that seemed really contrived (really, the box containing the key to the city's survival sat, forgotten, in a closet for a few hundred years? And is discovered Just in the Nick of Time?), but it's still a solid starter-dystopia. I'd suggest this to kids who are still reading the early Harry Potter books and other fairly easy chapter books with a (very) slight edge to them.

The Giver, by Lois Lowry


One of the overwhelmingly popular genres of YA fiction at the moment is dystopian. Having loved classics like 1984, Brave New World and Watership Down (hey, anthropomorphic allegories count! Just look at Animal Farm), I thought I'd give some more a try.

Somehow, I'd missed out on this one during school and felt that, as one of the classic and original YA dystopias, I needed to give it a shot.

In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. -Plot summary borrowed from Amazon

I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed by this book. I understand that it is intended for a much younger reader than myself. Still, it seemed incredibly simplistic to me. For one thing, Lowry does not give many details about how the society has come to be, or how it really functions. Despite that I thought it was a great thought-provoker for younger/more reluctant readers, and provided some truly chilling scenes. One more quibble: the ending was open-ended and unsatisfactory. I know, I know, it's supposed to make the reader think. But, argh.

That being said, a movie adapatation is in the works and Jeff Bridges has stated that he would be interested in playing the Giver. After his zen-mentor gig in Tron: Legacy, I think he could pull it off.