dystopia

Apr 18

Do you prefer the glossiness of The Capital or the grittiness of District 12?

Lately I’ve been reading a lot of post-apocalyptic books that take place just after the apocalypse. Or I’ve been reading some books that show the apocalypse and the destruction that follows. These books are gritty and set in a world with very little hope. In reading these books, I’ve realized that I’m more of the glossy, everything appears good on the outside but is really gritty and dark and horrible on the inside kind of girl.

For me, there is something more intriguing about seeing the hidden underbelly of a society. When everything has fallen apart and there is corruption and limited resources and fighting, there is no surprise. You expect things to get bad and then the hero just has to rise above the bad. But when a character lives in a world that seems safe and easy, it seems like the struggle is more difficult. They have to give up the seemingly perfect world to fight for what is right. To me, this must seem like a bigger battle and a more interesting character.

I think a lot of why I find the shiny, glossy, pretty dystopians to be more interesting is because I can better relate to them. Our world we live in is, more of less, shiny and pretty, but there is a dark underbelly if you know where to look. I, for one, would be hard pressed to give up the security of my life, so I can relate to a hero’s struggle when they come from that type of world.

What do you think? Do you prefer a certain type of dystopia?

Apr 13

The Water Wars, by Cameron Stracher

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Summary: Vera and her brother Will live in a world where water has become the most valuable asset. Set in a future where the United States has been divided into new countries, where Canada has dammed off the flow of water from everything south of its borders, and where the ocean, mined for its water has become a toxic waste land of salt and pollutants, The Water Wars follows the story of Vera and her brother Will as they go on a wild journey to try to rescue their new friend Kai, who has mysteriously disappeared. As they encounter pirates, militant environmentalists, and corporation thugs, Vera and Will discover the power of friendship and learn that appearances can often be deceiving.

The Good

There were a lot of things I really liked about this book.

Characters

First and foremost, Vera and Will are very likable. They bickered like brother and sister, but you could also feel the love between them. I thought this relationship was very believable and enduring. There were also some great supporting characters, like the Pirate King.

Action

This plot was packed full of action, which I enjoyed. It made me not want to put the book down because I had to know what happened next. Sometimes inner strife can keep me hooked, but usually when a book grabs me and won’t let go, it’s because of the action. While it was a little slow to get going, once Vera and Will set out to find Kai, the action pretty much keeps going and doesn’t stop until the very end.

Concept

I loved that the concept was so believable and I thought the world Stracher created was well-defined. When looking at the politics behind oil, it is easy to imagine another liquid commodity, water, being played in a similar way. While the UN would most likely step in and stop countries like Canada from building a large dam and stealing fresh water sources from the rest of North America, it is not entirely far-fetched that this could at some point happen. Especially if the U.S. becomes a disjointed place made up of several new ‘countries.’

The Cover

I know you aren’t supposed to judge a book by its cover, but the cover is gorgeous and very intriguing.

The not so good

You don’t get a 3.5 star rating if there aren’t elements that I didn’t love, and The Water Wars had a few.

Characters

OK, I know one of the strengths was characters, but this was also one of the weaknesses, particularly with the bad guys. I didn’t really get where they were coming from. I like a villain that is complex. I like to root for him and also despise him. I want to feel like he has some redeeming quality. After all, no one is all evil. Part of this problem could have been a result of the intended age group for the book. This definitely felt more MG than YA and I’ve noticed that often in MG books, villains are evil because they enjoy being evil, pure and simple. But I still would have liked just a bit more depth.

Action

Again, with the good came some not so good. While I loved that the book was packed full of action, sometimes I found that the flow of the action didn’t really make much sense. Like characters suddenly knowing where things would be or events happening in a way that logically did not make much sense. Maybe it was a fault on my part, but this is something I have noticed in a lot of books. It feels almost like some of the scenes are thrown away or like things were edited out but then when editing the next scene, someone forgot that things had been removed from the previous scene. This may or may not have been the case, but that is how parts of the book felt to me when I was reading it.

Environmentalism

I know you are probably scratching your heads. What could be wrong with environmentalism in a book for kids, right? And normally, I would say nothing. I support the earth and I’m all for making people of all ages aware of our precious resources. But when I am reading a book, I like to stumble upon the underlying themes in a more subtle way. I do not like it when they are repeatedly banged over my head. I started to feel like the environmental themes were getting a bit preachy by the end and I felt, instead of helping the message, that it hurt it a bit. The rest of the world may not be like me, but when I feel like I’m being preached to, my first inclination is to do the opposite. I worry that the preachy nature of the “underlying” theme may turn some people off of the message. And if you notice, I put underlying in quotes because it was not so underlying as one might expect.

Concluding Thoughts

All in all, this was a fun read with an interesting plot and, despite the not so good elements, I think it is definitely worth reading. It is totally appropriate for the Middle Grade reader while also being fun for the Young Adult reader.

Nov 11

Photo by: Jon McGovern, http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonmcgovern/

I’m sure few people would disagree that dystopian is huge right now. And it’s not just the Hunger Games trilogy that is drawing readers to this genre. But why do people like reading dystopian? What’s the appeal?

Dystopian What?

For those of you that do not know what dystopian books are all about, here’s a quick primer. Basically, dystopian fiction depict dystopian society (the opposite of a utopia). These books often have elements of science fiction and usually also fall into the parameters of speculative fiction. Some classics include Huxley’s Brave New World, or, one of my favorites, Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four.

More recent dystopians include The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, The Uglies, Matched, and XVI. For a list of additional dystopians, check out the Goodreads Dystopian List and the Dystopian Book Club list from the Teach 8 YA Book Blog.

Why Dystopia?

I’m sure everyone has their own reasons for why they love dystopian fiction. For me, I have several. While it comes off sounding a bit glass half-empty, seeing how much worse life could get actually makes me feel more optimistic and hopeful. If things could always get worse, maybe any troubles in my life aren’t as bad as I think.

Then there is the sci-fi element. I enjoy sci-fi, but only when it doesn’t go too far. Most of the dystopians I enjoy, and the ones I’m currently writing, have elements of sci-fi but they keep them vague. They give just enough. I like to refer to this as casual sci-fi.

And then there is the alternate history or the possible future, which I think of as reverse history. In my 9-5 life, I think a lot about history. I’m a trained archaeologist, after all. Most of the successful dystopians I’ve read have a good grasp on history and sociology. They ask what-if and then take it to the next level, exploring what could actually happen were the what if to come to fruition. The realism behind most dystopians is extremely appealing.

To me, dystopians are the ultimate sociological experiment. But the writers also tell good stories full of all of the plot elements we have come to expect from any good book, regardless of genre. So if you like a good story but also enjoy those make-you-think moments that dystopians are so good at inducing, then dystopian fiction may be for you.

If you haven’t read a dystopian novel, go ahead and give one a shot. The worst that could happen is that you end up not liking it. Or you could discover an entire genre you never knew you loved.

If you already are a dsytopian fan, why do you like them? What’s your favorite dystopian novel?

What’s your dystopian style?

Book Review Friday: The Water Wars

The Good

The not so good

Concluding Thoughts

The Dystopian Appeal

Dystopian What?

Why Dystopia?