7. Feed by M.T. Anderson

Anderson, M.T. (2002). Feed. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN: 0-7636-1726-1. p. 236

Genre: Science Fiction
Interest Age: 16+
Curriculum: NA

Reader’s Annotation
Imagine a world where technology is hardwired into the brain of almost every living person on the planet and there is no turning it off.

Plot Summary

The “feed” is an advanced internet-like technology that is implanted into the brain of almost every living person on the planet. Through the Feed, kids like Titus, our narrator, chat with his friends, go shopping, do drugs (or “mal” as it is referred to), get directions, get the news, share memories, and live their lives. The Feed is owned and operated by major corporations which have taken over everything including education (School is a trademarked product) and people have merely become disposable consumers who can no longer read, write, or think for themselves. Titus lived in blissful ignorance until he met Violet while on Spring Break on the moon.

Violet is not like the rest of his friends. She had her Feed installed later in life. She talks funny, using words Titus can barely understand; she plans to mess with the data miners who are constantly trying to profile her as a consumer; she can read and write. But soon after meeting at a club on the moon, Titus and Violet are “hacked”. While Titus seems to recover quickly, it soon becomes apparent that Violet has suffered far more permanent damage which causes her Feed and her entire body to begin malfunctioning.

As Violet’s mind, body and life slowly begin to break down like a malfunctioning piece of hardware, Titus is forced to confront some of the ugly and disturbing truths about the Feed and the world in which he lives.

Critical Review

Anderson creates a sinister piece of dark science fiction which satirizes (in a non-too-subtle-fashion) consumerism, the dumbing of society, and human beings’ growing dependence on technology. In the world of Feed people are viewed as nothing more than consumers; through the Feed, people are advertised constantly. There is no privacy and corporations know everything about you in order to sell you the latest fashions and toys. Everyone, from Titus and his friends to the President of the United States, speak in a sort of dumbed down, slang/profanity laden, California Valley Girl vernacular. Translating and understanding most of the dialogue is a challenge for the reader. It takes several chapters before the reader is aware of exactly what is being said and what is happening in the story.

Anderson has some pretty clear concerns when it comes to technology. Being technologically proficient can give the false impression of intelligence. Titus and his friends can look up anything on the Feed and therefore do well in School, but they don’t actually “know” much. They have no ability to evaluate any of the information they receive and accept everything that is given to them through the Feed as fact. The same could be said of many young people and the internet today. Anderson also addresses the physical effects of technology on human beings. In Feed, people have begun developing lesions all over themselves. These lesions, obviously an effect of having the Feed connected to one’s body for their entire life, have become so common that celebrities have turned them into something fashionable and sexy. It’s easier for major corporations to make the ill side effects of their products appear desirable rather than actually fix the problem or stop making the product. The later is in fact impossible since the Feed has become so ingrained in the lives of the people that someone without the Feed, as Violet’s father discovers, is not accepted into “normal society”. They become sort of eccentric weirdos or, in the worse cases, outcasts and terrorist dissenters.

Feed is a challenging read on several levels. First, there are very few likable characters for the reader to root for. Our narrator Titus, is a narcissistic, spoiled brat who willfully keeps himself ignorant about the realities of the world because he is too busy buying things and hanging out with his friends. Even when Violet shoves the ugly truths in his face, he simply pushes her away. Also, the futuristic vernacular and slang which nearly all the characters use can be annoying and difficult to decipher. Characters refer to each other as “unit” (which translates, “dude”) and refer to things as “brag” (cool) or “meg” (very, really). Ultimately, this language helps immerse the reader in this future world and is used to make a point about the dumbing down of language (and society in general), but comprehending the dialogue is challenging in the beginning.

This is dark science fiction. Anderson does not give the reader any easy answers or story book endings. This is not the story of how one person over throws a corrupt system and changes the world. This is the story of how small and insignificant the individual becomes in an ultra consumerist society which is so obsessed with luxury and technology that people would sooner bury their heads in the sands and live in self delusion than struggle to make the world a better place. For those readers who enjoy science fiction which provides a distorted, fun house mirrored image of reality, Feed provides plenty of food for thought and discussion.

Author Info

M.T. Anderson was born November 4, 1968 in Cambridge, MA. His first young adult novel was Thirsty (1998) about a high school freshman who finds he’s becoming a vampire. He has also written the YA novels Burger Wuss (1999) about love and revenge and The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing Vol. I & II (2006 & 2008 respectively). Vol. I won the National Book Award for Young People as well as Printz Honor Book in 2007.

Concerning his own writing Anderson has said, "We are so used to the bizarre images, cabals, rituals, and rites that constitute our lives that they seem natural, even invisible, to us….I admire books that facilitate renewed awareness of the way we live, and this is what I'm attempting in my own work: renewed awareness both for myself and, I hope, for my readers. That's my goal, in any case."

"M. T. Anderson." Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. 17 Apr. 2010.

Book Talking Ideas
1. In the world of Feed, how to big corporations view people? Are there any similarities between the marketing/advertising in Feed and the marketing/advertising today?
2. In Feed, technology is essential. What are some examples from the book that exemplify this? Today, has technology become indispensable?
3. Is technology, particularly the internet, making people smarter or dumber? Why?

Challenges

The inclusion of Feed in a Middle School Library in Vancouver, WA has been challenged. The book contains a lot of profanity and has some sexual situations. The subject matter and reading level is probably beyond most Middle School students, but the themes are very appropriate for High School readers.

Why I choose this title

I was really intrigued by the premise. I found the book on a “Challenged YA Book” list on Amazon and was curious to see why it was challenged.

6. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Anderson, Laurie Halse. (2009). Wintergirls. New York: Viking. ISBN: 978-0-670-01110-0. p. 278

Genre: Fiction
Interest Age: 14+
Curriculum: NA

Reader's Annotation

Lia is a senior in high school and only weighs 95 lbs. When she learns he best friend died alone in a motel bathroom she plunges into a spiral of self delusion and anorexia that only she can save herself from.

Plot Summery

Lia is a senior in high school and has just learned that her recently estranged best friend has died. Lia looks at her life and sees a mother who is more focused on her career than her daughter, a father who still sees her as a little girl, a step mother who doesn't really know her at all, and a reflection that is always 5 pounds heavier than she wants. By controlling her weight, Lia hopes to control the pain caused by her broken family, the guilt over her friend's death and the sense of hopelessness which is slowly consuming her life.

As Lia becomes thinner, in her mind she becomes stronger. More in control. But in reality she is wasting away until she will eventually be nothing and feel nothing. Ultimately the choice to live or die is hers, but for Lia, the choice between asking for help and continuing to spiral into the darkness is not clear and simple.

Critical Evaluation

Wintergirls is not really a story about anorexia, eating disorders, cutting, broken homes, or depression, although all of these topics are topics are covered in sometimes gut wrenching detail. This is a story about feeling lost and forgotten. It is about how self destructive one can become in order to feel in control of their life.

Anderson has a wonderful ability to adapt her prose to fit the mental state of the narrator, Lia. At times she is lyrical. Other times she is cold a methodical. Sometimes manic. The structure and syntax of guilds the reader through Lia's deteriorating physical and mental state. Lia is a person who is in conflict with herself. She wants to see herself in a certain way. She wants to define the people around her in a certain way. There are constantly thoughts, feelings, and desires which Lia edits (and Anderson lets the reader see in the form of crossed out phrases and passages).

Lia's journey is painful and thus the reader's experience is painful. Anderson makes the reader feel everything Lia feels: Her calorie counting. Her slow, self inflicted cuts. Her obsession to always be in control of her words, thoughts, and actions. And most of all, her sense of loneliness and isolation. Unfortunately these can be all too familiar feels for teens. Those who have experienced these feelings more often than not would like to forget them. But for anyone who hasn't completely forgotten them, Lia's story can bring them rushing back.

Wintergirls is by no means an easy reading experience but it is one that is tremendously rewarding and shows that there is hope for people who are in even the darkest places.

Author Note

Laurie Halse Anderson is the author of over a dozen novels. Her most famous work, Speak follows the story of a freshman girl who after being sexually assaulted at a party, chooses to become nearly mute. The book received several prestigious literary awards and also is frequently one of the most challenged books in schools and libraries.

Anderson is passionate about writing from teens saying,
I love teenagers because they are honest. I love teenagers because they are raw and passionate. They think in black and white and are willing to go to extremes to defend their beliefs.... I love teenagers because they challenge me, and because they frustrate me. They give me hope. They give me nightmares. They are our children, and they deserve the best books we can write." (“Laurie Halse Anderson”, 2008)

She is also the author of the “Wild at Heart” series, aimed at older elementary school readers. Her other works include Fever, 1973 (2000), The Big Cheese on Third Street (2002), Prom (2005), and Twisted (2007).

"Laurie Halse Anderson." Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Retrieved April 6, 2010, from "Laurie Halse Anderson." Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. 6 Apr. 2010.


Challenges
There have been no well publicized challenges towards Wintergirls (probably because it is relatively new & only available in hardcover) but the book does discuss in very realistic ways: anorexia, bulimia, cutting (self mutilation), and alcohol and drug abuse. There is also some profanity and violence (which is self inflicted). Several of Anderson's other works have been repeatedly challenged including Speak and Twisted. Anderson deals with real problems in a very realistic and unflinching manner.

Book Talking
1. What was Lia's relationship with her family? How does this affect her life and the decisions she makes?
2. What was Lia's relationship with Cassie? How does this relationship affect her choices?
3. Do Lia's family and friends know she is still anorexic? How do they try to help? Are they successful?

Why I choose this book

I was interested in reading Speak, but was unable to readily obtain a copy. I choose this because the subject self destructive disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and cutting is something that an alarming number of teens go through yet few people like to talk about.

5. Now You See It...by Vivian Vande Valde

Vande Valde, Vivian. (2005). Now you see it…. New York: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN: 0-15-205311-5. p. 275

Genre: Fantasy
Interest Age: 12+
Curriculum: NA

Reader’s Annotation

Wendy is your average 15 year old girl who hates wearing her glasses, especially when they allow her to see the dead and into worlds beyond her imagination.

Plot Summary

Now You See It… tells the story of Wendy, an average girl who hates wearing her glasses. Then one day she finds a new pair of sunglasses which do more than improve her eyesight; they allow her to see and communicate with dead. Then she notices that some of her classmates appear differently through the lenses of her new glasses. The beautiful popular girl appears as an old hag. The new boy appears even more beautiful and somewhat more than human. Are they monsters? Ghosts? Aliens? All Wendy knows is that they know she can see them for what they truly are.

In an attempt to escape, Wendy finds herself transported to the land of Kazaran Dahaani. It is a land full of elves, dragons, talking dogs, and magic; magic that allows Wendy to meet Eleni, a young girl who will grow up to become Wendy’s grandmother. Together, Wendy and Eleni must stop an evil elf named Berrech who seeks to control not only the world of Kazaraan Dahaani, but the human world as well.

Critical Review

Vande Valde keeps the action at a brisk pace throughout the story which blends together elements of fantasy, horror, and a hatred for eyewear. There is also a delightful sense of sarcastic humor which flows through several characters including Wendy and the mischievous little “spreenie” (something akin to a tiny leprechaun) Larry. The quick pace and humor in the writing is sure to draw in even a reluctant young adult leader.

Where the story is weakest is in the consistency of the world which Vande Valde creates. Certain elements in the story, like the glasses’ ability to reveal the dead, appear to have no real significance and are never explained or mentioned in the later stages of the story. The magical glasses themselves become somewhat irrelevant about half way through the story and then are completely disregarded by the end. It seems these items and events have no real meaning in and of themselves and only serve to move the narrative foreword; they are ignored as soon as their purpose has been served. A younger, less critical reader may not give the absence of explanations a second thought, but to more experienced readers, these omissions leave several loose ends which are never adequately resolved.

There is also a time travel element which seems to be very out of place. Even in a world of fantasy, the elements in the story (i.e. characters, events, etc…) need to make sense together. To all of the sudden introduce time travel and all of the issues associated with time travel stories (e.g. the altering of the space-time continuum), is jarring and makes it hard for the reader to suspend disbelief enough to fully embrace this new and fantastic world which they have just been introduced.

These few criticisms aside, Vande Valde crafts a fun story which moves quickly, is filled with action, has fantastic creatures, and has a likable lead character with whom young readers can relate.

Author Info

Vivian Vande Valde is an award winning author of over 30 books for teens. She writes primarily in the horror and dark fantasy genres but her works generally include an element of humor and fun as well. Born in 1951, she currently resides in Rochester, NY. Her first book, A Hidden Magic, is a fairy tale inspired by Disney movies like Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty.

Vande Valde’s books have been honored by the American Library Association (ALA) Best Books for Young Adults, ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, and ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Her novel Never Trust a Dead Man, won the Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Mystery of 2000. Vande Valde offers author appearances and workshops for both students and teachers through her website: http://vivianvandevelde.com/index.cfm.

Book Talking Ideas
1. How does Wendy respond to the powers which the glasses give her?
2. How do the events in the story affect Wendy’s feelings towards her grandmother? How has their relationship changed by the end of the book?

Challenges
There is profanity and sexuality in the book. There is some mild violence towards the end and some mildly graphic descriptions of some ghosts early in the book. I would not imagine any of these elements being grounds for a challenge.

Why I choose this title

I originally thought this was more of a horror novel and was a little surprised when the fantasy elements became dominant. It is a good example of Vande Valde’s blend of horror, fantasy, and humor.

4. Remembering Raquel by Vivian Vande Valde

Vande Valde, Vivian. (2007). Remembering Raquel. New York: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN: 978-0-2059796-7. p. 137
Genre: Fiction
Interest Age: 12+
Curriculum: NA

Reader’s Annotation
How would you be remembered? This is the question now faced by the friends and family of recently departed Raquel Falcone.

Plot Summary

Remembering Raquel tells the story of the aftermath of the sudden death of 14 year old Raquel Falcone. The story is told through a series of recollections by people who “knew” Raquel, including family, friends, and classmates, people who witnessed her death, and even Raquel herself.

Raquel was an intelligent but shy and overweight teen who, before her death, was more or less invisible at Quail Run High. In the wake of her death, there is an outpouring of support and emotion from not only those few people who were actually close to her but also from casual acquaintances, distant family members, and crusaders who had never met her. Through their recollections and experiences the reader begins to get an impression of not only the real Raquel, but of the Raquel people remember.

Remembering Raquel shows how death can affect peoples’ feelings and perceptions of those who died. Whether it be the girl who sat behind her in homeroom, the boy who was never able to ask her to the dance, an online admirer, her father, or even the strangers who were next to her when she died, everyone had perceptions of Raquel and everyone will remember her in a different way.

Critical Review

Author Vivian Vande Valde was inspired to write Remembering Raquel after seeing roadside memorials which her set up after someone died. The premise is a complex one which deals with numerous issues and themes such as death, the loss of a loved one, different perceptions of those who died, issues of identity and fitting in during adolescence, and how seemingly “invisible” people can have an effect on those around them even if neither were aware of it. Remembering Raquel hit on all of these themes at some point yet never fully mines these themes. As a look at death and remembering it ends up only being half a success.

Complex relationships are only hinted at and not fully explored. Case in point, Raquel’s family. The book explains that Raquel’s mom died of cancer and that she was living with her dad. The relationships with her mom and dad are looked at but only briefly. The reader does not get a complete picture of Raquel’s home/family life and therefore never really feels deeply connected to Raquel or her father. The same goes with her best friend Hayley. We get three chapters from Hayley’s point of view yet the reader is given only a brief back-story. Instead Vande Valde focuses on the feelings of “what if I had been there?”. To be sure, this is an important aspect of losing a friend, but since the reader has not become attached to the character, only a minimal amount of sympathy is created. Too often are character’s recollections filled with seemingly peripheral details and only minimal focus on Raquel. This might very well be Vande Valde’s point: For most people, Raquel existed in the background. But for purposes of building a connection with the reader, there needed to be more back story on these characters and more introspection on the part of even the peripheral characters.

There are several poignant moments throughout the novel that show how people perceive others and how death affects different people, but ultimately this feels like half a book. Vande Valde does a good job introducing us to these characters but seems to move on just as I want to know and understand them on a deeper level.

Author Info

Vivian Vande Valde is an award winning author of over 30 books for teens. She writes primarily in the horror and dark fantasy genres but her works generally include an element of humor and fun as well. Born in 1951, she currently resides in Rochester, NY. Her first book, A Hidden Magic, is a fairy tale inspired by Disney movies like Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty.

Vande Valde’s books have been honored by the American Library Association (ALA) Best Books for Young Adults, ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, and ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Her novel Never Trust a Dead Man, won the Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Mystery of 2000. Vande Valde offers author appearances and workshops for both students and teachers through her website: http://vivianvandevelde.com/index.cfm.

Book Talking Ideas
1. What are some of the different perceptions characters in the book had of Raquel? How accurate were those perceptions compared to Raquel’s perceptions of herself?
2. How do people’s perceptions and memories of people change after that person dies?

Challenges
The book deals with the death of a young girl, although not in any sort of graphic or violent way. Nothing controversial is covered, i.e. sex, drugs, etc. Although the writing style is appropriate for 12+, the themes are probably more appropriate for 13 or 14+.

Why I choose this title
This is one of Vivian Vande Valde’s view works outside of the horror/fantasy genre in which she normally writes. I was intrigued by the premise, since dealing with death at a young age can be a difficult and complex process.

3. All Hallows' Eve by Vivian Vande Valde

Vande Valde, Vivian. (2006). All hallows’ eve. New York: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN: 0-15-205576-2. p. 225

Genre: Horror, short story

Interest Age: 12+

Curriculum: NA

Reader’s Annotation
On All Hallows’ Eve, ghosts, witches, werewolves and all of the other creepy things emerge from shadows to roam free.

Plot Summary

All Hallows’ Eve is a collection of 13 horror stories which all occur on October 31st, or “All Hallows’ Eve”. The stories vary in length; some stories are as short as 2 or 3 pages others closer to twenty. All of the stories revolve around teens and their encounters with various ghosts and creatures of the night. Sometimes the stories are sweet, like when the spirit of a deceased boy visits a guilt ridden kid in “Holding On”. Other times the stories read like cautionary tales, such as “I Want to Thank You” and “Come in and Rest a Spell” where the speaker learns too late not to trust certain types of people on Halloween. There are several ghost stories. Some ghosts are humorous (“When My Parents Come to Visit”), some seek vengeance (“Marian”), others protect (“Cemetery Field Trip”), and some are not what they seem (“Morgan Roehmar’s Boys”). Other stories include a tale of a girl’s search for her real mother which comes back to bite her (“My Real Mother”), a boy meeting his girlfriends’ parents for the first and last time (“Pretending”) and a tale of a one sided friendship that even death cannot break (“Best Friends”).

Critical Review

Vivian Valde Vande creates a fun collection of short stories which all occur on the spookiest night of the year, Halloween. While I would not go so far as to call any of the stories contained in All Hallows’ Eve great, they are all fun and more often than not have a twist which leaves the reader with either a smile on their face or a look of shock.
When writing horror stories for teens and young adults, one must walk a very fine line; the author needs to show horror without being graphic, create a sense of dread without being cheesy, and create ghosts and monsters which are not predicable. Vande Valde walks this line quite successfully. She creates creepy atmospheres through her use of description and decent levels of tension through careful pacing and syntax in stories like “Cemetery Field Trip” and “Morgan Roehmar’s Boys”. Although there are several deaths throughout the collection, Vande Valde does not rely on gore or blood to shock the reader. Disgust and nausea are not her goals; that slight chill running down your spine is what Vande Valde is after. For the most part, her stories deliver this feeling. It is easy to imagine these stories being read aloud around a camp fire or in a darkened room lit only by a single flashlight or candle. There is a sense of fun to all of these stories as well as terror.
Some stories work better than others. I found the story of a haunted Global Positioning System (GPS) to be a little corny. The twist at the end of the “When and How”, where four teens have their fortunes read, can be seen coming a mile away to anyone who has ever watched an episode of The Twilight Zone or read/watched Tales from the Crypt. But Vande Valde also puts new spins on several predictable plots which should leave the reader pleasantly surprised. While one might be able to guess the true identity of the adopted girl’s real parents in “My Real Mother”, the final turn is deliciously creepy and unexpected.
Where Vande Valde ultimately succeeds with All Hallows’ Eve, is making Halloween both terrifying and fun. Vande Valde shows that during Halloween there is equal opportunity for laughs and fun, as well as terror and horror.

Author Info

Vivian Vande Valde is an award winning author of over 30 books for teens. She writes primarily in the horror and dark fantasy genres but her works generally include an element of humor and fun as well. Born in 1951, she currently resides in Rochester, NY. Her first book, A Hidden Magic, is a fairy tale inspired by Disney movies like Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty.
Vande Valde’s books have been honored by the American Library Association (ALA) Best Books for Young Adults, ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, and ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Her novel Never Trust a Dead Man, won the Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Mystery of 2000. Vande Valde offers author appearances and workshops for both students and teachers through her website: http://vivianvandevelde.com/index.cfm.

Book Talking Ideas
1. What makes a location or an atmosphere scary?
2. What are some of the ways Vande Valde puts twists on classic scary stories involving ghosts or vampires?

Challenges
• There are several deaths involving younger teens.
• There is some description of blood and murder but nothing too graphic.
• "Not too gory, not too gruesome, but thirteen short stories that are scary enough to raise goose bumps and send shivers down the spine. " -- Children's Literature


Why I choose this title

Short stories can be a good way to get reluctant readers to pick up a book. It is a lot easier convincing a kid to read 15 pages than 315 pages. This collection is a good example of how horror stories don’t necessarily need to be overly bloody and violent to be effective. Also, the element of fun is constant throughout the stories.