OK, I'm a sucker for a good cover, and this one had me intrigued from the start: an obvious throne, the danger of a scorpion, and rules thrown in? I was immediately hooked. Add to that a terrific premise for a dystopian novel, and we're good to go.
In this post-apocalyptic world, an artificial intelligence (AI) keeps order among mankind's warring countries/alliances, and it does so ruthlessly and almost cavalierly. After studying history, the AI determined that in order to prevent war, it must have a personal impact on those who make the decision to go to war. Thus, every nation's leader must give up his or her child to be a hostage. If no war ever happens, the children are raised peacefully in a monastery-like setting (a Precepture), and they are released at age 18. However, if a nation does declare war, the hostage child is immediately taken and killed. Hence, most leaders don't want to go to war. However, this is a post-apocalyptic world, after all, and resources are scarce, especially water. There is a constant tension of imminent war throughout the book.
The tension is increased for the hostage children in the Precepture, known as the Children of Peace. Not only do they have the obligation to remain royal in their everyday poise and conversation, they are expected to gracefully accept their impending deaths with dignity. That's a tall order for ones so young. Add to that the ever-present robotic proctors (spider-like, electric-prodding contraptions), and the AI teachers, and you quickly realize that even simple conversation among the children is highly structured and fiercely monitored. Any deviation from acceptable practice is punished swiftly. So when an outsider hostage child enters the mix after a change of leadership, things are necessarily thrown into disarray, and the plot thickens.
If it sounds this good, why only 3 stars? Well, it takes a LOOOONG time before you realize just how controlled the children must be in order to remain safe. Also, the narrator's description of the pastoral life led by the Children of Peace is extensive but rarely reveals any of the dangers the children face. It's too much description without enough clues about the danger. Once the situation changes, the pace picks up, but it's a long time coming. Also, I wasn't a big fan of the ending. It seemed a bit contrived and quick when compared with the pace in the beginning. It almost seemed like a different writer took over.
Overall, I do recommend the book. However, this is not a book for a reluctant reader looking for dystopian novels. It's a cross between 1984 and Thoreau's Walden Pond, and as such, requires a more inferential reader in order to grasp the inherent dysfunction in the system. This is not appropriate for lower middle school readers as there are several references to sex, but no outright descriptions other than kissing.
Enjoy, my friends!
No comments:
Post a Comment