Dec 9, 2008

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

Gathering Blue

This one's another of the young adult novels on my list. I do love the idea of dystopian fiction for preteens. I just wish it was all as amazing and worthwhile as, for instance, A Wrinkle in Time. But it ain't. Not to say I wouldn't give this to a middle schooler, because I would. The time to let them know that society will use them up and shackle them to their work is when they're still young enough to wind up paranoid and protective, I say.

Aside from that, pretty standard fare. Agriculture-based society risen from the ashes of probably our age which probably faced a probably nuclear war? Check. Plucky, hard working hero who, through courage and luck and the kindness of otherwise downtrodden friends, figures out society's Big Evil and makes her escape to a wiser and better place? Check. Semimagical gifts that make up for an otherwise condemning defect? Check.

final thought: I should write one of these myself.

8 comments:

leila said...

I certainly liked it when I was in middle school. The only thing I really remember is a big pot of old, smelly urine used as dye (right?) by an older woman that was nice to the girl.

You should definitely write a YA novel.

That Hank said...

Yep, urine for dye. That was in there.

Any young adult book I wrote would be one you read about when some bible thumping mom gets it banned from the local library.

leila said...

Hey, then everyone would want to read it!

That Hank said...

We could be on to something here.

Anonymous said...

wasn't this one of the sequels to The Giver...? I think it was!

That Hank said...

According to the wiki, it's a "companion novel". I wish I had a 12 year old handy to run these by for opinions.

Anonymous said...

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Should have read "The Giver" first!

That Hank said...

I read 'em as I find 'em. Is the Giver better?