In trying to sort through the thoughts and feelings I had about the book, I am left with a feeling of disappointment.
- This book won the major children's literature award. Really?
- I've read better dystopian novels for children and YA.
- I've read better novels for children and YA.
- It does have interesting/controversial themes and would provide plenty of material for classroom discussion, so I can see why teachers would want to teach/discuss this book. I can also see why the book is challenged and banned.
- With the length of the book, the themes and the characters are not fully developed in some cases.
- The ambiguous ending, as of now, has been resolved. Lowry has written 'sequels' set in that world including one about Gabe's birth mother and Gabe makes an appearance. So, he obviously doensn't die with Jonas at the end.
- They are making a movie of this book. Really? They are going to have to add a whole lot in to make it longer than an hour. Beau Bridge, Meryl Streep, and even Taylor Swift are going to star in it.
Now, my feelings of disappointment aside, I think the three of us will have one very interesting conversation based on the book. We can discuss euthanasia, infanticide, family structure, love, political oppression, societal oppression, culture, the concept of utopia, the cost of utopia and the list goes on.
I'm on to reading a sci-fi book a coworker gave me that has murky references to Norse mythology. Having a hard time 'getting into' this one.
Happy Monday.
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