Title: FeedAuthor: M.T Anderson
Publish Date: December 2003
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages: 300pp
ISBN: 0763622591
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Science Fiction
Age Range: 13 and up
Amazon: $7.99
Annotation: Titus and his friends live in a society where everyone has a Feednet wired into their brains and are basically controlled by corporations and driven by consumerism. The story begins with a spring break trip to the moon where Titus meets Violent (“the girl”) and soon after gets his Feed hacked along with his friends.
Summary: Set in a near future where everyone has a Feednet wired directly into their brains. These feeds can do a number of different things for each individual like: bringing a constant stream of media and advertising, offering instant information. This negates the act of reading and writing and almost speaking as chatting is mostly done through the feeds. Titus and Violet are two teens who meet during spring break on a trip to the moon. Violet is unusual because she did not get a feed until age 7, making her the only free-thinker that questions authority, while Titus is quite comfortable with his feed. That is until an “interaction” happens and Titus and his friends experience a jamming in their Feeds. This very same “interaction” affects Violet’s life.
Evaluation: Impressively thought out novel. Anderson introduces global issues and consequences of consumerism, commercialism, data mining and the temptation to rely too much on technology to the detriment of developing into thinking, questioning, individuals who are willing to take responsibility for decisions—big and small. The slang was brilliant! --Different from today’s teens which helped set the novel apart from our time, yet similar enough to understand. Anderson gives teens a lens to evaluate their own culture.
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness
- Think for yourself, even if its against the norm.
- Standing up for yourself.
- Losing someone you love (a romantic partner)
Reason this book was chosen: I love storylines that involve dystopian worlds, questioning authority, and technology advances. When I read the synopsis of this book, mainly that the characters had chips installed in their brains (Feeds) that basically controlled them, I knew I would love it—and I did!
Similar Titles:
Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson
Awards:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2003
Book Sense Summer Pick Teen Readers, 2003
A Horn Book Fanfare Book Award, 2002
BCCB Blue Ribbon Book, 2002
