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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
This young adult dystopian novel is beautifully written, and that's important to mention, because one of the major themes of the book has to do with the power of words.
According to one of the characters in the book, limiting a person's lexicon is the only way to save mankind in this dystopian setting. At the end of the book, this character says, "Language is what makes man ungovernable." Leaders of Ark believe that controlling language will ensure a successful, thriving planet. There are those who disagree.
Letta, the Wordsmith's apprentice, is soon caught up in the struggle between control and the need for self-expression.
The people of Ark are trying to rebuild the decimated planet with a seemingly medieval society while communicating with a list of only 500 words. This brings the world to a dangerous precipice where artistic expression is outlawed and control is the master.
According to one of the characters in the book, limiting a person's lexicon is the only way to save mankind in this dystopian setting. At the end of the book, this character says, "Language is what makes man ungovernable." Leaders of Ark believe that controlling language will ensure a successful, thriving planet. There are those who disagree.
Letta, the Wordsmith's apprentice, is soon caught up in the struggle between control and the need for self-expression.
The people of Ark are trying to rebuild the decimated planet with a seemingly medieval society while communicating with a list of only 500 words. This brings the world to a dangerous precipice where artistic expression is outlawed and control is the master.
2.5 Doesn't live up to its unique concept. Some serious violence and death so definitely upper middle grade.
Loved this book - very interesting commentary on the role of language, particularly in the face of impending room. Set in a post-disaster society, Letta is apprenticed to the Wordsmith and they are in charge of regulating the lists of words that people can use. References to climate change and politicians remind us that this is not necessarily too far from possible.
While The List is a great book, I feel it could’ve been more developed. Ark had a backstory, but not much was said about it. I felt that more world building was needed.
The characters were nice, Letta was annoying at times, but mostly a solid character. Although, most books have more then one main character. I became annoyed with Letta because I was constantly hearing her view of things. I would love if the author incorporated more about Finn and Marlo’s point of view.
Lastly, this book needed a better villain. While the problem they faced was giant, the villain wasn’t much of a true threat to me. He wasn’t menacing enough, and since his backstory was tied to Arks backstory, and the author didn’t say much about it, I didn’t know enough about him to understand his motives correctly.
Overall though, the List kept my attention. It started slow, but the middle and ending were worth it.
The characters were nice, Letta was annoying at times, but mostly a solid character. Although, most books have more then one main character. I became annoyed with Letta because I was constantly hearing her view of things. I would love if the author incorporated more about Finn and Marlo’s point of view.
Lastly, this book needed a better villain. While the problem they faced was giant, the villain wasn’t much of a true threat to me. He wasn’t menacing enough, and since his backstory was tied to Arks backstory, and the author didn’t say much about it, I didn’t know enough about him to understand his motives correctly.
Overall though, the List kept my attention. It started slow, but the middle and ending were worth it.
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
The beginning of this book started at 4 stars, but the ending was a solid 2 stars, so I split the difference.
Letta has grown up in a world after the Melting. Global Warming changed Earth for good, and only remnants of humanity have survived. Ark is one of the settlements that has been rebuilt. Its leader, Noa, believes that Language is the downfall of man. You cannot lie if you cannot speak. Letta is a wordsmith, responsible for cataloguing all the words and storing them, just in case one day humanity can be trusted with them once more. But she soon discovers that Noa and his Ark is not the haven she thought it to be.
The premise of this book is the most interesting thing about it, and is what got me picking it up in the first place. I quite liked the writing style as well, and the general plot and story came together well
What disappointed me the most were two things. Characterisation/Character development and the ending.
Letta as a character was good. Her motives made sense and she did grow and change throughout the story. I do struggle with how old she(and Marlo) is meant to be. I believe her to be somewhere between 13 and 17. Which is a broad age gap. She was at a couple points referred to as a 'woman', which lead me to believe she was older, but the tone of the story and her actions lead me to believe she was closer to 14. I had the same problem with Marlo. He was introduced to us as a 'boy', but then also referred to as a 'man' later in the novel. And his actions had me putting him at around 16.
I was most disappointed by Marlo's characterisation. I honestly could not tell you a single thing about *who* Marlo is. And yet he is the main secondary character and, to some extent, the romantic interest of Letta. This part was cute, if under-developed, and I found myself wanting more depth to his character and his relationship with Letta.
The ending was abrupt, to say the least. After the main climax of the story, the booked was wrapped up in less than 10 pages. Amelia's part in that ending was baffling, perhaps even out of character. I understand that there is a sequel ( i have it and still intend to read it), but that doesn't mean you can just drop the ending and pick it up in the next book like the end of a chapter. It almost felt like the author got to the end, panicked, and just closed the word doc.
As I said, however, I still intend to read the next book, as there were some plot hooks well places and my investment in Letta is solid enough to want to continue her story.
Letta has grown up in a world after the Melting. Global Warming changed Earth for good, and only remnants of humanity have survived. Ark is one of the settlements that has been rebuilt. Its leader, Noa, believes that Language is the downfall of man. You cannot lie if you cannot speak. Letta is a wordsmith, responsible for cataloguing all the words and storing them, just in case one day humanity can be trusted with them once more. But she soon discovers that Noa and his Ark is not the haven she thought it to be.
The premise of this book is the most interesting thing about it, and is what got me picking it up in the first place. I quite liked the writing style as well, and the general plot and story came together well
What disappointed me the most were two things. Characterisation/Character development and the ending.
Letta as a character was good. Her motives made sense and she did grow and change throughout the story. I do struggle with how old she(and Marlo) is meant to be. I believe her to be somewhere between 13 and 17. Which is a broad age gap. She was at a couple points referred to as a 'woman', which lead me to believe she was older, but the tone of the story and her actions lead me to believe she was closer to 14. I had the same problem with Marlo. He was introduced to us as a 'boy', but then also referred to as a 'man' later in the novel. And his actions had me putting him at around 16.
I was most disappointed by Marlo's characterisation. I honestly could not tell you a single thing about *who* Marlo is. And yet he is the main secondary character and, to some extent, the romantic interest of Letta. This part was cute, if under-developed, and I found myself wanting more depth to his character and his relationship with Letta.
The ending was abrupt, to say the least. After the main climax of the story, the booked was wrapped up in less than 10 pages. Amelia's part in that ending was baffling, perhaps even out of character. I understand that there is a sequel ( i have it and still intend to read it), but that doesn't mean you can just drop the ending and pick it up in the next book like the end of a chapter. It almost felt like the author got to the end, panicked, and just closed the word doc.
As I said, however, I still intend to read the next book, as there were some plot hooks well places and my investment in Letta is solid enough to want to continue her story.
challenging
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book explores what the world might be like if the ice all melted and the earth flooded. What happens when we ignore this possibility? What happens if after, a few radical environmentalist are left in charge? How much do words matter? A fast-paced book full of a few surprises and thought-provoking ideas.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated