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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
I received an advanced reading copy of this book.
What would you do if words like freedom, dream, hope and love were removed from your vocabulary? Words like betray, outcast and scavenger are all words that you are allowed to use.
In The List, John Noa has created a 'safe' place for people to live after most of the world has been destroyed by climate change. As part of his rules and beliefs that words are why the world is in this mess, he has created a List of 500 words that people are allowed to us for communication. Any who use old language are called Desecreators which includes musicians, artists and people who believe in freedom. As you can imagine this is a dark and dreary existence but for some, like Letta, it is the only world that they know.
Letta is the apprentice wordsmith and it is her job to write out the List for people. When her master leaves town for a short time a boy appears in the store and it changes her world forever.
The List is superbly written and very hard to put down. At the start of each chapter is a word with it's description and it's number on the list, or the non-list. It is a fascinating look at what different people believe bring about the destruction of the world as opposed to the current world they live in. Typically dystopian it is good against bad. It is a character discovering for themselves what they believe the world should look like and standing up for themselves and the people who can't.
This is a good read for anyone who enjoyed Maze Runner and Divergent.
What would you do if words like freedom, dream, hope and love were removed from your vocabulary? Words like betray, outcast and scavenger are all words that you are allowed to use.
In The List, John Noa has created a 'safe' place for people to live after most of the world has been destroyed by climate change. As part of his rules and beliefs that words are why the world is in this mess, he has created a List of 500 words that people are allowed to us for communication. Any who use old language are called Desecreators which includes musicians, artists and people who believe in freedom. As you can imagine this is a dark and dreary existence but for some, like Letta, it is the only world that they know.
Letta is the apprentice wordsmith and it is her job to write out the List for people. When her master leaves town for a short time a boy appears in the store and it changes her world forever.
The List is superbly written and very hard to put down. At the start of each chapter is a word with it's description and it's number on the list, or the non-list. It is a fascinating look at what different people believe bring about the destruction of the world as opposed to the current world they live in. Typically dystopian it is good against bad. It is a character discovering for themselves what they believe the world should look like and standing up for themselves and the people who can't.
This is a good read for anyone who enjoyed Maze Runner and Divergent.
It took me a little while to get into this world. While I admit the writing was a little choppy I was slightly entranced by the story. I read the second half of this book in one day, it pretty much kept me on the edge of Mt seat until the very end. I kept getting vibes sinilar to The Giver by Lois Lowry, I think fans of that book would be intrigued by this story.
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:
No
I was able to read this book through NetGalley!
The List is classic YA dystopian. While a new story (the all too powerful leader, John Noa, is trying to make everyone wordless), it didn't seem to have a lot of punch behind it. While I understand the power of words, I don't think it is quite believable that Noa would convince everyone that the conjugations of "to be" would harm everyone... and that they should give up using them.
The List is classic YA dystopian. While a new story (the all too powerful leader, John Noa, is trying to make everyone wordless), it didn't seem to have a lot of punch behind it. While I understand the power of words, I don't think it is quite believable that Noa would convince everyone that the conjugations of "to be" would harm everyone... and that they should give up using them.
"The List" has everything I want from a book: a compelling heroine, mystery, adventure, hope and villainy.
The concept (restricted language) is both terrifying and tempting. If you read it on a day that you've enjoyed beauty - a walk, time with a loved one, art - the notion of just 500 words seems criminal and insane. That said, if you read it on a day that you've also watched corrupt media and politicians (naming no names), it's easy to see the allure of limiting language so that people can no longer lie and manipulate so readily. This is why the story is so rounded: as a reader, you keep changing your mind.
I want to read it for a second time and I need my friends to read it, too, so we can debate the concept!
As a teacher, I can see a great deal of potential for this book in my classroom. It's currently my number 1 book of 2017 and it'll take a lot to top it.
The concept (restricted language) is both terrifying and tempting. If you read it on a day that you've enjoyed beauty - a walk, time with a loved one, art - the notion of just 500 words seems criminal and insane. That said, if you read it on a day that you've also watched corrupt media and politicians (naming no names), it's easy to see the allure of limiting language so that people can no longer lie and manipulate so readily. This is why the story is so rounded: as a reader, you keep changing your mind.
I want to read it for a second time and I need my friends to read it, too, so we can debate the concept!
As a teacher, I can see a great deal of potential for this book in my classroom. It's currently my number 1 book of 2017 and it'll take a lot to top it.
I am easily drawn to dystopian fiction, so I had been meaning to read this since it came out and just got around to it. Definitely reminiscent of The Giver, but darker and more violent even with a bit of torture in it, I found myself thinking it definitely belongs in a YA collection, not children's. (Although I haven't read The Giver in a long time, so it's possible it is a good comparison.) A definite page-turner and kids who like dystopian stories will like it. There was plenty more character development possible, it was mostly plot driven, with plenty of surprising connections between characters thrown in.
Wordsmith (also called The List) by Patricia Forde tells the story of Letta, a young apprentice in a dystopian future where words are limited. Letta quickly discovers that all is not what it seems in the city of Ark when she meets a young man (Marlo) who lives beyond the city borders who questions the leadership of John Noa.
The premise of the book has been done before, as the description of it being a mixture of The Giver and Fahrenheit 451 shows. It's fast paced enough to keep it interesting, but still predictable in terms of plot and the relationships between characters. It's enjoyable enough, but doesn't stand up to the bigger, more complex YA novels that are out right now.
Thank you NetGalley for providing an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book has been done before, as the description of it being a mixture of The Giver and Fahrenheit 451 shows. It's fast paced enough to keep it interesting, but still predictable in terms of plot and the relationships between characters. It's enjoyable enough, but doesn't stand up to the bigger, more complex YA novels that are out right now.
Thank you NetGalley for providing an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Well. Up until the last 30 or so pages I really enjoyed it. However, the ending was very abrupt and unsatisfying. I understand she was setting up for a sequel, but it could have been more gracefully executed. Overall a good book. I wouldn't necessarily categorize it as middle grade. More 11-16. It's darker than I expected. It was good, but I'm not in a hurry to read the sequel.
Could not bring myself to finish it.
Pros: i really liked the idea of the List, and of this world, its mythology, how it came to be and makes sense.
Cons: characters. I just could not. Especially their dvpt.
Pros: i really liked the idea of the List, and of this world, its mythology, how it came to be and makes sense.
Cons: characters. I just could not. Especially their dvpt.