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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
When I stumbled across this book on Netgalley, I had not heard of it before. I was originally drawn in by the cover; it is just so pretty! In The List’s description on Netgalley, it is compared to the likes of Fahrenheit 451 and The Giver. Being a huge fan of both of these books, I knew right away I just had to read this book! I am so glad I got approved to read an advanced copy of this! I just adored the story!
The List is a middle grade dystopian novel that deals with censorship. This is the type of book I can see being read in middle school classrooms. It deals with important topics such as censorship and standing up for what is right, both topics that I feel should be discussed at this age. While I can’t say this book was completely unique, as it was very reminiscent of other dystopians I have read, it was still a fun and entertaining read that I know I would have really enjoyed reading in school.
The protagonist, Letta, is an apprentice to a Wordsmith, meaning she transcribes words for the 500 word List. The words on this List are the only words allowed to be spoken by the residents of the city of Ark. If a resident is found speaking words outside the List, they are banished from the community. Those banished are left to nature; either they will get taken by the wild animals in the woods or saved by the Desecrators. The Desecrators are rebels who do not live by the rules of John Noa, the creator of Ark. John Noa believes language was the reason for mankind’s downfall that led to the Melting. The Melting was caused by the polar ice caps melting and destroying most of the Earth. John Noa took this opportunity to create Ark where he would be able to have total control. In Ark, he restricts the community of language, music, and art.
When Letta is told her master, Benjamin has died, she goes from being an apprentice to the community’s Wordsmith. After this happens she becomes aware of the evilness of John Noa and of a masterplan to eliminate language from the world entirely. It’s up to Letta and her friends to defeat his evil plan and save the community.
This was a book about working together and standing up for what is right, even if it goes against everything that was taught. I thought this book was a fun read and would recommend it to children of middle school age and fans of The Giver and other dystopians alike. I rate this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. Publication date is August 1, 2017.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and Patricia Forde for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.
The List is a middle grade dystopian novel that deals with censorship. This is the type of book I can see being read in middle school classrooms. It deals with important topics such as censorship and standing up for what is right, both topics that I feel should be discussed at this age. While I can’t say this book was completely unique, as it was very reminiscent of other dystopians I have read, it was still a fun and entertaining read that I know I would have really enjoyed reading in school.
The protagonist, Letta, is an apprentice to a Wordsmith, meaning she transcribes words for the 500 word List. The words on this List are the only words allowed to be spoken by the residents of the city of Ark. If a resident is found speaking words outside the List, they are banished from the community. Those banished are left to nature; either they will get taken by the wild animals in the woods or saved by the Desecrators. The Desecrators are rebels who do not live by the rules of John Noa, the creator of Ark. John Noa believes language was the reason for mankind’s downfall that led to the Melting. The Melting was caused by the polar ice caps melting and destroying most of the Earth. John Noa took this opportunity to create Ark where he would be able to have total control. In Ark, he restricts the community of language, music, and art.
When Letta is told her master, Benjamin has died, she goes from being an apprentice to the community’s Wordsmith. After this happens she becomes aware of the evilness of John Noa and of a masterplan to eliminate language from the world entirely. It’s up to Letta and her friends to defeat his evil plan and save the community.
This was a book about working together and standing up for what is right, even if it goes against everything that was taught. I thought this book was a fun read and would recommend it to children of middle school age and fans of The Giver and other dystopians alike. I rate this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. Publication date is August 1, 2017.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and Patricia Forde for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.
It's been a long time since a book had me burning the midnight oil so that I could finish it in one setting. Billed as "Fahreheight 451" meets "The Giver" it did not disappoint. Dystopian fiction fans will enjoy the exploration of controlling behavior through controlling language and the individual will to survive, to create, and to be unique. Sci-Fi Dystopian fans of all ages will enjoy. Strong female protagonists. Highly recommend. There are some brief depictions of torture and violence that may be too intense for younger middle grade readers.
My latest pick for book club. What a great story. That ending!? Mind blown!
I was given this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I requested this book mostly based on the cover, although the description intrigued me, too. A dystopian society where words and language were limited. As a lover of words, I had to see where the author took this idea. Forde did very well telling the story of Letta, a young wordsmith who curated the words that the society of Ark could use. She embraced the rules and regulations completely at the beginning of the book, but grows to see how power has been corrupted. The citizens of Ark must speak using the List - a list of only approved words (although as wordsmith, she can use all words), so that stilted way of speech took some getting used to. However, the writing was good, and I loved the relationships between the characters.
This book was obviously influenced by The Giver, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed that book.
I requested this book mostly based on the cover, although the description intrigued me, too. A dystopian society where words and language were limited. As a lover of words, I had to see where the author took this idea. Forde did very well telling the story of Letta, a young wordsmith who curated the words that the society of Ark could use. She embraced the rules and regulations completely at the beginning of the book, but grows to see how power has been corrupted. The citizens of Ark must speak using the List - a list of only approved words (although as wordsmith, she can use all words), so that stilted way of speech took some getting used to. However, the writing was good, and I loved the relationships between the characters.
This book was obviously influenced by The Giver, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed that book.
Letta lives in a society formed after catastrophic events killed millions of people and wiped out technology. In order to try and regulate things words are limited and speech must be formed of words from a limited allowed list. Letta is an apprentice wordsmith, until her mentor dies and she becomes 'the' wordsmith. She gets involved with a revolution, almost unknowingly at first, and is instrumental in preventing a mass homicide.
The plot of this was book was intriguing and a little disturbing, with some very clear ethical messages thrown in. Letta is an interesting, strong character, I'm looking forward to watching her develop in future adventures. An excellent middle grade read with action, thrills, a burgeoning romance just hinted at and a few tears too.
The plot of this was book was intriguing and a little disturbing, with some very clear ethical messages thrown in. Letta is an interesting, strong character, I'm looking forward to watching her develop in future adventures. An excellent middle grade read with action, thrills, a burgeoning romance just hinted at and a few tears too.
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this middle-grade sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
This book caught me eye because of the premise and the comparisons to the giver and fahrenheit 451. I loved the concept. It takes place in post-apocalyptic America. Climate change has caused the sea levels to rise. The community of Ark is one of the last places where humans survive.
This village is controlled in every way by its founder, John Noa. One of the ways in which the population is controlled is through language. There are 700 sanctioned words on The List. Because if ye can’t express a concept then ye can’t act on it, right? The only people who have access to more words are the leaders and the local Wordsmith (kind of a living dictionary and the keeper of more complex words). For example, if a person learns a trade, like carpentry, then that person is allowed to learn additional words (like 25 or so) relating specifically to that task. Use words outside The List too often and face banishment or worse.
The story centers around Letta, the Wordsmith’s apprentice. The master wordsmith goes off on an errand, leaving Letta in charge. Circumstances ensue which cause Letta to confront everything she has ever believed to be true.
While the concept was fascinating, the execution did not, to me mind, do it justice. It was a far cry from the two favorite books it had been compared to. For one thing, the use of language by Letta just seemed too complex. The List was hardly used at all in the author’s writing. Letta’s thoughts involve words like cerulean, pineapple, etc. despite having never seen pictures. How can you truly understand the words without a real frame of reference – especially with such a limited List to try and explain them. It would have been more interesting to me if the entire beginning of the novel had been put together only using List and got more complicated as Letta’s understanding of Ark grew more complex.
Also the plot was sort of meandering. Letta makes extremely stupid mistakes to set up future plot points. For all of her learning, Letta just seemed helpless, unintelligent, and clueless. There is a type of insta-love connection between her and the non-Ark boy she helps. People sneak in and out of her house so easily that the guards are practically non-existent or just that plain dumb. The flow of the story was just not to me taste. The characters also seemed poorly developed and rather simplistic. Overall I would like to see this concept tackled in another way.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Sourcebooks Jabberwocky!
check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
This book caught me eye because of the premise and the comparisons to the giver and fahrenheit 451. I loved the concept. It takes place in post-apocalyptic America. Climate change has caused the sea levels to rise. The community of Ark is one of the last places where humans survive.
This village is controlled in every way by its founder, John Noa. One of the ways in which the population is controlled is through language. There are 700 sanctioned words on The List. Because if ye can’t express a concept then ye can’t act on it, right? The only people who have access to more words are the leaders and the local Wordsmith (kind of a living dictionary and the keeper of more complex words). For example, if a person learns a trade, like carpentry, then that person is allowed to learn additional words (like 25 or so) relating specifically to that task. Use words outside The List too often and face banishment or worse.
The story centers around Letta, the Wordsmith’s apprentice. The master wordsmith goes off on an errand, leaving Letta in charge. Circumstances ensue which cause Letta to confront everything she has ever believed to be true.
While the concept was fascinating, the execution did not, to me mind, do it justice. It was a far cry from the two favorite books it had been compared to. For one thing, the use of language by Letta just seemed too complex. The List was hardly used at all in the author’s writing. Letta’s thoughts involve words like cerulean, pineapple, etc. despite having never seen pictures. How can you truly understand the words without a real frame of reference – especially with such a limited List to try and explain them. It would have been more interesting to me if the entire beginning of the novel had been put together only using List and got more complicated as Letta’s understanding of Ark grew more complex.
Also the plot was sort of meandering. Letta makes extremely stupid mistakes to set up future plot points. For all of her learning, Letta just seemed helpless, unintelligent, and clueless. There is a type of insta-love connection between her and the non-Ark boy she helps. People sneak in and out of her house so easily that the guards are practically non-existent or just that plain dumb. The flow of the story was just not to me taste. The characters also seemed poorly developed and rather simplistic. Overall I would like to see this concept tackled in another way.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Sourcebooks Jabberwocky!
check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
My thoughts: When I read the premise of this book I was really looking forward to it; but unfortunately the story didn’t live up to my expectations.
I didn’t fall in love with any of the characters which I feel is pivotal for a book to grab my heart. The storyline was okay, it just felt that it became very repetitive without reaching a dramatic conclusion.
There are references to familiar biblical tales (Noahs Ark) which are entwined within the tale, but set in a dystopian future. For me it just didn’t mix well together.
For a children/young adult book some of the themes are quite violent and take a morbid turn! I feel a lot was taken from what could have been a beautiful story into something less intimate and compelling to the reader.
I didn’t fall in love with any of the characters which I feel is pivotal for a book to grab my heart. The storyline was okay, it just felt that it became very repetitive without reaching a dramatic conclusion.
There are references to familiar biblical tales (Noahs Ark) which are entwined within the tale, but set in a dystopian future. For me it just didn’t mix well together.
For a children/young adult book some of the themes are quite violent and take a morbid turn! I feel a lot was taken from what could have been a beautiful story into something less intimate and compelling to the reader.
The List by Patricia Forde is a middle grade book based on the premise that if you control people's ability to communicate, you control their actions and hence their impact on the world. As a adult reading the book, the story has two competing forces - the power and love of language and the environmental statement on the destruction of Earth by man. It is the story of language that appeals to me but the environmental message that is at the heart of this book.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/09/the-list.html
Reviewed for NetGalley
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/09/the-list.html
Reviewed for NetGalley
I was really intrigued by the idea of a dystopian where the citizens are only allowed to speak words on an approved list. Unfortunately, the execution of this story didn't live up to the premise for me.
I wanted the story to dive more into why a leader would ban words and the effect this had on the community, but instead it was just an annoying device to write some really stilted dialogue.
I wanted the story to dive more into why a leader would ban words and the effect this had on the community, but instead it was just an annoying device to write some really stilted dialogue.
In Ark, where only 500 words exist, Letta is an apprentice to the wordsmith. All other words are illegal and forgotten, and the residents speak in garbled sentences. The police strictly monitor this bubbled, alleged Utopia, and all aspects of life, including meals, are regulated. Letta loves her words and buys into this society until she meets Marlo, a resister who lives self-sufficiently in the outskirts of town—a place where music, art, and language still exist. As Letta’s master suspiciously goes missing, Letta begins to realize that this world is not as safe and happy as it seems, and she is the only member who has the ability to save the words from an evil dictator with misguided politics, John Noa. Noa is relentless in his convictions and actions, and the future of the world relies on the thwarted flick of a canister and a heartfelt revolution.
A middle grade dystopian scifi thriller, The List, has unexpected twists and turns and speaks to today’s modern issues of global warming, the power of language, and possibly brilliant and powerful but destructive authoritarian leaders. Well written with a unique take on tween dystopian literature, The List will appeal to strong readers through its themes of love, language, family, history, and power. Letta is a strong, feminist character with equally dynamic male and female antagonists. My only qualm is that the middle of the story loses its momentum; there is an excess of drawn-out, unnecessary details. With tighter, more succinct writing, I look forward to seeing what else Forde has to offer as an author.
I would like to thank NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Jabberwocky for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The List by Patricia Forde (SOURCEBOOKS Jabberwocky, 2017)
A middle grade dystopian scifi thriller, The List, has unexpected twists and turns and speaks to today’s modern issues of global warming, the power of language, and possibly brilliant and powerful but destructive authoritarian leaders. Well written with a unique take on tween dystopian literature, The List will appeal to strong readers through its themes of love, language, family, history, and power. Letta is a strong, feminist character with equally dynamic male and female antagonists. My only qualm is that the middle of the story loses its momentum; there is an excess of drawn-out, unnecessary details. With tighter, more succinct writing, I look forward to seeing what else Forde has to offer as an author.
I would like to thank NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Jabberwocky for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The List by Patricia Forde (SOURCEBOOKS Jabberwocky, 2017)