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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
I like the concept - control the people by limiting the vocabulary they're allowed to use. It's been done, to a certain degree, in history - where the rich / politically powerful / religious controllers have a language they converse in that is exclusively theirs - though not to the extreme that exists in the world of this book. Imagine having only 300 words that you can use, ever! I like the way that is portrayed in this book.
There are a number of things that I didn't like in this book, but I might be giving some spoilers if I talk about them so I'll just leave it there. I'll be happy to recommend the book to readers aged from 10 to 14 who aren't yet reading with a critical mind. It has adventure, a possible love-interest, and moral dilemmas - that makes for a good read.
There are a number of things that I didn't like in this book, but I might be giving some spoilers if I talk about them so I'll just leave it there. I'll be happy to recommend the book to readers aged from 10 to 14 who aren't yet reading with a critical mind. It has adventure, a possible love-interest, and moral dilemmas - that makes for a good read.
A most intriguing dystopian premise: After most of the world has been destroyed by global warming, the survivors live in Ark, a city designed and built by environmental extremists who saw disaster coming and prepared for it. John Noa is Ark's creator and benevolent dictator, controlling the smallest details of everyone's lives. His secret belief is that humanity's survival lies in a total return to nature as mere creatures, and his method for taking the humanity out of humans is to remove language from the equation.
While The List is an intriguing, fast-paced story I thoroughly enjoyed, I felt the premise needed more time and space to be fully realized. I wanted more: more character development, world-building, and complexity, and a longer plot arc. It was good. It could have been excellent. Still, it is a highly enjoyable read.
While The List is an intriguing, fast-paced story I thoroughly enjoyed, I felt the premise needed more time and space to be fully realized. I wanted more: more character development, world-building, and complexity, and a longer plot arc. It was good. It could have been excellent. Still, it is a highly enjoyable read.
I agree with the hidden, or not so hidden, message of this book... it's sort of like Fahrenheit 451 for kids... overall I enjoyed it, even though I wish the ending didn't feel so rushed, and I felt like some information was left out that would have filled in the story better..
This was much like "The Giver".....a futuristic world called Ark where life was simplified and most WORDS were taken away (as well as art, music, etc) I loved the premise, but it became predictable quickly.
Letta is one of the chosen who live in the Ark a postapocalyptic world in which the list of acceptable and allowable words is ever shortened. She is apprenticed to Benjamin the Wordsmith, keeper of words and supplier of the List - a set number of approved words that can be used in speech by anyone living in the Ark. When Benjamin is reported dead, Letta begins questioning everything and everyone she has known. No longer certain of whom to trust, she sets out on a journey of discovery and determination, that will either set her free or end her life.
Not usually one for dystopian novels, I found much to relate to in this book. It had some elements and echoes of other novels I have enjoyed (1984, Fahrenheit 451, etc.) and as someone who spends as much time as possible reading, the concept of an increasingly limited vocabulary to describe human life and expereince was both fascinating and terrifying.
I highly recommend giving this book a try.
Not usually one for dystopian novels, I found much to relate to in this book. It had some elements and echoes of other novels I have enjoyed (1984, Fahrenheit 451, etc.) and as someone who spends as much time as possible reading, the concept of an increasingly limited vocabulary to describe human life and expereince was both fascinating and terrifying.
I highly recommend giving this book a try.
This book started off with a cray concept. A list of words that are approved and the rest are banned, that's preposterous. There was intrigue and excitement at first, but half way through I lost interest from the slow pace of the story. The writing was good and the characters had depth. It just didn't keep my attention the way I wanted it too. Three stars.
A bit of a slow start but once the story got more intriguing, this was a pretty good book. The world-building was good at times, decent at others, and the main story arc was pretty engaging once we finally got into it. I do wish it would've been less of a slow burn to get to the meat of the story (I definitely needed a smidge more foreshadowing for some revelations that came late in the book) but otherwise, I enjoyed this book quite a bit.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This just felt unoriginal and unrealistic. The writing itself wasn't bad, but I just couldn't get into this story or this world as it was presented. Could have been worse, but it also could have been a lot better. This sort of reminded me of MaddAddam (philosophy-wise), but with a Mary Sue protagonist and geared toward middle schoolers.
A wonderful MG dystopian novel, with a strong message about the importance of language.
A unique ability is given to words: they can convey ideas and spur people into action that might be unwanted by those in positions of power. The List by Patricia Forde portrays a world in which there is a List of 500 words people can use and a plot to remove even that small liberty.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Letta is the apprentice to Ark's Wordsmith, leaving her with the responsibility of helping to maintain a record of words, even those that are no longer allowed to be spoken by common people. After the Wordsmith goes on a word-finding trip, Letta is left in charge of the shop when a boy her age comes in, bleeding and in need of help. In helping to make him well and hiding the boy from the authorities, Letta learns of and works to fight against a deplorable plot to remove everyone's language ability.
The story was interesting and moved relatively quickly once the basic plot and character information was introduced. While I may be biased toward enjoying stories that rely strongly upon language and the preservation of words and artistic thought, I was intrigued to see how the story would develop but was moderately disappointed to encounter quite stereotypical characters in an otherwise entertaining story. The narrative was reminiscent of much seminal literature that depicts dystopias that heavily censor their citizens, which could help to offer familiarity benchmarks for readers but could also hurt it by causing readers to actively compare them; however, this novel offers a more timely, accessible censorship dystopia for younger readers.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Letta is the apprentice to Ark's Wordsmith, leaving her with the responsibility of helping to maintain a record of words, even those that are no longer allowed to be spoken by common people. After the Wordsmith goes on a word-finding trip, Letta is left in charge of the shop when a boy her age comes in, bleeding and in need of help. In helping to make him well and hiding the boy from the authorities, Letta learns of and works to fight against a deplorable plot to remove everyone's language ability.
The story was interesting and moved relatively quickly once the basic plot and character information was introduced. While I may be biased toward enjoying stories that rely strongly upon language and the preservation of words and artistic thought, I was intrigued to see how the story would develop but was moderately disappointed to encounter quite stereotypical characters in an otherwise entertaining story. The narrative was reminiscent of much seminal literature that depicts dystopias that heavily censor their citizens, which could help to offer familiarity benchmarks for readers but could also hurt it by causing readers to actively compare them; however, this novel offers a more timely, accessible censorship dystopia for younger readers.