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danessa_mae's review
4.0
At first the book is kind of slow and hard to understand, but once you get into the book its really good.
katec9999's review
4.0
Global warming has caused the polar ice caps to melt and sea levels to rise; consequently, much of the Earth’s land has disappeared, leaving only high-lying islands. A corporation run by a woman known as Earth Mother now rules all of the islands. Honor and her family have moved to Island 365, and from the outset it looks like they’ll have a hard time fitting in. First of all, Honor’s name is all wrong. Everyone born in her year has a name that begins with H, but Honor’s name has a silent H and is therefore all wrong. Honor’s family also sings songs (forbidden), stays out past curfew (a serious offense), and worst of all, has a second child. Honor grows more and more embarrassed by her family’s disrespect of the rules, but her embarrassment turns to concern when she finds out what happens to people who do not fit in. [return][return]This book is similar to other futuristic children’s books, like the City of Ember books and the Shadow Children series. If you liked those books then you’ll probably like this one; however, it’s not a standout. I liked how some of Earth Mother’s rules were similar to the rules of the former Chinese ruler Mao Zedong, like how all people had to hang a picture of her in their house and have a book of her sayings. It is truly frightening how Earth Mother and the people who work for her are able to control the population.
coliecat73's review
4.0
Way good, but I think it could have been better. Some of the description was confusing and the ending didn't really resolve anything, in my opinion.
trekbicycles's review
4.0
Timeless themes of hope and defiance make this a poignant read right now. Allegra Goodman wraps us in a world of censorship, injustices, and blatant lies - and calls us to question the system, object to cruel practices, and insist our voice is heard, no matter the consequences.
purstiltski's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best books I've ever read. So many questions about the way the world is run... books that make you think are always the best.
salicat's review
4.0
What if society as we knew it ended through a series of natural disasters? And a woman (who resembles the classic cookie-baking grandmother) rose up to organize those left in the wake of a ruined world and created a new order? One where the skies and earth are regulated so that bad weather and catastrophe is nonexistent? Where there is no such thing as disorder?
This is the world the author creates for Honor Greenspoon- ten years old when the book starts, fourteen when it ends. We don't know the precise year Honor occupies, it could be anywhere from 2050 to 4000. But the continents have practically dissolved because of a worldwide flood- the inhabitable spaces left are patches of land that stood the storm and flood tests. They're now called islands. The grandmother-lady, who everyone calls Earth Mother, keeps the islands, and everything else, numbered.
But like any paradise of fiction, all is not what it seems. Underneath the Earth Mother's rules and climate regulations is a sinister plan, which Honor, to her horror, realizes can mean the end of her life as she knows it.
The author has mastered most of the elements of story they teach you in creative writing classes: description, plot, pace, etc. Character...not as much. I found that Honor's parents and friends were a little wispy for me. Still, for anyone wanting to write, this book can provide a great model on how to write a well-crafted, thoughtful, page-turner.
Of course, I wondered if the new world was predominantly white- the only reference made to the existence of people of color were some 'tanned girls with smooth black hair.' I don't think this was intentional- I don't know the author's background, but I think the general tendency with writers is to reflect the backgrounds they know in their writing. And if most writers grow up around and befriend only people of their own races, well, there you go. But to get back to the story...
I think Goodman was probably influenced by Brave New World and 1984- in a lot of ways, it seems as if she decided to just merge those two plots. In addition to deriving from Twilight Zone and sci-fi movies. For an adult reader, this might take down its originality grade a notch, but of course a child reader won't care about such things. The best thing is, the book will make the reader, regardless of age, think about larger issues like environmental hazards, authority, politics, etc. And that's always a feat in itself.
This is the world the author creates for Honor Greenspoon- ten years old when the book starts, fourteen when it ends. We don't know the precise year Honor occupies, it could be anywhere from 2050 to 4000. But the continents have practically dissolved because of a worldwide flood- the inhabitable spaces left are patches of land that stood the storm and flood tests. They're now called islands. The grandmother-lady, who everyone calls Earth Mother, keeps the islands, and everything else, numbered.
But like any paradise of fiction, all is not what it seems. Underneath the Earth Mother's rules and climate regulations is a sinister plan, which Honor, to her horror, realizes can mean the end of her life as she knows it.
The author has mastered most of the elements of story they teach you in creative writing classes: description, plot, pace, etc. Character...not as much. I found that Honor's parents and friends were a little wispy for me. Still, for anyone wanting to write, this book can provide a great model on how to write a well-crafted, thoughtful, page-turner.
Of course, I wondered if the new world was predominantly white- the only reference made to the existence of people of color were some 'tanned girls with smooth black hair.' I don't think this was intentional- I don't know the author's background, but I think the general tendency with writers is to reflect the backgrounds they know in their writing. And if most writers grow up around and befriend only people of their own races, well, there you go. But to get back to the story...
I think Goodman was probably influenced by Brave New World and 1984- in a lot of ways, it seems as if she decided to just merge those two plots. In addition to deriving from Twilight Zone and sci-fi movies. For an adult reader, this might take down its originality grade a notch, but of course a child reader won't care about such things. The best thing is, the book will make the reader, regardless of age, think about larger issues like environmental hazards, authority, politics, etc. And that's always a feat in itself.
mcmazloum's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
brendaclay's review against another edition
4.0
I read this in one sitting on an airplane. It's as disturbing and well-done as The Giver, but with a female protagonist and set on a tropical island after global warming melts the ice caps and floods most of the earth. Great stuff!