Monday, October 24, 2011

Best new take on an old idea

Dystopian books have been super hot and tons of them have been published. This week I’m giving away one and writing about another. At the end of this blog, you can read how you could win a copy of “Shatter Me” by Tahereh Mafi!

But first, the book I’m writing about this week is Gabrielle Zevin’s “All These Things I’ve Done.” I was beginning to think that everything in the dystopian genre had been done… until I started reading it. Zevin combines a semi-dystopia with a strong narrator, aspects of the Godfather movies and a sprinkling of religion to create a gripping, funny and very moving book. It’s a unique innovation on this genre.

The book pays homage to the dystopian genre in several important ways. The world is in trouble. Chocolate and caffeine are banned, creating a prosperous black market. Shortages of clothing and medicines are as regular as the curfews. And, the main character takes on the semi-totalitarian government via a familiar dystopian path of the hero.

The exceptional aspect of this book is the presence of religion. Annie (the main character) is Catholic and really tries to follow her religion throughout the book. Of all of the recent YA dystopia I’ve read, religion hasn’t really factored in very much. I’m very interested to see what happens next because the plot of the first book didn’t follow the typical dystopian story arc.

Now, here’s how you can win! Mafi’s book “Shatter Me” is reminiscent of the X-Men movies and comic books. If you like them, you’re going to love this book. Tell me who your favorite X-Man is and why in the comments below and you could win. Don’t forget to give me your email.

1 comment:

  1. Wolverine!!he's awesome, lives forever without aging, and has metal claws and he kicks butt!

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