480 pages
Published Jan. 17, 2017 by Katherine Tegen Books.
This could have been a much better book if there was not so much emphasis on cruelty, sociopath behavior, violence and intolerance. I'll try another series.
This could have been a much better book if there was not so much emphasis on cruelty, sociopath behavior, violence and intolerance. I'll try another series.
It's a unique book that does not ask much from the reader, yet has potential for critical thought.
I've seen several reviews commenting on how to book includes references to racism, apartheid, and other disturbing conditions present in the world today, and sites these as why they dislike the book. The horrible truth is that these things all exist in our world, and ignoring them isn't going to alter that. I believe that this book actually does an impressive job at demonstrating why many of these issues still persist today, and how we can work towards ending them. The book certainly does not celebrate them.
Below are some general plot/setting stories that I hope I can use the support my view on the novel.
The Thuvhesit and Shotet are enemy nations living on the same planet. The Thuvhesit are described as lighter skinned with a wispy, soft language, while the …
It's a unique book that does not ask much from the reader, yet has potential for critical thought.
I've seen several reviews commenting on how to book includes references to racism, apartheid, and other disturbing conditions present in the world today, and sites these as why they dislike the book. The horrible truth is that these things all exist in our world, and ignoring them isn't going to alter that. I believe that this book actually does an impressive job at demonstrating why many of these issues still persist today, and how we can work towards ending them. The book certainly does not celebrate them.
Below are some general plot/setting stories that I hope I can use the support my view on the novel.
The Thuvhesit and Shotet are enemy nations living on the same planet. The Thuvhesit are described as lighter skinned with a wispy, soft language, while the Shotet are depicted as darker skinned, with a more guttural language. In the early chapters of the book we hear about how many of the Thuvhesit people see the Shotet as brutal savages who have zeal only in violence and their religion worshiping the current. Later in the novel, after one of the main characters is forced to live among the Shotet, he slowly begins to understand there is more to this group of people then what he was raised to believe. The more that the Thuvhesit and Shotet characters interact, the more they realize that there many deeper layers to their respective cultures than the paper thin caricatures that have been painted before them.
This is a powerful statement on why racism, ethnocentrism, and all other forms of hate are so prevalent in the world; ignorance. People fear what they do not understand, and that fear turns to anger and hate.
From a plot perspective, the book is entertaining. Does the world unravel around you, painting a picture of a setting that has been planned out for decades down to the most minor details? No.
Is it a fun book that attempts to tackle some massive cultural problems while maintaining a "young adult fiction" feel? Yes.
Perhaps that's why many have disliked the book. It can feel jarring to be faced with this tragic problem recurring in your head, while reading a light novel that almost jumps off the page.
There are problems with the book of course; plot holes, unbelievable situations, and convenient deus ex machinas (Why my review is 3/5 stars). If those are what keep you from reading the book, then I completely understand. But don't avoid the book just because you might have to stop reading for a moment and think about massive, real world problems.
