The Missing series, Book 1 Margaret Peterson Haddix Simon & Shuster Fiction, MG Sci-Fi Themes: Time Travel ***+
Description
Thirteen-year-old Jonah always knew he was adopted, but never wondered about his birth parents until he received the letter. In a plain envelope,
without a return address, it claimed he was one of the "Missing." He brushes it off as a bad prank - he is, after all, in seventh grade, and some
of his classmates can be jerks - but then a second note arrives: "Beware! They're coming back to get you!" When his best friend Chip, who never knew
he was adopted, receives the same letter, it suddenly isn't funny anymore.
While Chip becomes obsessed with digging for answers, joined by Jonah's younger sister Katherine (a sixth-grade pain who never lets go of whatever
she's sunk her teeth into), Jonah himself wants nothing to do with it... not even when the trail leads them to the FBI, a government conspiracy,
altered realities, and many more adopted children, all living in the same area. Unlike Chip, he always had a happy home; he doesn't want to be part of
what sounds more and more like a bad Hollywood thriller. But, even if Jonah won't search for the truth, that won't stop the terrible truth from finding
him.
Review
I found Haddix's Shadow Children books (the two I read, at least) reasonably entertaining, so when I found this book clearance-priced, I
figured it'd be worth a try. Jonah started out a reasonable protagonist, but I soon tired of his willful ignorance; if the reader's window to the world
deliberately keeps closing the blinds because it doesn't want to see what's outside, it doesn't make for a great reading experience. The plot advances
in spite of, not because of, his actions; both Chip and Katherine make far more interesting characters, investing themselves fully in the mystery. Maybe
it's because of this, but the clues to the conspiracy feel random and more than a little convenient to the plot. The last 80-odd pages compensate by
moving almost too quickly, concluding by hurtling the reader off the edge of a cliffhanger. The ending, at least, pulled things together reasonably,
with enough originality for the extra half-star in the ratings. Overall, Found read fast, and I've killed afternoons in far worse books.
The Shadow Children sequence, Book 1 Margaret Peterson Haddix Aladdin Fiction, MG Sci-Fi Themes: Dystopias ****
Description
Twelve-year-old Luke has been a criminal since he was born, a forbidden third child in violation of the Population Laws put into effect after
overpopulation and famine devastated the world's food supplies. Living on a farm, with acres of forest to hide him, he's managed to stay out of
sight. But now the Government's building houses on his old sanctuary, forcing Luke into his attic room - possibly the rest of his life.
At first he doesn't mind so much - after all, he's never even met another human outside his family, and he's been hiding since before he could walk
- but soon he grows restless, spying on his new neighbors and imagining their lives. Then he sees a face in the window of one of the fancy new
houses... a strange, young face, in a home where two other children already live. Soon, Luke learns that he's not the only "shadow child" in the
world, and that some of his fellows are getting tired of hiding. But can shadow children really change a world that doesn't even want them to
exist?
Review
This read fast, and I enjoyed it. Overpopulation is one of the major problems facing our world today, for all that it's one that's intrisically
difficult for our species deal with; the line between human rights and human responsibilities, between individual survival and overall species/planet
survival, is an increasingly treacherous one. The book didn't bog itself down rallying behind one view or another; Luke gets to hear both sides, and
learns that the truth can't be judged by extreme angles or governed by extreme laws. As implied, this is the start of a multistory arc, or possibly a
full-fledged series, but still Haddix pulls off a few dark twists that don't conform to the standard Young Adult sci-fi tale formula. I'll have to
look for the next books in this sequence when I scrape together some manner of book budget.
The Shadow Children sequence, Book 2 Margaret Peterson Haddix Aladdin Fiction, MG Sci-Fi Themes: Dystopias, Schools ****
Description
Luke Garner once thought he was the only illegal third child in the world, until he discovered Jen Talbot, the third child of a "Baron" in a
new housing development near his family's farm. Jen wanted to rally all the thirds to demand freedom from the oppressive Population Laws, but her
revolutionary vision led to her death... and Luke's discovery by Jen's heartbroken father, himself an agent in the dreaded Population Police.
Through his contacts, Luke now has a fake ID, a new name - Lee Grant - and a chance at a normal life... or as normal as any third child can hope
for in this dystopian future.
Sent to the Hendricks School for Boys, Luke-turned-Lee is both terrified and secretly hopeful. After all, he's never been to a real school before.
But something's not right about Hendricks, something worse than the school bully who latches onto him from the first day. Nobody seems to know or
care what classes he's supposed to go to. Half the children are catatonic. The teachers and staff hardly notice what's going on. Luke finds himself
drawn deeper into the school's peculiar mysteries... and finds himself in greater danger of discovery than ever before.
Review
Much like the first book, Luke's world is painted in shades of paranoia and oppression, with highlights and shadows in secrets and fear. There's a
certain whiff of plot convenience now and again, both in Luke's discoveries and dangers and in the characters he encounters. Some elements begin to
strech credulity; even the deepest of conspiracies has to start tripping over its own feet eventually, but some impossibly fast action behind the scenes
invariably prevents a tumble. Once again, Haddix uses Luke and his world to debate moral and legal issues, though now Luke is starting to form his own
opinions rather than letting others and their propaganda do it for him. Overall, it's a nice story that reads fast and dark. I wouldn't mind reading
more.
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