Anderson, M.T. (2004). Feed. New York, New York: Candlewick Press. ISBN: 978073622596
320 pages
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Science-Fiction
Age Level: 15-19
Stars: 4 stars
Subjects: Future, Dystopia, Brain-Washing, Family, Relationships
Reader's Annotation
In a bleak future, televisions and computers are connected directly to people's brains, creating a consumer-driven society where independent thought is frowned upon, and Titus never questions this world until he meets Violet, a home-schooled girl who dares to think for herself.
Summary
Everything is just fine in Titus' world. He has an Internet/Television feed that connects directly to his brain and life is simple. It is a world of consumerism with the main priorities of fashion, immediate pleasures, and shopping. When Titus and his friends are on the moon, they catch an illness that freezes their feeds for a few days, and in the void, they actually think. It is there that Titus meets Violet, a home-schooled girl who has an opinion and thinks for herself. After their recovery, Violet and Titus begin dating but the fundamental differences between them and their world views drive them apart as the consumer-driven society pushes itself to the brink and Violet succumbs to an illness that leaves her incapacitatated.
Notes
This is a great read for teens, especially older teens. It is a chilling novel that has taken threads of our current society and fleshed them out to show what the world would be like if these disturbing trends continued. Teens who read this may reconsider how connected their lives are and should be, and what repercussions that might have in the future.
Awards
2002 National Book Award for Young People's Literature Finalist
2003 Boston-Globe Horn Book Award for Fiction
2003 Golden Duck Awards Hal Clement Award for Young Adults
Other Information
Readers who enjoy the topic might want to explore Scott Westerfeld's Uglies Trilogy.
