Dystopian Novels and Real-Life Civil Rights

I recently read an article by Amy Alkon regarding her experiences with a TSA agent violating her civil liberties by sexually molesting her.

Some might think Ms. Alkon's take on the incident (being subjected to a pat-down) is extreme and overwrought. You might even think that she deserves to pay the $500,000 lawsuit filed against her for taking her story to her blog and accusing the agent of rape. But whether you think her outcry was justified or not, if you read any dystopian novels, it probably gave you a little twinge of unease.

There are many dystopian novels out there, especially when it comes to Young Adult literature, and of those I've read, many of them deal with a society where people have surrendered their rights (in most cases, willingly) for the "protection" of the government.

In The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, children were sacrificed to a violent, sadistic game and forced to kill each other in exchange for the provisions the government provided.

In Matched by Allie Condie, people married not for love, but for biological and genetic purposes to produce the most viable offspring. The government tells the characters what to read, what to do and what to think. The consequences for going against the Society were severe and often included death.

In Delirium by Lauren Oliver, love is seen as a disease and people flock like sheep to be cured. Those who'd rather not be cured, are persecuted and exterminated.

These are just a couple examples, and each of them made me a tad uneasy when I read them because I see a parallel in our own society. Sure, it's just a pat-down right now (because why shouldn't we allow our persons to be violated just because we want to visit our grandma and paid an outrageous amount to do so?), but what else will we surrender for the "protection" of the government?

I'm not a radical or activist by any means, but I'm beginning to resent how much the government interferes in my personal life—something I will keep in mind this November.

The Coolest Thing About Becoming a Secondary Education Teacher

The coolest thing about becoming a secondary education teacher: I get to read YA novels and call it "research."

I kid you not.

At a recent meeting for prospective MAT (that's Masters of Arts in Teaching) students, we were ENCOURAGED to read young adult literature because, and I quote "it's a gateway into the mind of an adolescent." I'm sure you YA writers are squeeing with excitement at this. To think, that TEACHERS are reading about love triangles and were-creatures and sparkly vampires to better understand their students.

Honestly, it makes me giddy that this was one of the suggestions to the new recruits, even if I thought, "Well, duh. All high school teachers should read YA so they know what their students are into." But then it made me realize that I never ONCE saw any of my teachers with a YA book. It's a shame, really. We might have had more to talk about. But then, back in my day (yeah, I'm ancient), I didn't really understand what YA literature was. It was just stuff I read for fun, while the teachers prattled on about how awesome Of Mice and Men and The Last of the Mohicans were.

And, call me crazy, but I seriously hope that I will be able to introduce some YA novels into the required reading and, you know, actually DISCUSS them on an intellectual level. Ah, daydreams.

Now, back to my current YA novel.

Book Review: Beautiful Creatures

I put off reading Beautiful Creatures because I thought it was just another teen vampire novel. I'm happy to say there wasn't a vampire in sight (though one character did come close).

Set in the small, backward town of Gatlin, S.C., the story is told from first person POV. And, here's another nice twist, the POV character isn't female. The male MC, Ethan, tells the story from his POV. Even though this story was written by two female writers--Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl--the MC felt genuinely masculine (if not overly so) and had the same thoughts, hopes and dreams that I imagined any sixteen-year-old boy would have. (Except that he's maybe a little more in touch with his feelings; or at least more honest about them.)


Enter the new girl. (Didn't see that coming, did you?) Lena Duchannes is an odd one. Dark-haired, pale, but (of course) gorgeous, she wears a lot of black and writes on everything. Everyone immediately dislikes her because she's "not like them" and the name-calling and nastiness ensues. Ethan, of course, is drawn to Lena in a way he can't explain and becomes her champion...becoming an outcast in the process. A bit predictable, yes, but the setting and MC's take on things make it a worthwhile read.


But if you were thinking Lena might be a vampire, you're wrong. She's a witch. (Completely redeems the book in my eyes.) And she's also cursed. (Of course.) When she turns sixteen, she will either become a Dark or Light witch. The choice isn't hers, and the countdown begins. Ethan and Lena try to discover a way to prevent her from becoming a Dark witch as they explore their feelings for each other (and the nightmares they share). It turns out that the small town of Gatlin has more secrets (and more magic) than anyone could have ever guessed or suspected hidden under its southern pride and confederate sympathies. 


This was a fairly fast-paced book. (I read it in two days.) The characters were interesting and there were enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. The thing I loved most about this book, however, was that the title referred not to the witches (or Casters, as they preferred to be called), but to humans. As Macon Ravenwood (Lena's uncle and the closest thing to a vampire in the book) says, "Humans are such beautiful creatures." (Roughly. I don't have the book on me at this time, but that's the gist of what he says.)


A pretty good YA book (and the Civil War history was really interesting). Out of five stars, I give it four.


The sequel, Beautiful Darkness, is now out in hardcover. I'll put it on my to-read list.