❋
Building 903
by Lois Lowry
Enchanting
★★★★☆
Lois Lowry is back with yet another dystopian societal commentary. In this novel, the leader Koziris has created a society revolving around control and censorship; there are no books, music, trees or animals, and every move is monitored. Honestly, this story is somewhat of a modern adaptation of The Giver with a hint of Fahrenheit 451, but reframed for today's societal issues.
First of all, the world-building was impeccable. Lois Lowry is able to transport you into this extremely censored society in a way that makes it feel like the day-to-day norm. The way she writes modern, everyday items into obsolescence to show the regime’s hold on society is flawless. Lowry also shows the digitization of the world as something that’s written off as a natural progression, leaving behind playgrounds that are now treated as artifacts that children look down on.
The characters were likeable, but I felt like I didn’t know any of them. The main characters are a pair of twins, Tessa and Theo. The story also focuses on their parents and their neighbour, who leaves behind a book for Tessa. The main premise is that Theo goes missing before he has to be taken away from his family to join a government education program, which would mean never speaking to them again. Tessa finds out through her dad, who has been working on a secret communication device, that Theo is still alive, and they go out to find him while trying to keep everything hidden from the government.
Now, I understand that this book is for middle-grade readers, but even though I thought the world-building was brilliant, the characters and story fell flat for me. I understand why Lowry wrote this book, and I think it is a really relevant and timely read, but the plot itself was not working for me; it felt like a background character to Tessa’s discovery of everything that was banned, which gets very redundant the longer the story goes on.
All in all, it was a good book that I think many middle-grade readers would enjoy. I would just be looking for more depth in the plot and characters, but overall a great read.
Thank you to Lois Lowry, Clarion Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
First of all, the world-building was impeccable. Lois Lowry is able to transport you into this extremely censored society in a way that makes it feel like the day-to-day norm. The way she writes modern, everyday items into obsolescence to show the regime’s hold on society is flawless. Lowry also shows the digitization of the world as something that’s written off as a natural progression, leaving behind playgrounds that are now treated as artifacts that children look down on.
The characters were likeable, but I felt like I didn’t know any of them. The main characters are a pair of twins, Tessa and Theo. The story also focuses on their parents and their neighbour, who leaves behind a book for Tessa. The main premise is that Theo goes missing before he has to be taken away from his family to join a government education program, which would mean never speaking to them again. Tessa finds out through her dad, who has been working on a secret communication device, that Theo is still alive, and they go out to find him while trying to keep everything hidden from the government.
Now, I understand that this book is for middle-grade readers, but even though I thought the world-building was brilliant, the characters and story fell flat for me. I understand why Lowry wrote this book, and I think it is a really relevant and timely read, but the plot itself was not working for me; it felt like a background character to Tessa’s discovery of everything that was banned, which gets very redundant the longer the story goes on.
All in all, it was a good book that I think many middle-grade readers would enjoy. I would just be looking for more depth in the plot and characters, but overall a great read.
Thank you to Lois Lowry, Clarion Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
J