Loved this book. MT Anderson creates a unique character named Titus with an unforgettable, ironically funny voice. Titus lives in a world where people are linked directly to the internet (or to the “feed”) through their minds. The “feed” is a two-way street, not only can the user access whatever information they want, they are also constantly inundated with ads. But unfortunately Titus’s feed is hacked into by a group of terrorists who for some reason don’t believe the feed is a good thing.
While Anderson’s ability to immerse himself into his character and into the world he creates kind of turned me off in Octavian Nothing, it was masterfully done here. I was hooked from the hilarious first line: “We went to the moon to have fun, but the moon turned out to completely suck.” HA! I think this book would appeal to adults who aren’t typical YA readers. Especially those who like sci fi/tech kind of books.
*spoilers below*
The ending of Feed really left me thinking–not only about the message but also about the fact that the author chose not to have a hopeful tone at the end, which many believe to be a key ingredient in children’s literature. In this case, the author was right to ignore this credo, since it was obvious throughout that he didn’t approve of the world he set up or even of the behavior of his main character. Anderson wasn’t afraid to make Titus do obviously mean/unfeeling things, which made the character all the more realistic.
[Disclaimer: I checked this book out from the library.]
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