As much as I disliked Hotlanta is as much as I liked Little Brother.
But, since I have to be negative somewhere in here, I love the reference to 1984, and I feel personally gratified when I get a reference, do teenagers get it? I think I underestimate teenagers today. But unless 1984 is their required reading are they going out of their way to read it? Although, they might know the phrase Big Brother is watching, without knowing where it originates. Maybe they think it comes from the tv show...
Moving on...
I really thought everything about this book was good. And should have definite appeal to teens. I thought it was scary and eerily possible (I'll leave my politics out of it, but I imagine it was written during and with a thought to the Bush administration.)
Marcus and his friends seemed like totally normal kids, like it could happen to anyone. Wrong place, wrong time and look at that. I actually had a fear of that as a kid, I have no idea why but I used to imagine what I'd do if I was wrongfully accused of murder. I was an odd kid. As I got older it occurred to me to NOT put myself in situations where people got murdered and I'd probably be ok. But, it is true, how DO you prove you DIDN'T do something. Easy to prove you did it. But how do you get them to believe you didn't? Scarrrrrrrrry.
I think the part I found really funny and true to life was when Marcus and his girlfriend had sex, not that they did or what they did, but when they did it. It seemed very teenage, (any age?) like, something really important is happening, nah we have time for it. Hilarious.
I also liked the topic, constructive use of time. I think that Marcus made the best of the situation by fighting against the man (hehe) and not just sitting back and taking it. I do not think Noah Scalin made productive use of his time making all those Skulls. Ooh I am making it sound like art is a waste of time...but I don't think those will be on display in the Louvre 100 years from now...
Thursday, March 12, 2009
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I really love what you said about being in the wrong place at the wrong time...that's something that every teenager really needs to learn. My dad and I always joke about how much brother seemed to always sense when it was a time to leave a party right before the cops busted it (they were all underage in high school). Somehow everyone got arrested but my brother...he must have had a 6th sense or something. If only we could bottle that up and sell it.
But yeah, I totally agree with you on that.
As for 1984, I dunno. A group of my friends in high school picked it up on their own (and convinced me to do the same) because they had heard about it...but we were also kind of literary snots, too. I don't know if teens would pick it up on their own, but I think if you booktalked it, it would be a pretty easy sell? Taking down the government, us vs. them, etc has always been a hot topic for adolescents.
As for Skulls, I think what you're really talking about is artistic preference rather than quality. I think Noah probably knows his work isn't going to make it to the Louvre. But if it makes its way into the hands of teens, that's probably just as good. Or to a good NYC gallery.
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