Age Group: 
Young Adult

Genre:
Science Fiction, American, Coming-of-age, Social Commentary

Awards:
National Book Award Nominee for Young People’s Literature (2002), Los Angeles Times Book Prize (2002), ALA’s Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults (2003)

Breakdown:
Titus, a teen from the future, and his best buddies just like to hang out on the moon and get drunk at parties. All of them have a feed- or computer chip- implanted in their brains. It offers helpful suggestions about what to purchase, what to watch, what to do and how to live. Titus and his friends don’t think twice about using the feed to make decisions. But all that changes when their feeds are temporarily hacked. Titus’ new love interest, Violet, is seriously hurt. And as her feed loses its hold on her, she begins to make some radical accusations that Titus must fight to understand.

My Thoughts:
M.T. Anderson might just have made a perfect prediction about our future. And it looks pretty grim. Titus and his buddies are perfect little consumerists. Corporate control has literally gotten into their brains. Its a frightening prospect. Poor Violet tries to resist the mind control, but she is quite alone. Not even Titus can make sense of it all. This was a very compelling read, rich in futuristic dialogue, and disturbingly similar to present society.

Try it out for yourself! Pick up Feed from your local VPL library today.

In search of more pseudo-apocalyptic sci-fi? Try these other great novels:

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (very popular! Request it today!)

2. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

3. The Giver by Lois Lowry (Newbery Medal 1994)