I found this when my brother was at his piano concert. It happened to be at the library, so while the other kids played, I went looking for books. I had also been looking at this for a while. It seemed very appealing. Because it is true in real life. "You are what you hear." People are judged almost immediately on their choices. And every parent wants their family to have a good name so they make their kids capable of making the right choices. But could some go so overboard as to turn their kids into mindless robots, only seeking the path to success and pushing aside everyday mundane things?
Here's the cover-
Candor is a model town. Founded by Oscar's father, Mr. Banks, it is the best place on Earth for kids with behavioral issues. And some just want to live there for the bragging rights. Why? Because of the Messages. No one fights the Messages because they seep into your brain eventually. Hidden inside music CDs, they transform even the most rebellious children into perfect Ivy League students. And parents are given special Booster Messages custom made for each family to support their children.
Oscar has been resisting the Messages ever since he found out what they were. He acts like the model child of Candor for his father and the rest of the town, but no one has ever found out about his secret plans. He takes the richest and most hopeless cases out of town before they change. Because the world needs a few bad kids to keep everything interesting.
His life has been going according to plan until he meets Antonia "Nia" Silva. She's a rebel girl, dressed in all black, an artist and a graffiti vandal. Not that it's all a bad thing. After seeing the reactions of other kids to her, Oscar decides to get to know her better. Soon he finds himself falling in love and becoming the real him just for her. Oscar just can't bear to see the Messages change her once and for all. So he creates his own Booster Music for her. Special messages like "The Messages can't change me." or "I am worthy.", "I am unique." and things like that.
But somehow, a leak springs and Oscar's father becomes aware of his plans. Now it's up to Oscar to save the girl of his dreams from the robot factory known to the United States as Candor, Florida.
My thoughts-
Just about one of the most meaningful books I've read. Interestingly enough, I think the story is quite believable and the book isn't nearly as harmful as I thought it would be originally... Doesn't every parent want their child to live a good life? Well, I think some would go so extreme as to turn their kid into a robot if their kid weren't already well behaved. But despite getting good grades and all that jazz, there should still be some room for creativity. And mundane pleasure. Like for example, there was a message for body space that said, "Respectful space in every place.". Now that kind of thing prevented the children from even holding hands while they were on a date. Weird. Now who wouldn't want to hold their boyfriend or girlfriend's hand while they were going to a movie or the ice cream parlor.
A big lesson in this story- "Everything is only good in moderation." Even the most talented students need a break to relax and act like a normal person. In short, you can't make the perfect kid. Every kid will still have imperfections. It's just the parent's choice whether they want to ignore or fix the imperfections.
There is no sequel to this one, but I have two more books to read before I go on vacation. I'll try to get them reviewed within the next three weeks.
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