The Other Side of the Island - Allegra Goodman

This is another one of those books that I picked up simply because it was a teen book, and cost only $2. I've been reading a lot of dystopian books lately, and this seemed like another good one to add to my collection.

Imagine a world where everything, from weather to school, jobs, and housing, is controlled by one person. This "Earth Mother", as she is called by the characters of the book, has slowly started controlling the world, island by island, after a flood. This was not just any old flood - it was a pretty major, earth-changing flood. Earth Mother decided that real weather is too Unpredictable. Unpredictable things can be dangerous, which instilled so much fear into the human race that people started fleeing to these controlled areas, where Earth Mother is regarded as a god of sorts, and all traces of old government and old religion are abolished. Earth Mother takes everything into her own hands - songs of praise are changed to worship her, books are not allowed to be owned in homes, drawing is forbidden, and portions of books are even changed (and only found at schools and libraries, of course) to fit with the new teachings.

While some people are essentially brainwashed and follow anything and everything Earth Mother/her government tells them to do, there are of course those who rebel. Bad things happen to people who rebel and are caught - they disappear forever. Honor's parents happen to be rebels to Earth Mother's plan.

I wasn't blown away by this book or anything, but I did enjoy it and read through it in one sitting. The story was somewhat predictable, but that didn't take away from the experience at all. While I had theories on what was going to happen and where Honor's parents were, I was glued to the book waiting to figure out if I was right or wrong.

One interesting thing to note is that Honor's age changes as the book progresses. She begins at a younger age (10) which was a bit strange for me to get used to, as I normally read books with much older protagonists. However, the book spans a number of years as Honor grows and learns more about the world and forms her own opinion of Earth Mother. I thought this was a nice touch, as it isn't something I've encountered often in my readings.

An interesting read that goes beyond your typical "teen wants to fit in" plotline. If you're looking for something dystopian but fresh, I would recommend this one. It's not your typical teen book by any means, and it lags at parts, but the author has created a compelling world.

SCORE: 7/10
IF YOU LIKE: The Sky Inside (Clare Dunkle), Floodland (Marcus Sedgwick)