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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Review: Empty

by:  Suzanne Weyn
published by:  Scholastic

It's the near future - the very near future - and the fossil fuels are running out. No gas. No oil. Which means no driving. No heat. Supermarkets are empty. Malls have shut down. Life has just become more local than we ever knew it could be.



Nobody expected the end to come this fast. And in the small town of Spring Valley, decisions that once seemed easy are quickly becoming matters of life and death. There is hope - there has to be hope - just there are also sacrifices that need to be made, and a whole society that needs to be rethought.


Teens like Nicki, Tom, and Leila may find what they need to survive. But their lives are never going to be the same again.

I had a lot of high hopes for this book.  It sounded like it had a really great premise.  It sounded like it would be a really cool dystopian type novel. 

Unfortunately, this book just wasn't what I had hoped it would be.  I felt like the whole book was kinda preachy about consumption, not just about oil consumption, but all consumption on the part of Americans.  The book wasn't badly written or anything like that and the story carried well.  It just wasn't something I was in the mood to be chastised about.

I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading this book because it was pretty interesting, but be warned that it's a "tree-hugger" type book.

5 comments:

ParaJunkee said...

I hate preachy books - especially if they are my opposite view point ;)

But even so, I don't go out and buy Glenn Beck's fiction novels because I know it is going to be his normal rhetoric wrapped in a fiction story. I might agree with it, but I want to get lost in a book not read your ideology.

"Tree Hugger" type book - you crack me up.

You know what aggravates me even worse though...is that the majority of this crap is geared to teenagers - and a lot of them think because they read it in a book it is real, especially if it is disguised as a real world fact. But the thing is, it's fiction so they can say whatever they want - because it is fiction. Sheesh. Ok I ranted in your comment section once again. Sorry! XOXO

Jessica said...

I've been wanting to read this one, but now I think I'll wait, or skip it altogether. Thanks for your honest review. The main reason the Maximum Ride series lost its appeal to me is because it took that environmentalist route and became more about the fight against global warming than anything else.

Shallee said...

Thanks for the review! I saw this at the bookstore today and nearly got it, but I, too, am not a fan of preachy books. Glad I went with Paranormalcy instead! :)

Alison Can Read said...

Thanks for the review. I think it's so easy for dystopia to fall into preachiness...since the genre is built upon the flaws of our society. I think that's one of the reason I don't like the genre very much. It's hard to do a non-depressing or didactic novel.

Angelique said...

I actually LOVE books that are preachy about environmental issues as it is a subject very dear to my heart. I will be picking this one up lol!!