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The Scavengers
When the world started to fall apart, the government gave everyone two choices: move into the Bubble Cities…or take their chances outside. Maggie's family chose to live in the world that was left behind. Deciding it's time to grow up and grow tough, Maggie rechristens herself "Ford Falcon"—a name inspired by the beat-up car she finds at a nearby junkyard. Ford's family goes to this junkyard to scavenge for things they can use or barter with the other people who live OutBubble. Her family has been able to survive this brave new world by working together. But when Ford comes home one day to discover her home ransacked and her family missing, she must find the strength to rescue her loved ones with the help of some unlikely friends.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
32 people are currently reading
878 people want to read
About the author
Michael Perry
25 books607 followersMichael Perry is a New York Times bestselling author, humorist and radio show host from New Auburn, Wisconsin.
Perry’s bestselling memoirs include Population 485, Truck: A Love Story, Coop, and Visiting Tom. Raised on a small Midwestern dairy farm, Perry put himself through nursing school while working on a ranch in Wyoming, then wound up writing by happy accident. He lives with his wife and two daughters in rural Wisconsin, where he serves on the local volunteer fire and rescue service and is an amateur pig farmer. He hosts the nationally-syndicated “Tent Show Radio,” performs widely as a humorist, and tours with his band the Long Beds (currently recording their third album for Amble Down Records). He has recorded three live humor albums including Never Stand Behind A Sneezing Cow and The Clodhopper Monologues, is currently finishing his first young adult novel, and can be found online at www.sneezingcow.com.
Perry’s essays and nonfiction have appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Backpacker, Outside, Runner’s World, Salon.com, and he is a contributing editor to Men’s Health magazine. His writing assignments have taken him to the top of Mt. Rainier with Iraq War veterans, into the same room as the frozen head of Ted Williams, across the United States with truckers and country music singers, and—once—buck naked into a spray-tan booth.
In the essay collection Off Main Street, Perry wrote of how his nursing education prepared him to become a writer by training him in human assessment, and he credits singer-songwriters like Steve Earle and John Prine with helping him understand that art need not wear fancy clothes. Above all, he gives credit to his parents, of whom he says, “Anything good is because of them, everything else is simply not their fault.” His mother taught him to read and filled the house with books; his father taught him how to clean calf pens, of which Perry has written, “a childhood spent slinging manure – the metaphorical basis for a writing career.”
Perry has recently been involved in several musical collaborations, including as lyricist for Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Geoffrey Keezer, and as co-writer (with Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon) of the liner notes for the John Prine tribute album “Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows.” Perry also collaborated with Vernon and Flaming Lips lead singer Wayne Coyne on a project that began when Vernon approached Perry and said, “Say, you’re a nurse…” The results were bloody, but then that was the point.
Of all his experiences, Perry says the single most meaningful thing he has ever done is serving 12 years beside his neighbors on the New Auburn Area Fire Department.
Mike says:
If I had to sum up my ‘career’ in one word, it would be gratitude. I get to write and tell stories all around the country, then come home to be with my family and hang out at the local feed mill complaining about the price of feeder hogs. It’s a good life and I’m lucky to have it.
Perry’s bestselling memoirs include Population 485, Truck: A Love Story, Coop, and Visiting Tom. Raised on a small Midwestern dairy farm, Perry put himself through nursing school while working on a ranch in Wyoming, then wound up writing by happy accident. He lives with his wife and two daughters in rural Wisconsin, where he serves on the local volunteer fire and rescue service and is an amateur pig farmer. He hosts the nationally-syndicated “Tent Show Radio,” performs widely as a humorist, and tours with his band the Long Beds (currently recording their third album for Amble Down Records). He has recorded three live humor albums including Never Stand Behind A Sneezing Cow and The Clodhopper Monologues, is currently finishing his first young adult novel, and can be found online at www.sneezingcow.com.
Perry’s essays and nonfiction have appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Backpacker, Outside, Runner’s World, Salon.com, and he is a contributing editor to Men’s Health magazine. His writing assignments have taken him to the top of Mt. Rainier with Iraq War veterans, into the same room as the frozen head of Ted Williams, across the United States with truckers and country music singers, and—once—buck naked into a spray-tan booth.
In the essay collection Off Main Street, Perry wrote of how his nursing education prepared him to become a writer by training him in human assessment, and he credits singer-songwriters like Steve Earle and John Prine with helping him understand that art need not wear fancy clothes. Above all, he gives credit to his parents, of whom he says, “Anything good is because of them, everything else is simply not their fault.” His mother taught him to read and filled the house with books; his father taught him how to clean calf pens, of which Perry has written, “a childhood spent slinging manure – the metaphorical basis for a writing career.”
Perry has recently been involved in several musical collaborations, including as lyricist for Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Geoffrey Keezer, and as co-writer (with Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon) of the liner notes for the John Prine tribute album “Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows.” Perry also collaborated with Vernon and Flaming Lips lead singer Wayne Coyne on a project that began when Vernon approached Perry and said, “Say, you’re a nurse…” The results were bloody, but then that was the point.
Of all his experiences, Perry says the single most meaningful thing he has ever done is serving 12 years beside his neighbors on the New Auburn Area Fire Department.
Mike says:
If I had to sum up my ‘career’ in one word, it would be gratitude. I get to write and tell stories all around the country, then come home to be with my family and hang out at the local feed mill complaining about the price of feeder hogs. It’s a good life and I’m lucky to have it.
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December 17, 2017
A reviewer called this “BoxCar Children meets Hunger Games.” and that seems pretty accurate.
Anyone else in love with the scavenger lifestyle portrayed on Jakku in Star Wars The Force Awakens? I was – I never wanted the story to leave that planet, I found it absolutely fascinating.
The Scavenger builds a very similar world, but it takes the culture we only glimpsed on Jakku and takes it to the tenth power. There is a LOT of time spent world building in this book, but unlike some books, where it feels as if the author paused in the middle of the narrative to give you a tour, the world building in this book is woven naturally through the book. It is amazingly good – I spent half of the book groaning and grinning and wiggling over the world building – yes, it’s that good. A scavenger society, a dystopian world full of Bubble Cities and corn fields, woods full of junk, technology that is slightly more steampunk-ish topped off with a Southern quirkiness and culture.
The narrative was simply put – beautiful. This is a dreamy poignancy to the narrative that contrasts uniquely with the darker, scrappier story. The “voice” in this book has the simple stark beauty that will stay with you and strikes harder to home.
PLOT: The unanswered questions ARE the plot. The author takes the time to build a story, taking over half of the book to set the stage, but because of his delicate foreshadowing it never feels slow or disjointed. The slight tilt in Maggie’s world, the irregularities showing up in her daily life – that IS the plot. And how strange and beautifully refreshing to see that in a genre like dysoptian – where there is usually way more politics and action –not a bad thing, but not unique either.
CHARACTERS: Maggie / Ford Falcon – think Rey from Star Wars only (gasp) in my opinion better / more consistent. She doesn’t move from tough, non-talking coolness to bouncy, smiling, adventurous and tenderhearted without rhythm or reason – nope, both of these sides are woven TOGETHER and make an organic whole.
Maggie (or Ford Falcon as she prefers to be called) is the scrappy heroine I’ve been looking for, because she doesn’t just dig for junk or swing her SpitStick – she sleeps in an old car, reads poetry and drinks Earl Gray, goes to great lengths to make her mother smile, tenderly looks out for her brother even though he drives her crazy.
Then we have her Mother, a woman trying to hold it together and fight in this hard world, but longing for the finer things, brewing tea and reading Emily Dickerson under a tree with her daughter. Maggie’s father, a quirky, bouncy man full of dark and painful secrets and hiding an amazing brain. Dookie, Maggie’s brother, who has developmental disabilities and aside from other restrictions, can only speak gibberish – but he possesses intuition and bravery. Then we had Toad, the quirkiest, “old guy” character you’ll see in a bit, who talks exclusive in Pidgin English and deliberately scatters his dialogue with old-fashioned language and Spoonerisms.
THE MESSAGE:
There is a lot of disturbing wisdom hidden in this book, making it reminiscent of Fahrenheit in that it was written with the purpose TO disturb, to inform—to disrupt readers from their contented little train of thought, to tap on the blinders we wear on our headers and point and whisper: “This could happen to your world too. It IS happening around you—open your eyes.”
A world disaster has creaked chaos and the government, teaming up with big corporations, steps in and makes Bubble Cities. You can live InBubble or OutBubble, but once you make your choice on Declaration Day, there are no second chances.
Those that live OutBubble have to contend daily with Grey Devils, solar bears and eeking out a desperate living.
GreyDevil are a kind of zombie-like human who are hideously unkempt, physically disfigured, unable to speak and unable to form cohesive thoughts. They exist to eat CornVivia.
CornVivia is the wonder food of this century. Genetically modified corn that is solving the world’s problems—but it’s only for those living InBubble and is protected by guards, fences and other security measures.
The problem with CornVivia is that there is also a little “extra something” that InBubbles must take in order to be able to eat it. To ensure that they corner the market and get rich, the government has developed a special substance that each InBubble dweller must be injected with—supposedly it allows them to eat the Corn without getting sick. But in reality, it is a drug that makes them insatiable want the corn and go into horrible withdrawals without, to the point that – if they DON’T eat the corn – they will turn into the zombie-like GreyDevils – they will come so undone at not getting the food they are craving they will self-destruct.
Every week – I stand in a grocery store and look at package after the package with the small print “genetically modified.” What does that mean, exactly? Can it stop? This is a world where nurses are losing their jobs for refusing to take mandatory "flu shots." when the government’s own data on settled cases due to vaccine injuries show that the flu vaccine causes more serious injuries, including death, than all other vaccines combined. And yet, they are mandatory.
This book whispers of the dangers of globalization, genetic modification, and the dangers of mandatory “shots” or medicine that is allegedly there to “protect” or “help you.” weaving together in a chilling narrative and a world that is not so different from our own.
This book also tackles the question of what freedom means. Maggie chooses at the end to continue scraping out a living OutBubble – but her family remains InBubble. Maggie would rather have the hard lifestyle and not have a government dictating to her. Whereas her parents, feel they have no choice, and choose the security of a dictator.
What does freedom mean to you? To most people (especially in America) it means freedom to do what you want, freedom to be happy, freedom to be comfortable. To most people freedom means “license to do what I please and a guarantee against discomfort.”
Only the few would choose Maggie’s freedom—living off the grid, outside of a city that “takes care of her needs.” Scrimping and saving, digging in dirt for junk to sell. Finding her food in the ground, fighting off zombies every day, alone and struggling.
Maggie has seized upon the truth of “better to fall then to crawl” with both hands. It’s an uncomfortable freedom, it’s a wild journey with no guarantees—she doesn’t have the license to do whatever she wants whenever she wants—but she is free and understands it to a depth that many will never begin to grasp.
I also understand in a small way, the pain and the sacrifice that Maggie must make to choose the harder route.
I have numerous family members who are not Christians and who have vastly different political views—and it is a painful schism that cannot be crossed, no matter how hard I want to. I’ve looked into family members eyes and known there is absolutely nothing I can do—I have chosen my path and they have chosen theirs.
This book is a hard book to swallow, because it confronts the sad truth that things don’t always end perfectly. We can’t fix anybody, we can’t make anybody chose – we can’t keep the people we love safe through mere effort. Life isn’t neat and tidy.
NOT SO LOVELY THINGS.
The characterization really did fall upon at the two villains. We went from well crafted characters to too cartoon villains and they really stuck out because of the contrast. Even if they hadn’t seemed misplaced, I despise cartoon villains unless the book is SUPPOSED to be a romp or silly (such as Heroes Guide to Saving Your Kingdom) but since this was, in general, a more serious book, it was an annoying inconsistency.
CONTENT: This is where the book lost a star for me.
Numerous crude words or snippets of dialogue – not really disgusting but certainly nothing I appreciated. The GreyDevils are drinking themselves into a stupor every night with Partswash (a brew of who-knows-what kind of boiled junk) and repeatedly harass our heroes. One truly disturbing sequence where Ford realizes one of the GreyDevils rooting in the ground for corn is wearing her father’s shirt. When she grabs him and turns him around, she realizes it IS her father. Her father was injected years ago and is going into withdrawals without the Corn. He has turned, physically, mentally and emotionally in a slobbering, gibbering monster. It is a sequence that really, REALLY bothered me and is really disturbing.
This book is full of heartbreak, the reality of life’s hardness and yet it is very subtly done. Ford watches her mother strain and struggle against hardship, fading like a flower every day. She wants her father become more erratic, more distant. She watches her brother living in a world she cannot reach and eventually succumbing to seizures.
Summary:
This really did feel like the first book in a series, but it was written three years ago and there isn’t a sequel and no indication that there will be. I’m still struggling with how I feel about that. In a way, I like it, because this book was all about that raw, unfinished feeling and leaving it slightly hanging open to suggestion and possibilities (rather reminiscent of flash fiction) is not only a bold and unique move for a novel – but also rather in keeping thematically.
Because life’s sequences don’t wrap up in perfect bows – a lot of loose ends remain untied.
On the other hand, I kind of DO want to know more and what could have happened next. But, since this book proved to be very intense to me (a super-sensitive reader), it’s probably better in the long run there wasn’t a sequel and now I won’t be tempted to read more nightmare material.
Anyone else in love with the scavenger lifestyle portrayed on Jakku in Star Wars The Force Awakens? I was – I never wanted the story to leave that planet, I found it absolutely fascinating.
The Scavenger builds a very similar world, but it takes the culture we only glimpsed on Jakku and takes it to the tenth power. There is a LOT of time spent world building in this book, but unlike some books, where it feels as if the author paused in the middle of the narrative to give you a tour, the world building in this book is woven naturally through the book. It is amazingly good – I spent half of the book groaning and grinning and wiggling over the world building – yes, it’s that good. A scavenger society, a dystopian world full of Bubble Cities and corn fields, woods full of junk, technology that is slightly more steampunk-ish topped off with a Southern quirkiness and culture.
The narrative was simply put – beautiful. This is a dreamy poignancy to the narrative that contrasts uniquely with the darker, scrappier story. The “voice” in this book has the simple stark beauty that will stay with you and strikes harder to home.
PLOT: The unanswered questions ARE the plot. The author takes the time to build a story, taking over half of the book to set the stage, but because of his delicate foreshadowing it never feels slow or disjointed. The slight tilt in Maggie’s world, the irregularities showing up in her daily life – that IS the plot. And how strange and beautifully refreshing to see that in a genre like dysoptian – where there is usually way more politics and action –not a bad thing, but not unique either.
CHARACTERS: Maggie / Ford Falcon – think Rey from Star Wars only (gasp) in my opinion better / more consistent. She doesn’t move from tough, non-talking coolness to bouncy, smiling, adventurous and tenderhearted without rhythm or reason – nope, both of these sides are woven TOGETHER and make an organic whole.
Maggie (or Ford Falcon as she prefers to be called) is the scrappy heroine I’ve been looking for, because she doesn’t just dig for junk or swing her SpitStick – she sleeps in an old car, reads poetry and drinks Earl Gray, goes to great lengths to make her mother smile, tenderly looks out for her brother even though he drives her crazy.
Then we have her Mother, a woman trying to hold it together and fight in this hard world, but longing for the finer things, brewing tea and reading Emily Dickerson under a tree with her daughter. Maggie’s father, a quirky, bouncy man full of dark and painful secrets and hiding an amazing brain. Dookie, Maggie’s brother, who has developmental disabilities and aside from other restrictions, can only speak gibberish – but he possesses intuition and bravery. Then we had Toad, the quirkiest, “old guy” character you’ll see in a bit, who talks exclusive in Pidgin English and deliberately scatters his dialogue with old-fashioned language and Spoonerisms.
THE MESSAGE:
There is a lot of disturbing wisdom hidden in this book, making it reminiscent of Fahrenheit in that it was written with the purpose TO disturb, to inform—to disrupt readers from their contented little train of thought, to tap on the blinders we wear on our headers and point and whisper: “This could happen to your world too. It IS happening around you—open your eyes.”
A world disaster has creaked chaos and the government, teaming up with big corporations, steps in and makes Bubble Cities. You can live InBubble or OutBubble, but once you make your choice on Declaration Day, there are no second chances.
Those that live OutBubble have to contend daily with Grey Devils, solar bears and eeking out a desperate living.
GreyDevil are a kind of zombie-like human who are hideously unkempt, physically disfigured, unable to speak and unable to form cohesive thoughts. They exist to eat CornVivia.
CornVivia is the wonder food of this century. Genetically modified corn that is solving the world’s problems—but it’s only for those living InBubble and is protected by guards, fences and other security measures.
The problem with CornVivia is that there is also a little “extra something” that InBubbles must take in order to be able to eat it. To ensure that they corner the market and get rich, the government has developed a special substance that each InBubble dweller must be injected with—supposedly it allows them to eat the Corn without getting sick. But in reality, it is a drug that makes them insatiable want the corn and go into horrible withdrawals without, to the point that – if they DON’T eat the corn – they will turn into the zombie-like GreyDevils – they will come so undone at not getting the food they are craving they will self-destruct.
Every week – I stand in a grocery store and look at package after the package with the small print “genetically modified.” What does that mean, exactly? Can it stop? This is a world where nurses are losing their jobs for refusing to take mandatory "flu shots." when the government’s own data on settled cases due to vaccine injuries show that the flu vaccine causes more serious injuries, including death, than all other vaccines combined. And yet, they are mandatory.
This book whispers of the dangers of globalization, genetic modification, and the dangers of mandatory “shots” or medicine that is allegedly there to “protect” or “help you.” weaving together in a chilling narrative and a world that is not so different from our own.
This book also tackles the question of what freedom means. Maggie chooses at the end to continue scraping out a living OutBubble – but her family remains InBubble. Maggie would rather have the hard lifestyle and not have a government dictating to her. Whereas her parents, feel they have no choice, and choose the security of a dictator.
What does freedom mean to you? To most people (especially in America) it means freedom to do what you want, freedom to be happy, freedom to be comfortable. To most people freedom means “license to do what I please and a guarantee against discomfort.”
Only the few would choose Maggie’s freedom—living off the grid, outside of a city that “takes care of her needs.” Scrimping and saving, digging in dirt for junk to sell. Finding her food in the ground, fighting off zombies every day, alone and struggling.
Maggie has seized upon the truth of “better to fall then to crawl” with both hands. It’s an uncomfortable freedom, it’s a wild journey with no guarantees—she doesn’t have the license to do whatever she wants whenever she wants—but she is free and understands it to a depth that many will never begin to grasp.
I also understand in a small way, the pain and the sacrifice that Maggie must make to choose the harder route.
I have numerous family members who are not Christians and who have vastly different political views—and it is a painful schism that cannot be crossed, no matter how hard I want to. I’ve looked into family members eyes and known there is absolutely nothing I can do—I have chosen my path and they have chosen theirs.
This book is a hard book to swallow, because it confronts the sad truth that things don’t always end perfectly. We can’t fix anybody, we can’t make anybody chose – we can’t keep the people we love safe through mere effort. Life isn’t neat and tidy.
NOT SO LOVELY THINGS.
The characterization really did fall upon at the two villains. We went from well crafted characters to too cartoon villains and they really stuck out because of the contrast. Even if they hadn’t seemed misplaced, I despise cartoon villains unless the book is SUPPOSED to be a romp or silly (such as Heroes Guide to Saving Your Kingdom) but since this was, in general, a more serious book, it was an annoying inconsistency.
CONTENT: This is where the book lost a star for me.
Numerous crude words or snippets of dialogue – not really disgusting but certainly nothing I appreciated. The GreyDevils are drinking themselves into a stupor every night with Partswash (a brew of who-knows-what kind of boiled junk) and repeatedly harass our heroes. One truly disturbing sequence where Ford realizes one of the GreyDevils rooting in the ground for corn is wearing her father’s shirt. When she grabs him and turns him around, she realizes it IS her father. Her father was injected years ago and is going into withdrawals without the Corn. He has turned, physically, mentally and emotionally in a slobbering, gibbering monster. It is a sequence that really, REALLY bothered me and is really disturbing.
This book is full of heartbreak, the reality of life’s hardness and yet it is very subtly done. Ford watches her mother strain and struggle against hardship, fading like a flower every day. She wants her father become more erratic, more distant. She watches her brother living in a world she cannot reach and eventually succumbing to seizures.
Summary:
This really did feel like the first book in a series, but it was written three years ago and there isn’t a sequel and no indication that there will be. I’m still struggling with how I feel about that. In a way, I like it, because this book was all about that raw, unfinished feeling and leaving it slightly hanging open to suggestion and possibilities (rather reminiscent of flash fiction) is not only a bold and unique move for a novel – but also rather in keeping thematically.
Because life’s sequences don’t wrap up in perfect bows – a lot of loose ends remain untied.
On the other hand, I kind of DO want to know more and what could have happened next. But, since this book proved to be very intense to me (a super-sensitive reader), it’s probably better in the long run there wasn’t a sequel and now I won’t be tempted to read more nightmare material.
March 22, 2019
I'm not sure if I'll have time to write a full review of this. Here's the brief run-down:
- great heroine
- excellent worldbuilding
- wonky pacing with a veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyy slow first half and a very rushed second half
- questions asked in the beginning but never answered
- wHAT THE HECK WAS THAT ENDING. LIKE. THAT GOT DARK, SIR.
- great heroine
- excellent worldbuilding
- wonky pacing with a veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyy slow first half and a very rushed second half
- questions asked in the beginning but never answered
- wHAT THE HECK WAS THAT ENDING. LIKE. THAT GOT DARK, SIR.
June 24, 2023
Love the language, especially the spoonerisms and word-play of Toad, but also the nicknames, the word-puzzles & brainteasers, the poems of Emily Dickinson, the invented language of Dookie and of the 'Patriotic Partnership' (for CornVivia, substitute Monsanto).
Love the characters; they're not overly complex, but neither are they stereotypical or simple. A family could have a rich discussion about the differences between each of them. And, for that matter, between Ford Falcon's parents and Laura Ingalls Wilder's parents, and also the respective challenges of survival they faced.
The first half of the book was a lot of world-building, and just a bit slow to me as I'm an experienced reader of these kinds of 'post-apocalyptic' stories. But the book is marketed to children, probably those aged 10-12 especially, and all that build-up is necessary (especially to less-experienced readers) for a full understanding of the very exciting second half, in which there's an exciting two-part quest and a revelation of all sorts of secrets.
The main reason I chose this was because the author is one of my very favorites, and I was not disappointed. It has hardly anything in common with his earlier non-fiction, but the man can write. Period.
---
Reread.
There needs to be a sequel so we learn (along with the young hero) more world-building, and so we see what she does next. (Perry has said he's working on it.)
"When a poem is just right, it's your own heart you hear talking."
Read poems just a few at a time "After the 4th poem or so, you're just swallowing cold tea."
(Men changed Emily Dickinson's poems before they published them?!/ Um, maybe?)
(Look up her poem *White Heat* aka *Dare you see a soul.*)
Love the characters; they're not overly complex, but neither are they stereotypical or simple. A family could have a rich discussion about the differences between each of them. And, for that matter, between Ford Falcon's parents and Laura Ingalls Wilder's parents, and also the respective challenges of survival they faced.
The first half of the book was a lot of world-building, and just a bit slow to me as I'm an experienced reader of these kinds of 'post-apocalyptic' stories. But the book is marketed to children, probably those aged 10-12 especially, and all that build-up is necessary (especially to less-experienced readers) for a full understanding of the very exciting second half, in which there's an exciting two-part quest and a revelation of all sorts of secrets.
The main reason I chose this was because the author is one of my very favorites, and I was not disappointed. It has hardly anything in common with his earlier non-fiction, but the man can write. Period.
---
Reread.
There needs to be a sequel so we learn (along with the young hero) more world-building, and so we see what she does next. (Perry has said he's working on it.)
"When a poem is just right, it's your own heart you hear talking."
Read poems just a few at a time "After the 4th poem or so, you're just swallowing cold tea."
(Men changed Emily Dickinson's poems before they published them?!/ Um, maybe?)
(Look up her poem *White Heat* aka *Dare you see a soul.*)
June 2, 2014
Originally published at Views from the Tesseract:http://shanshad1.wordpress.com/2014/0...
The old adage goes “you can’t judge a book by its cover” and it’s true–most of the time. Or at least, you can’t judge a book, but sometimes you might just put a lot of hope behind the book matching the cover. Which brings me to The Scavengers. From the moment I saw that cover, I wanted the book to match–because there’s soooo much good going on with that cover! Well folks, what you see on that cover? It’s pretty much a good idea of what you’re going to find inside. There’s a strong middle grade female protagonist, there’s an old abandoned car, there’s bubble cities, and yup, there are chickens too.
Welcome to a near future, an imagined dystopia where the weather and safety is breaking down, making it a risky buisiness to live on the land. People have two choices in this brave new world, to live in promised safety and happiness underBubble in great domed cities, or to struggle to survive OutBubble, on a land with unpredictable weather, fierce predators and no modern conveniences. Maggie, aka Ford Falcon is a twelve-year-old whose family lives OutBubble, scavenging what they can find to make a life. With her father acting strangely and her mother caring for her younger brother, it’s up to Ford Falcon to help take care of her family. She knows how to scare off a fierce solar bear and face down a whole milling mob of GreyDevils. She’s strong and capable and able to face just about anything that life throws her way (other than a certain villainous rooster). But when her family goes missing, this gutsy tween will need all her resources to survive and plan a rescue.
Where to start? Let’s start with the first person narrator, Maggie. Our protagonist has decided that in the face of the rough new world she lives in, she needs a new name, so she christens herself “Ford Falcon” taking the name from the abandoned car that she’s claimed as her own. This is a girl who has looked danger in the eyes and figured out she’d rather face it than run from it. Her voice in the narrative ranges from thoughtful to funny, but always honest as she pulls readers into her world. Ford Falcon’s not yet into the open teenage rebellion years–but she’s got an independent streak a mile long and it serves her well in her environment. It doesn’t hurt that she’s is genuinely likable–a character with an earthy “can-do” attitude, a streak of temper and just enough vulnerability for reader’s to really identify with her. Ford Falcon’s first person narration of the story never falters. From her ongoing exasperation with the local rooster and his hacking crow, to her taking time out for “the Earl and poetry”, Ford Falcon continually shows herself not to be a caricature or a stereotype, but a solid character with her flaws, quirks and strengths. While it’s not uncommon in tween fiction featuring adventure and rescue to have the protagonist joined by a friend, or group of friends in pursuit of their goal, it’s fairly rare to find a lone female protagonist in this kind of story. Not that Maggie is completely alone, but she acts for herself, and puts the weight of the world on her own shoulders.
Ford Falcon does have a best friend, but he’s not a kid. “Toad” as he’s called is an old man who has lived on the land for years. His kindness to her entire family in helping them get settled and support and feed themselves is truly a lifesaver. Toad’s relationship with young Ford Falcon is something special. He’s the unapologetic friend who teaches Ford Falcon all the kinds of survival tricks she’ll need, he’s the one who gives her a hunting knife, and he’s the one who never doubts her abilities. When her own father disappears for long hours and sometimes days and her mother wishing she’d act more refined, Toad embraces Maggie as Ford Falcon without reservation. Of course Toad is a quirky individual himself, constantly engaging in wordplay, mixing up words in spoonerisms, using pig latin, or simply mangling the language to what he wishes it to be.
For all that I love the literary aspect of Toad’s wordplay, it winds up being my one real issue with this novel. Toad delights in his wild language and everything out of his mouth is somehow mangled or recreated rather than direct speech. While that’s charming when we first meet him, the device is used a little too often in the first few chapters, and it may turn some readers off the story. It makes reading any passage of conversation with him more challenging, and while I don’t mind it occasionally, the frequency of it pulled me out of the story a few times. Like a character with a colorful accent or conversational tic, it’s useful to add flavor and quirky humor–but in small doses. Too much feels saturated and overdone.
The story takes place in a near future that imagines what North America might be like as climate change continues. The author imagines genetic manipulation of animals and plants taken to whole new levels–and most of it not so good. In this world, the giant company that manipulates the DNA of their corn has conspired with the government to move most of the people into Bubble cities and seize the land for their corn production. It’s pretty obvious who the villains are–and it’s also pretty clear where the author’s views lie in regards to these issues. But the dystopian setting stands as more of a backdrop to the protagonist’s relationship with her family and how she sets about rescuing them. It’s Ford Falcon’s story and it’s a good one.
This is Michael Perry’s first book for kids, and I’ve got to say, I think he nails it. I suspect our author found inspiration for our characters’ lives OutBubble from his own experiences. His adult memoir, Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs and Parenting (2009) seems to have a lot of farming trials and challenges of the sorts that face Ford Falcon and her family. And the plot description on Goodreads mentions that Michael owns a Ford Falcon . . . so it definitely implies he used pieces of his own experiences to color in his characters lives.
Does anyone know if there’s an official term for the inclusion of real book titles in other books? I couldn’t find one when I checked. The Scavengers includes three real book titles–all of which help to forge the character of Ford Falcon. The first of these is Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (c1935). This is the book that Maggie learns to read with, and seems utterly appropriate for their lifestyle on a different sort of frontier. The second is The American Boy’s Handy Book by Daniel Carter Beard (c1880) and yes, this is a real book. The third is The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson, this is a book that sort of defines Maggie’s relationship with her mother and their sessions of tea and poetry. The love of books pours through the pages of this story–and how a writer can speak to the heart of someone lifetimes in the future. For a story that’s about living on a futuristic frontier, rescuing family and uncovering corporate plots and secrets, it’s a surprisingly literary book
This is Michael Perry’s first book for middle grade readers, and he’s done an amazing job of balancing the adventure and suspense with a satisfying ending. There’s room here for a series if he so chooses, but the story can stand on its own. This is among my favorite reads so far this year and I can’t wait to hand it to my young readers hungry for more books!
Note: An advanced reader copy was provided by the publisher.
The old adage goes “you can’t judge a book by its cover” and it’s true–most of the time. Or at least, you can’t judge a book, but sometimes you might just put a lot of hope behind the book matching the cover. Which brings me to The Scavengers. From the moment I saw that cover, I wanted the book to match–because there’s soooo much good going on with that cover! Well folks, what you see on that cover? It’s pretty much a good idea of what you’re going to find inside. There’s a strong middle grade female protagonist, there’s an old abandoned car, there’s bubble cities, and yup, there are chickens too.
Welcome to a near future, an imagined dystopia where the weather and safety is breaking down, making it a risky buisiness to live on the land. People have two choices in this brave new world, to live in promised safety and happiness underBubble in great domed cities, or to struggle to survive OutBubble, on a land with unpredictable weather, fierce predators and no modern conveniences. Maggie, aka Ford Falcon is a twelve-year-old whose family lives OutBubble, scavenging what they can find to make a life. With her father acting strangely and her mother caring for her younger brother, it’s up to Ford Falcon to help take care of her family. She knows how to scare off a fierce solar bear and face down a whole milling mob of GreyDevils. She’s strong and capable and able to face just about anything that life throws her way (other than a certain villainous rooster). But when her family goes missing, this gutsy tween will need all her resources to survive and plan a rescue.
Where to start? Let’s start with the first person narrator, Maggie. Our protagonist has decided that in the face of the rough new world she lives in, she needs a new name, so she christens herself “Ford Falcon” taking the name from the abandoned car that she’s claimed as her own. This is a girl who has looked danger in the eyes and figured out she’d rather face it than run from it. Her voice in the narrative ranges from thoughtful to funny, but always honest as she pulls readers into her world. Ford Falcon’s not yet into the open teenage rebellion years–but she’s got an independent streak a mile long and it serves her well in her environment. It doesn’t hurt that she’s is genuinely likable–a character with an earthy “can-do” attitude, a streak of temper and just enough vulnerability for reader’s to really identify with her. Ford Falcon’s first person narration of the story never falters. From her ongoing exasperation with the local rooster and his hacking crow, to her taking time out for “the Earl and poetry”, Ford Falcon continually shows herself not to be a caricature or a stereotype, but a solid character with her flaws, quirks and strengths. While it’s not uncommon in tween fiction featuring adventure and rescue to have the protagonist joined by a friend, or group of friends in pursuit of their goal, it’s fairly rare to find a lone female protagonist in this kind of story. Not that Maggie is completely alone, but she acts for herself, and puts the weight of the world on her own shoulders.
Ford Falcon does have a best friend, but he’s not a kid. “Toad” as he’s called is an old man who has lived on the land for years. His kindness to her entire family in helping them get settled and support and feed themselves is truly a lifesaver. Toad’s relationship with young Ford Falcon is something special. He’s the unapologetic friend who teaches Ford Falcon all the kinds of survival tricks she’ll need, he’s the one who gives her a hunting knife, and he’s the one who never doubts her abilities. When her own father disappears for long hours and sometimes days and her mother wishing she’d act more refined, Toad embraces Maggie as Ford Falcon without reservation. Of course Toad is a quirky individual himself, constantly engaging in wordplay, mixing up words in spoonerisms, using pig latin, or simply mangling the language to what he wishes it to be.
For all that I love the literary aspect of Toad’s wordplay, it winds up being my one real issue with this novel. Toad delights in his wild language and everything out of his mouth is somehow mangled or recreated rather than direct speech. While that’s charming when we first meet him, the device is used a little too often in the first few chapters, and it may turn some readers off the story. It makes reading any passage of conversation with him more challenging, and while I don’t mind it occasionally, the frequency of it pulled me out of the story a few times. Like a character with a colorful accent or conversational tic, it’s useful to add flavor and quirky humor–but in small doses. Too much feels saturated and overdone.
The story takes place in a near future that imagines what North America might be like as climate change continues. The author imagines genetic manipulation of animals and plants taken to whole new levels–and most of it not so good. In this world, the giant company that manipulates the DNA of their corn has conspired with the government to move most of the people into Bubble cities and seize the land for their corn production. It’s pretty obvious who the villains are–and it’s also pretty clear where the author’s views lie in regards to these issues. But the dystopian setting stands as more of a backdrop to the protagonist’s relationship with her family and how she sets about rescuing them. It’s Ford Falcon’s story and it’s a good one.
This is Michael Perry’s first book for kids, and I’ve got to say, I think he nails it. I suspect our author found inspiration for our characters’ lives OutBubble from his own experiences. His adult memoir, Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs and Parenting (2009) seems to have a lot of farming trials and challenges of the sorts that face Ford Falcon and her family. And the plot description on Goodreads mentions that Michael owns a Ford Falcon . . . so it definitely implies he used pieces of his own experiences to color in his characters lives.
Does anyone know if there’s an official term for the inclusion of real book titles in other books? I couldn’t find one when I checked. The Scavengers includes three real book titles–all of which help to forge the character of Ford Falcon. The first of these is Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (c1935). This is the book that Maggie learns to read with, and seems utterly appropriate for their lifestyle on a different sort of frontier. The second is The American Boy’s Handy Book by Daniel Carter Beard (c1880) and yes, this is a real book. The third is The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson, this is a book that sort of defines Maggie’s relationship with her mother and their sessions of tea and poetry. The love of books pours through the pages of this story–and how a writer can speak to the heart of someone lifetimes in the future. For a story that’s about living on a futuristic frontier, rescuing family and uncovering corporate plots and secrets, it’s a surprisingly literary book
This is Michael Perry’s first book for middle grade readers, and he’s done an amazing job of balancing the adventure and suspense with a satisfying ending. There’s room here for a series if he so chooses, but the story can stand on its own. This is among my favorite reads so far this year and I can’t wait to hand it to my young readers hungry for more books!
Note: An advanced reader copy was provided by the publisher.
Read
February 24, 2020The Scavengers are a family they have to find iron, metal so they can trade them for barter bucks which is money because they live in a wasteland but other people live under a bubble which are called bubble city's and the main characters name is Maggie but her nickname is Ford Falcon her brothers name is Dookie but his real name is Henry and her mom and dad are called Mom and Dad so when Ford Falcon and her dad found metal and iron they had a friend called Toad and his wife Aralinda Toad and Ford Falcon go to a town called Nobborn to go trade the metals and irons for barter bucks so they can buy supplies to live after they got back from that trip it was raining very hard so Ford Falcon had to stay for the nite after she had slept she went back home and saw her home trashed no sign of anyone there then she went to check it out and found only her moms book than she went to a nearby tree sat down for a minute she starts to hear a heart beat she fallows the heart beat and its her brother all beat up she takes him to Toad and Aralinda they take care of him after a month Convoy trucks where coming then lots of Greydevils appear and start to knock down the trucks to get to special corn than Ford falcon finds her dad then they heal him than her dad tells her everything about what happened then she goes to the bubble city because the government took her mother than she talks to this guy and another one that is next to him so she can trade her dad for her mom than she finds her dad because he ran away again then they settle the deal but the dad knew a secret a big one so then they did not take him but took care of him and his family but Ford Falcon wanted to stay out of where they were keeping them so then she goes back home and has a device to face time with her family and then she lived her life
when i found out what was going on it surprised me because i thought that it was just how they lived in the wasteland it blew my mind
when i found out what was going on it surprised me because i thought that it was just how they lived in the wasteland it blew my mind
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2017
Although I didn't care much for the writing style, I ended up liking this book for these reasons:
1. I have a few Toad Hoppers in my life- he was a very real character to me.
2. Ford Falcon's determination, courage and strength- the right kind of feminist- (makes me wonder what the author's daughters are like).
3. The author introduces Little House on the Prairie as one of the few books that Ford Falcon's family owns- then the story continues in a Little house on the prairie fashion- describing how they live off the land, how they make their own tools, and even their travels into town just like LHOP- It's LHOP in a brand new setting
4. The mother's obsession with Emily Dickinson
5. Everything ties together (except Dookie's syndrome, I expected that to be about something, but it's not) which is great for young readers picking up and holding on to important details while they read.
6. THE ENDING IS MARVELOUS- not to give anything away, but it ends on a precipice, with very little resolved. I do love dystopian books, but the characters often take on more than is realistic (like toppling a tyranny single-handed), so seeing a story end in a way that is feasible and open-ended and surprising and requiring courage from the main character was refreshing. The ending made this book unlike any other that I've read of this genre.
1. I have a few Toad Hoppers in my life- he was a very real character to me.
2. Ford Falcon's determination, courage and strength- the right kind of feminist- (makes me wonder what the author's daughters are like).
3. The author introduces Little House on the Prairie as one of the few books that Ford Falcon's family owns- then the story continues in a Little house on the prairie fashion- describing how they live off the land, how they make their own tools, and even their travels into town just like LHOP- It's LHOP in a brand new setting
4. The mother's obsession with Emily Dickinson
5. Everything ties together (except Dookie's syndrome, I expected that to be about something, but it's not) which is great for young readers picking up and holding on to important details while they read.
6. THE ENDING IS MARVELOUS- not to give anything away, but it ends on a precipice, with very little resolved. I do love dystopian books, but the characters often take on more than is realistic (like toppling a tyranny single-handed), so seeing a story end in a way that is feasible and open-ended and surprising and requiring courage from the main character was refreshing. The ending made this book unlike any other that I've read of this genre.
March 27, 2020
I like Michael Perry. This...not so much. I saw a meme a week or so ago to the effect that if the Coronavirus were a YA novel, the strong seventeen-year-old heroine would find the cure just as soon as she chose between the two suitors vying for her attention. [Found that post I was thinking of: https://www.facebook.com/carolyn.g.pa...]. Perry at least spared us the suitors. But an OK girl who becomes more dislikeable as the book progresses? No thanks...
The reader was fair to middling.
The reader was fair to middling.
July 18, 2014
The Scavengers tells the story of a 12 year old girl named Maggie who lives in a junkyard with the rest of her family after a mysterious plague wipes out most of humanity.
First off, my biggest issue with the story was the language. From the cheesily named McMonPfizzler to the nonsensical banter emitting from the mouths of Toad and Ford's brother the language in this book is some of the worst I've read in quite some time and that's saying something considering the lack of swearing in the story.
Secondly, I think the ending, to put it bluntly, blew. Fords actions were selfish and really made me dislike her. She could have saved the world or done something great with her knowledge but instead she throws a tantrum, complains a lot and then winds up back where we started basically making the whole plot pointless. One could argue she chose a "Free" life but I think that was tacked on at the end to justify her decisions. Sorry, not buying it.
Lastly, I really didn't like Ford's brother. I know, I know, I shouldn't say this but if you live in a world like Ford's or really any story that involves a certain level of keeping hidden and quiet it is unbelievable to me that a Child such as Ford's brother (it never states what exactly is the cause of his behavior though we do know he experiences seizures)would be allowed such a free reign as he was. Common sense says you keep those who can't control their actions hidden away or as brutal as it sounds you let them go to save the rest. Yes, Ford's family hasn't had much trouble in the past but that doesn't mean that it was safe enough for him to be screaming through the hills like a banshee as he was.
Now although I had many, many, issues with The Scavengers I actually did enjoy a few small things.
First off, I liked the bubble cities. Sure, we don't get to see inside them in any great detail but the idea of them existing without any real nefarious purpose was kinda cool. Based on what the characters described all those inside chose to live in them, they weren't forced, it's not some lawless society filled with corrupt politicians and roving bands of murderers. In fact, it seems like if it weren't for the Adults issues they'd actually be a great place to have spent the past few years.
Another thing I really enjoyed were the Grey Devils. The best way I can describe them is Meth Heads meets 28 days later. Without their fix, they turn into brutal killing machines but if they are sated they don't pose much threat. The Grey Devils were probably the most interesting thing about the story for me although it's a shame how neutered they were to keep things kid friendly. I bet they'd be downright terrifying if they were allowed to be.
Final Thoughts
The Scavengers could have been a really great story of survival in the face of adversity had it been written for a different genre but I think trying to keep the story Middle Grade friendly hurt it in the end. Will Middle Grade readers like it? Probably, if they tend to be on the younger side of the genre. However, I think for older teens or adults it's better to pass this one by.
With that being said, I'll be rating The Scavengers by Michael Perry ★★.
Originally posted @Blood,Sweat and Books
*Copy reviewed provided by publisher. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in an which way for providing them.
First off, my biggest issue with the story was the language. From the cheesily named McMonPfizzler to the nonsensical banter emitting from the mouths of Toad and Ford's brother the language in this book is some of the worst I've read in quite some time and that's saying something considering the lack of swearing in the story.
Secondly, I think the ending, to put it bluntly, blew. Fords actions were selfish and really made me dislike her. She could have saved the world or done something great with her knowledge but instead she throws a tantrum, complains a lot and then winds up back where we started basically making the whole plot pointless. One could argue she chose a "Free" life but I think that was tacked on at the end to justify her decisions. Sorry, not buying it.
Lastly, I really didn't like Ford's brother. I know, I know, I shouldn't say this but if you live in a world like Ford's or really any story that involves a certain level of keeping hidden and quiet it is unbelievable to me that a Child such as Ford's brother (it never states what exactly is the cause of his behavior though we do know he experiences seizures)would be allowed such a free reign as he was. Common sense says you keep those who can't control their actions hidden away or as brutal as it sounds you let them go to save the rest. Yes, Ford's family hasn't had much trouble in the past but that doesn't mean that it was safe enough for him to be screaming through the hills like a banshee as he was.
Now although I had many, many, issues with The Scavengers I actually did enjoy a few small things.
First off, I liked the bubble cities. Sure, we don't get to see inside them in any great detail but the idea of them existing without any real nefarious purpose was kinda cool. Based on what the characters described all those inside chose to live in them, they weren't forced, it's not some lawless society filled with corrupt politicians and roving bands of murderers. In fact, it seems like if it weren't for the Adults issues they'd actually be a great place to have spent the past few years.
Another thing I really enjoyed were the Grey Devils. The best way I can describe them is Meth Heads meets 28 days later. Without their fix, they turn into brutal killing machines but if they are sated they don't pose much threat. The Grey Devils were probably the most interesting thing about the story for me although it's a shame how neutered they were to keep things kid friendly. I bet they'd be downright terrifying if they were allowed to be.
Final Thoughts
The Scavengers could have been a really great story of survival in the face of adversity had it been written for a different genre but I think trying to keep the story Middle Grade friendly hurt it in the end. Will Middle Grade readers like it? Probably, if they tend to be on the younger side of the genre. However, I think for older teens or adults it's better to pass this one by.
With that being said, I'll be rating The Scavengers by Michael Perry ★★.
Originally posted @Blood,Sweat and Books
*Copy reviewed provided by publisher. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in an which way for providing them.
November 9, 2014
I received this book for free through the Goodreads' First Reads program.
Climate change has hit our world badly, sending things into chaos and people into panic, so the government, teeming up with corporations, steps in and makes Bubble Cities. You can live InBubble or OutBubble, but once you make your choice come Declaration Day, there are no take backs.
Such is the world that 12-year-old Maggie, aka Ford Falcon, lives in with her family and nearby friends, Toad and Arlinda. Today they scrape out a life, growing some food, but mostly looking for scrap in the nearby trash heaps which they take to town to trade for what they need.
But they also have to contend with Grey Devils and solar bears, and I don't want to go into what they are too much because, well, some of the most interesting thing about this story is the world building, so I wouldn't want to give too much away.
Ford is a strong and feisty character. Only 12, but often comes across as much older because of the world and situation in which she lives. It is she who goes into town with Toad in their armoured, ox-drawn cart, fighting off the Grey Devils with Toad and Toby, another neighbor, and she who does the trading for her family.
And it is she who has to figure things out when her parents go missing and everything falls apart...
Overall, I enjoyed this story a fair bit. The first half of the story is mostly day-in-the-life type stuff, setting up the world and the characters - and they are interesting characters, though Toad has this weird way of talking he calls spoonerism which go wearisome.
Things did start dragging here or there, but whenever I started wishing something would happen, it did, so cheers on the pacing.
My biggest issue is actually with the ending. The author does that whole coy thing at the end where instead of telling you everything, he purposely holds back information to make the big showdown more interesting.
I kinda always get a bit irked when authors do this, especially when we see every freaking stray thought Ford has beforehand, but, mostly, in this case, it was annoying because there ended up being a lot of exposition during the big showdown.
Yes, that's right. The big standoff between Maggie and her family and the bad guys ended up being lots of info-dumps from dear old dad.
I understand why the author/dad had to hold back some information, but having lots of exposition in climax, especially in a book which has been pretty action-adventurey, is just really unsatisfying.
Also, there are some threads left dangling for a possible continuation of the series, but I'm not sure how invested I am in these characters. While I did enjoy the story, overall, I'm not sure I'm committed to continuing with it if more do come out. I guess we'll see.
Climate change has hit our world badly, sending things into chaos and people into panic, so the government, teeming up with corporations, steps in and makes Bubble Cities. You can live InBubble or OutBubble, but once you make your choice come Declaration Day, there are no take backs.
Such is the world that 12-year-old Maggie, aka Ford Falcon, lives in with her family and nearby friends, Toad and Arlinda. Today they scrape out a life, growing some food, but mostly looking for scrap in the nearby trash heaps which they take to town to trade for what they need.
But they also have to contend with Grey Devils and solar bears, and I don't want to go into what they are too much because, well, some of the most interesting thing about this story is the world building, so I wouldn't want to give too much away.
Ford is a strong and feisty character. Only 12, but often comes across as much older because of the world and situation in which she lives. It is she who goes into town with Toad in their armoured, ox-drawn cart, fighting off the Grey Devils with Toad and Toby, another neighbor, and she who does the trading for her family.
And it is she who has to figure things out when her parents go missing and everything falls apart...
Overall, I enjoyed this story a fair bit. The first half of the story is mostly day-in-the-life type stuff, setting up the world and the characters - and they are interesting characters, though Toad has this weird way of talking he calls spoonerism which go wearisome.
Things did start dragging here or there, but whenever I started wishing something would happen, it did, so cheers on the pacing.
My biggest issue is actually with the ending. The author does that whole coy thing at the end where instead of telling you everything, he purposely holds back information to make the big showdown more interesting.
I kinda always get a bit irked when authors do this, especially when we see every freaking stray thought Ford has beforehand, but, mostly, in this case, it was annoying because there ended up being a lot of exposition during the big showdown.
Yes, that's right. The big standoff between Maggie and her family and the bad guys ended up being lots of info-dumps from dear old dad.
I understand why the author/dad had to hold back some information, but having lots of exposition in climax, especially in a book which has been pretty action-adventurey, is just really unsatisfying.
Also, there are some threads left dangling for a possible continuation of the series, but I'm not sure how invested I am in these characters. While I did enjoy the story, overall, I'm not sure I'm committed to continuing with it if more do come out. I guess we'll see.
November 29, 2014
SUMMARY – Maggie was an OutBubbler. She and her family live outside the “Bubble-cities” that most people choose live under. The bubble-cities were cities that are under bubble-like domes that “protect” the inhabitants from danger. The OutBubblers live out of the cities and fend for themselves, with no electricity, guns, or other things like it. When Maggie’s family disappears and her house is ransacked, she and her little brother find refuge with their neighbors, Arlinda and Toad Hopper. Maggie soon finds out that her father had things he was doing with the government, and that he had deserted, and the government wanted him back. What will Maggie do?
WHAT I THOUGHT – This was a really cool book. The dystopian factor was cool, but also slightly creepy. I would like to know more about the back-story about the bubble-cities and how they came to be. Toad Hopper, Maggie’s neighbor, is a cool guy. He is sometimes hard to understand, because he uses tons of word-play and pig latin in what he says (for example: Nule Rumber Half A Dancing Skirt) – but it is also kind of fun to decode what he’s trying to say. Maggie is a great female character that you come to care for. She is brave and spunky at the same time. The setting is important to the story. Fortunately for the reader, Mr. Perry is a great story-teller and he vividly described the world. The world really makes it hard for the OutBubblers to live, but it makes it more worthwhile when they succeed. The way the land is described makes me think of a barren wasteland outside of the bubble-cities (besides huge government-run fields of genetically-modified corn). The story-telling in the book is really, really good.
*NOTE* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
WHAT I THOUGHT – This was a really cool book. The dystopian factor was cool, but also slightly creepy. I would like to know more about the back-story about the bubble-cities and how they came to be. Toad Hopper, Maggie’s neighbor, is a cool guy. He is sometimes hard to understand, because he uses tons of word-play and pig latin in what he says (for example: Nule Rumber Half A Dancing Skirt) – but it is also kind of fun to decode what he’s trying to say. Maggie is a great female character that you come to care for. She is brave and spunky at the same time. The setting is important to the story. Fortunately for the reader, Mr. Perry is a great story-teller and he vividly described the world. The world really makes it hard for the OutBubblers to live, but it makes it more worthwhile when they succeed. The way the land is described makes me think of a barren wasteland outside of the bubble-cities (besides huge government-run fields of genetically-modified corn). The story-telling in the book is really, really good.
*NOTE* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
October 8, 2015
The Scavengers by Michael Perry does something quite special. It mixes Perry's standard home town folksy narrative with that of a dystopian science fiction novel. The combination of the two genres is quite striking. From the first moment to the last, you feel a sort of nostalgia toward this future that never existed. A remnant of your own childhood pokes through into the life of Ford Falcon, or at least some remnant of your imaginative playtime as a child.
In truth, Perry does an amazing job at building the world of The Scavengers. We see a great history of food troubles, of government/corporate partnerships, of health care issues, and a whole host of other things that ultimately make this book feel incredibly real. Even the locations for each segment of the tale have a rich history, showcasing how they might have gotten to the state they are in at the time of the novel.
Some may feel as though this world building takes over a bit on the novel. And it does probably take about half of the book before we're even directly introduced to the true issue at hand. But if you can sit back and enjoy the imagery Perry builds, there's due to be a great amount of enjoyment gained from it.
In all, this book turns out to be quite the spectacular read. It might move a tad slower than most other mainstream dystopian fiction (I hear a voice in my head saying "but that's just how things go 'round these parts"), but ultimately I think the juxtaposition of genres works. I'd like to see Perry delve more into the subject matter and see what he can do once he's got the world-building out of the way, as the final third of the book really moves along and gets you wanting to explore the pieces of the book we only get a glimpse at, such as the bubble cities themselves.
In truth, Perry does an amazing job at building the world of The Scavengers. We see a great history of food troubles, of government/corporate partnerships, of health care issues, and a whole host of other things that ultimately make this book feel incredibly real. Even the locations for each segment of the tale have a rich history, showcasing how they might have gotten to the state they are in at the time of the novel.
Some may feel as though this world building takes over a bit on the novel. And it does probably take about half of the book before we're even directly introduced to the true issue at hand. But if you can sit back and enjoy the imagery Perry builds, there's due to be a great amount of enjoyment gained from it.
In all, this book turns out to be quite the spectacular read. It might move a tad slower than most other mainstream dystopian fiction (I hear a voice in my head saying "but that's just how things go 'round these parts"), but ultimately I think the juxtaposition of genres works. I'd like to see Perry delve more into the subject matter and see what he can do once he's got the world-building out of the way, as the final third of the book really moves along and gets you wanting to explore the pieces of the book we only get a glimpse at, such as the bubble cities themselves.
May 21, 2015
Don't miss Wisconsin author Michael's Perry's foray into children's fiction, even if you are a grown up! This dystopian chapter book follows twelve-year-old Maggie, (who later renames herself Ford Falcon) her life living outside of the Bubble Cities, and her quest to find her parents after they mysteriously disappear. Despite the futuristic, sci-fi plot, adult fans of Perry's nonfiction will enjoy the little quirks and references to farm life in this book. There is a cranky rooster named Hatchet, neighbors that seem to draw their inspiration from Perry's own neighbor Tom and his wife from "Visiting Tom," and even an homage to Bon Iver. Tweens will love the humor and the adventures of tough Maggie/Ford Falcon. I was disappointed with last third of the book, because the pace felt rushed compared to the rest of the story. While I'm glad Perry avoided a predictable ending, it still felt a bit clunky, but perhaps I felt disappointed because I didn't want this book to end!
Kathleen K. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.
October 11, 2014
Oh my YES. Recommend whole heartedly.
I picked this one on a whim. So much love. I liked the survival elements, but I REALLY liked the choices that had to be made and which ones were made. It just...made sense to me and was true to the characters. So true. I wish this had been out when I was a kid. I enjoyed it, but I would have loved to have grown up with a book like this.
Anyways. Recommend. Go read it. Shoo. Off with you. I'll wait.
Edit: Um. I've noticed a lot of reviews complaining about Toad's crazy language. It is kind of a whirlwind of silliness. There, you've been warned ;).
I picked this one on a whim. So much love. I liked the survival elements, but I REALLY liked the choices that had to be made and which ones were made. It just...made sense to me and was true to the characters. So true. I wish this had been out when I was a kid. I enjoyed it, but I would have loved to have grown up with a book like this.
Anyways. Recommend. Go read it. Shoo. Off with you. I'll wait.
Edit: Um. I've noticed a lot of reviews complaining about Toad's crazy language. It is kind of a whirlwind of silliness. There, you've been warned ;).
September 27, 2014
My 10 year old son and I read this together. We loved it. It's a dystopian adventure with a strong (and funny) heroine. I haven't seen any other dystopian written for the MG audience. This is a perfect book for tween and young teens.
February 27, 2018
I really wish they would write a second book! :)
August 2, 2017
For the first half of this book, I was planning to give it four stars. Then, the McGuffins begin to pile up awkwardly as it moves toward a resolution, and at that point the world-building begins to crash and burn. In fact, the main character even asks questions at the end of the book about some of the unresolved plot points, but not in the way that would set things up for a sequel. The reader has had those same questions all along, and they're just not answered.
The strength of this book is that it takes on several interesting concepts, like the question of whether people will give up their freedom to protect themselves from murky and ill-defined dangers. Based on recent events, the answer is yes, but to what extent? The resolution leads to some disheartening answers.
The weakness is the villains, who are cartoony beyond belief, especially the one who giggles evilly. I mean, who really does that? I found myself actually empathizing with the other villain, and his desire to preserve things from his past, at any cost. He's still a creep, just one you could feel sorry for, especially when he hugs a toy after almost destroying it.
The technology was a blend of today's mechanical tech and a biology far in advance of ours, which felt odd. Also, I still can't figure out how the zombie-like people actually SURVIVE, as described.
It's not until well into the book that the reader has any clue why people would opt out of the bubble cities, and I'm still not sure the outside world is viable if you're near the corn farms, as things play out.
Still, it was a fun adventure, and I LOVED the main character. The portrayal of her younger brother, who was probably somewhere on the autism spectrum but also with another medical problem, was interesting, but added a layer of stress to family already in a bad situation. The family's escape from the bubble cities concept didn't make sense until well into the book, but at least there's a payoff for that one. Neighbor Toad's Spoonerisms and word-jokes were driving me crazy. Sorry, but the idea that he does that even in emergencies is SO counter-survival...people working with him would DIE while trying to figure out what he was saying.
Also, and this occurred to me while I was reading it...if you KNOW that zombie-like marauders are basically dormant in the early morning, and that traveling through them is dangerous once they've awakened from what amounts to a hangover...then why not stay in town and return home the NEXT early morning? Has no one really ever thought of this solution? Has no one in the town ever offered traders a place to camp? I mean, really...
The strength of this book is that it takes on several interesting concepts, like the question of whether people will give up their freedom to protect themselves from murky and ill-defined dangers. Based on recent events, the answer is yes, but to what extent? The resolution leads to some disheartening answers.
The weakness is the villains, who are cartoony beyond belief, especially the one who giggles evilly. I mean, who really does that? I found myself actually empathizing with the other villain, and his desire to preserve things from his past, at any cost. He's still a creep, just one you could feel sorry for, especially when he hugs a toy after almost destroying it.
The technology was a blend of today's mechanical tech and a biology far in advance of ours, which felt odd. Also, I still can't figure out how the zombie-like people actually SURVIVE, as described.
It's not until well into the book that the reader has any clue why people would opt out of the bubble cities, and I'm still not sure the outside world is viable if you're near the corn farms, as things play out.
Still, it was a fun adventure, and I LOVED the main character. The portrayal of her younger brother, who was probably somewhere on the autism spectrum but also with another medical problem, was interesting, but added a layer of stress to family already in a bad situation. The family's escape from the bubble cities concept didn't make sense until well into the book, but at least there's a payoff for that one. Neighbor Toad's Spoonerisms and word-jokes were driving me crazy. Sorry, but the idea that he does that even in emergencies is SO counter-survival...people working with him would DIE while trying to figure out what he was saying.
Also, and this occurred to me while I was reading it...if you KNOW that zombie-like marauders are basically dormant in the early morning, and that traveling through them is dangerous once they've awakened from what amounts to a hangover...then why not stay in town and return home the NEXT early morning? Has no one really ever thought of this solution? Has no one in the town ever offered traders a place to camp? I mean, really...
December 1, 2019
The first third of this book was some of the best reading I did all year.
Set in the near future, everything happening right now (global warming, scary political stuff) has gotten worse. Fear mongering has driven most of the American population to live in "bubble cities". Kept safe. Jobs for everyone. Food for everyone. Healthcare for everyone. But all that comes with a price.
CornVivia, a massive agriculture company, has geneteched its corn to be the perfect food for everyone, and to cure basically any illness. But to get those benefits, you need an injection. That injection makes you unable to eat anything other than their corn, and if you can't get any of it, you turn into sort of a zombie (not dead or undead, but otherwise people act just like zombies).
A few people saw through all that, and chose not to go live in the bubble cities. Maggie (or Ford Falcon as she renames herself) is one of those people. She and her family live out in the non-bubble world, fighting the corn-zombies, wild animals, and trying to keep themselves fed.
The first third of the book was all wonderful, wonderful worldbuilding. Then the author gave a massive info dump, which lead to the plot of the book. While I loved the first third, the info dump was a bit much, and the plot wasn't bad at all, but... I liked the worldbuilding part best.
I really can't say enough about how well all the worldbuilding was handled. Emily Dickinson/poetry, a whole new language, "Patriotic Partnership", word-play, a whole new way to handle money/banking when the US dollar has no value. Jobs that could be held after the world changed so much. It was all so good.
This is a middle grade book, but other than Maggie's age (preteen), there's no way I'd have guessed it was meant for younger readers. The best MG and YA books are like that: Perfect for adult readers, too.
Random thing I didn't like: The bad guys were so cartoony. One was very overweight, the other was ugly. In a story where every other character was realistic, they were flat and straight out of some cartoon.
Random thing I liked: This is a stand-alone book! Not the start of a trilogy or series! How rare is that nowadays? I really, really liked all the unanswered questions.
Set in the near future, everything happening right now (global warming, scary political stuff) has gotten worse. Fear mongering has driven most of the American population to live in "bubble cities". Kept safe. Jobs for everyone. Food for everyone. Healthcare for everyone. But all that comes with a price.
CornVivia, a massive agriculture company, has geneteched its corn to be the perfect food for everyone, and to cure basically any illness. But to get those benefits, you need an injection. That injection makes you unable to eat anything other than their corn, and if you can't get any of it, you turn into sort of a zombie (not dead or undead, but otherwise people act just like zombies).
A few people saw through all that, and chose not to go live in the bubble cities. Maggie (or Ford Falcon as she renames herself) is one of those people. She and her family live out in the non-bubble world, fighting the corn-zombies, wild animals, and trying to keep themselves fed.
The first third of the book was all wonderful, wonderful worldbuilding. Then the author gave a massive info dump, which lead to the plot of the book. While I loved the first third, the info dump was a bit much, and the plot wasn't bad at all, but... I liked the worldbuilding part best.
I really can't say enough about how well all the worldbuilding was handled. Emily Dickinson/poetry, a whole new language, "Patriotic Partnership", word-play, a whole new way to handle money/banking when the US dollar has no value. Jobs that could be held after the world changed so much. It was all so good.
This is a middle grade book, but other than Maggie's age (preteen), there's no way I'd have guessed it was meant for younger readers. The best MG and YA books are like that: Perfect for adult readers, too.
Random thing I didn't like: The bad guys were so cartoony. One was very overweight, the other was ugly. In a story where every other character was realistic, they were flat and straight out of some cartoon.
Random thing I liked: This is a stand-alone book! Not the start of a trilogy or series! How rare is that nowadays? I really, really liked all the unanswered questions.
March 2, 2018
This book is called The Scavengers, the author is Michael Perry. This book the future and how it was destroyed and how people now live in horror and all their struggles. They can choose to live in a bubble where city is or out in the open where it can be way more dangerous, you have to try to live and build your own houses and make your own food and goods. The book has a age level of 8-12.
In the book the main character is a girl who has to find her parents after they are all kidnapped in the night by bad guy. She also has to keep safe in the dangerous environment she lives in. The lesson to me was that your family is important. The girl in the book first thought her family was troublesome but then she realizes she is nothing without them. Everyone in her family is important now not just one no favorites anymore, but in the book I think the better lesson is work hard and you get good result. She works very hard to save her family and get everything she needs for the journey. If you work hard you will succeed
I really like this book I think this book is good for people who aren’t too afraid of thinking of sad or unhappy topics, or just talk about a bad future and dreaming big. This book is a great book I believe it was below my reading level but I loved it no matter what. The book had just enough twists and turns so you could not really predict what was going to happen, it was a interesting book that really made you think what would I have done. My favorite part in the book was when the main character was in a bad situation and she always was positive and thought of the good things. This book reminds me of almost every other book I have ever read, it is interesting with many twists for good or bad. This book is for people who don’t get too attached to certain characters, the book can really make you feel the characters pain and it can make you feel for them and is very descriptive. The author did a great job on this book I think she did nothing wrong, but needs to make a second one.
In the book the main character is a girl who has to find her parents after they are all kidnapped in the night by bad guy. She also has to keep safe in the dangerous environment she lives in. The lesson to me was that your family is important. The girl in the book first thought her family was troublesome but then she realizes she is nothing without them. Everyone in her family is important now not just one no favorites anymore, but in the book I think the better lesson is work hard and you get good result. She works very hard to save her family and get everything she needs for the journey. If you work hard you will succeed
I really like this book I think this book is good for people who aren’t too afraid of thinking of sad or unhappy topics, or just talk about a bad future and dreaming big. This book is a great book I believe it was below my reading level but I loved it no matter what. The book had just enough twists and turns so you could not really predict what was going to happen, it was a interesting book that really made you think what would I have done. My favorite part in the book was when the main character was in a bad situation and she always was positive and thought of the good things. This book reminds me of almost every other book I have ever read, it is interesting with many twists for good or bad. This book is for people who don’t get too attached to certain characters, the book can really make you feel the characters pain and it can make you feel for them and is very descriptive. The author did a great job on this book I think she did nothing wrong, but needs to make a second one.
October 28, 2021
This book was very interesting and hard for me to put down, but in the end the story was left very open ended even though one of the main conflicts was resolved. The main character is Maggie who goes by Ford Falcon. Judging by the cover I'd say she is about 13 to 15 years old she is definitely a tom boy. The setting is sometime in the future or it could even be a dystopian present. There are these massive bubble cities that are said to be paradise but that is never proven. outside of the bubble cities are the outbubble towns although they aren't really towns more like scattered people with a few trading villages in between. Ford Falcon and her family which consists of her mother, father, and her brother live outbubble. Living outbubble is not glamorous at all, there is no running water or electricity. The main conflict of the story is that Ford Falcon's dad is a former scientist for the bubble cities government, not only was he a scientist but he was the head scientist. He holds many secrets that the bubble cities government must keep to themselves because if they don't it could end tragically. Ford Falcon and her family left the bubble city capital illegally just before it was bubbled. Ford Falcon and her family have been on the run since. I really enjoyed this book although the ending was a bit of a let down. I really enjoyed how short the chapters were as it helped me stay focused.
February 9, 2018
I enjoyed the technical portions of the book.
The genetically modified corn that could keep you healthy, but only if you were treated with Activax.
The Solar Bears, which were created when "government scientists tried to save polar bears from extinction by crossing them with grizzly bears and splicing in a dab of coyote DNA."
The GreyDevils, who are are activax treated, but urcorn deprived, so they drink an intoxicant known as parts wash to satisfy their dependency, and have huge bonfires everynight.
The only characters I liked in this book, were Toad, a total hyperbole of my own father with his wordplay. Tom and Toby. The maniac chicken Hatchet, which reminded me of my own pet chicken growing up, Hamilton,. And of course, the bonfire starting GreyDevils.
The genetically modified corn that could keep you healthy, but only if you were treated with Activax.
The Solar Bears, which were created when "government scientists tried to save polar bears from extinction by crossing them with grizzly bears and splicing in a dab of coyote DNA."
The GreyDevils, who are are activax treated, but urcorn deprived, so they drink an intoxicant known as parts wash to satisfy their dependency, and have huge bonfires everynight.
The only characters I liked in this book, were Toad, a total hyperbole of my own father with his wordplay. Tom and Toby. The maniac chicken Hatchet, which reminded me of my own pet chicken growing up, Hamilton,. And of course, the bonfire starting GreyDevils.
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January 11, 2024I read this book back in elementary school. I forgot what it was called, but sometimes random elements of it pop into my head, particularly the protagonist’s chosen name, Ford Falcon. I don’t remember how it ends, but I think it says something for me to still remember details of a book I read around ten years ago. Also some reviewers of this book are expressing some concerning opinions so I wonder if those readers are the intended audience of the book or the book sends those messages. I don’t remember. I don’t even remember how it ends. The book title and cover are very different from what I remember (to child me the girl on the cover looked much older). Anyway I just wanted to add this because I really wanted to find the name of this book.
December 13, 2018
This book was an opening to what Falcon Fords family had to go through when the invasion with the solar bears happened.I felt really bad in the beginning of the book when she said that she used to have a regular life and a regular childhood and how she was used to to being just normal because in a way that tells you that whats happening at his point in her life is really taking a toll on her.Shes moving place to place and seeing her parents especially her dad kind of fall apart and I think that for a girl that is only thirteen and having to do adult priorities that's making her feel a whole bunch of different things that she doesn't know how to express
August 25, 2023
Ford Falcon (nee Maggie) as an intrepid young survivor in this future world is the main caretaker of her family outside of the bubble cities. But it is the choices her father once made that set her on a her journey. The world-building and setting are interesting but indulging in it for the whole first half of the book before the plot actually gets underway is a lot to ask of the average middle-grade reader. The wordplay will, no doubt, appeal to certain young readers but I found it a bit tiresome after awhile. As an adult fan of Michael Perry's essays and memoirs, it was interesting to pick out the inspirations for the characters and story.
January 14, 2025
My sister suggested this book to me and it's not typically the type of book I would normally read. However, I am trying to widen my horizons and was open to reading this one. I was slow to warm to this book but once I go past the very beginning it piqued my interest more. It is hard to not fall in love with Maggie's character and her love for her family is to be admired. I enjoyed some of the humor and yet there was also a good amount of deep feeling and sentiments that tugged on my heartstrings a bit. The ending was a bit messy and left me with a lot of questions.
April 21, 2020
This was a fun book to read as a break from my other traditional genres. I have enjoyed Mr. Perry's other books and was interested to see what he was writing for youth. He does a terrific job of enlightening the reader with our heroine's spunk and resiliency. He builds a easily visualized world in which Ford Falcon/Maggie lives. There are great characters as her supporting cast: from her family to the neighbors to the rascally rooster. It's a fun read.
June 2, 2020
Ford Falcon (Maggie) lives in a postapocalyptic world with her parents and little brother Dookie in OutBubble, the opposite of UnderBubble where people are supposedly protected from all the bad things in the world. Living in UnderBubble means giving up many freedoms, while living in OutBubble means possible attacks from dangerous solar bears, GreyDevils, and a wicked rooster named Hatchet. Hatchet belongs to their neighbors Toad and Arlinda Hopper, who Ford becomes close friends with.
March 24, 2022
The premise of the book was good. It is an unusual setup for a dystopian book, which I appreciated. My reason for three stars was the drag in the beginning. The blurb on the back says the main characters family is taken, but I was almost halfway through the book before that occurred. If this book was about 100 shorter, it would have worked better.
November 9, 2016
Kinda post-apocalyptic survival fic for kids. Good story, and a light touch with the scary/danger elements. Maggie/Ford is beyond plucky and all the way into independent -- smart, brave, full of hard work and no-nonsense practicality.
March 17, 2018
Can't say enough good about this book. True to Michael Perry form, it is both intelligent and down to earth. Great, unpredictable adventure with a FEMALE heroine! My new favorite survival and coming of age story.
August 29, 2020
Really four and a half, Sneezing Cow, cuz you left me hanging with no new promise of additional stories to tie up loose ends. Luv, luv, your very realistic post-apocalyptic world, and who can't live vicariously through a true heroine who proclaims herself a classic roady name? More, more!
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