Leaving Simplicity

by Claire Carmichael

What if advertisements ruled the world? Taylor and Barrett maybe cousins, but they're from different worlds. Taylor lives in high-tech luxury, the daughter of top advertising specialists. Barrett was raised by his uncle in an ecocult called Simplicity. When his uncle dies, Barrett is whisked away to live with Taylor and her power parents. Barrett is deeply distressed by the "Chattering World." Here, invasive advertising screams out from improbable places- on the sides of cars, on the bathroom mirror, even on the shirts of his teachers. Taylor, on the other hand, loves it and wants her "farmie" cousin to embrace it, too. Barrett soon discovers that his aunt and uncle have a hidden there is a lotto gain from finding out the effects of advertising on an untouched mind. When Barrett's worst suspicions are confirmed, only Taylor, and the horrible secrets he discovers about her family, can expose the truth. To do so, she must turn her back on everything she's been raised to believe. Thrilling and thought-provoking, Leaving Simplicity takes readers into a wildly driven consumer society that seems only a heartbeat away from our own.

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Read For School

256 pages, Hardcover

First published August 17, 2007

Reviews

[Emily K · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring and poorly developed. Ads R Us portrays it's leading lady, Taylor, as arrogant and spiteful towards everyone. Barrett in contrast seemed very Marty Stu (male equivalent of Mary Sue). He was perfect, in the way that he was honest and a good person and had NO bad qualities.

As a teenage girl, I was very offended that nearly all the women in the book were portrayed as bad people and very self-centered. Not all girls are obsessed with fashion, the latest gadgets and boys. Taylor, in particular, seemed very dumb and when writing from her perspective the author wrote her thoughts as very naive and made it seem like she did not think things through or have an opinion of her own.

This quote in particular infuriated me 'As soon as I left Dad's office, I called Gabi on my Om. Dad had said it was confidential, but Gabi was my very best friend, so naturally I had to tell her all about it, but only after I'd sworn her to secrecy.'(pg. 55-56). No teenage girl of that age can possibly be that stupid! The author then went onto say '.. Gabi was more interested in Barrett than any problems I might have.' (pg. 56). Seriously? I think her best friend would care about her more than some boy!

In conclusion, I was thoroughly disappointed in Ads R Us and merely tolerated the book.

[Abby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wooden prose, one-dimensional characters, predictable plot lines -- this teen dystopian novel left me totally cold. If you're looking for a smart, funny & well-written SF critique of contemporary advertising/consumer culture, go read Feed by M.T. Anderson. Better yet, go revisit Brave New World from which this book stole pretty much all its ideas.

[Hannah Adelaide · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not worth the effort, money, time or paper it's printed on. I'd give it no stars if Good Reads allowed.
★☆☆☆☆
Spoilers follow in a very raw review:

A painfully dull excuse of a novel that I am grateful to never have to read another word from.
Right from Chapter One the ending was predictable. Everything was forced as if the book was trying to advertise it's self; a topic the author was trying to warn us against. Q-plague, Eva, Kara, Adrian, senator Maynard Rox, ADA.
Cue Kill was shoved into the ads Barrett happens to observe on his way to markets and school which later on took on a major part of the plot. Because that's not predictable nor obviously going to have an affect on the story.
Taylor started out irritating and a clone of everyone in her world but eventually she branched out to seem an individual.

Barrett had no personality, none of his own opinions (all of his opinions were from his uncle). He was violent and refused to even attempt to comprehend the technology of the World he had been bought into. Barrett was still a sheep, just of different stock.

Ads R Us was "so dire" as Taylor would have put it.

[☆Antigone♪ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like the way the book ended so quickly and unrealistically. It was as if the author had run out of time and paper.

On the other hand I really enjoyed the way the author explored the future of our consumerist society and the fact that our privacy is slowly being eroded though social media.

I believe the author could have improved the book by telling us more about Simplicity as an alternative community. I would recommend this book to people aged 12-15.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did this for year 9 English class. It was quite goofy and incesty but looking back was right about how pervasive ads would become

[Riley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful. Wooden, stilted dialogue, unlikable characters, and unnatural and jarring plot. While the book does explore interesting ideas, the problem is that all of these ideas are cribbed from The Space Merchants. I'd definitely avoid.

[Seuret · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as bad as I thought. The ending felt a little bit rushed and lacked detail. The ending was too rushed and the ideas weren't explored enough; it seemed like they were running out of paper or something because it just went "CUT"! It stopped there
It was better than I expected but wasn't really a good read for me

[Adrija · Rating 4 out of 5]

overall the book was really interesting and had a good way showing how the 21 century technology and advertisements can be so influential and at the same time so advanced. it also had a good overview of how politics can control people by just having a mere smile on ur face. but i thought that the ending was a bit rushed.

[Dylan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book was horrible. It lacked a storyline and involved lots of action. The ending was horrific as if someone ripped out pages from the book. The characters were stereotyped, Barrett being the dream child and Taylor being a basic teenage girl. I did like how ads were displayed in the story but in general, the book was horrific.

[Amelia S · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book quite slow-paced at the start, however towards the end it felt extremely fast-paced. I think the book would've been more intriguing and enjoyable if they had found a good pace throughout the book.

[Jessn · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was interesting i like any books that have characters my age

[Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reallly boring.

[Katya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. It was boring in some parts and I felt the end was rushed.

[mario mekhaiel · Rating 1 out of 5]

horrible

[L.E. Truscott · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of those books where it seems like the author thought, “Wouldn’t it be great to write a book about the devastating effects of constant exposure to advertising?” but forgot that she needed a compelling story to go with it.

Ever since his parents died in a car accident when he was a baby, Barrett Trent has been raised by his uncle in a community called Simplicity. With a focus on sustainability and ethics, they farm their own food, reject technology and embrace knowledge. After his uncle dies in a ridiculously contrived incident, Barrett reluctantly goes to live in the “chattering world” (the city) with his aunt.

This near future city is awash with advertising. In car advertising. In home advertising. In school advertising. Everywhere. It’s against the law to criticise corporations (because it might disrupt the economy), surveillance is all over the place and elites can get away with just about anything. (Sound familiar? Yeah, in 2019, we’re probably already there but this book was written in 2006 and back then people thought it was decades away.) Barrett is understandably dismayed, especially because his uncle taught him all about propaganda and brainwashing. He can see that the ever-present advertising is just that.

His aunt is the head of something called the Ads-4-Life Council and decides to conduct an experiment on Barrett to see how he responds to the omnipresent advertising compared to his jaded cousin, Taylor, who has grown up with it. From then on, the only time Barrett can escape it is when the ADA terrorists (Against Deceit in Advertising) hack the broadcasting systems. But the ads aren’t the only thing he has to worry about.

Sorry, that’s the best cliffhanger I could come up with. Quite a bit of effort has gone into world building but very little into the characters or the plot. The characters and plot that do populate the book are amateurishly executed. The teen dialogue feels forced and unrealistic – kids who talked like this in real life would quickly be told to knock it off by other actually cool kids who can see through wannabes. And the ads (in a world supposedly dominated by ads that can convince people to do anything) are so poorly written that they wouldn’t convince anyone to do anything except turn off and tune out.

The only positive thing I really have to say is that it was short enough for the reading experience to be over fairly quickly. Writing books for young adults is too often used as an excuse for failing to include complex prose, characters and plots. But even readers without the ability to analyse this book in detail would know it just isn’t good enough.

[Paige Lea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plot was predictable and the characters were one dimensional. Taylor seems very closed off towards Barrett at the start of the book and completely turns around her point of veiw after the complication. Climax was very rushed and didn't go into detail about certain events that happened. All female characters were conniving or selfish and dumb. All male characters were weak willed and brainwashed which although going along with the main idea, creates unrealistic supporting characters and makes them unenjoyable. More depth given to the characters and plot would have made this more enjoyable. Having during the kidnapping scene when Taylor is hugging Barrett as a cover, it makes no sense that he suddenly falls for her after finding out they aren't cousins. Creating that lead up would have given more depth to the relationship and elaborating on that scene by having Barrett think more into there relationship afterwards instead of just going back to being friends or cousins after he says he wants her to mean the kiss because it means a lot to him and he wants her to stay in his arms. The fact that these random storylines are not elaborated on, have not connection to the main plot, have no lead up and are just kind of there make this book utterly unenjoyable.

I'm 15 and reading this as a school assignment and now have to re-write one of these events as a supporting characters and there is no depth to anyone. This is going to be a boring topic to write about and honestly, yes I'm the target audience but the writting style is bad. The author talks about points that don't link at all to any part in the story, the supporting characters are just there and don't give the plot any depth, the flashback thoughts of the characters are just, this happened and that happened with nothing intricate and the dialogue was he said she said and gave little to no depth to the characters or there relationships or advanced the plot. Honestly probably one of the least enjoyable books ive had to read for school and I don't know how I'm going to write my assignment when it's based on these characters when the book has no depth, no suspense and no good dialogue to include.

Target audience for this book should probably be 11 to 13 rather than 12 to 16. Did not enjoy although one good point is that it was creative as a new futuristic topic although being in 2019 and reading this, the future aspect kind of lost it's Mark for me personally.

[Cat · Rating 2 out of 5]

High school read

[Ernest · Rating 2 out of 5]

In a society where advertising is all prevalent in everything from individual new bulletin stories to particular classes in school, Barrett, a boy from a small separate society that has shunned this new world, is sent to live with his cousin Taylor, whose parents are heavily involved in advertising. Taylor’s parents see an opportunity to find out the effects of advertising on an untouched mind, and Barrett and Taylor find themselves embroiled in the darker side of this advertising world.

The concepts and ideas of the book were more interesting than the story. Being a young adult book, one cannot hold it to the standard of a deep literary novel, yet the story was frustratingly superficial, especially in the portrayal of the naive but too perfect Barrett and the spoilt, bratty teenaged girl Taylor. The ending felt too rushed, with things being too hastily and neatly wrapped up without proper story development.

Yet it was the concepts and ideas of the book that were of interest. The idea of privacy is foreign in that society, with the common belief that the personal information given results in better, more targeted advertising. This reminded me of moments in the 2002 film Minority Report, where a character has his eyes scanned and an individual, personally targeted advertisement displayed to him. More broadly, there are questions of how much information we now are now giving to private companies, whether voluntarily or unwittingly through cookies, metadata or otherwise – see Facebook targeted ads, Google’s growing influence of a common login or the numerous loyalty programs which to sign up for. Indeed, the issue of privacy has even attracted the attention of the Australian Law Reform Commission, currently (as at 3 March 2014) conducting an enquiry into Serious Invasions of Privacy. It is a little chilling to think that the world presented is not so far into the future as might be believed.

As a book, it could have been a little deeper written with more nuanced and flawed characters. As a work that touches on some really interesting ideas and issues, I give the author credit.

[Kathleen Garber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very interesting. I’m not usually one for Science Fiction type books, especially ones that depict a very high tech future, however this one intrigued me. In this “near-future” advertising has taken on a whole new meaning. Cars have ID so that when you go through a Drive-Thru, a sign overhead can greet you by name. It also automatically debits your account when you make a purchase. Children are outfitted with Safety Sentinel’s which is basically a GPS tracker to keep track of where your children are. There are ads on the back of cars so the car behind it can see them. There are large ads on the sides of buildings. Life-sized dummies just inside stores talk about the stores features and sales. It’s crazy!

Not only is the world crazy with advertising and high-tech gadgets, but Taylor’s cousin Barrett, who was raised in rural isolation, comes to live with them. He’s used to living without electricity or modern amenities so the world is quite a shock to him. Ad execs are very interested in the impressions of someone who hasn’t seen ads before, but they go to far.

The chapters are told by either Taylor or Barrett, switching throughout the book. Personally I like books that do this as it seems more fair, instead of reading only one person’s point of view.

This book is appropriate for ages 12 and up and would be a good read before a parent-child discussion on advertising. The story is gripping and thought-provoking.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read- I didn't want to to stop. The book is set in the near future, where corporations, spin and advertising are the dominant factors in society. The population is brainwashed by constant advertisements and criticising advertisments or corporations is not allowed, as it is regarded as likely to have an impact on the economy and the ability of the corporations to make money. Taylor is an adolescent girl growing up in this world and she is shown to be fairly vacuous, believing the most important thing is to be fashionable and 'in' with the 'in crowd'. Into this world comes Barrett, Taylor's cousin. He has been brought up in an ad free community (a bit like the Amish community). After the death of his uncle he joins Taylor's family in the 'real' world.
The book alternates between Barrett and Taylor as narrators. Each chapter is written in first person, with either Barrett or Taylor narrating. This means you get to see how each character views the other, and what they think about the other's community.
The book depicts politics and corruption and makes you think about how much our world is conttrolled by corporations. I thought it was a great read and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a bit like "Feed" by T. M. Anderson, but a lighter read with a happy ending.

[Hiep Huynh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Can I give it 0 stars?

This book has got completely ridiculous caricatures for characters. Taylor is a teenage girl, so of course the author portrays that by giving her stupid lines, continual use of colloquialisms and (heavy) sprinkles of the word 'like' in her speech. Taylor is drawn to be an insensitive, shallow, judgemental and narrow-minded idiot. Barrett is, of course, the opposite, an understanding, patient, forgiving, muscular and good-looking boy. Taylor's mother is a demanding bully who doesn't tolerate anyone questioning her authority, and Taylor's daddy is wrapped around Taylor's little finger.

So the characters suck.

The storyline is insulting to the reader's intelligence.

There are far too many good dystopian novels out there for heavy-handed crap like this to be force-fed to so many students in our schools. The story is too simple and blunt to be read by students in high school, yet the drug content and language make it unsuitable for primary school students.

(Unless we're assuming that our high school students are so dumb that this is what they could cope with, instead of, say, 1984, which is still relevant. But if we assumed that, then we're already in a dystopia o.O)

[Vsw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across this book in the "new titles" section of the ELPL. The back cover describes the setting as "a near-future city where advertisements scream out from improbable places". Since I loved Feed by M.T. Anderson as well as So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld AND because I am becoming more and more annoyed with unexpected product placements, I thought I would give this a try.

This book held my interest and I definitely could imagine it as part of a unit that addressed dilemmas related to advertising, consumerism, free speech, corporate power, etc. The critique of the book is that the end seemed a little too pat... I wish the resolution of the book was as well developed as the first several chapters.

[Mikella · Rating 4 out of 5]

It takes place in the future when everything is technologized. The story basically starts when a very high profile family takes in a cousin who has been brought up in a rural area away from the loud and technologized world. The cousin – Barrett – who is unknowing of things like ads and consumer driven societies has to survive in a world that is so different to the world that he was brought up in. The story slightly illustrates the community we will live in in the near future as well as a fictional world. Overall I loved the book.

[hollyishere · Rating 4 out of 5]

From what I can remember this was about a boy from a country town moving to the city to live with his cousins family and coming to terms with the power advertisements have taken over the lives of those around him.

The book I read was titled Ads R Us and I found it at my local library, it was quite enjoyable and I would liken it to Susan Beth Pfeffer's series.

[Jake · Rating 1 out of 5]

'Ads r us' is a novel that is studied in Victorian schools for no apparent reason. The book isn't really worth your time, especially when there are hundreds of acclaimed books you must read first.

However, disregarding that harsh review. The story would be good for a child at the age of 12 or 13, but not for any older teenagers.

[Annemarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book! Not great, but very easy to read and to follow. I read this book in one sitting. It was that gripping!! I would have liked it to be fuller and have more substance, maybe with a sequel. This book is a light read, but it also makes you think about the impact of advertisements and the media.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really, really, really wanted this to work for 5th graders. But it's use of the B-word, the drug references -- I guess it's meant for an older audience. Which is a shame, since the dichotomies it sets up are so glaringly obvious and more appropriate for middle grades. The premise has so much potential.... It's so hard to find dystopian novels that work for a younger, advanced reader.

[Zeal · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is okay but it really doesn't reach up to my standards of a good read. It's got a good writing style making it easy to read but most of it is very unbelievable. I wouldn't reccomend it but I wouldn't insult it much either.

[Harry · Rating 3 out of 5]

ads r us is generally a good book.
it was boring at times but it had some funny parts.
it was all about advertising and this freak place in the middle of no where. This girl went to live with her aunt and all the advertising freaked her out. Overall ads r us is a good book.

[Tristan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ads R Us was a good book in my opinion and taught you a lot of new words and how advertising affects young children and people. Barrett learns about the 'Chattering World' and it is dramatic and exciting all the way long.