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Summer Wings
It's the summer before Jessa's senior year in High School, and she's looking forward to spending time with her animals, best friend, and the boy she likes. When she has an unexpected encounter with the dark side of her vegetarian society, she's challenged to find the strength to speak for those who can't.
Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 11, 2017
This is a book with a message. Novella length is handy for its intended audience, YA readers. I like a lot about the tale, from the resilient grow-your-own urban farmers to the beauties of nature described as the kids ride bikes around the suburbs.
The message does however come across as a long lecture from PETA. The author has in American style assumed that 'the world' does what America does. So we learn that animals were housed in cramped factory farms, fed antibiotics and reared on GM grains from nutrient poor soils. This produced diseases in animals and their consumers. Rich producers denied that meat had anything to do with the problem and only after The Decimation was eating meat made illegal.
"there were many less people on the planet to feed at that point."
Tremblay, April. Summer Wings (Kindle Locations 145-146). Lulu.com. Kindle Edition.
So come to live in Europe. GM plants are not allowed. Any GM imports like sugar from GM sugarbeet must be clearly stated on the label of American chocolate. Animals must be free of all medications for three months prior to slaughter. This includes growth hormones, not mentioned in the book, which are illegal in Europe, and medications are the main reason why the EU refuses to accept USA's meat. Biodiversity and environment preservation is a legal requirement all over the EU. While some animals are produced in factory farms, all meat is traceable from farm to fork, unlike in USA; and organic and free range is a huge growth sector. In plenty of countries, people can't grow crops due to unsuitable land, but they can herd goats and eat cheese and male kids.
So it's just America that would have collapsed. The rest of the world would be going strong or could find alternatives to any single issue problem. Of course the author is entitled to believe that all the rest of the world might change over to doing as America does, but I think it most unlikely.
I'm also confused as to why the people who ban factory farming don't eat wild rabbits and deer, and as to what happens to the surplus male goats, cattle and roosters. Are pigs and many good old animal breeds going extinct?
While a story for YA readers doesn't have to include all aspects of a situation, this one does seem too generalising. The author comes across as a teenager and will probably mature as she continues to write. I do think it's good to alert young readers to evils in the meat trade. I also enjoyed the look at green roofs, power generation and other aspects of future life. I could see no reason why an older lady would start to have trouble 'navigating' the house stairs, unless she could get lost? She'd be more likely to have trouble climbing them.
I suggest parental discretion if giving this book to a young reader. The author made it free to download. This is an unbiased review.
The message does however come across as a long lecture from PETA. The author has in American style assumed that 'the world' does what America does. So we learn that animals were housed in cramped factory farms, fed antibiotics and reared on GM grains from nutrient poor soils. This produced diseases in animals and their consumers. Rich producers denied that meat had anything to do with the problem and only after The Decimation was eating meat made illegal.
"there were many less people on the planet to feed at that point."
Tremblay, April. Summer Wings (Kindle Locations 145-146). Lulu.com. Kindle Edition.
So come to live in Europe. GM plants are not allowed. Any GM imports like sugar from GM sugarbeet must be clearly stated on the label of American chocolate. Animals must be free of all medications for three months prior to slaughter. This includes growth hormones, not mentioned in the book, which are illegal in Europe, and medications are the main reason why the EU refuses to accept USA's meat. Biodiversity and environment preservation is a legal requirement all over the EU. While some animals are produced in factory farms, all meat is traceable from farm to fork, unlike in USA; and organic and free range is a huge growth sector. In plenty of countries, people can't grow crops due to unsuitable land, but they can herd goats and eat cheese and male kids.
So it's just America that would have collapsed. The rest of the world would be going strong or could find alternatives to any single issue problem. Of course the author is entitled to believe that all the rest of the world might change over to doing as America does, but I think it most unlikely.
I'm also confused as to why the people who ban factory farming don't eat wild rabbits and deer, and as to what happens to the surplus male goats, cattle and roosters. Are pigs and many good old animal breeds going extinct?
While a story for YA readers doesn't have to include all aspects of a situation, this one does seem too generalising. The author comes across as a teenager and will probably mature as she continues to write. I do think it's good to alert young readers to evils in the meat trade. I also enjoyed the look at green roofs, power generation and other aspects of future life. I could see no reason why an older lady would start to have trouble 'navigating' the house stairs, unless she could get lost? She'd be more likely to have trouble climbing them.
I suggest parental discretion if giving this book to a young reader. The author made it free to download. This is an unbiased review.
June 5, 2017
A memorable and well crafted story that opens the door to a world that could just as easily be tomorrow, where vegetarians and respect for animal's rights is the rule and not the exception for the simple reason that meat is no longer safe to eat. The descriptive writing style easily creates the impression of being in the real world.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews