Censored

by Caroline Bobick

What might happen to you if your words were suddenly monitored more closely? Would you be more careful about what you said, what you thought? When a government has the power to control free speech, can it alter the truth and shape a new reality? In Censored, one family is caught in a war of words. The novel follows their lives over the course of one year as everything they took for granted is quickly taken from them.

Inspired by true stories of families around the world today, Censored demonstrates how a government crackdown on freedom of speech and media can have real effects on everyday people. This book is essential reading for those wishing to better understand the personal implications of eroding fundamental human rights.

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Dystopia

211 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

About the author

Caroline holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts from Binghamton University. She has lived in Honduras, Nicaragua, Spain, and Turkey and speaks three languages fluently.

Caroline currently lives near Saratoga Springs, NY, with her husband, David, and her son, Elijah. She works in education policy.

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book starts out so powerfully. It is so timely right now. I had this book before the Portland protests that made the news but it could be a blueprint for them. The America in this book is one I hope never happens though there are powers that be that would prefer it like this. May all wake up so protect our freedoms and our citizenry.

Told through the eyes of a young girl between the ages of 12-14, I was immediately able to put myself in her shoes. The sense of urgency she feels in the protests and realizing that the Government is not protecting its citizens or democracy came through to me. I was right with her as she learns what she has been taught all those years in school are lies. Fear permeates everything and everyone. Death comes to those who speak up. Trying to keep under the radar does not mean you are safe. Being quiet does not keep you safe. Families are broken, destroyed, and set upon each other. The Government wins all around.

I hated the ending. It seemed like the easy way out. My question is when do the citizens rise up and take back their country? When does fear give way to fighting for right? When does the status quo no longer rule those who are lied to? When do they wake up? This is a book that should be used in schools. It is as powerful as 1984 by George Orwell and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. All these books show what happens when the masses are lulled by the powerful to do what the powerful want them to do.

[Giuls · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Censored tells the story of a 13-year-old who witness her life changing overnight.

The book is set in a dystopic America, not so far from the reality, where the rise of protests leads to the control of people's opinion by the Government and everyone who disagrees with it will be marked as a terrorist and be arrested.

Once I started reading, I couldn't put the book down. I love the simple and raw way in which it dealt with delicate themes such as freedom of speech and oppression.

It completely shocked me to the core and I highly recommend it to anyone who's looking for a thought-provoking read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the pleasure to read an early copy.

[Carmel L. Gold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down. From the beginning, I was drawn into the life of the narrator, a 13 year old girl on the verge of a volatile time in her community’s life. This book is personal and therefore delivers a profound civic lesson regarding individual and institutional rights and the need to protect them. The twist at the end of the book provoked in me a strong private feeling of empathy and solidarity with oppressed groups globally and nationally. I would recommend this book to young adults and to teachers and group leaders who want to examine human rights in the context of government/politics.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, especially in the climate our world is in right now. I think this can be a really important read for people of all ages, race, ethnicity, color, you name it. It’s good for all of us. I think having a book like this accessible for student in middle school would positively impact our society’s future immensely.

For me, it was a wake up call... to stop and smell the roses... It made me see the privileged life I have lead, and how I have taken much for granted.

I love a book with a great story, I admire a book and it’s author for being able to teach me a life lesson.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caroline Bobick's Censored is a raw, powerful, emotive novel that shows just how quickly a world can devolve. Told from the perspective of a 13 year old Jewish girl, this book shows how young minds grapple with the world and the information given them. It shows a democracy become a totalitarian state. It shows the truth behind what can happen when you disagree with those in power. I will be purchasing this book for my library so that my students can benefit from this message.

*I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review

[Jeffrey Handelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed getting into the plot of Censored. Once I started, I had a hard time stopping. It’s a scary look at what the United States could look like with the election of the wrong president and a paranoid and distrusting populace.

[Katy]

I received my copy free through Goodreads Giveaways.

[Amber Alvarado Canto · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW! It's as if this book were referring to the current climate of the US and the American media. This book does a phenomenal job of tackling the media's corruption and how quickly the media can shift the reality of an incident. The media holds the power of spewing false information to the public as a means of control. The government in the book claims democracy but leans along the lines of dictatorship, as they arrest protestors for "terroristic agitation". Imagine living in a country where you have to fear for your livelihood or freedom because you decide to exercise your constitutional right of free speech against injustice. The narrator was such a like-able character, and I was able to connect with her and her family. This is definitely a book that will make its way into my classroom.

Thank you #NetGalley and Creative Seminars for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Alex Nonymous · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for providing a DRC of Censored in exchanged for an honest review.

Censored is a middle-grade/YA book like you've never seen before. Told through the perspective of a 13 year old girl, Censored examines the slippery slope that comes from a government taking too much control. After social media outcry sparked by harsh, violent attacks at a peaceful protest, Censored explores a towns progression through covering up a police shooting of a civilian, censoring speech and social media, and eventually raising false terrorist claims to anyone who speaks out against them.

This book examines how easily government and media can become corrupted enough to control narratives and cautions readers to never take anything at face values in a way that anyone of any age can understand. This feels like a really important read right now.

[Lindsay Hameroff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I was highly intrigued by the premise and description of this book, it was ultimately a disappointing read that I would not recommend to others. While I appreciate that the book attempts to explain some difficult topics to young adult readers, such as censorship, media bias, protesting/riots, and police brutality (an especially timely topic), it is poorly written and maintains a vague and somewhat unrealistic plot.

The citizens of Alexandria are engaged in protests that have been stretching on for months; while the initial cause was teacher wages, it snowballs when the police respond to the protestors with tear gas and other forms of brutality. More people join in the protests, but it is unclear what exactly they are now protesting; presumably, they are protesting police brutality and for the right to protest peacefully, but it's all somewhat unclear. The unnamed narrator mostly just states that they are protesting and leaves it at that. Things continue to escalate in Alexandria; the government attempts to regain control of the citizens with curfews and social media restrictions, and even arrests individuals for speaking out, effectively rendering many others silent. Some parts are realistic; the narrator observes that certain news outlets present biased accounts that skew and misinform readers. Her father tells her that it is important to get news from a variety of sources and viewpoints so that she can draw her own conclusions and opinions. Other parts feel like more of a stretch; for instance, there is so much pepper spray used on a daily basis that the narrator is forced to stay inside for months at a time.

Although the book is based on true, current events from the around the globe, the writing style is so lacking in craft and descriptive details that it reads more like a diary listing events than a piece of literature. It's a great concept, but unfortunately, it's better in theory than in execution.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I became interested in reading Caroline Bobick's novel "Censored" after seeing the cover and reading the synopsis, so I'm honoured to have received an e-book copy of the novel from Xpresso Book Tours via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Censored" is a middle-grade/YA novel that follows a 13-year-old girl and her family as they attempt to navigate their new reality after a series of peaceful protests in their hometown of Alexandria turn violent. The novel is a timely and important book, and it touches on a number of real-world issues, including freedom of speech and expression, police brutality, media bias, and fittingly, given the title, censorship.

As always with my reviews, I like to discuss the positive aspects of the novel first. The novel sensitively and respectfully handles tough issues, while also not sugar-coating them. It's also a very quick read (seeing as how it's only 211 pages) and as a whole, it's very thought-provoking.

My criticisms of this novel are that almost none of the characters in the novel have names. The narrator refers to herself as "I" and she refers to everyone in her family by their respective title (Older brother, Mom, Dad, Aunt, Cousin, Grandma, Grandpa, etc...). The only two people we are given names for are her two best friends, Sara and Margot, and after a while, the lack of names did begin to get on my nerves and impact my overall reading experience. I also felt like the ending was somewhat abrupt, in that I truly felt like there was more of this story to be told, but instead, it just stopped, and that was definitely frustrating for me as a reader.

Overall though, I did quite enjoy this book and I think it's definitely worth a read! If you're a fan of Cory Doctorow, this is definitely a book that you do NOT want to miss! For me, it's a 3.5 star read, and I sincerely thank both Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for the chance to read it!

[CC Sanders · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was unfortunately very disappointed. The premise sounded really great and right up my alley. I sat down intentionally with enough time to read in one sitting, being super excited about the idea of this book. I like books that make me think about society and humanity critically or that simply play with "what-if" scenarios. Especially doomsday-scenarios. Unfortunately the way this book was executed made me want to DNF after only 3 pages. I gave it bit more of a shot but soon realized I was skimming to see if the writing gets any better. It does not.

This book really would have benefited from a few more rounds of editing. While I appreciate the attempt of a realistic 13 year old voice - you can write in a way that it sounds like a young voice without it sounding like it was written by a 13 year old writing fan-fiction. Mind you - I have read better fan-fiction by 13 year olds than this. The writing style is so clumsy and simple it felt a bit like reading a diary written by a 13 year old that is not necessarily aspiring to become a writer.

I can appreciate that the writer tries to write in a way that young adults would understand difficult topics such as censorship, and riots including police brutality, I think it is almost an insult towards young readers to think they would need to be delivered the message in this writing style to understand it.

The concept and the idea to teach young readers about having to use multiple sources of media and other great educational points that the book is trying to get across is really great - unfortunately the writing style makes it pretty much unreadable. A few more rounds of editing could probably resolve this.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of the book in exchange for this honest review.

[Alethea · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s an interesting time to read this book. This is an easy read (took me 2 hours) as it’s clearly aimed at the 9-11 years age group. This narrative challenges the reader to consider their freedoms of thought, speech, religion and association.

The story is written “by” a 13 year old Jewish girl in America. A single day of peaceful protests by teachers about their wage quickly leads to a police state. The only way to stay safe and alive is to say nothing or become a refugee.

This book raises so many important issues. Freedom. Power. Rights. Safety. What to believe in the media and on social media. How it might feel to become a refugee.

What the book really lacks, however, is a proper depth. I appreciate this is aimed at “kids” but it has no detail. It gives no reasons for the government suddenly deciding protest is illegal. It has no good cops, no good politicians or other leaders. The only good protagonists, a rabbi and a teacher, are quickly silenced. There is no hole in this book. There is no chance to oppose the bad, only to run away and try to stay alive. And I know that for some people in history and today, that has been reality, but I find it unhelpful in this book. This book just leaves you depressed. It leaves you thinking everyone in power is bad and I can’t trust anyone. That’s not the right message to be sending to our youth. Yes, they need to know that some in power are bad, but they need to be equipped with tools to challenge this.

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

One phrase comes to mind after finishing this book: that escalated quickly.

The book is a quick read no doubt, but a hard read mainly because of the current climate. The anger and frustration is certainly on par with books like Internment (not-so-distant-future storytelling) but generally following the lines of history yet there was an implausibility in how the story was laid out. Multiple threads were brought up, only to be solved or dropped when it was inconvenient to continue them like her eating disorder, her friends back in Alexandria, her faith. I thought Bobick would go one direction with the insertion of the thread but then just completely dropped it. Then it all just went south at the end-- VERY QUICKLY. The fleeing I get, but the jumble of an ending completely jumped the shark.

The elements of the story are important obviously, understanding government control, interpersonal relationships, commercial and personal affiliations, religious freedom, yet nothing was focused on for longer than a few chapters which diminished its full impact.

If they were inspired (as the back summary includes) by true stories, I would hope that in the next printing that it is included, giving credit to the experiences of specific marginalized groups in which fleeing was the only option.

[Sam B · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a DNF for me. I reached about halfway through this book before I had to read the end, to see if this had a happy ending because this book was extremely upsetting, frustrating and depressing. Sad to say, it did not have a good ending and so I am glad I didn’t finish it.

I started this book annoyed that it seemed very much a pre-teen book that had somehow slotted itself into the teen/Ya genre. Reading more, I could see how the topics it dealt with pushed it there, but I still found the writing very difficult to read, in the sense that it sometimes it really, really felt like a 13 year old was writing this, but then an adult was going through the introspection.

Perhaps the timing of reading this book doesn’t help, considering the state of the world currently. I don’t mind if books have hardships and struggles, as long as there are moments of light and hope. Those moments the book tried to convey weren’t enough for me.

I’m giving it 2 stars instead of 1 because I can’t tell how much my feelings about the book stem from the current situation.

[Lanica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this was an excellent idea for a novel. I was really looking forward to it. I won and ARC and it was personalized by the author with a cute note and everything.

Unfortunately, it's not written at the right time. The story pales compared to what is actually happening in the world today and can't live up to the 'possible' future when read at the same time our current days are so much worse.

I am so sorry that the year 2020 took this book and made it obsolete.

It took me a long time to write this review because I don't want to hurt the authors feeling. I'm sorry, but I was not able to connect with the characters, and the whole book broke the whole 'show, don't tell' rule. It was unlikely that the entire world would start to riot because of a few teachers...and yet, here we are. I hope you keep writing, but please get a few beta readers first and a good editor before you publish it. There was a lot of potential here, but it seem like a good example of why people should not self-publish.

[Cheong Hyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminds me of the Biden Administration and their collusion with Big Tech to silence anyone who brings up Voter Fraud, Hunter Biden's laptop, criticisms of Dr. Fauci and criticisms of the Chinese government. Anyone who exercises their first amendment rights to bring up non-Biden Administration approved topics is censored, deplatformed, and labeled a domestic terrorsit / insurrectionist. Biden Admin Officials are already discussing establishing a truth commission and a federal fact checking agency like "The Ministry of Truth" to label anything they don't like as misinformation / conspiracy theory and censor it. They are also pushing to send so called "extremists" (aka anyone that criticizes the Biden Regime) to deprogramming camps.

I love how this book shows how corrupt the media can be and that people should not blindly believe whatever the media says. The book definitely has an anti-marxist, anti-big government message and shows the downsides of having too much government. This book reminds me of George Orwell's Animal Farm and 1984.

[Michelle Arredondo · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Censored we are met with a 13 year old girl that is facing a tremendous series of situations for her and her family that mirror much of what is currently going on with the world today in some ways. Her story takes us through a series of aggressive and hostile events and the seriousness of these events and how they shape the way of life for her family. Imagine not having freedom of speech. Imagine 'speaking your peace' becoming illegal to do so. It's an incredible story, very raw, and almost real, and very important. It's touted as Young Adult and for that I think that it makes it all the more special because it should be something that our youth reads and that we as adults can have healthy discussions with them about. It's a story that gives us all something to think about.

Thanks to the great peeps of goodreads, to Caroline Bobick, and to Creative Seminars for my free copy of this book won via giveaway. I received. I read. I reviewed this book honestly and voluntarily.

[Kristin- Kristin's Bookstack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This read goes right along with what is happening in the world today! It would be a great book to read for a Jr. High or High School Social Studies or Government class to open up a discussion about the 1st -Amendment and the role of the government. We the People Teams would have a great debate on the topic!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Well written. Includes all points of view, political opinions, and stages of laws and government. It covers the importance of understanding what your voting for, that every vote counts, and there are consequences; both good and bad to every decision made. It makes you think about what you really understand about the 1st Amendment and how the government works. I enjoyed reading this book! We had a great discussion at home with the ideas presented in this book. Thanks!

[Avid (Maria) Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very thought provoking read.
We are introduced to a 13yr old narrator, in which her name is never given. She is celebrating her bat-mitzvah and is beaming with joy.
She has no idea that her life will be drastically changed in the next weeks, mont and year.
Tha narrator wants to join a peaceful protest with her friends in support of teachers gettimg higher pay. She soon realizes nothing can be peacedul when police become violent towards them and the protestors in return retaliate.
She soon starts to realize that the media can turn stories into false narrative and cause and uproar with anyone having a different opinion than the government.
This was a great read and though provoking. It is something to think about in todays world.
Thank you netgalley for this advanced e-reader

[Marty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I beleive this is written for a young adult in it's style and tone. That being said, It was just not for me.
In any event, it is the story of what can go wrong when the goverment of any country takes over. I want to conpair this to the butterfly theory meets the Russian Gulag, or The Handmaid's Tale. Censored for every thought or action, or the truth of others.
Of course the narrater bases her thoughts only on what she is told, and she does not see everythng. In this frame who can tell what is truth? On line media is not always truthful, nor are some new outlets. In this present day ish novel, it appears everyone has some type of agenda.
A bit wordy for my taste

[Sonya Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This work of fiction tackles the very real subject of the freedom of speech and the result of having your thoughts and the expression of them made illegal. It deals with these issues from the perspective of a very mature 13-year-old girl and her family as suddenly peaceful protests in her city are aggressively quelled by the government. This takes place in an American city and quickly results in governmental action throughout the country. In the course of the story the reader cannot help but realize the fragility of human rights, their necessity, and the power that comes from upholding fundamental rights for all people. I highly recommend this book to all readers.

[Jo Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book that scared me to death. How simple could it be for a president to take over peoples' minds & bodies, and encourage them to vote for principle that go against everything democracy stands for. It starts with the police overtaking peaceful protesters, jailing people for no legitimate charge and then starts the killing. People become afraid and think they should go along, because after all the government is here to protect us, but not so, it's all a lie to take over the country and make it a dictatorship.
I thought the writing was done very well, as seen through the eyes of a teenage girl.
Of course I won"t give away the ending.

[Addie_read_this · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to netgally and the publisher for giving me an e-arc of this book.

Overall I really liked the book. I don’t remember a lot of it since I read the book so long ago and I forgot to write a review.

The story was different than I expected, but that really didn’t matter to me. I enjoyed reading this book. It reads very quickly and is also very educational.

The book made me think about 1984. The concept was basically the same, but this book took it further which was a good thing. I actually had trouble putting the book down

[Maxine Kamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought-provoking YA novel that adults will find engaging as well. The narrator, a 13 year old girl, lives in an unnamed country where citizens are being arrested and imprisoned for speaking out. Considering the current situation in the US, readers can easily identify with the series of events that occur. The cliff hanger ending opens it up to a lively discussion. As a retired school librarian, I would recommend this book to readers ages 11-16 and social studies/government classes.

[Kasey Connors-Beron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley. It is an incredibly powerful story of a 13 year old girl in a time of immense political unrest. The story feels like it was written over the past three weeks because it mirrors the current horrors of our political and social worlds. It makes you wonder if this censorship has hit or if the momentum of the BLM has started to fade. Heartbreaking and left on the edge of no resolution. This story is terrifyingly real.

[Marisa Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

A teachers protest that leads to violence, censorship and propaganda from news media, arrests for things spoken or said, questionable elections...this is a scary book to be reading in the current world environment. Main character is a teenage Jewish girl. The book also touches on teenage issues like body image, boys and social media.

The book draws you in so you want to know what is going to happen next.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Thanks!

This story is pretty timely, showing how quickly rights and privileges can be eroded without the public noticing just how much they are losing.

I didn't really enjoy the book, but it would be great for some. I felt it was somewhat condescending, as well as a bit glossed over. Many would like this for a younger audience; I find most of the kids I encounter prefer realistic stories that don't patronize.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

An important tale of what happens when slowly your rights as a human are eroded. Ever important to read and understand this sort of thing in our day and age. Upsetting to read, but a quick read as it wasn’t that long.

I feel this is a commentary on what is happening right now throughout the world. Very upsetting and not a lot more that I can say.

[Victoria B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing plot about the de-evolution of personal freedoms as big government and censorship spirals out of control. The writing needs some work - it wasn't consistent, and the style was a little too simplistic at times. So while it was interesting, the actual reading was just ok.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.