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The Unidentified
Fifteen-year-old Katey (aka Kid) goes to school in the Game—a mall converted into a “school” run by corporate sponsors. As the students play their way through the levels, they are also creatingproducts and being used for market research by the sponsors, who are watching them 24/7 on video cameras. Kid has a vague sense of unease but doesn’t question this existence until one day she witnesses a shocking anticorporateprank. She follows the clues to uncover the identities of the people behind it and discovers an anonymous group that callsitself the Unidentified. Intrigued by their countercultureideas and enigmatic leader, Kid is drawn into the group. But when the Unidentified’s pranks and even Kid’s own identity are co-opted by the sponsors, Kid decides to do something bigger—something that could change the Game forever. This funny, sharp, and thought-provoking novel heralds the arrival of a stunning new voice in teen fiction.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published October 5, 2010
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September 26, 2011
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Not good. Not awful. Just boring.
I'm not really sure what else to say about The Unidentified except that I had to force myself to finish it, and the ending left me feeling disappointed that I had even bothered.
The slow beginning was torturous, and the story never really picked up. At first I thought the idea of a school sponsored by corporations sounded different and kind on interesting. But as I read, the whole thing fell apart. I couldn't support the concept, even in fiction. It was just too far fetched, and it didn't make sense as to why parents would even consider sending their kids to a school that basically makes their children addicted to video games and excessive consumption of products.
The personality of the main character, Katey aka 'Kid,' didn't translate very well into making her a notable being. She was insecure yet shallow, loyal yet fickle. Is this typical of teen behavior? Sure, it could be, but it didn't help me like Kid much.
The character I did like the most was Kid's best friend/kind-of love interest (when she bothered to notice him), Mikey. He seemed to march to the beat of his own drum playing. Plus, he was pretty funny.
Other humorous bits included the hash-tag (#) messages from corporate sponsors and the @ed messages from Kid and friends. Basically, it was Twitter reinvented for the 'future.' In the Game that they call school, the students spend more time checking their intouch than actually studying.
I did pick up a favorite new phrase from the book, "Oh My Google!" Does this mean that in the future that Google becomes more all knowing than God? Or has it already?
Overall, the writing was good, but the story was not for me. Still, if you enjoyed it, I'd like to hear your thoughts.
Not good. Not awful. Just boring.
I'm not really sure what else to say about The Unidentified except that I had to force myself to finish it, and the ending left me feeling disappointed that I had even bothered.
The slow beginning was torturous, and the story never really picked up. At first I thought the idea of a school sponsored by corporations sounded different and kind on interesting. But as I read, the whole thing fell apart. I couldn't support the concept, even in fiction. It was just too far fetched, and it didn't make sense as to why parents would even consider sending their kids to a school that basically makes their children addicted to video games and excessive consumption of products.
The personality of the main character, Katey aka 'Kid,' didn't translate very well into making her a notable being. She was insecure yet shallow, loyal yet fickle. Is this typical of teen behavior? Sure, it could be, but it didn't help me like Kid much.
The character I did like the most was Kid's best friend/kind-of love interest (when she bothered to notice him), Mikey. He seemed to march to the beat of his own drum playing. Plus, he was pretty funny.
Other humorous bits included the hash-tag (#) messages from corporate sponsors and the @ed messages from Kid and friends. Basically, it was Twitter reinvented for the 'future.' In the Game that they call school, the students spend more time checking their intouch than actually studying.
I did pick up a favorite new phrase from the book, "Oh My Google!" Does this mean that in the future that Google becomes more all knowing than God? Or has it already?
Overall, the writing was good, but the story was not for me. Still, if you enjoyed it, I'd like to hear your thoughts.
March 20, 2011
In another dystopian society, the government can no longer pay for schooling. Instead, children are sent to Game Centers to market themselves and new creations for a points and to be branded by a company. It’s eerily plausible and equally scary, especially when the “players” are given cell phones with GPS tracking and are fully required to update the higher-ups with status changes on online communities reminiscent of Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace.
Katey Did – aka Kid – is the 15-year-old heroine in the novel. She’s a girl that’s stuck in between two major groups – the outcasts and the trendspotters. At least, she is until she witnesses a prank by a group that calls themselves “The Unidentified” and decides she wants to find out who they are. Immediately, Kid is thrust into the spotlight with the other trendsetters and nothing is as it seems anymore.
The number one reason this book pulled me in was that it’s a scary parallel to the changing world today. “Google” sometimes becomes a replacement for God in the novel and more and more, technological advances in the present day seem to be taking over, well, everything. When I mention that the events in the book are plausible, I actually mean that. Money is being lost and schools and hospitals are shutting down – is that an inevitable path toward what Rae Mariz creates with the world of THE UNIDENTIFIED?
However, the number one reason this book merely coasts on my radar is that it’s a flat execution of what happens and leaves readers unsure of what will happen next. The journey Kid and the other characters take in the book is a slow-growing process – a distinct opposition of what readers would expect from the events. There is no real connection to the characters which is a shame since they all had the potential to be people readers could relate to. The ending is one that doesn’t fully answer questions but perhaps that was the point – not everything can be answered in the space between a front and back cover.
Though the idea is unique, Mariz was unable to tell the story in a way I could truly enjoy.
Katey Did – aka Kid – is the 15-year-old heroine in the novel. She’s a girl that’s stuck in between two major groups – the outcasts and the trendspotters. At least, she is until she witnesses a prank by a group that calls themselves “The Unidentified” and decides she wants to find out who they are. Immediately, Kid is thrust into the spotlight with the other trendsetters and nothing is as it seems anymore.
The number one reason this book pulled me in was that it’s a scary parallel to the changing world today. “Google” sometimes becomes a replacement for God in the novel and more and more, technological advances in the present day seem to be taking over, well, everything. When I mention that the events in the book are plausible, I actually mean that. Money is being lost and schools and hospitals are shutting down – is that an inevitable path toward what Rae Mariz creates with the world of THE UNIDENTIFIED?
However, the number one reason this book merely coasts on my radar is that it’s a flat execution of what happens and leaves readers unsure of what will happen next. The journey Kid and the other characters take in the book is a slow-growing process – a distinct opposition of what readers would expect from the events. There is no real connection to the characters which is a shame since they all had the potential to be people readers could relate to. The ending is one that doesn’t fully answer questions but perhaps that was the point – not everything can be answered in the space between a front and back cover.
Though the idea is unique, Mariz was unable to tell the story in a way I could truly enjoy.
January 21, 2011
Not awful.. not fantastic.. kinda ho-hum and a little boring.
I really wanted to like this book more then I did.. unfortunately the intriguing premise of UNIDENTIFIED didn't quite rise to it's potential and ultimately I was disappointed. This dystopian tale set in our immediate future, where schools are located in refurbished malls and run by sponsors; as the kids compete for popularity status and "branding" all while their education is fed to them in "Game" form. Sounds good, edgy even right?.. the possibility for greatness was so there. Sadly UNIDENTIFIED starts out really slow and takes like half the book before it starts to pick up; making it really hard to get into and ending just as it's starting to get good. Although I found protagonist, Katey "kidzero" to be a likable and well fleshed-out character, she wasn't enough to save the story for me. I guess I just wanted it to be.. more.
Rae Mariz's futuristic world is reminiscent of Scott Westerfeld's EXTRA (book 4 of the Uglies).. but lacking the the luxury of a strong series to give it the backbone it sorely needed. UNIDENTIFIED, for me, regrettably fell short.
I really wanted to like this book more then I did.. unfortunately the intriguing premise of UNIDENTIFIED didn't quite rise to it's potential and ultimately I was disappointed. This dystopian tale set in our immediate future, where schools are located in refurbished malls and run by sponsors; as the kids compete for popularity status and "branding" all while their education is fed to them in "Game" form. Sounds good, edgy even right?.. the possibility for greatness was so there. Sadly UNIDENTIFIED starts out really slow and takes like half the book before it starts to pick up; making it really hard to get into and ending just as it's starting to get good. Although I found protagonist, Katey "kidzero" to be a likable and well fleshed-out character, she wasn't enough to save the story for me. I guess I just wanted it to be.. more.
Rae Mariz's futuristic world is reminiscent of Scott Westerfeld's EXTRA (book 4 of the Uglies).. but lacking the the luxury of a strong series to give it the backbone it sorely needed. UNIDENTIFIED, for me, regrettably fell short.
April 13, 2011
The Unidentified by Rae Mariz: Urban YA Speculative Fiction of the Year
I know it’s only March, but I have chosen my UYASF Book of the Year and it comes as no surprise. With friends like Hannah Moskowitz and Cory Doctorow endorsing her novel, Rae Mariz has her foot, leg and body in the best-seller door with her debut novel. She creates a dystopian society by turning high school into “the Game” where lectures are video games, projects get you points and your popularity gets you branded by major corporations. The students of The Game are sheltered inside a virtual world bubble that is fit to burst. The Unidentified is the only group that sees the side-effects of the corruption and challenges the unethical practice of corporate sponsorship head on.
Mariz takes educational gaming to a whole new level. She comes up with innovative, why-didn’t-I-think-of-that fashion, communication and security measures. The irony is exposed brilliantly without rhetoric or preachy exposition. Mariz takes advantage of her own youth to empathize with her characters. It is easy to understand how they feel. It is a smooth read with much head-nodding and ah-hahs. She even creates a new style of blasphemy when her characters curse Oh My Google!
BEWARE! MY NEXT COMMENT GIVES AWAY PLOT DETAILS!: The love triangle is a bit predictable. No girl can be best friends with a geeky, sensitive guy for too long before she falls for him, and nothing jumpstarts this realization faster than dating her best friend’s best friend. It’s only natural. I don’t consider this a downside to the book, since I’d be ticked if it didn’t work out that way.
OK YOU CAN READ AGAIN!: This book boosts my opposition to problems like social profiling, name branding and media exposure. It gives me hope that the next generation won’t succumb to unethical propaganda, but what do I know? I thought the same thing about my generation.
So support our youth! Stay on their good side! Support YA authors! Go out a get this book!
I know it’s only March, but I have chosen my UYASF Book of the Year and it comes as no surprise. With friends like Hannah Moskowitz and Cory Doctorow endorsing her novel, Rae Mariz has her foot, leg and body in the best-seller door with her debut novel. She creates a dystopian society by turning high school into “the Game” where lectures are video games, projects get you points and your popularity gets you branded by major corporations. The students of The Game are sheltered inside a virtual world bubble that is fit to burst. The Unidentified is the only group that sees the side-effects of the corruption and challenges the unethical practice of corporate sponsorship head on.
Mariz takes educational gaming to a whole new level. She comes up with innovative, why-didn’t-I-think-of-that fashion, communication and security measures. The irony is exposed brilliantly without rhetoric or preachy exposition. Mariz takes advantage of her own youth to empathize with her characters. It is easy to understand how they feel. It is a smooth read with much head-nodding and ah-hahs. She even creates a new style of blasphemy when her characters curse Oh My Google!
BEWARE! MY NEXT COMMENT GIVES AWAY PLOT DETAILS!: The love triangle is a bit predictable. No girl can be best friends with a geeky, sensitive guy for too long before she falls for him, and nothing jumpstarts this realization faster than dating her best friend’s best friend. It’s only natural. I don’t consider this a downside to the book, since I’d be ticked if it didn’t work out that way.
OK YOU CAN READ AGAIN!: This book boosts my opposition to problems like social profiling, name branding and media exposure. It gives me hope that the next generation won’t succumb to unethical propaganda, but what do I know? I thought the same thing about my generation.
So support our youth! Stay on their good side! Support YA authors! Go out a get this book!
December 9, 2011
You know, when the inside cover of your book explains more than the actual story does, you know you're doing it wrong.
My friend told me to 'avoid this one at all costs' because it was confusing and boring. Me, being a rebel, decided to borrow it from her. When I saw that one of my favorite authors had approved this book as being awesome, I decided that it couldn't be too bad.
And at first, the idea wasn't bad. It was like a willing 1984. I was intrigued by what everything was, why their 'school' (or whatever it is, I'm still not sure) was called the Game. By halfway in, I still didn't know half of what they were talking about was and I was getting frustrated. What is 'branding'? Oh, it's not actually explained. Use context clues and make your best guess!
And I never did figure out what the Game was until I looked in the front cover. Same thing with the 'levels' that they kept talking about. I felt like this entire book was just an inside joke that they invited me to join into but I never understood. It felt lackluster, disappointing, and no matter how convincing I tried to make my smile and laughter, it never managed to make anyone think it was genuine.
The moral of this story? Always listen to your friends, even if they did try to keep you away from your book about killer water horses.
My friend told me to 'avoid this one at all costs' because it was confusing and boring. Me, being a rebel, decided to borrow it from her. When I saw that one of my favorite authors had approved this book as being awesome, I decided that it couldn't be too bad.
And at first, the idea wasn't bad. It was like a willing 1984. I was intrigued by what everything was, why their 'school' (or whatever it is, I'm still not sure) was called the Game. By halfway in, I still didn't know half of what they were talking about was and I was getting frustrated. What is 'branding'? Oh, it's not actually explained. Use context clues and make your best guess!
And I never did figure out what the Game was until I looked in the front cover. Same thing with the 'levels' that they kept talking about. I felt like this entire book was just an inside joke that they invited me to join into but I never understood. It felt lackluster, disappointing, and no matter how convincing I tried to make my smile and laughter, it never managed to make anyone think it was genuine.
The moral of this story? Always listen to your friends, even if they did try to keep you away from your book about killer water horses.
August 1, 2012
Read This Review & More Like It At Ageless Pages Reviews
Katey "Kid" Dade is a 15 year old girl in The Game. No, not the rapper or Triple H, Kid lives in a not too distant future where the education system has been sold to sponsors who provide schooling in return for market research. "Players" attend classes and take art, music, and gym electives, while fighting for social rankings to join cliques that will get them branded by sponsors and increase their personal social media scores.
Wait, didn't I already review Tyra Banks' YA dystopian novel?
Fortunately, The Unidentifed is actually pretty good, especially at crafting a main character who feels confused and out of place and deals with genuine teenage issues. She's drifting apart from one best friend, dealing with possible romantic feelings for the other, and trying to decide if she even wants a label society's trying to pin on her. (Why hello there high school. I was hoping we would never meet again.) I actually found the book most successful when dealing with the relationship between Kid and Ari and the cliques. Where it fell down was trying to introduce the futuristic elements.
The book takes place in an unspecified year, but judging by the fact that the kids are generation AAA, (after X, Y, and Z) and most generation Z's are just entering high school, the book takes place when my children would be in high school. So we'll say 15-20 years into the future. Of course, technology's advancement is hard to predict, but a good amount of the technology either already exists or is probable at this time. We're not looking at holograms, flying cars, or bio domes. The book is almost entirely about texting and using Facebook on your notebook. I'm doing that right now. No touch screens or retina scanners, the kids play Halo and build Battlebots and listen to the "classical" Wu-Tang Clan.
I'm not trying to suggest that a novel can only be futuristic if it's full of jet packs and run by Tony Stark's Jarvis, but if society undergoes such radical changes in 15 years that teenagers are basically illegal, the rest of the world should also feel equally advanced. There are some touches, video games played by blinking, but it almost makes it more jarring when kids are still skateboarding.
Likewise, the actual Unidentified conspiracy is pretty uninspired. The UnID are an underground group of rebels that want to show the Game designers that they don't own everyone. That's a noble idea, except they do very little to subvert the mainstream until 80% through the book when they start a riot. After that it comes out that and the book rushes headlong to a conclusion that leaves a lot unsaid.
Kid, as a main character, gets no resolution. Her love triangle peters out: As mentioned, the UnID isn't what it seems: The book ends with a chapter called "Game Over" and this:
Nothing about Katey, her future, her music or friends or if her mom learned to trust her. No word on punishment or if they made an immediate difference. For the main character, it's a fade to black and it left me really disappointed.
In summary, The Unidentified has a pretty interesting premise, but sloppy world-building and an ending that falls apart. It succeeds in speaking to teens who feel different and unheard, but it doesn't have a lot new to say to them.
Katey "Kid" Dade is a 15 year old girl in The Game. No, not the rapper or Triple H, Kid lives in a not too distant future where the education system has been sold to sponsors who provide schooling in return for market research. "Players" attend classes and take art, music, and gym electives, while fighting for social rankings to join cliques that will get them branded by sponsors and increase their personal social media scores.
Wait, didn't I already review Tyra Banks' YA dystopian novel?
Fortunately, The Unidentifed is actually pretty good, especially at crafting a main character who feels confused and out of place and deals with genuine teenage issues. She's drifting apart from one best friend, dealing with possible romantic feelings for the other, and trying to decide if she even wants a label society's trying to pin on her. (Why hello there high school. I was hoping we would never meet again.) I actually found the book most successful when dealing with the relationship between Kid and Ari and the cliques. Where it fell down was trying to introduce the futuristic elements.
The book takes place in an unspecified year, but judging by the fact that the kids are generation AAA, (after X, Y, and Z) and most generation Z's are just entering high school, the book takes place when my children would be in high school. So we'll say 15-20 years into the future. Of course, technology's advancement is hard to predict, but a good amount of the technology either already exists or is probable at this time. We're not looking at holograms, flying cars, or bio domes. The book is almost entirely about texting and using Facebook on your notebook. I'm doing that right now. No touch screens or retina scanners, the kids play Halo and build Battlebots and listen to the "classical" Wu-Tang Clan.
I'm not trying to suggest that a novel can only be futuristic if it's full of jet packs and run by Tony Stark's Jarvis, but if society undergoes such radical changes in 15 years that teenagers are basically illegal, the rest of the world should also feel equally advanced. There are some touches, video games played by blinking, but it almost makes it more jarring when kids are still skateboarding.
Likewise, the actual Unidentified conspiracy is pretty uninspired. The UnID are an underground group of rebels that want to show the Game designers that they don't own everyone. That's a noble idea, except they do very little to subvert the mainstream until 80% through the book when they start a riot. After that it comes out that and the book rushes headlong to a conclusion that leaves a lot unsaid.
Kid, as a main character, gets no resolution. Her love triangle peters out: As mentioned, the UnID isn't what it seems: The book ends with a chapter called "Game Over" and this:
We are the Unidentified. Or maybe we're not. Maybe you'll never know who we are.
In one night, unauthorized parking-lot parties took place outside 243 Game sites nationwide. The Unidentified didn't do that, the people who participated did that. Some of the gatherings were busted up by law enforcement citing the underage gathering prohibition, but other kept going until the sky lightened and the parking lot lamps blinked out.
It doesn't matter if everyone is watching. Or if no one is. We are going to keep making noise. With the hope of one day beating the Game."
Nothing about Katey, her future, her music or friends or if her mom learned to trust her. No word on punishment or if they made an immediate difference. For the main character, it's a fade to black and it left me really disappointed.
In summary, The Unidentified has a pretty interesting premise, but sloppy world-building and an ending that falls apart. It succeeds in speaking to teens who feel different and unheard, but it doesn't have a lot new to say to them.
November 5, 2010
It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that has impressed me, and so when I picked up and got instantly sucked into THE UNIDENTIFIED’s riveting and eerily familiar world, I was beside myself with happiness. THE UNIDENTIFIED is smart, well-written, and suspenseful, the perfect example of what dystopian literature should be: a fully realized and recognizable world without forgoing characterization and plot.
Rae Mariz impressively introduces us to a shocking and complex futuristic world, one in which privacy has no meaning thanks to the constant flow of information and technological interconnection. With Facebook’s recent introduction of the disconcertingly stalker-like “See Friendship” button, the issues regarding privacy that THE UNIDENTIFIED explores in such an entertaining and intelligent fashion are so much more immediately relevant. Rae Mariz succeeds in crafting for us a scarily plausible world that is possibly an inevitable extrapolation of the already network-filled world of Facebook and Twitter that we live in.
THE UNIDENTIFIED is smart, but it’s also hardly boring. Kid’s voice is fresh, with just the right amount of quippy attitude. She’s the perfect balance of the observant outsider with the propensity to create change, and the gullible market to which the Corporations are pandering. And Kid’s not the only interesting and well-developed characters. Her two best friends, Ari and Mikey, light up the page with their very different personalities whenever they appear in a scene. Even more minor characters are fully realized with their limited “on-page” time. The characterization is really an incredible accomplishment for a 300-something page book, which most might even consider short for modern dystopian novel standards.
I really wish I had the capacity to speak more about THE UNIDENTIFIED’s marvelous critique of the infiltration of networking websites in our lives. But I’ll leave that to the academics, and just let you know that this book does it, along with providing us a highly unputdownable adventure. I don’t think I can recommend this book enough. READ IT if you’re looking for smart and snappy dystopian literature.
Rae Mariz impressively introduces us to a shocking and complex futuristic world, one in which privacy has no meaning thanks to the constant flow of information and technological interconnection. With Facebook’s recent introduction of the disconcertingly stalker-like “See Friendship” button, the issues regarding privacy that THE UNIDENTIFIED explores in such an entertaining and intelligent fashion are so much more immediately relevant. Rae Mariz succeeds in crafting for us a scarily plausible world that is possibly an inevitable extrapolation of the already network-filled world of Facebook and Twitter that we live in.
THE UNIDENTIFIED is smart, but it’s also hardly boring. Kid’s voice is fresh, with just the right amount of quippy attitude. She’s the perfect balance of the observant outsider with the propensity to create change, and the gullible market to which the Corporations are pandering. And Kid’s not the only interesting and well-developed characters. Her two best friends, Ari and Mikey, light up the page with their very different personalities whenever they appear in a scene. Even more minor characters are fully realized with their limited “on-page” time. The characterization is really an incredible accomplishment for a 300-something page book, which most might even consider short for modern dystopian novel standards.
I really wish I had the capacity to speak more about THE UNIDENTIFIED’s marvelous critique of the infiltration of networking websites in our lives. But I’ll leave that to the academics, and just let you know that this book does it, along with providing us a highly unputdownable adventure. I don’t think I can recommend this book enough. READ IT if you’re looking for smart and snappy dystopian literature.
February 22, 2011
This dystopian book tackles privacy, social networking and consumerism. It has a fast pace and is set in a recognizable world in the future where corporate sponsors run school in abandoned shopping malls. The students rack up points and friends with the goal of becoming “branded” by a sponsor. This is a smart dystopian book with punchy dialogue written with original slang that is a relevant commentary on privacy and consumer issues faced today. With so many vacancies in shopping malls and budget cuts plaguing schools today it makes me wonder if this type of society could occur.
The Game is attractive to parents because it is a safe place for students to go to avoid the dangers of the outside world. The students are monitored with tracking devices that the parents can follow. The video game like school makes learning fun as the students develop their own educational plan based on their interests. The sponsors compete for the students’ interest with their own modules such as math tests on a flight simulator.
The protagonist, fifteen-year-old Katey (aka Kid) is not playing the Game to her full potential. She has few friends on her intouch device and is not a conformist. She does not have the resources to follow the latest fashion trends that would get her noticed by a sponsor. Her best friend Ari has bought into the Game whole-heartedly and would do anything to get sponsored. Kid starts to question her role in the Game when she witnesses a rebellious act by a group called The Unidentified, and gains some sponsor attention. Kid learns that the popularity and gifts afforded by the sponsors comes with strings attached.
In this world there is no privacy and all the students “perform” in school as if they are being watched on camera at all times, which they are. School popularity and cliques are taken to a whole new level with the students trying to stay on top of the trends in order to get free clothes from the sponsors. They follow the rules unquestioningly to avoid the dreaded “Game Over”. It is hard to find someone to trust and a true friend in this society where gossip and backstabbing are the norm. Even rebellion can be trendy.
I enjoyed this book and following Kid on her journey in the Game. It is a unique observation of identity, privacy and consumerism. This is Rae Mariz’s debut novel and it is a stand-alone book. Recommended if you enjoyed other YA Sci-fi dystopians such as Across The Universe.
The Game is attractive to parents because it is a safe place for students to go to avoid the dangers of the outside world. The students are monitored with tracking devices that the parents can follow. The video game like school makes learning fun as the students develop their own educational plan based on their interests. The sponsors compete for the students’ interest with their own modules such as math tests on a flight simulator.
The protagonist, fifteen-year-old Katey (aka Kid) is not playing the Game to her full potential. She has few friends on her intouch device and is not a conformist. She does not have the resources to follow the latest fashion trends that would get her noticed by a sponsor. Her best friend Ari has bought into the Game whole-heartedly and would do anything to get sponsored. Kid starts to question her role in the Game when she witnesses a rebellious act by a group called The Unidentified, and gains some sponsor attention. Kid learns that the popularity and gifts afforded by the sponsors comes with strings attached.
In this world there is no privacy and all the students “perform” in school as if they are being watched on camera at all times, which they are. School popularity and cliques are taken to a whole new level with the students trying to stay on top of the trends in order to get free clothes from the sponsors. They follow the rules unquestioningly to avoid the dreaded “Game Over”. It is hard to find someone to trust and a true friend in this society where gossip and backstabbing are the norm. Even rebellion can be trendy.
I enjoyed this book and following Kid on her journey in the Game. It is a unique observation of identity, privacy and consumerism. This is Rae Mariz’s debut novel and it is a stand-alone book. Recommended if you enjoyed other YA Sci-fi dystopians such as Across The Universe.
December 31, 2011
This was an interesting read.
You can never be to sure of who your friends are, who trust, and who is watching you.
The teenagers in this book go to school that's all centered around The Game. You do things in the Game to to help you get to certain levels and higher scores. There are sponsors out there watching what you do and if they like what they see, or your a trend setter, you get branded by the label. This seems to be, mostly, what everyone in the Game wants. If you get branded, you get to wear the latest fashion trends or do or use whatever it is that your sponsor's product is all about.
Eventually some of the students decide they don't like being watched and branded all the time. They just want a part of their life that is theirs and not connected to the Game with out everyone always knowing what they are wearing or doing or who they are with. A group called the Unidentified pops up and starts to stir things up especially with the main character, Katey also known in the game as Kid. She, with out realizing it, puts in to motion a string of events that leads to sponsors, branding, issues with her friends, a boyfriend, her name gets pretty well known, and who exactly the Unidentified really are. She basically puts in to motion what the main person of Unidentified wanted all along, he just realized that she would be the one he could count on to do it.
You can never be to sure of who your friends are, who trust, and who is watching you.
The teenagers in this book go to school that's all centered around The Game. You do things in the Game to to help you get to certain levels and higher scores. There are sponsors out there watching what you do and if they like what they see, or your a trend setter, you get branded by the label. This seems to be, mostly, what everyone in the Game wants. If you get branded, you get to wear the latest fashion trends or do or use whatever it is that your sponsor's product is all about.
Eventually some of the students decide they don't like being watched and branded all the time. They just want a part of their life that is theirs and not connected to the Game with out everyone always knowing what they are wearing or doing or who they are with. A group called the Unidentified pops up and starts to stir things up especially with the main character, Katey also known in the game as Kid. She, with out realizing it, puts in to motion a string of events that leads to sponsors, branding, issues with her friends, a boyfriend, her name gets pretty well known, and who exactly the Unidentified really are. She basically puts in to motion what the main person of Unidentified wanted all along, he just realized that she would be the one he could count on to do it.
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April 21, 2019The story is ok but has too much bad language for my taste. It's also a huge rip-off of the Scott Westerfeld Uglies series. Not a fav & definitely not appropriate for middle school. Good for negative consumerism views.
November 17, 2010
Do you ever get creeped out at how much access Google has to information on you? Forget it, because it Unidentified, that’s just a fact of life. In fact, ‘Google’ is so accepted as an all-knowing entity that it has replaced ‘God’ in common phrases, i.e. “For the love of God,” is now, “For the love of Google.”
This is the world that Katey, aka ‘Kid’, is growing up in. It takes place at an undefined point in the future U.S. She is educated by corporate companies who monitor and analyze her decisions every time she swipes her student card at school, aka the 'Game'. The kids get ‘cliqued’ into groups like the Fashion Fascists or the Crafters. Instead of grades, there are game levels. Almost every student at the Game hopes to be ‘branded’ by one of the corporate sponsors who fund and run Kid’s school. Being branded means being put on the fast track to success, complete with access to VIP lounges and oodles of freebies. Branded kids have ‘stream groupies’ who follow them on the Game’s network. All they had to do is sign away rights to their personal identities, their talents, and the fruits of those talents. All students are a part of one big marketing study that is always in progress. Everything is very carefully planned. Then, one day someone throws a dummy over the railing at the Game with a sign attached: “UNIDENTIFIED. CHOOSE YOUR SUICIDE.”
Kid thinks it’s the most authentic act she ever has seen in her carefully orchestrated world. She also doesn’t get it – she initially thinks it’s a failed publicity stunt since there is no clear message. Then she sinks into the mystery and doesn’t let go.
First off, I like Kid, and I love her nickname – ‘Kid’ as in she can be ‘any’ kid. It felt that way to me, too. She wasn’t a poseur. She was into what she liked for the simple fact that it brought her pleasure. She wasn’t out to be branded. She felt accessible, but on a ‘real’ level, not on a virtual one. Once she latched onto the mystery of who threw the dummy over the railing and why, I was hooked.
However, before that, I had trouble getting into the book. It failed to capture my interest initially, but I think that was because the author was trying to convey the sense of boredom Kid feels in her own life. By the time the book did capture my interest, it still fell within the ‘under 50 pages or it’s out’ rule. Okay, maybe that’s my rule, but it works. Once I was, I was all in, and the majority of the rest of the book flew by for me. The ending wasn’t the best – it felt rushed, and truly, I ‘get’ what the author was trying to do, but it felt like the easy way out.
Let me say this may not be a book for everybody, but it could be. Frankly, it probably should be. I found the vast majority of it fascinating, with minor disappointments at the beginning and end. Despite it dealing with very real and weighty issues such as online privacy, unknowingly participating in a hegemony, corporate bullying and rebellion, Kid goes through the regular motions of being a teenager: crushes, jealousy, feelings of not belonging, etc. However, to truly enjoy it and 'get' what the author is saying, you need to have an understanding or interest in a few different things:
***Social networking: if you don't understand social networking, i.e. what it is, how to use it, its advantages and its controversies, you may feel a bit lost.
***PR and marketing: If you are not in the least bit interested in how companies gather their information for publicity and sales campaigns, particularly in the online world, then you may have trouble getting into this book. That being said, once you read this book, you may find yourself very interested.
***Corporate involvement in education: remember the controversy over credit card companies pushing their cards on college campuses? Did that alarm you? If it did, and you have any insight and knowledge into how corporate sponsorships are playing into education, you might like this book.
***If you like 1984 and Matrix-type things, you probably will like this book.
Despite the beginning going slow and the very end being a little flat, I really liked the rest of the book. I would definitely pick up another offering from this author.
Overall: B
This is the world that Katey, aka ‘Kid’, is growing up in. It takes place at an undefined point in the future U.S. She is educated by corporate companies who monitor and analyze her decisions every time she swipes her student card at school, aka the 'Game'. The kids get ‘cliqued’ into groups like the Fashion Fascists or the Crafters. Instead of grades, there are game levels. Almost every student at the Game hopes to be ‘branded’ by one of the corporate sponsors who fund and run Kid’s school. Being branded means being put on the fast track to success, complete with access to VIP lounges and oodles of freebies. Branded kids have ‘stream groupies’ who follow them on the Game’s network. All they had to do is sign away rights to their personal identities, their talents, and the fruits of those talents. All students are a part of one big marketing study that is always in progress. Everything is very carefully planned. Then, one day someone throws a dummy over the railing at the Game with a sign attached: “UNIDENTIFIED. CHOOSE YOUR SUICIDE.”
Kid thinks it’s the most authentic act she ever has seen in her carefully orchestrated world. She also doesn’t get it – she initially thinks it’s a failed publicity stunt since there is no clear message. Then she sinks into the mystery and doesn’t let go.
First off, I like Kid, and I love her nickname – ‘Kid’ as in she can be ‘any’ kid. It felt that way to me, too. She wasn’t a poseur. She was into what she liked for the simple fact that it brought her pleasure. She wasn’t out to be branded. She felt accessible, but on a ‘real’ level, not on a virtual one. Once she latched onto the mystery of who threw the dummy over the railing and why, I was hooked.
However, before that, I had trouble getting into the book. It failed to capture my interest initially, but I think that was because the author was trying to convey the sense of boredom Kid feels in her own life. By the time the book did capture my interest, it still fell within the ‘under 50 pages or it’s out’ rule. Okay, maybe that’s my rule, but it works. Once I was, I was all in, and the majority of the rest of the book flew by for me. The ending wasn’t the best – it felt rushed, and truly, I ‘get’ what the author was trying to do, but it felt like the easy way out.
Let me say this may not be a book for everybody, but it could be. Frankly, it probably should be. I found the vast majority of it fascinating, with minor disappointments at the beginning and end. Despite it dealing with very real and weighty issues such as online privacy, unknowingly participating in a hegemony, corporate bullying and rebellion, Kid goes through the regular motions of being a teenager: crushes, jealousy, feelings of not belonging, etc. However, to truly enjoy it and 'get' what the author is saying, you need to have an understanding or interest in a few different things:
***Social networking: if you don't understand social networking, i.e. what it is, how to use it, its advantages and its controversies, you may feel a bit lost.
***PR and marketing: If you are not in the least bit interested in how companies gather their information for publicity and sales campaigns, particularly in the online world, then you may have trouble getting into this book. That being said, once you read this book, you may find yourself very interested.
***Corporate involvement in education: remember the controversy over credit card companies pushing their cards on college campuses? Did that alarm you? If it did, and you have any insight and knowledge into how corporate sponsorships are playing into education, you might like this book.
***If you like 1984 and Matrix-type things, you probably will like this book.
Despite the beginning going slow and the very end being a little flat, I really liked the rest of the book. I would definitely pick up another offering from this author.
Overall: B
May 13, 2012
You know, THE UNIDENTIFIED had a good premise but the overall execution ended up being rather ho hum for me. At the end of the day it was about the social outcast coming to grips with the social strata in her school with the end result being the nonconformists conforming to the nonconformists' conformity. I was actually kind of disappointed. I'm not really sure what I was expecting but I know it was definitely something a little more than a higher tech Heathers (which is an awesome movie, THE UNIDENTIFIED, not so awesome of a book).
Kid is your standard I DON'T WANT TO FIT IN chick that purposely goes out of her way to not blend in with the crowd. Too bad for her that has the adverse effect and her nonconformist attitude gets picked up by the mall/school sponsors as the new uncool cool. Really, a bit on the lame side. The anti-popular popular. Kid then gets branded and her best friend totally hates her for it because BEST FRIEND has been trying soooooooooo hard to get branded (aka sponsorship and free stuff with access to a VIP lounge) whereas Kid obviously bucked the system. A boy gets involved that equally contributes to the screwing up of things because her other best friend,Ducky Mikey, totally digs her but, of course, doesn't say anything until it's too late and then holds it against her. Brilliant.
Kid makes an effort to seek out The Unidentified, whom I originally thought to be this epic paramilitary group that could exist in Red Dawn or something but it turns out they're just the school freaks with weird hair that buck the system even more than Kid. More disappointment. I saw The Unidentified "twist" coming almost as soon as it entered simply because it played out exactly as what it was. But whatever.
The more I write about THE UNIDENTIFIED the more annoyed by it I become. For a book that plays at being covert and espionage-ish is ended up being completely dull and nothing more than your standard high school fare set in a slightly futuristic mall setting with some video games for classes. The world itself was probably the most unique part of the story: the government ran out of money for education so it started being subsidized by private companies and the whole system ended up being one giant ad campaign with students vying to be each company's number one star. It's also a world with a lot of anti-kid laws like curfews, a lack of regard for the first amendment where kids aren't allowed to congregate anywhere, walk anywhere, simply because they may cause trouble. But that latter part isn't touched on too much. Kid doesn't really go out into the world but once and it's intricacies are off-handedly mentioned as she looks for people. The story world is pretty strictly confined to the mall. But outside of that, it's the same story repeated ad infinitum. There was nothing about that aspect that stood out to me.
In my opinion file this one into the copycat category. Not really dystopian simply because the world isn't anywhere near built up enough to grasp onto that genre but it's slightly unsettling. Education going into the private corporation sector for funding is slightly horrifying. But the story itself is a rehash, playing out like yet another teen movie with this epic We Are The Teen World ending and not much standing it out against the rest.
Kid is your standard I DON'T WANT TO FIT IN chick that purposely goes out of her way to not blend in with the crowd. Too bad for her that has the adverse effect and her nonconformist attitude gets picked up by the mall/school sponsors as the new uncool cool. Really, a bit on the lame side. The anti-popular popular. Kid then gets branded and her best friend totally hates her for it because BEST FRIEND has been trying soooooooooo hard to get branded (aka sponsorship and free stuff with access to a VIP lounge) whereas Kid obviously bucked the system. A boy gets involved that equally contributes to the screwing up of things because her other best friend,
Kid makes an effort to seek out The Unidentified, whom I originally thought to be this epic paramilitary group that could exist in Red Dawn or something but it turns out they're just the school freaks with weird hair that buck the system even more than Kid. More disappointment. I saw The Unidentified "twist" coming almost as soon as it entered simply because it played out exactly as what it was. But whatever.
The more I write about THE UNIDENTIFIED the more annoyed by it I become. For a book that plays at being covert and espionage-ish is ended up being completely dull and nothing more than your standard high school fare set in a slightly futuristic mall setting with some video games for classes. The world itself was probably the most unique part of the story: the government ran out of money for education so it started being subsidized by private companies and the whole system ended up being one giant ad campaign with students vying to be each company's number one star. It's also a world with a lot of anti-kid laws like curfews, a lack of regard for the first amendment where kids aren't allowed to congregate anywhere, walk anywhere, simply because they may cause trouble. But that latter part isn't touched on too much. Kid doesn't really go out into the world but once and it's intricacies are off-handedly mentioned as she looks for people. The story world is pretty strictly confined to the mall. But outside of that, it's the same story repeated ad infinitum. There was nothing about that aspect that stood out to me.
In my opinion file this one into the copycat category. Not really dystopian simply because the world isn't anywhere near built up enough to grasp onto that genre but it's slightly unsettling. Education going into the private corporation sector for funding is slightly horrifying. But the story itself is a rehash, playing out like yet another teen movie with this epic We Are The Teen World ending and not much standing it out against the rest.
May 29, 2014
Okay, let’s be honest here. From an objective perspective, this is definitely not a book that inspires a lot of excitement. The cover is pretty bland and not indicative of what takes place inside its pages and the current rating on Goodreads stands at a woeful 3.41. Not something that gives you much confidence. However, the one positive that this book has is the premise. It’s quite intriguing, especially on incorporating not only a dystopian flair but futuristic themes which make use of gaming, marketing, and social media.
This book was meant to be a commentary on the growing and encroaching influence social media has on our lives. And it worked, for some parts. The insidious ways the market controls their lives, through the exploitation of the players for sponsors, and the non-rights of the players’ privacies are very alarming and could make for parallels for our own current times with the use of Facebook, Twitter, etc. The gamification of their learning environments and the only way to progress was to successfully proceed through levels was especially interesting as it’s something that was briefly touched on in some of my classes concerning the learning environment and technology, as well as tasks and activity based-learning. Her idea was well and thoroughly implemented although it is distracting and confusing for much of the narrative.
The real positive of this book, I think, was the mystery element and the discovery of who The Unidentified were as well as the culprits behind the prank at the beginning of the story. I liked how this was slowly unraveled in layers through Kid’s desire and need to know. While she’s not exactly a brilliant mind, she is practical and looks at things through logical analysis to derive at her next decision, conclusion, or answer.
However, while this book attempts to tackle many great things, they all fall flat at the end because I keep saying so what? What was the point of the players’ actions? What was the underlying message the author was trying to make, because it’s quite obvious there’s a goal behind the story set up. And, coming from an academic mind, when you set up your articles or research questions you have to somehow draw conclusions or implications from your data with what you have. So what was the author’s? I don’t remember the ending at all but I remember it being anti-climactic, disappointing, and inconclusive. You can’t just set up a premise without follow through. And this is what really made the book fail for me.
Sure there are great, great ideas in this book, some of which I really liked but the execution was lacking and it left me asking, “what if?”
This book was meant to be a commentary on the growing and encroaching influence social media has on our lives. And it worked, for some parts. The insidious ways the market controls their lives, through the exploitation of the players for sponsors, and the non-rights of the players’ privacies are very alarming and could make for parallels for our own current times with the use of Facebook, Twitter, etc. The gamification of their learning environments and the only way to progress was to successfully proceed through levels was especially interesting as it’s something that was briefly touched on in some of my classes concerning the learning environment and technology, as well as tasks and activity based-learning. Her idea was well and thoroughly implemented although it is distracting and confusing for much of the narrative.
The real positive of this book, I think, was the mystery element and the discovery of who The Unidentified were as well as the culprits behind the prank at the beginning of the story. I liked how this was slowly unraveled in layers through Kid’s desire and need to know. While she’s not exactly a brilliant mind, she is practical and looks at things through logical analysis to derive at her next decision, conclusion, or answer.
However, while this book attempts to tackle many great things, they all fall flat at the end because I keep saying so what? What was the point of the players’ actions? What was the underlying message the author was trying to make, because it’s quite obvious there’s a goal behind the story set up. And, coming from an academic mind, when you set up your articles or research questions you have to somehow draw conclusions or implications from your data with what you have. So what was the author’s? I don’t remember the ending at all but I remember it being anti-climactic, disappointing, and inconclusive. You can’t just set up a premise without follow through. And this is what really made the book fail for me.
Sure there are great, great ideas in this book, some of which I really liked but the execution was lacking and it left me asking, “what if?”
February 10, 2013
Never have I ever been so disappointed with a book that had such a captivating cover.
First of, I love dystopian books. Second, I enjoy a good mystery. Third, I hold a great respect to female characters with strong will and personality. All three were promised(or should I say, implied) in the synopsis of the book but, alas, only one of them met my expectations and I didn't even enjoy it. It was very dystopian, emphasis on the very. The setting was too futuristic that it screwed my mind up a bit. I had to pause after reading an out-of-this-world term and imagine it all the time. I admit I found the imagining to be quite fun at first but it got too much that it started to sound ridiculous.
The story weaved just like any other YA drama - a teenage girl discovering a conspiracy that might save or ruin her life blah, blah, blah. It was incredibly slow paced. I thought I'd get to the big bang of the whole thing in the middle of the story but, no. I've almost finished the whole damn thing and nothing explosive happened. It wasn't even much of a mystery. The identities of the so-called Unidentified were prematurely revealed with not even as much as a flinch.
And if I could dissect Katey Dade aka Kid in words, I would define her as a sad little girl fighting with all her might to be a wallflower while hanging out with her bestfriend, the social butterfly. She's basically a social pariah who doesn't want to be one of the many superficial, fame seeking kids. Sure, that doesn't sound so bad. The only problem is that her whole character is lame. Maybe the whole point of her character was for the readers to feel for her. Well, I'm sorry but she didn't earn any of the myriad feelings I have in me.
I had such high hopes for this book. I even waited for half a year just to finally get to have this only to get disappointed. I could read the book's synopsis again and it probably would be a better story.
First of, I love dystopian books. Second, I enjoy a good mystery. Third, I hold a great respect to female characters with strong will and personality. All three were promised(or should I say, implied) in the synopsis of the book but, alas, only one of them met my expectations and I didn't even enjoy it. It was very dystopian, emphasis on the very. The setting was too futuristic that it screwed my mind up a bit. I had to pause after reading an out-of-this-world term and imagine it all the time. I admit I found the imagining to be quite fun at first but it got too much that it started to sound ridiculous.
The story weaved just like any other YA drama - a teenage girl discovering a conspiracy that might save or ruin her life blah, blah, blah. It was incredibly slow paced. I thought I'd get to the big bang of the whole thing in the middle of the story but, no. I've almost finished the whole damn thing and nothing explosive happened. It wasn't even much of a mystery. The identities of the so-called Unidentified were prematurely revealed with not even as much as a flinch.
And if I could dissect Katey Dade aka Kid in words, I would define her as a sad little girl fighting with all her might to be a wallflower while hanging out with her bestfriend, the social butterfly. She's basically a social pariah who doesn't want to be one of the many superficial, fame seeking kids. Sure, that doesn't sound so bad. The only problem is that her whole character is lame. Maybe the whole point of her character was for the readers to feel for her. Well, I'm sorry but she didn't earn any of the myriad feelings I have in me.
I had such high hopes for this book. I even waited for half a year just to finally get to have this only to get disappointed. I could read the book's synopsis again and it probably would be a better story.
August 11, 2011
Pros: good writing, fast paced, nifty concept, true to life high school atmosphere
Cons: takes a while to understand the school/game setting, plot twists were often obvious
For Parents: there's a little swearing, minor violence, no sex
In a future where corporate sponsors run school as a game, a group of kids wants to reclaim their privacy as the Unidentified.
Katey Dade (@kidzero) is in the pit when the Unidentified pull off their first publicity stunt. Her interest in the act propels her into the limelight, where she has no desire to be, and forces her to make important decisions regarding her future.
A refreshing change from the weightier, more violent YA books I've read recently (The Hunger Games, Chaos Walking), this is a quick, entertaining book.
Told from Kid's POV, it captures the ups and downs of high school perfectly. I could easily imagine a future where schools are run by corporations sponsoring events and certain 'in' students. And the willingness of the kids to have public lives is something facebook attests to today.
The plot focused on Kid's desire to remain low key despite the advantages (depending on your outlook) of being branded. The language is easy despite a few futuristic curses and expressions (Oh Google). There's minor swearing, a tiny amount of violence and no sexual content for parents to be concerned about.
The game took a while to take shape. Mariz drops you into the story with no preparation. I liked trying to figure out how the game worked but some readers may find it a chore to piece together what's going on.
Ultimately it's a well told story about the importance of choosing friends wisely, of privacy and the freedom to be yourself.
Cons: takes a while to understand the school/game setting, plot twists were often obvious
For Parents: there's a little swearing, minor violence, no sex
In a future where corporate sponsors run school as a game, a group of kids wants to reclaim their privacy as the Unidentified.
Katey Dade (@kidzero) is in the pit when the Unidentified pull off their first publicity stunt. Her interest in the act propels her into the limelight, where she has no desire to be, and forces her to make important decisions regarding her future.
A refreshing change from the weightier, more violent YA books I've read recently (The Hunger Games, Chaos Walking), this is a quick, entertaining book.
Told from Kid's POV, it captures the ups and downs of high school perfectly. I could easily imagine a future where schools are run by corporations sponsoring events and certain 'in' students. And the willingness of the kids to have public lives is something facebook attests to today.
The plot focused on Kid's desire to remain low key despite the advantages (depending on your outlook) of being branded. The language is easy despite a few futuristic curses and expressions (Oh Google). There's minor swearing, a tiny amount of violence and no sexual content for parents to be concerned about.
The game took a while to take shape. Mariz drops you into the story with no preparation. I liked trying to figure out how the game worked but some readers may find it a chore to piece together what's going on.
Ultimately it's a well told story about the importance of choosing friends wisely, of privacy and the freedom to be yourself.
September 6, 2016
I'm leaving this book kind of blank, wondering why I even invested my time. I'm trying to work out why exactly I should hate and defy the game, why I should wonder what happens with Katey aka Kid with her multiple dilemmas, and still not over how much the girl on the front cover looks like the actress who played a young Lily Potter. It's kind of like that sour steak taste you get when you sleep deeply during the middle of a hot day and wake up even more tired.
First, I am completely and utterly confused by this world. Teenagers play the game and earn points that get them through, setting trends that are then marketed to other teens who I assume spend money or some other currency in order to make the world go round. Then what happens? What do the adults buy? Who decides what is marketed to them in the secret stores the teenagers cannot enter? Why do I even care?
Secondly, why should I like Katey? Because she makes laughter music, has an orange shoelace, feeds her dog every afternoon? She just floats along, only rarely instigating any part of the story line. I want to like my main character, but she was just there, throwing confusing language and @ symbols at me (or is that @me? Dunno)
A disengaging story, filled with confusion and a vague message that we shouldn't give into marketing and take up things we like because they are provided to us. Rebel, because it's cool, but don't rebel because you don't want to be cool. What?
First, I am completely and utterly confused by this world. Teenagers play the game and earn points that get them through, setting trends that are then marketed to other teens who I assume spend money or some other currency in order to make the world go round. Then what happens? What do the adults buy? Who decides what is marketed to them in the secret stores the teenagers cannot enter? Why do I even care?
Secondly, why should I like Katey? Because she makes laughter music, has an orange shoelace, feeds her dog every afternoon? She just floats along, only rarely instigating any part of the story line. I want to like my main character, but she was just there, throwing confusing language and @ symbols at me (or is that @me? Dunno)
A disengaging story, filled with confusion and a vague message that we shouldn't give into marketing and take up things we like because they are provided to us. Rebel, because it's cool, but don't rebel because you don't want to be cool. What?
April 6, 2011
The Unidentified starts off with a great concept (not only for a novel, but I think maybe in real life too.) Schools resemble shopping malls, and students play them like a video game. They rack up points for things like screen time and workshops, and they pass through levels in various subjects dictated by their wants and needs.
The problem is that like with most large organizations, rules start taking over, there is a control issue, and the fact that the whole thing is financed in the name of marketing doesn't help anything.
There is a lot going on in this book, and I wasn't really happy with the multiple twists and turns in the plot or with the ending. I felt like the author was trying to make a point but got sidetracked too much and never really made it. (Of course, that might not have been her intention, but either way I was not satisfied.)
The was a shorter novel written for the young adult audience, and I have been seeing more and more books like this, books with good premises that just seem to need a good editor to make them great. I hope this isn't a new trend in books for teens. I would rather see fewer high quality works being published than things that feel half done.
The problem is that like with most large organizations, rules start taking over, there is a control issue, and the fact that the whole thing is financed in the name of marketing doesn't help anything.
There is a lot going on in this book, and I wasn't really happy with the multiple twists and turns in the plot or with the ending. I felt like the author was trying to make a point but got sidetracked too much and never really made it. (Of course, that might not have been her intention, but either way I was not satisfied.)
The was a shorter novel written for the young adult audience, and I have been seeing more and more books like this, books with good premises that just seem to need a good editor to make them great. I hope this isn't a new trend in books for teens. I would rather see fewer high quality works being published than things that feel half done.
November 16, 2010
Kid is a really great character. She is just kind of there in the Game -- she's not obsessed with branding. She doesn't wear the latest clothes. All she cares about is making her music, the one thing that defines her.
And, really, that's kind of a good way to describe this book. There was *so* much that could have been done with this story. But instead, it's just kind of there.
I wanted The Unidentified to be an edgy, gritty look at consumerism. I was expecting something amazing and stellar and totally different than anything else out there in the YA genre.
I guess I kind of set myself up to be disappointed.
There really wasn't a whole lot of suspense. It wasn't hard for Kid to figure out who the Unidentified are in the school. And when she did, she didn't really do anything with the knowledge.
The Unidentified didn't really do a whole lot. It wasn't this revolutionary group that changed a whole lot of anything. In the end, their big "act of rebellion" was kind of anticlimactic.
Don't get me wrong. This is an okay book. But it just isn't stellar.
You can read my complete review on my blog.
And, really, that's kind of a good way to describe this book. There was *so* much that could have been done with this story. But instead, it's just kind of there.
I wanted The Unidentified to be an edgy, gritty look at consumerism. I was expecting something amazing and stellar and totally different than anything else out there in the YA genre.
I guess I kind of set myself up to be disappointed.
There really wasn't a whole lot of suspense. It wasn't hard for Kid to figure out who the Unidentified are in the school. And when she did, she didn't really do anything with the knowledge.
The Unidentified didn't really do a whole lot. It wasn't this revolutionary group that changed a whole lot of anything. In the end, their big "act of rebellion" was kind of anticlimactic.
Don't get me wrong. This is an okay book. But it just isn't stellar.
You can read my complete review on my blog.
May 8, 2014
Well, I'm disappointed. The premise of this book sounded so good that I actually started reading it instead of the other books in my MASSIVE to-read stack; but life is too short to read crappy books, so I was forced to abandon this novel without finishing it.
This book wasn't BAD, it was just terribly dull and confusing. I felt no connection to the main character and her best friend was REALLY annoying. The lack of world building and explanations for the characters reality didn't help this, and the characters communicated in a weird futuristic chatspeak type language through their technology. The plot was so excruciatingly slow that it was almost non-existent. As I read, I felt detached. There were so many unimportant characters introduced who played no real role in the story. *sigh* The author took a lot of very interesting concepts and ideas that had potential and wrote something pitiful.Maybe this novel is better suited to a MUCH younger, less opinionated audience? I don't know. If I were you, I'd avoid this one.
This book wasn't BAD, it was just terribly dull and confusing. I felt no connection to the main character and her best friend was REALLY annoying. The lack of world building and explanations for the characters reality didn't help this, and the characters communicated in a weird futuristic chatspeak type language through their technology. The plot was so excruciatingly slow that it was almost non-existent. As I read, I felt detached. There were so many unimportant characters introduced who played no real role in the story. *sigh* The author took a lot of very interesting concepts and ideas that had potential and wrote something pitiful.Maybe this novel is better suited to a MUCH younger, less opinionated audience? I don't know. If I were you, I'd avoid this one.
August 27, 2011
I thought this was going to be a good book based on the plot. But everything from the sentence structure to the poor character development screamed AMATEUR. I hated this book. A waste of my time.
March 12, 2020
The Unidentified by Rae Mariz is a fictional novel that follows Katey through her detective mindset. The world is set in the future where technology has completely taken over. Katey spends her time at school that was previously an abandoned mall. In this school, kids play through levels of immersive videogames. The best players are sponsored; everybody wants to be sponsored because it means that you are famous. These kids are used by corporate sponsors to spread popularity in new products. The school is run by the sponsors as well, so it is an advertising factory. In the beginning of the book, a sick prank is played by an unknown party. The prank consisted of a suicide scene with yellow warning tape hinting of an unidentified group. Katey spends most of her energy towards figuring out who the unidentified are. Katey's curiosity lands her many opportunities, and she finds powerful knowledge. Society is then changed forever.
I picked this book because of its promise. I liked reading dystopian novels, and this novel had a lot of futuristic qualities that I like. For instance, it had a major focus on videogames and technology, which are some of my favorite subjects. I kept reading the book not only because I was forced to, but because I wanted to know where the book was going. I was interested and based on my previous experience reading books, I expected the introduction to be short, and for major changes in events to occur that would hook me to the book. Unfortunately, the novel tries too hard to make you feel like you're in the novel and puts too much focus on the boring parts. It would be fine if the characters that I learned about and spent time with were interesting, but they were extremely generic. This left me feeling bored of the book, and not wanting to finish it.
In the end, I gave this book three stars because I've read a lot worse. I was at least compelled to read for a certain amount of time. I wouldn't give this book any higher of a grade because the end, which the book worked so hard to get to, was mediocre and unsatisfying. I couldn't even feel relieved after finishing the book because of its disappointing ending. The novel was not all bad though, the concept was good, the writing was clever, and you can tell that the book had a lot of energy put into it, but in the wrong places. Overall I gave this book a 3/5 because of its creativity, but poor conclusion.
I picked this book because of its promise. I liked reading dystopian novels, and this novel had a lot of futuristic qualities that I like. For instance, it had a major focus on videogames and technology, which are some of my favorite subjects. I kept reading the book not only because I was forced to, but because I wanted to know where the book was going. I was interested and based on my previous experience reading books, I expected the introduction to be short, and for major changes in events to occur that would hook me to the book. Unfortunately, the novel tries too hard to make you feel like you're in the novel and puts too much focus on the boring parts. It would be fine if the characters that I learned about and spent time with were interesting, but they were extremely generic. This left me feeling bored of the book, and not wanting to finish it.
In the end, I gave this book three stars because I've read a lot worse. I was at least compelled to read for a certain amount of time. I wouldn't give this book any higher of a grade because the end, which the book worked so hard to get to, was mediocre and unsatisfying. I couldn't even feel relieved after finishing the book because of its disappointing ending. The novel was not all bad though, the concept was good, the writing was clever, and you can tell that the book had a lot of energy put into it, but in the wrong places. Overall I gave this book a 3/5 because of its creativity, but poor conclusion.
November 8, 2018
This book is about a fifteen-year-old girl named Kid that goes to school in a mall converted into a "school" run by corporate sponsors. As students play their way through the levels, they are also creating products and being used for market research by the sponsors, who are watching them 24/7 on video cameras.
The thing I enjoyed about this book is the little back story while trying to find out who is The Unidentified it comes with suspense for the most of the book. Although when the book starts coming to an end it seems to lack a proper ending more of a cliff hanger.
This book is a good story but has a ending that lacks from what I expected to see. Would not recommend its a waste of time for the reading.
The thing I enjoyed about this book is the little back story while trying to find out who is The Unidentified it comes with suspense for the most of the book. Although when the book starts coming to an end it seems to lack a proper ending more of a cliff hanger.
This book is a good story but has a ending that lacks from what I expected to see. Would not recommend its a waste of time for the reading.
December 26, 2022
This was such a great read, loved the world and what they were facing, and I had a great time reading it!
February 25, 2018
Rae Mariz's The Unidentified is a fantastic book about what it would be like if companies ran our education system. Our protagonist goes through worlds of problems and tries to figure out a mystery going on inside her school. Be prepared to go through many twists and turns throughout the novel, as it really catches ahold of you with an amazing grip. Now I can't spoil the book for you but I can tell you that there will be a lot of things going on and you just need to be patient and pay close attention to what is said and done. Thats all the help I could give ya. ;)
April 25, 2011
Recap-
Kid has reached level 15, but for her the Game has really just begun. All across America, teenagers are attending high school at "the Game," which in Kid's case is held in a converted mall. Rather than being led by teachers, the Game is run by corporate sponsors who trademark every aspect of their lives, right down to their notebooks.
While popularity has long been an ultimate goal for many high-schoolers, the Game has taken popularity to a whole new level: the more friends you have on your in-touch profile, the more likely your odds of getting "branded" by a corporate sponsor. Once you're branded, you are one of the Game's celebrity students - perked with all of the goodies the sponsors have to offer, and idolized by your peers.
Kid had never had much interest in getting branded, preferring instead to spend her time working on new music tracks with Mikey and Ari. But after witnessing a masked body being tossed over a railing in a suicide stunt, and then discovering that no one really even cared, Kid starts to realize that some of the Game's players have secrets that go much deeper than an in-touch profile.
Review-
I've never read a projection of the future that seemed so creepily possible. In just a few short years, I have a feeling that Kid's story could be real life. In the Game, cliques still rule the school and an in-touch is just a hyped up Facebook/Twitter hand-held device. Kids are still figuring out sneaky new ways to bypass parental controls, and video games are still a favored escape from reality. According to Kid, and author Rae Mariz, the future doesn't look too different from the present.
The general idea of the Game is pretty genius: students still have to take classes and research different pieces of information, but each correct answer adds points to their overall score, allowing them to move up more quickly in the Game. On top of that, most of the classes somehow involve video games and virtual reality. Their "classrooms" include the DIY Depot, the Math Attack arcade, and the Robot Combat Arena. Who wouldn't want to go to a school like that? Of course, everything comes at a price. And in the Game, the price is the right to privacy.
Kid's struggle to choose her own path was written so authentically. Who hasn't considered selling their soul - or at least a few secrets - for the chance to be a part of the "in crowd?" As Kid questioned her options, and struggled to decipher the difference between true friends and trend followers, she reminded me of a dozens of other students I've worked with in real life. Kid's story is one that many kids will quickly identify with.
My one issue (and this is probably going to sound strange considering that they are supposedly the basis for the whole book) is that The Unidentified group was never really that compelling to me. I understood that Kid felt compelled to solve the mystery behind the group, particularly after the incident with Mikey, but I just never could get myself to care about who they were or what they were doing. I just wanted to know what would ultimately happen to Kid!
Although I will say, the vision of the last few pages was pretty spectacular.
Recommendation-
I would recommend this book to anyone who is intrigued by (or addicted to!) social media and the path that it is leading us all down. I think Kid's story can be equally appreciated by both the ladies and fellas!
Favorite Quotes from The Unidentified-
"Stepping in, I was hit with the bass rattle of the Wu Tang Clan: 'Rraw, I'ma give it t'ya, with no trivia...' They always play classic music in there."
"Liquid Crack" - You caught me. This isn't a quote persay... but I'm definitely requesting this pop for our school vending machine.
"Generation AAA was... the marketing term assigned to us, the kids spawned after Generation X, Y, and Z. They had been the end of an era. We were the beginning."
Kid has reached level 15, but for her the Game has really just begun. All across America, teenagers are attending high school at "the Game," which in Kid's case is held in a converted mall. Rather than being led by teachers, the Game is run by corporate sponsors who trademark every aspect of their lives, right down to their notebooks.
While popularity has long been an ultimate goal for many high-schoolers, the Game has taken popularity to a whole new level: the more friends you have on your in-touch profile, the more likely your odds of getting "branded" by a corporate sponsor. Once you're branded, you are one of the Game's celebrity students - perked with all of the goodies the sponsors have to offer, and idolized by your peers.
Kid had never had much interest in getting branded, preferring instead to spend her time working on new music tracks with Mikey and Ari. But after witnessing a masked body being tossed over a railing in a suicide stunt, and then discovering that no one really even cared, Kid starts to realize that some of the Game's players have secrets that go much deeper than an in-touch profile.
Review-
I've never read a projection of the future that seemed so creepily possible. In just a few short years, I have a feeling that Kid's story could be real life. In the Game, cliques still rule the school and an in-touch is just a hyped up Facebook/Twitter hand-held device. Kids are still figuring out sneaky new ways to bypass parental controls, and video games are still a favored escape from reality. According to Kid, and author Rae Mariz, the future doesn't look too different from the present.
The general idea of the Game is pretty genius: students still have to take classes and research different pieces of information, but each correct answer adds points to their overall score, allowing them to move up more quickly in the Game. On top of that, most of the classes somehow involve video games and virtual reality. Their "classrooms" include the DIY Depot, the Math Attack arcade, and the Robot Combat Arena. Who wouldn't want to go to a school like that? Of course, everything comes at a price. And in the Game, the price is the right to privacy.
Kid's struggle to choose her own path was written so authentically. Who hasn't considered selling their soul - or at least a few secrets - for the chance to be a part of the "in crowd?" As Kid questioned her options, and struggled to decipher the difference between true friends and trend followers, she reminded me of a dozens of other students I've worked with in real life. Kid's story is one that many kids will quickly identify with.
My one issue (and this is probably going to sound strange considering that they are supposedly the basis for the whole book) is that The Unidentified group was never really that compelling to me. I understood that Kid felt compelled to solve the mystery behind the group, particularly after the incident with Mikey, but I just never could get myself to care about who they were or what they were doing. I just wanted to know what would ultimately happen to Kid!
Although I will say, the vision of the last few pages was pretty spectacular.
Recommendation-
I would recommend this book to anyone who is intrigued by (or addicted to!) social media and the path that it is leading us all down. I think Kid's story can be equally appreciated by both the ladies and fellas!
Favorite Quotes from The Unidentified-
"Stepping in, I was hit with the bass rattle of the Wu Tang Clan: 'Rraw, I'ma give it t'ya, with no trivia...' They always play classic music in there."
"Liquid Crack" - You caught me. This isn't a quote persay... but I'm definitely requesting this pop for our school vending machine.
"Generation AAA was... the marketing term assigned to us, the kids spawned after Generation X, Y, and Z. They had been the end of an era. We were the beginning."
September 12, 2010
I first heard about this book on Presenting Lenore where it caught my attention for two reasons: 1) it's a ya dystopia about consumerism (win!) and 2) the cover (for the ARC, at least) reminded me of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, which meant they needed to be in a Face Off. (The cover has since changed to the one you see up there ^, but the ARC cover -- which is what I have -- can be found below.) I had a feeling this was something I needed to read, so I requested a copy from Balzer and Bray (an imprint of Harper Collins). I never heard anything back (which is not unusual, whether a review copy is coming or not), and so I figured I'd just have to wait the long, tortuous months until it came out -- except that when I got back from ALA, there it was, waiting impatiently for me to read it. And man, am I glad I did.
As I said, The Unidentified is about consumerism gone mad, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the bigger picture here is really personal freedoms. Kid lives in a very programmed world that is maybe a hairsbreadth away from our own. This is no far-distant dystopia that gives you shivers but makes you secretly glad our world isn't like this. Kid's world is very current, very of the moment, and incredibly relevant to the lives we live now. It reminded me of a mix of MT Anderson's Feed and Cory Doctorow's Little Brother, though it's not as hard-hitting as either of those. And I don't mean that in a bad way. The Unidentified is, I think, more easily accessible to general audiences, and girls in particular, as the book centers around a very relatable girl. I loved reading through Kid's journey as she became stronger and more analytical.
There's a good balance of typical YA fare (friend drama, boy drama, who-am-I drama) blended seamlessly with the tech and dystopian elements, and it all works together to make this a light-but-compelling read for die-hard dystopianites, as well as a good introduction to the genre for those who don't normally read such things. Mariz is great at that gray area that exists in dystopias -- those questions and impressions you get that make 1/2 of you say "Well, this totally makes sense. Kinda cool, actually" and the other 1/2 say "This is wrong; this is bad." I think it's great for discussion, about and beyond the book, but even if you're not going to run out and discuss this with someone, it's still completely unputdownable. So pick it up. ;p
<--- ARC cover
[Please note: I received an ARC of this book from Harper Collins (thanks!), so changes were likely made in the final edition that may or may not have an effect on this review, were I to have read the final version. Just sayin'. ;p]
As I said, The Unidentified is about consumerism gone mad, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the bigger picture here is really personal freedoms. Kid lives in a very programmed world that is maybe a hairsbreadth away from our own. This is no far-distant dystopia that gives you shivers but makes you secretly glad our world isn't like this. Kid's world is very current, very of the moment, and incredibly relevant to the lives we live now. It reminded me of a mix of MT Anderson's Feed and Cory Doctorow's Little Brother, though it's not as hard-hitting as either of those. And I don't mean that in a bad way. The Unidentified is, I think, more easily accessible to general audiences, and girls in particular, as the book centers around a very relatable girl. I loved reading through Kid's journey as she became stronger and more analytical.
There's a good balance of typical YA fare (friend drama, boy drama, who-am-I drama) blended seamlessly with the tech and dystopian elements, and it all works together to make this a light-but-compelling read for die-hard dystopianites, as well as a good introduction to the genre for those who don't normally read such things. Mariz is great at that gray area that exists in dystopias -- those questions and impressions you get that make 1/2 of you say "Well, this totally makes sense. Kinda cool, actually" and the other 1/2 say "This is wrong; this is bad." I think it's great for discussion, about and beyond the book, but even if you're not going to run out and discuss this with someone, it's still completely unputdownable. So pick it up. ;p
<--- ARC cover[Please note: I received an ARC of this book from Harper Collins (thanks!), so changes were likely made in the final edition that may or may not have an effect on this review, were I to have read the final version. Just sayin'. ;p]
November 13, 2010
The Unidentified is about Katey, kid, who discovers a secret group that call themselves the Unidentified. As she investigates to find out who the individuals are in this mysterious group Kid gets the spotlight in the school (game).
I'm going to leave my summarization of the novel there. I'll leave the rest to you to decide. The premise of the book sounded new, clever, and unique. Only The Unidentified fell flat to me. A lot of people have raved and loved this book. I guess I'm the minority.
The beginning was extremely confusing. Still after finishing the book, I can't really picture this world and what the characters were doing. Most of the characters were not well developed. They just seemed so bland.
At times I did sympathize for Kid and some of the other characters. Even in the future they deal with external conflicts. I know you're probably saying well duh! =)
Aside from the problems I had with The Unidentified, it was a quick read. Rae Mariz also comes up the neat thought of kids doing what they love in school whether its fashion, video gaming, music, socializing, etc. No more boring lecture classes!
I also liked how she brings into focus how consumed people are with social networks. Everyone in this book, well almost everyone, got twitter like updates ever few seconds. They would even get updates from sponsors of the game. Each student would also have their own profile page like Myspace and Facebook.
The Authority figures in The Unidentified seem controlling. Every student must log in, with a card, to each room they enter. So people know where you are at all times. You even have to have permission to activate a car to drive! Its crazy!
I am left with mixed feelings for this book. Maybe if I were to go back and reread it I would appreciate and like it a lot more. Oh, and I'll add that the ending seemed abrupt. Hopefully there is another book coming out to continue this book. If not you're left to your imagination. Kid's adventure was fun to read. I like how fast of a read it is too. I would recommend The Unidentified; just because I'd love to see what many others thought about it. Plus it gives the readers something to think about.
I'm going to leave my summarization of the novel there. I'll leave the rest to you to decide. The premise of the book sounded new, clever, and unique. Only The Unidentified fell flat to me. A lot of people have raved and loved this book. I guess I'm the minority.
The beginning was extremely confusing. Still after finishing the book, I can't really picture this world and what the characters were doing. Most of the characters were not well developed. They just seemed so bland.
At times I did sympathize for Kid and some of the other characters. Even in the future they deal with external conflicts. I know you're probably saying well duh! =)
Aside from the problems I had with The Unidentified, it was a quick read. Rae Mariz also comes up the neat thought of kids doing what they love in school whether its fashion, video gaming, music, socializing, etc. No more boring lecture classes!
I also liked how she brings into focus how consumed people are with social networks. Everyone in this book, well almost everyone, got twitter like updates ever few seconds. They would even get updates from sponsors of the game. Each student would also have their own profile page like Myspace and Facebook.
The Authority figures in The Unidentified seem controlling. Every student must log in, with a card, to each room they enter. So people know where you are at all times. You even have to have permission to activate a car to drive! Its crazy!
I am left with mixed feelings for this book. Maybe if I were to go back and reread it I would appreciate and like it a lot more. Oh, and I'll add that the ending seemed abrupt. Hopefully there is another book coming out to continue this book. If not you're left to your imagination. Kid's adventure was fun to read. I like how fast of a read it is too. I would recommend The Unidentified; just because I'd love to see what many others thought about it. Plus it gives the readers something to think about.
November 24, 2011
Book Review of The Unidentified
An unnerving sci-fi mystery. In the not-so-distant future, government schools have failed and corporate sponsors have taken over high school education. At age 13, teenagers are signed up to go to a school where they are used for market research. They play specially crafted video games where points are earned and levels completed by answering questions correctly or beating the opponent. Popularity is calculated by the number of ‘friends’ following one’s Twitter-like page.
Living in this truly unique yet believable environment is Kid, the captivating protagonist. She coasts through life- the average, vaguely aware of the brutality surrounding her until she witnesses a dummy suicide. Intrigued, she is determined to find out more. Her involvement transforms her whole life. I love all the characters, especially Kid. Rae Mariz did an amazing job developing her characters.
It takes a while to familiarize with the futuristic environment and confusing words like ‘Game’ and ‘intouchTM’, but once one gets a solid grip, the novel is a roller coaster ride of action and a touch of romance. It is definitely a page-turner, and leaves one contemplating our future long after the end.
Spark Ideas: Is our world going to be the same 50 years from now? Can this country live through the current state of affairs without (a) going bankrupt or (b) sacrificing its moral compass? Is free market the right way to go?
Sensitive Themes: Next to none. Read away!
Originally posted on my blog: http://book-spark.blogspot.com/
An unnerving sci-fi mystery. In the not-so-distant future, government schools have failed and corporate sponsors have taken over high school education. At age 13, teenagers are signed up to go to a school where they are used for market research. They play specially crafted video games where points are earned and levels completed by answering questions correctly or beating the opponent. Popularity is calculated by the number of ‘friends’ following one’s Twitter-like page.
Living in this truly unique yet believable environment is Kid, the captivating protagonist. She coasts through life- the average, vaguely aware of the brutality surrounding her until she witnesses a dummy suicide. Intrigued, she is determined to find out more. Her involvement transforms her whole life. I love all the characters, especially Kid. Rae Mariz did an amazing job developing her characters.
It takes a while to familiarize with the futuristic environment and confusing words like ‘Game’ and ‘intouchTM’, but once one gets a solid grip, the novel is a roller coaster ride of action and a touch of romance. It is definitely a page-turner, and leaves one contemplating our future long after the end.
Spark Ideas: Is our world going to be the same 50 years from now? Can this country live through the current state of affairs without (a) going bankrupt or (b) sacrificing its moral compass? Is free market the right way to go?
Sensitive Themes: Next to none. Read away!
Originally posted on my blog: http://book-spark.blogspot.com/
November 2, 2010
I won this book in a FirstReads Giveaway.
I chose this book because the premise intrigued me.
At first glance, the plot and setting seemed futuristic and sci-fi.
But in today’s technological environment where many educational options are available, it didn’t seem so far-fetched. With the advent of DVR's and TiVo, consumers are now
able to skip ads while watching their favorite TV shows so corporations and the parties they contract to market and promote their products have to come up with ingenious and innovative ways to increase exposure and sales revenue. Product placement is one option. In this novel, nationwide, corporations have taken on the responsibility of education for their own self-serving ends.
In the Game, the students themselves become potential brand ambassadors. Being branded has its pros and cons. Branded students are the elite and, in addition to free merchandise, gain access to VIP privileges and social events. But they are constantly monitored and find it increasingly difficult to trust anyone.
I am reminded of George Orwell’s 1984 and, at the same time, there are familiar elements that readers, especially YA’s. will identify with such as:
. cliques and outcasts
. popularity
. gossip
. jealousy/back-biting
. cyber-bullying
that will always be present.
The book got off to a slow start, picked up somewhat in the middle, only to come to a rushed and inconclusive end. I practically had to force myself to finish it.
I chose this book because the premise intrigued me.
At first glance, the plot and setting seemed futuristic and sci-fi.
But in today’s technological environment where many educational options are available, it didn’t seem so far-fetched. With the advent of DVR's and TiVo, consumers are now
able to skip ads while watching their favorite TV shows so corporations and the parties they contract to market and promote their products have to come up with ingenious and innovative ways to increase exposure and sales revenue. Product placement is one option. In this novel, nationwide, corporations have taken on the responsibility of education for their own self-serving ends.
In the Game, the students themselves become potential brand ambassadors. Being branded has its pros and cons. Branded students are the elite and, in addition to free merchandise, gain access to VIP privileges and social events. But they are constantly monitored and find it increasingly difficult to trust anyone.
I am reminded of George Orwell’s 1984 and, at the same time, there are familiar elements that readers, especially YA’s. will identify with such as:
. cliques and outcasts
. popularity
. gossip
. jealousy/back-biting
. cyber-bullying
that will always be present.
The book got off to a slow start, picked up somewhat in the middle, only to come to a rushed and inconclusive end. I practically had to force myself to finish it.
January 2, 2011
This is your typical futuristic sci fi fare with real life implications. The educational system is broken. The government is bankrupt and can no longer support it. Big business has taken over control of the schools and corporations use students as marketing research guinea pigs. School buildings are abandoned malls (Game Centers) and instruction is all virtual in nature and supported by sponsors selling anything and everything. Administrators and corporate sponsor monitor every move in order to find out (or create) the next big trend. Students are ranked based on their friends list - the most popular getting "branded" with access to the coolest products available. But a gruesome prank sparks the interest in one socially average student, Kid and send her on a quest to find out more. Her investigation risks her own social status and could kick her out of the "game".
Some big issue topics are addressed - computer privacy, technology dependent society, and the down side of social networking. Timely and thought provoking, students will want to read this one. Adults should, too.
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