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Decelerate Blue
The future waits for no one.
In this new world, speed and efficiency are everything, and the populace zooms along in a perpetually stimulated haze. Angela thinks she's the only person in her family―maybe the only person on the planet―who sees anything wrong with this picture. But the truth is she's not alone.
Angela finds herself recruited into a resistance movement where the key to rebellion is taking things slow. In their secret underground hideout, they create a life unplugged from the rapid-fire culture outside. Can they free the rest of the world before the powers that be shut down their utopian experiment?
From revolutionary and award-winning playwright Adam Rapp and veteran cartoonist and animator Mike Cavallaro comes Decelerate Blue , a dark, breath-taking new vision of an all-too-plausible future for America.
In this new world, speed and efficiency are everything, and the populace zooms along in a perpetually stimulated haze. Angela thinks she's the only person in her family―maybe the only person on the planet―who sees anything wrong with this picture. But the truth is she's not alone.
Angela finds herself recruited into a resistance movement where the key to rebellion is taking things slow. In their secret underground hideout, they create a life unplugged from the rapid-fire culture outside. Can they free the rest of the world before the powers that be shut down their utopian experiment?
From revolutionary and award-winning playwright Adam Rapp and veteran cartoonist and animator Mike Cavallaro comes Decelerate Blue , a dark, breath-taking new vision of an all-too-plausible future for America.
208 pages, Paperback
First published February 14, 2017
10 people are currently reading
836 people want to read
About the author
Adam Rapp
53 books306 followersAdam Rapp says that when he was working on his chilling, compulsively readable young adult novel 33 SNOWFISH, he was haunted by several questions. Among them: "When we have nowhere to go, who do we turn to? Why are we sometimes drawn to those who are deeply troubled? How far do we have to run before we find new possibilities?"
At once harrowing and hypnotic, 33 SNOWFISH--which was nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association--follows three troubled young people on the run in a stolen car with a kidnapped baby in tow. With the language of the street and lyrical prose, Adam Rapp hurtles the reader into the world of lost children, a world that is not for the faint of heart. His narration captures the voices of two damaged souls (a third speaks only through drawings) to tell a story of alienation, deprivation, and ultimately, the saving power of compassion. "For those readers who are ready to be challenged by a serious work of shockingly realistic fiction," notes SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, "it invites both an emotional and intellectual response, and begs to be discussed."
Adam Rapp’s first novel, MISSING THE PIANO, was named a Best Book for Young Adults as well as a Best Book for Reluctant Readers by the American Library Association. His subsequent titles include THE BUFFALO TREE, THE COPPER ELEPHANT, and LITTLE CHICAGO, which was chosen as a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. The author’s raw, stream-of-consciousness writing style has earned him critical acclaim. "Rapp’s prose is powerful, graphic and haunting," says SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL. [He] writes in an earthy but adept language," says KIRKUS REVIEWS. "Takes a mesmerizing hold on the reader," adds HORN BOOK MAGAZINE.
In addition to being a novelist, Adam Rapp is also an accomplished and award-winning playwright. His plays--including NOCTURNE, ANIMALS AND PLANTS, BLACKBIRD, and STONE COLD DEAD SERIOUS--have been produced by the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the New York Theatre Workshop, and the Bush Theatre in London, among other venues.
Born and raised in Chicago, the novelist and playwright now lives in New York City.
At once harrowing and hypnotic, 33 SNOWFISH--which was nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association--follows three troubled young people on the run in a stolen car with a kidnapped baby in tow. With the language of the street and lyrical prose, Adam Rapp hurtles the reader into the world of lost children, a world that is not for the faint of heart. His narration captures the voices of two damaged souls (a third speaks only through drawings) to tell a story of alienation, deprivation, and ultimately, the saving power of compassion. "For those readers who are ready to be challenged by a serious work of shockingly realistic fiction," notes SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, "it invites both an emotional and intellectual response, and begs to be discussed."
Adam Rapp’s first novel, MISSING THE PIANO, was named a Best Book for Young Adults as well as a Best Book for Reluctant Readers by the American Library Association. His subsequent titles include THE BUFFALO TREE, THE COPPER ELEPHANT, and LITTLE CHICAGO, which was chosen as a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. The author’s raw, stream-of-consciousness writing style has earned him critical acclaim. "Rapp’s prose is powerful, graphic and haunting," says SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL. [He] writes in an earthy but adept language," says KIRKUS REVIEWS. "Takes a mesmerizing hold on the reader," adds HORN BOOK MAGAZINE.
In addition to being a novelist, Adam Rapp is also an accomplished and award-winning playwright. His plays--including NOCTURNE, ANIMALS AND PLANTS, BLACKBIRD, and STONE COLD DEAD SERIOUS--have been produced by the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the New York Theatre Workshop, and the Bush Theatre in London, among other venues.
Born and raised in Chicago, the novelist and playwright now lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews
September 15, 2019
I could hardly put this book down. I really got into it.
I started out reading this and I couldn't figure out why they ended each sentence with Go. It annoyed the hell out of me. It's painful. Luckily, once the story gets going, our new characters drop that annoyance, but it comes back at the end.
Our culture gets faster paced and faster paced. I know there is an exaggerated element to this aspect of our society, but it was fun to see it to this extreme conclusion. Our pain character, Angela just wants to slow down and be able to think. In this world, you talk quickly and keep super busy, go go go. It's extreme and they call it hyper which was annoying too.
I love the scene in English class when the teacher is discussing Romeo and Juliet. Everything has been rewritten to be quick and most stories are now 12-15 minutes long. Listen to this discussion:
"the old World version reads: What if it be a poison, which the friar subtly hath ministered to have me dead. In the New World , more efficient version, Juliet says What if the FRiar is trying to poison me?" It continues.
" Now, an Old World purist might argue that the language has been somehow compromised... that the cleansing of the text flattens the dance of the poetry... but those who appreciate the succinct speed of the vernacular will find it to be more suited for todays world."
Isn't that whole thing horrible. To brutalize Shakespeare in this way, it's simply makes me cringe.
Angela hates this world and she is out with the trees when she is pulled into the Earth by someone. It is the underground. Now the entrance into this underground is pretty stupid and doesn't really fit well in the story. This is one of the problems, but the Underground is cool. It is the extreme opposite of the other world. They try and do everything slow. The hyper world demands you use contractions all the time and the Underground demands you can't use contractions. There isn't much middle ground, it's only the opposite or reaction against.
Angela finds love down there and friends and she feels like she belongs.
I had a great time reading and I love the ending. Yes, I say, Yes.
I started out reading this and I couldn't figure out why they ended each sentence with Go. It annoyed the hell out of me. It's painful. Luckily, once the story gets going, our new characters drop that annoyance, but it comes back at the end.
Our culture gets faster paced and faster paced. I know there is an exaggerated element to this aspect of our society, but it was fun to see it to this extreme conclusion. Our pain character, Angela just wants to slow down and be able to think. In this world, you talk quickly and keep super busy, go go go. It's extreme and they call it hyper which was annoying too.
I love the scene in English class when the teacher is discussing Romeo and Juliet. Everything has been rewritten to be quick and most stories are now 12-15 minutes long. Listen to this discussion:
"the old World version reads: What if it be a poison, which the friar subtly hath ministered to have me dead. In the New World , more efficient version, Juliet says What if the FRiar is trying to poison me?" It continues.
" Now, an Old World purist might argue that the language has been somehow compromised... that the cleansing of the text flattens the dance of the poetry... but those who appreciate the succinct speed of the vernacular will find it to be more suited for todays world."
Isn't that whole thing horrible. To brutalize Shakespeare in this way, it's simply makes me cringe.
Angela hates this world and she is out with the trees when she is pulled into the Earth by someone. It is the underground. Now the entrance into this underground is pretty stupid and doesn't really fit well in the story. This is one of the problems, but the Underground is cool. It is the extreme opposite of the other world. They try and do everything slow. The hyper world demands you use contractions all the time and the Underground demands you can't use contractions. There isn't much middle ground, it's only the opposite or reaction against.
Angela finds love down there and friends and she feels like she belongs.
I had a great time reading and I love the ending. Yes, I say, Yes.
June 1, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBQxG...
“Slow down, you move too fast, you gotta make the morning last.”—Simon and Garfunkel
Decelerate Blue has some interesting dimensions. It’s a sci-fi comics book, a one-volume graphic novel, focused on what is for me a necessity for human survival on the planet, the slow growth movement—slow eating, slow relationships, slow economy, the slow reading of actual good and great books (as opposed to Reader’s Digest versions of books, or even some superficial comic book versions of great books). And we all experience this acceleration, this hyper-spatial existence. The idea is to ramp down resource usage, Get Simple. So we can all get behind the idea of this book, I hope.
(I recall a “super” market nearby that decided to change to “hyper” market as a descriptor. Get in, get out, hyper! Zowie! Whew.)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Decelerate Blue is a YA text, focused on a girl who (for some unnamed reasons) does not want to GO fast and Be Hyper, which is what society wants, what her parents want and want for her. One teacher gives her an influential (but undescribed) fictional book, Kick the Boot, for the resistant underground, a group of oddballs she thereupon joins, who want to have their govrernment-implanted hyper-chips removed, and who want to take this drug that will slow them down, Decelerate Blue. But why the need for a drug? There’s a moment when they all take this drug together that is reminiscent of Jim Jones and Jamestown:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonesto...
which doesn’t get addressed at all, really, by which I mean there is this creepy feel of the resistance all taking the drug together at the behest of the leadership without even knowing what effects the drug will have. One effect, besides lower pulse rates, in the black and white book, is that there are sudden variously blue colors in the book, somewhat mellowly psychedelic, meaning that this is real, vibrant life versus the hyper life. I guess. So it's vague, this blueness.
There’s also some weird aspects of the resistance: They don’t like contractions—slow down, say the whole words, but this seems annoyingly silly as a political point. Another one is also silly, about adverbs; the resistance likes adverbs, they (including Rapp, obviously) would hate Hemingway's and Stephen King’s stand against them:
https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/03...
http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-t...
The guys in the resistance, while going green, don’t also seem to be taking a stand to become feminists, making fairly typical comments about girls, eh. . . could we also slow down the sexism, boys?!
Decelerate Blue might have worked better as a series, because it has so much top-heavy background to get through. Rapp is clearly not a comics guy—he’s too wordy, he’s abstract-idea-heavy, less character-driven here. He’s trying to get so much done he might otherwise have done better in a non-graphic-novel, the words overwhelming the panels, usually. Though I do like some of the wordless pages, and the illustration style of Mike Cavallaro:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Rapp dedicated the book to Kurt Vonnegut, whose Harrison Bergeron may have been an inspiration.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
And why not name a real book instead of the fictional Kick the Boot (and what does that even mean? but at least describe it better!) that could be an inspiration to kids and resistance such as this book, or something by Bill McKibben or Rebecca Solnit?! I would read Harrison Bergeron instead of Decelerate Blue, to put it bluntly, though I do appreciate the impulse here to discuss very important topics where young people can make commitments to changing the nature of civilization on this planet.
“Slow down, you move too fast, you gotta make the morning last.”—Simon and Garfunkel
Decelerate Blue has some interesting dimensions. It’s a sci-fi comics book, a one-volume graphic novel, focused on what is for me a necessity for human survival on the planet, the slow growth movement—slow eating, slow relationships, slow economy, the slow reading of actual good and great books (as opposed to Reader’s Digest versions of books, or even some superficial comic book versions of great books). And we all experience this acceleration, this hyper-spatial existence. The idea is to ramp down resource usage, Get Simple. So we can all get behind the idea of this book, I hope.
(I recall a “super” market nearby that decided to change to “hyper” market as a descriptor. Get in, get out, hyper! Zowie! Whew.)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Decelerate Blue is a YA text, focused on a girl who (for some unnamed reasons) does not want to GO fast and Be Hyper, which is what society wants, what her parents want and want for her. One teacher gives her an influential (but undescribed) fictional book, Kick the Boot, for the resistant underground, a group of oddballs she thereupon joins, who want to have their govrernment-implanted hyper-chips removed, and who want to take this drug that will slow them down, Decelerate Blue. But why the need for a drug? There’s a moment when they all take this drug together that is reminiscent of Jim Jones and Jamestown:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonesto...
which doesn’t get addressed at all, really, by which I mean there is this creepy feel of the resistance all taking the drug together at the behest of the leadership without even knowing what effects the drug will have. One effect, besides lower pulse rates, in the black and white book, is that there are sudden variously blue colors in the book, somewhat mellowly psychedelic, meaning that this is real, vibrant life versus the hyper life. I guess. So it's vague, this blueness.
There’s also some weird aspects of the resistance: They don’t like contractions—slow down, say the whole words, but this seems annoyingly silly as a political point. Another one is also silly, about adverbs; the resistance likes adverbs, they (including Rapp, obviously) would hate Hemingway's and Stephen King’s stand against them:
https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/03...
http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-t...
The guys in the resistance, while going green, don’t also seem to be taking a stand to become feminists, making fairly typical comments about girls, eh. . . could we also slow down the sexism, boys?!
Decelerate Blue might have worked better as a series, because it has so much top-heavy background to get through. Rapp is clearly not a comics guy—he’s too wordy, he’s abstract-idea-heavy, less character-driven here. He’s trying to get so much done he might otherwise have done better in a non-graphic-novel, the words overwhelming the panels, usually. Though I do like some of the wordless pages, and the illustration style of Mike Cavallaro:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Rapp dedicated the book to Kurt Vonnegut, whose Harrison Bergeron may have been an inspiration.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
And why not name a real book instead of the fictional Kick the Boot (and what does that even mean? but at least describe it better!) that could be an inspiration to kids and resistance such as this book, or something by Bill McKibben or Rebecca Solnit?! I would read Harrison Bergeron instead of Decelerate Blue, to put it bluntly, though I do appreciate the impulse here to discuss very important topics where young people can make commitments to changing the nature of civilization on this planet.
February 4, 2021
Really enjoyed the way Adam Rapp forces us to look at time; so often we just 'place' time in context to what we are doing here and now. The more immersive technology becomes the less now and here there is for us to enjoy - till it is lost - then we find this out.
March 2, 2018
In the future the world is obsessed with efficiency. Adjectives are a waste of time. Reading needs to be streamlined. Even conversation is utilitarian with "goes" at the end of every sentence.
Angela's parents are on board with everything the Guarantee Committee is selling. Why would they do anything to jeopardize their guarantee and its promise of a better life?
Angela isn't so sure. She wants a chance to slow down. To think. To feel.
After reading a book called Kick the Boot Angela realizes she isn't alone. Soon she finds herself at the center of a radical movement determined to slow society down in Decelerate Blue (2017) by Adam Rapp, illustrated by Mike Cavallaro.
This standalone graphic novel offers a startling view of a bleak dystopian future where human interaction and contemplation are secondary to speed and efficiency.
Rapp's fascinating and disturbingly possible premise is dampened by a simplistic plot and world building that falls short of building anything. Who are the Guarantee Committee? What exactly is a Guarantee? Decelerate Blue is short on answers.
Cavalarro creates some interesting spreads but the impact is often diminished by the comic largely being in black and white. (Blue is a key color to the story which is often lost given the black and white pallette.) Although the comic does some clever things with full color panels contrasted with black and white it isn't enough to make the artwork cohesive. A blue and white palette also might have been more effective.
Angela has a romance with another girl during her (brief) time with the underground resistance. But instead of creating an empowering queer relationship readers instead get yet another tragic lesbian death.
Decelerate Blue takes on a lot of things to create an interesting sci-fi dystopian comic but it doesn't always negotiate the form well leading to questions of how the story might have functioned with different artistic choices or even as a novel with a bit more development.
Readers looking for an intriguing piece of flash fiction or a superficial treatment of dystopian themes might find what they're looking for in Decelerate Blue.
Possible Pairings: Feed by M. T. Anderson, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, 1984 by George Orwell, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
*A copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print
Angela's parents are on board with everything the Guarantee Committee is selling. Why would they do anything to jeopardize their guarantee and its promise of a better life?
Angela isn't so sure. She wants a chance to slow down. To think. To feel.
After reading a book called Kick the Boot Angela realizes she isn't alone. Soon she finds herself at the center of a radical movement determined to slow society down in Decelerate Blue (2017) by Adam Rapp, illustrated by Mike Cavallaro.
This standalone graphic novel offers a startling view of a bleak dystopian future where human interaction and contemplation are secondary to speed and efficiency.
Rapp's fascinating and disturbingly possible premise is dampened by a simplistic plot and world building that falls short of building anything. Who are the Guarantee Committee? What exactly is a Guarantee? Decelerate Blue is short on answers.
Cavalarro creates some interesting spreads but the impact is often diminished by the comic largely being in black and white. (Blue is a key color to the story which is often lost given the black and white pallette.) Although the comic does some clever things with full color panels contrasted with black and white it isn't enough to make the artwork cohesive. A blue and white palette also might have been more effective.
Angela has a romance with another girl during her (brief) time with the underground resistance. But instead of creating an empowering queer relationship readers instead get yet another tragic lesbian death.
Decelerate Blue takes on a lot of things to create an interesting sci-fi dystopian comic but it doesn't always negotiate the form well leading to questions of how the story might have functioned with different artistic choices or even as a novel with a bit more development.
Readers looking for an intriguing piece of flash fiction or a superficial treatment of dystopian themes might find what they're looking for in Decelerate Blue.
Possible Pairings: Feed by M. T. Anderson, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, 1984 by George Orwell, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
*A copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print
November 13, 2016
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *
Honestly, as much as I'd like to write a robust review of this graphic novel, there isn't much to say... and that's because the novel itself didn't say much. It didn't leave me feeling anything, the characters were not developed, and the pacing of the plot was off. But I'll do my best!
I didn't quite believe in the premise of the world this novel was set in, first of all. It's supposed to be this futuristic version of the world where everything is accelerated and all things in life are done at high-speed. But the way they talk doesn't speed up their conversations all that much in the end. And it's not like they're running or taking high-speed trains to get everywhere, they basically seem to just speed walk. And from what I gathered they were in school for the same amount of years - they don't graduate earlier or anything. So is it really that much faster? Now it could also just be that because the world was not really developed or explained in any sort of detail, these aspects of life actually are faster and I am incorrect. But that's just it, I can't really be sure because not many details are actually ever given.
The main character, Angela, has nothing interesting about her. Sure she rebels against her family & society, but that's something she does. She has no personality, and offers no interesting conversations or anything. Plus I feel like I didn't actually know that much about her... she reveres her grandfather, she maybe likes reading, and is gay (which was actually the most interesting and cool part of this whole novel.. yay for non-hetero characters!).
Then when Angela gets to the underground rebel camp, we get a lot of info dumping for a chunk of time, and then not much after that. So I was left with a lot of confusing information, and nothing further explained or resolved about what I was just introduced to. This definitely should have ben a series so the universe and characters could be expanded fully.
I will say that the artwork was beautiful, and so was the coloring! Many pages were very aesthetically pleasing. And really I do think this novel had a lot of potential - I get what it was trying to do, but I don't think it had enough stuff in it to do it. Just overall fell flat to me.
Honestly, as much as I'd like to write a robust review of this graphic novel, there isn't much to say... and that's because the novel itself didn't say much. It didn't leave me feeling anything, the characters were not developed, and the pacing of the plot was off. But I'll do my best!
I didn't quite believe in the premise of the world this novel was set in, first of all. It's supposed to be this futuristic version of the world where everything is accelerated and all things in life are done at high-speed. But the way they talk doesn't speed up their conversations all that much in the end. And it's not like they're running or taking high-speed trains to get everywhere, they basically seem to just speed walk. And from what I gathered they were in school for the same amount of years - they don't graduate earlier or anything. So is it really that much faster? Now it could also just be that because the world was not really developed or explained in any sort of detail, these aspects of life actually are faster and I am incorrect. But that's just it, I can't really be sure because not many details are actually ever given.
The main character, Angela, has nothing interesting about her. Sure she rebels against her family & society, but that's something she does. She has no personality, and offers no interesting conversations or anything. Plus I feel like I didn't actually know that much about her... she reveres her grandfather, she maybe likes reading, and is gay (which was actually the most interesting and cool part of this whole novel.. yay for non-hetero characters!).
Then when Angela gets to the underground rebel camp, we get a lot of info dumping for a chunk of time, and then not much after that. So I was left with a lot of confusing information, and nothing further explained or resolved about what I was just introduced to. This definitely should have ben a series so the universe and characters could be expanded fully.
I will say that the artwork was beautiful, and so was the coloring! Many pages were very aesthetically pleasing. And really I do think this novel had a lot of potential - I get what it was trying to do, but I don't think it had enough stuff in it to do it. Just overall fell flat to me.
October 18, 2017
Future-dystopian world where even speech is regulated. Girl decides to break out. Discovers underground resistance. Things get complicated.
The language here really stood out to me. Rapp is a thoughtful, brainy writer.
Gorgeous illustration work by Mike Cavallaro. I grabbed one of the panels from page 137 for #projectraintattoo. Especially appreciate the lack of umbrellas. :)
More accessible than Rapps other GN.
Black and white illustrations (although someone missed an opportunity by not making it Blue and White).
Booktalked this at four area high schools in September 2017.
The language here really stood out to me. Rapp is a thoughtful, brainy writer.
Gorgeous illustration work by Mike Cavallaro. I grabbed one of the panels from page 137 for #projectraintattoo. Especially appreciate the lack of umbrellas. :)
More accessible than Rapps other GN.
Black and white illustrations (although someone missed an opportunity by not making it Blue and White).
Booktalked this at four area high schools in September 2017.
March 31, 2017
A high 2 stars, but rather disappointing in terms of world-building, character development, and plot points. I did enjoy the basic premise of the story and it is something you'd see happening now, although I'd disagree that we're becoming briefer as a society, instead we appear to be oversharing with the smallest, most inconsequential aspects rather than forming or discussing more pertinent ones.
What I disliked was actually a few of the details of the Resistance Movement. Yes, for slowing down and making human connections. No, for the cultish worship of being slow, of forcing everyone to speak in the same, unabbreviated manner (you can still be eloquent without sounding like a robot), and definitely no to their next stage in decelerating.
The romance also was extremely rushed and at first I thought it was actually a hook to keep her in the Resistance. Character development-wise, we barely even got to know our main character before she's thrown into the chaos of resisting. World-building hinted at intriguing concepts but didn't take the time to explain them, leaving us to guess how society ran rather than giving us enough details to feel horribly immersed in their fast-paced society.
Drawing-style was rather simplistic and rough, not to the level of the cover, whose lovely blue-tones gave it so much more emotion and emphasis. I wish there'd been more color used throughout, but the few instances that we did receive a splash or two were strong.
I'd recommend 1984 or Brave New World instead. And we're not too far off from chip implementation, but I'd rather not.
What I disliked was actually a few of the details of the Resistance Movement. Yes, for slowing down and making human connections. No, for the cultish worship of being slow, of forcing everyone to speak in the same, unabbreviated manner (you can still be eloquent without sounding like a robot), and definitely no to their next stage in decelerating.
The romance also was extremely rushed and at first I thought it was actually a hook to keep her in the Resistance. Character development-wise, we barely even got to know our main character before she's thrown into the chaos of resisting. World-building hinted at intriguing concepts but didn't take the time to explain them, leaving us to guess how society ran rather than giving us enough details to feel horribly immersed in their fast-paced society.
Drawing-style was rather simplistic and rough, not to the level of the cover, whose lovely blue-tones gave it so much more emotion and emphasis. I wish there'd been more color used throughout, but the few instances that we did receive a splash or two were strong.
I'd recommend 1984 or Brave New World instead. And we're not too far off from chip implementation, but I'd rather not.
January 8, 2017
Set in a futuristic America, this YA dystopia reminds me of Kurt Vonnegut'sHarrison Bergeron. Then again, it is perhaps not a coincidence that the graphic novel is dedicated to Vonnegut. Our main protagonist, Angela, a 15 year old girl, has begun to question the world in which she lives. People are expected to move as fast as possible, to use only contractions, and to not bother with reading books as they were originally written. Most annoyingly, it is a world in which every sentence ends with the word "Go." Like Matched's Cassia, Angela is aided by her grandfather in charting her own course. Angela stumbles upon the "underground" rebels and soon falls in love with Gladys, one of the group's members. Angela is soon sent on a mission which inevitably brings the full wrath of the government on the underground and means major consequences for Angela, her family, and her newfound friends.
Although this story will not be out until February, I just couldn't wait any longer to read and review it. It taunted me every time I looked at my "to read" list. I liked the black and white illustrations. It's a little sad that this isn't a series because I would have liked some parts of the plot to be explained a little bit more than they were. Personally, I felt that the Angela/Gladys relationship unfolded really quickly. But then again there was only 210 pages to tell the story.
Thanks to NetGalley and FirstSecond books for an advanced proof of this book.
July 3, 2017
A Hyper-fast society...
This story is set in a future society where speed and efficiency are the most important things. Every sentence spoken must be ended with the word go. Adverbs are considered unnecessary and a waste of time. Movies are only 15 minutes long and beds are designed so you can sleep standing up. All citizens have a tracking chip that monitors their movements and speed. As people get older and start to slow down, they are placed in reduction colonies.
The main character, Angela is a typically rebellious teenager. She is tired of everything moving so quickly, and she wants to slow down. One day, she stumbles onto a group of rebels who live underground. Their main goal is to slow down. They avoid contractions and delight in unnecessary adverbs. There Angela meets Gladys, a young girl who helps her acclimate to the underground environment. Angela and Gladys develop a relationship and fall in love. But the rebel group is constantly in danger and fighting against the hyper above-ground world.
This is a graphic novel and uses mostly black & white illustrations. Towards the end, color is used to emphasize strong emotions.
I read this novel for my graphic novel class. The story is ok but lacks strong background. Details are missing that support Angela's actions. We don't really understand why she wants to slow down when everyone around her is worried about being faster. Maybe she was just born different, or maybe it comes from her relationship with her grandfather. We aren't really sure. And the motivations of the rebellion are confusing too. Bottom line: it's hard to be invested in characters without a strong backstory.
I also read this novel for my first Free Read Friday. It has 200 pages, so it is worth $4.00
This story is set in a future society where speed and efficiency are the most important things. Every sentence spoken must be ended with the word go. Adverbs are considered unnecessary and a waste of time. Movies are only 15 minutes long and beds are designed so you can sleep standing up. All citizens have a tracking chip that monitors their movements and speed. As people get older and start to slow down, they are placed in reduction colonies.
The main character, Angela is a typically rebellious teenager. She is tired of everything moving so quickly, and she wants to slow down. One day, she stumbles onto a group of rebels who live underground. Their main goal is to slow down. They avoid contractions and delight in unnecessary adverbs. There Angela meets Gladys, a young girl who helps her acclimate to the underground environment. Angela and Gladys develop a relationship and fall in love. But the rebel group is constantly in danger and fighting against the hyper above-ground world.
This is a graphic novel and uses mostly black & white illustrations. Towards the end, color is used to emphasize strong emotions.
I read this novel for my graphic novel class. The story is ok but lacks strong background. Details are missing that support Angela's actions. We don't really understand why she wants to slow down when everyone around her is worried about being faster. Maybe she was just born different, or maybe it comes from her relationship with her grandfather. We aren't really sure. And the motivations of the rebellion are confusing too. Bottom line: it's hard to be invested in characters without a strong backstory.
I also read this novel for my first Free Read Friday. It has 200 pages, so it is worth $4.00
August 1, 2016
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review…
I love the premise of the book (dystopia where everything is “rushed” and “hyper” and there’s an underground movement to “slow down”), but the storyline seemed rushed and characters were pretty flat. Even the society wasn’t developed very well; there were some things I was confused about for the whole book. I’m not a big graphic novel/comic book reader, but I thought the drawings were pretty good.
I love the premise of the book (dystopia where everything is “rushed” and “hyper” and there’s an underground movement to “slow down”), but the storyline seemed rushed and characters were pretty flat. Even the society wasn’t developed very well; there were some things I was confused about for the whole book. I’m not a big graphic novel/comic book reader, but I thought the drawings were pretty good.
first-second-publications
February 14, 2017In a hyperkinetic future, the ultimate act of rebellion is simply taking a deep breath and slowing down. Angela's taking that breath . . . and it might be her last.
A perfect read for the rebellious mind, romance lovers, and those who want a story filled with a edgy, complex, and poignant dystopian story.
A perfect read for the rebellious mind, romance lovers, and those who want a story filled with a edgy, complex, and poignant dystopian story.
February 13, 2018
Oddly enough, the thing that bugs me the most about Decelerate Blue is the timing. A lot of the transitions are sudden and makes me feel like my copy is missing several pages. The build-up to the romance is non-existent, especially compared to the time dedicated to several other elements of underground life, which is disappointing. The illustrations are beautiful (although could have done a blue and white instead of black and white) and the premise is fascinating, I just wish there was more time allocated to the queer romance to take this novel a couple of steps away from queerbaiting.
June 8, 2018
The premise of this is really interesting. A dystopia where everything, including speech, is rushed and an underground movement looking to slow things down.
It felt really rushed. Maybe that was the point? It would make sense since everything in this world is supposed to be “fast” and “hyper,” but I think the characters suffered for it. No one, not even the protagonist, felt well developed.
It had promise though. I think it would of worked better as a series.
It felt really rushed. Maybe that was the point? It would make sense since everything in this world is supposed to be “fast” and “hyper,” but I think the characters suffered for it. No one, not even the protagonist, felt well developed.
It had promise though. I think it would of worked better as a series.
March 5, 2017
"Books don't change lives... People change lives... Sometimes, if you're lucky, if you get the thing right, a book can say some important things and that's all fine and good... but a book is just an artifact... a thing that sits on a desk or a shelf... People make the real difference...People and love..."
In our world nowadays, rebellion is always on our minds, on the tip of our tongues and in our hearts. But what happens when enough is enough and it's time to live your life how you see fit?
Imagine a place where you are told what to do, what to eat, what to read and even where to buy your clothes. A place where every sentence ends with go and don't you dare not use contractions.
In a world of sameness, there will always be radicals who push back. Living in the underground world and slowing down the processes while above everyone is speeding up. For Angela, everyday life is hell and she needs an escape. Her teacher and her Grandpa give her one. She joins the rebellion to live a life she wants.
This story was on point in what we are dealing with now. Head master Cheeto is on his way to controlling what we read and think about choices being made that affect us. It was fast paced and a fantastic look at rebellion through art. The thing that slowed it down was the lack of character development. Love bloomed, but where's the full story? Who is Angela really? Where did the Underground come from? How are people chosen to be apart of it? Those are just some of the many questions that I have.
If you're a fan of Kurt Vonnegut, then this is right up your alley. It's really no surprise at all that this book is dedicated to him. Fictionalized Kick the Boot is a story that he would have spread upon this world. When the world bites you, you bite back ever harder.
Go, Guarantee, Go!!
In our world nowadays, rebellion is always on our minds, on the tip of our tongues and in our hearts. But what happens when enough is enough and it's time to live your life how you see fit?
Imagine a place where you are told what to do, what to eat, what to read and even where to buy your clothes. A place where every sentence ends with go and don't you dare not use contractions.
In a world of sameness, there will always be radicals who push back. Living in the underground world and slowing down the processes while above everyone is speeding up. For Angela, everyday life is hell and she needs an escape. Her teacher and her Grandpa give her one. She joins the rebellion to live a life she wants.
This story was on point in what we are dealing with now. Head master Cheeto is on his way to controlling what we read and think about choices being made that affect us. It was fast paced and a fantastic look at rebellion through art. The thing that slowed it down was the lack of character development. Love bloomed, but where's the full story? Who is Angela really? Where did the Underground come from? How are people chosen to be apart of it? Those are just some of the many questions that I have.
If you're a fan of Kurt Vonnegut, then this is right up your alley. It's really no surprise at all that this book is dedicated to him. Fictionalized Kick the Boot is a story that he would have spread upon this world. When the world bites you, you bite back ever harder.
Go, Guarantee, Go!!
December 15, 2017
Sometimes you're like whoa this book is pretty good if a little derivative and builds a really cool/disturbing/pretty plausible world that you'd like to learn more about and then the good guys, the slow guys, the cool and hip and underground guys...
Nope. Nope. :-P Great ideas, totally problematic summing up.
Nope. Nope. :-P Great ideas, totally problematic summing up.
August 23, 2017
July 2016
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. If you're a fan of The Giver or Fahrenheit 451 you should definitely check this out.
I'll post my review closer to the release date.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. If you're a fan of The Giver or Fahrenheit 451 you should definitely check this out.
I'll post my review closer to the release date.
August 21, 2017
*Happily reading a queer YA novel*
*Someone references Shakespeare*
Me: Uh oh.
Me: well, maybe this time....
*The Shakespeare referenced is Romeo and Juliet*
Me: ah, crap.
*Someone references Shakespeare*
Me: Uh oh.
Me: well, maybe this time....
*The Shakespeare referenced is Romeo and Juliet*
Me: ah, crap.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2025
Note: This review contains major spoilers. All are marked as such.
We start off with Angela's family having dinner, and their conversation serves to introduce us pretty effectively to the world we're reading about. It isn't my favorite art style, but that's fine, that's just a personal preference. If the story is good and conveyed well through the art, that won't matter at all. We follow Angela to her discovery of the world of underground rebels, and I'm interested in how Angela will move forward with this new knowledge. So, we're off to an okay start, and I'm optimistic about the story to come.
But my hopes never really manifested.
The funny thing about this book... it's all about slowing down, but the pacing of the story is wayyy too fast. And not on purpose, not in a way where it changes and becomes slower to mirror the story. No, it hurtles through major events without giving us any time to process what's happening. After Angela is accepted by the leaders of this underground world, we pick up speed and everything passes in a blur. A girl kisses Angela almost immediately after meeting her, and Angela is like oh my, I've never kissed a girl but now I have Feelings! Now they are a Couple, but I couldn't tell you why. Why do they like each other? Who knows... they kiss and they sleep together, so... I guess it's True Love? I didn't think this was possible for a graphic novel, but we need to be shown that they love each other, not simply told with some warm colors over Angela's chest. We need those cute moments, those deep discussions, those small interactions on which they build their relationship - and we need personality. The only thing that sets the love interest apart from a blank piece of paper is her desire to create beautiful tableaux. Where is the rest of her personality? This makes it impossible for the reader to understand their attraction to one another.
Then we move on to a major plot point, where our MC is offered a chance to be useful to the rebellion, to go back up into her world and retrieve a very important package. This section was similar to the beginning - fairly well-done, believable, suspenseful. But this little adventure (as expected) leads us to the Disaster.
Before I talk about said Disaster, I want to take a moment to talk about the Decelerate Blue pills. When I first heard the leader of the underground world describe them, I was wary. There is such a thing as slowing down too much, just as there is such a thing as speeding up too much.
So on to the Disaster: terrible stuff happens, and And that's it. That's the end. There's no reflection on the events (does Angela feel any guilt or does she simply not realize it's her fault the Disaster happened?) or what they could mean on a deeper level (what could the story be warning us about?). There's no societal backlash to the injustices carried out. There's no exploration of the emotional consequences of these events.
How are we supposed to be invested in the characters when their emotional reactions to their reality are shallow and unrealistic? How is there any character development when characters are only half formed? When you simply rush from plot point to plot point, the story loses all gravity; it loses any ability to carry meaning. It merely skims the surface of the vast depths of its potential.
So yeah. I was disappointed. But it kept my attention, and I do appreciate that the wlw rep exists, even if it is poorly done. It was nice that their relationship was completely accepted and normal. I also liked the addition of color at the end of the story - it was beautiful. I only wish there had been more of it, at various points throughout the story, to connect it into some sort of thread. ( Who knows.)
We start off with Angela's family having dinner, and their conversation serves to introduce us pretty effectively to the world we're reading about. It isn't my favorite art style, but that's fine, that's just a personal preference. If the story is good and conveyed well through the art, that won't matter at all. We follow Angela to her discovery of the world of underground rebels, and I'm interested in how Angela will move forward with this new knowledge. So, we're off to an okay start, and I'm optimistic about the story to come.
But my hopes never really manifested.
The funny thing about this book... it's all about slowing down, but the pacing of the story is wayyy too fast. And not on purpose, not in a way where it changes and becomes slower to mirror the story. No, it hurtles through major events without giving us any time to process what's happening. After Angela is accepted by the leaders of this underground world, we pick up speed and everything passes in a blur. A girl kisses Angela almost immediately after meeting her, and Angela is like oh my, I've never kissed a girl but now I have Feelings! Now they are a Couple, but I couldn't tell you why. Why do they like each other? Who knows... they kiss and they sleep together, so... I guess it's True Love? I didn't think this was possible for a graphic novel, but we need to be shown that they love each other, not simply told with some warm colors over Angela's chest. We need those cute moments, those deep discussions, those small interactions on which they build their relationship - and we need personality. The only thing that sets the love interest apart from a blank piece of paper is her desire to create beautiful tableaux. Where is the rest of her personality? This makes it impossible for the reader to understand their attraction to one another.
Then we move on to a major plot point, where our MC is offered a chance to be useful to the rebellion, to go back up into her world and retrieve a very important package. This section was similar to the beginning - fairly well-done, believable, suspenseful. But this little adventure (as expected) leads us to the Disaster.
Before I talk about said Disaster, I want to take a moment to talk about the Decelerate Blue pills. When I first heard the leader of the underground world describe them, I was wary. There is such a thing as slowing down too much, just as there is such a thing as speeding up too much.
So on to the Disaster: terrible stuff happens, and And that's it. That's the end. There's no reflection on the events (does Angela feel any guilt or does she simply not realize it's her fault the Disaster happened?) or what they could mean on a deeper level (what could the story be warning us about?). There's no societal backlash to the injustices carried out. There's no exploration of the emotional consequences of these events.
How are we supposed to be invested in the characters when their emotional reactions to their reality are shallow and unrealistic? How is there any character development when characters are only half formed? When you simply rush from plot point to plot point, the story loses all gravity; it loses any ability to carry meaning. It merely skims the surface of the vast depths of its potential.
So yeah. I was disappointed. But it kept my attention, and I do appreciate that the wlw rep exists, even if it is poorly done. It was nice that their relationship was completely accepted and normal. I also liked the addition of color at the end of the story - it was beautiful. I only wish there had been more of it, at various points throughout the story, to connect it into some sort of thread. ( Who knows.)
August 30, 2022
For a story focusing on the merits of slowing down everything went by so fast. A kiss and it is love, a few pages in the resistance and Angela is ready to risk her life. What did work for me was seeing the world she is escaping from an the downside of seeing efficiency for everything as well as seeing the uncertainty of people who live in the system but aren't completely sold on it.
Unfortunately, not much else worked for me. Aside from the speed of it all, the resistance came across as incredibly dubious. The adherence to slowness without question felt not much better than what the resistance was attempting to escape from. This would have been ok if it was examined in any way. Especially given the entire swallowing a pill with unknown results conclusion of it.
Unfortunately, not much else worked for me. Aside from the speed of it all, the resistance came across as incredibly dubious. The adherence to slowness without question felt not much better than what the resistance was attempting to escape from. This would have been ok if it was examined in any way. Especially given the entire swallowing a pill with unknown results conclusion of it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2017
At first I was just so confused. I didn't know what was going on until a couple more pages in. After that, I couldn't put the book down! It was extremely sad and made me mad at some parts, but isn't that what a good book does? The book was set in the future, and usually, in books set in the future, there are robots every where, and all that stuff, but this book had a different perspective. It showed how people want to be faster, but sometimes, slowing down is the better option.
February 13, 2017
I had a great time reading this, especially with Mike Cavallo's drawings (they are perfect for a 1984esque future-grunge rebellion). Graphic novels are a great media to portray YA with, I love being able to see the scenery and backgrounds with such detail, but to be honest I think this story in particular would have been better in novel format. Either that or at least multi-volume. Maybe even just one of those hulking big blocks that are just massive graphic novels. I mean I really liked the premise, the plot outline was really interesting, and some of the quirky details were plainly perfect; on the other hand I didn't really feel like the story was excited the best it could have been. Entertaining? yes. Thought provoking? Sure, a bit. But it really could have been pushed much further. In my opinion the few things it could have adjusted are the language ( like in 1984, future abbreviated speech seems to be a main point in the story, but besides it being talked about.... it isn't really USED. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld is another good example of future speech patterns), the pacing seemed off too (for a book ABOUT adjusting to a slower pace that really could have been applied to the story pacing- I would have loved to see a fast/hectic pace that slows down as the book progresses. Which is one of the reasons I think a traditional novel format would have been more successful.), and the last big thing was character development (I didn't get a sense of maturing or change from any of the characters, the main character was too disgruntled with her society in the beginning and seemed to fit the world of the rebels so perfectly that it was a little unbelievable. Too made up, and not enough space to grow.)
But as a quick read? Yah, I enjoyed it. Granted I read it in about 40 minutes and I didm't have to buy it to read it. Perhaps this one could be a good library find.
But as a quick read? Yah, I enjoyed it. Granted I read it in about 40 minutes and I didm't have to buy it to read it. Perhaps this one could be a good library find.
April 17, 2017
I borrowed this one from the library as I thought it looked fairly interesting and to read towards my Graphic Novel Challenge for this year. Set in a dystopian future (as it seems many of these books are today), where hyper is the key word to everything, it showed quite a bit of promise. Unfortunately it didn't quite live up to its expectations, mainly due to the way that it just seemed to end so abruptly.
The characters live in a world where if you can't keep up with the hyper space of society then you get exiled out of the mainstream. Nobody is able, or even allowed, to slow down and really enjoy or appreciate anything in life, and many people sleep in a standing position. The main character, Angela, seems out of place and out of sync with those around her. She hears rumours of an underground and yearns for a different way of living. I won't give away anything else, but it started to build up and move well, showing lots of promise until near the end where it just seemed to hurry too much to its conclusion. The way it ended leads me to believe that there will be no sequel or follow-up, which is too bad because there just seemed to be so much more that could have been explored or expanded upon.
The characters live in a world where if you can't keep up with the hyper space of society then you get exiled out of the mainstream. Nobody is able, or even allowed, to slow down and really enjoy or appreciate anything in life, and many people sleep in a standing position. The main character, Angela, seems out of place and out of sync with those around her. She hears rumours of an underground and yearns for a different way of living. I won't give away anything else, but it started to build up and move well, showing lots of promise until near the end where it just seemed to hurry too much to its conclusion. The way it ended leads me to believe that there will be no sequel or follow-up, which is too bad because there just seemed to be so much more that could have been explored or expanded upon.
February 8, 2018
This is a story is about a grim future, where everything has to be fast, aka hyper. Classic works of literature are severely abridged, movies are 10 minutes long, people are urged to buy, but quickly, at the megamall, and some even sleep standing up so they're ready to get going faster in the morning. *shudder* The writer's use of language is great - especially the "go" that everyone adds to the end of their sentences - it really adds to the sense of the futuristic setting.
The artwork is great, too, though I agree with my friend's thought that they could've used blue and white instead of black and white, that would've been so cool! The last few pages are full color, and they are beautiful.
As for the ending... well, it's definitely left up to interpretation. And it's not exactly what I had hoped for... Overall, a very thought provoking graphic novel.
The artwork is great, too, though I agree with my friend's thought that they could've used blue and white instead of black and white, that would've been so cool! The last few pages are full color, and they are beautiful.
As for the ending... well, it's definitely left up to interpretation. And it's not exactly what I had hoped for... Overall, a very thought provoking graphic novel.
July 27, 2017
A dystopian future where its all about going fast. Everyone is supposed to use contractions, watch 10 minute "hyper movies", and read condensed versions of old books. Its taboo to slow down and enjoy the small things. Our lead doesn't like the fast pace of the world and falls into an underground of dissenters. It has the bones of an interesting concept, but the characters just didn't feel quite fleshed enough and I wanted more story development. Still a solid read with interesting points on where the world could easily fall.
July 2, 2017
In a book about a world that values speed and efficiency over everything else, it was appropriate that it took me an extra long time to read this wonderful graphic novel. The story about an underworld attempting to live lives that value slowness and an unplugged culture resonated with me. In addition to the great story that illustrations were top notch.
August 5, 2016
Wow. What a powerful story! It may seem silly to some, and I don't personally believe it would ever get that bad, but the fast pace in which we live in has damaged society. We need to slow down and enjoy life.
July 5, 2017
This was so GOOD! It was so en pointe for our society honestly. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Beautiful line art and cover art in addition to a great message and storyline. Love trumps all!
January 26, 2017
Confusing book. Wonderful premise. Go.
May 22, 2017
Creepy vision of a future we could be heading for. Definitely YA.
June 7, 2017
At first I thought this was trying to be really heavy-handed commentary on society, but in the end I think it was just trying to do a dystopian premise based on similar ideas. It was fine.
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