Among the Hidden discussion

For my 5th book review I decided to branch out of the genres I have been reading and try a Sci Fi novel. I settled on the first book in Margaret Peterson Haddix’s series Among the Hidden. Over the years I’ve falling in love with dystopia adult novels like Brave New World, 1984, and A Clockwork Orange, so diving deeper into the genre with young adult novels was interesting and overall I was very satisfied at the end of my read. Among the Hidden drew me in and left me on a cliff hanging. I’m even considering continuing deeper into the series.

The setting in the book is earth after over population has become a huge problem. To combat this issue the government has limited families to a maximum of two children, and this law is strictly enforced. If children over this maximum are discovered Haddix went as far as an author to make the punishment death to the child and persecution of the family. The story follows a boy, Luke, that is the third child born in his family. This has forced him to stay indoors hidden from the government and the world. Throughout the book you read about Luke’s internal struggle and hardships others like him face within this strange complex society. A key aspect of the book I enjoyed was the contrast between Luke and another illegal child Jen. One is knowledgeable and seemingly fearless while the other has been raised to be afraid and scared. There differences made their interactions entertaining.

Throughout the book he questions what his live will look like when he is older, which is something young adults including myself frequently question. It’s extremely important to self reflect on what you want for your life and try to guide yourself in the right direction. For example, many kids know the want to go to college and they realize at a certain point that means they have to get good grades. This concept is the main reason I think Among the Hidden is a great read for a variety of audiences. Luke asks himself crucial questions that send him down a certain path. So, weather a reader needs to discover this self-reflection or rediscover it this book can help them do that.