Play Book Tag discussion

Ink and Bone - R. Caine
Audio performance by Julian Elfer
4 stars

The story starts off at a run. Ten year old Jess Brightwell is a runner. He belongs to a family of book smugglers. They smuggle books, real books, printed books, one-of-a-kind books. It is illegal for private citizens to own these books. So Jess risks his life to deliver a book to a wealthy buyer. It’s a page turning beginning.

The Great Library of Alexandria was never burned. Gutenberg did not invent his printing press (or perhaps he did, but no one knows about it). In this contemporary, steampunk world the library controls all information by means of devices that are eerily similar to Amazon kindles. It is such a fascinating premiss. In this world, ‘burners’ are rebels who burn books to protest the Library’s information and mind control. (Inevitably, I thought of Ray Bradbury and Fahrenheit 451. I’m sure I was supposed to make that connection.)

Jess is unhappy with the risks involved with the family business. He has a chance to train for a scholar’s position within the Great Library. From here the book is clearly a young adult, boarding school story. Jess leaves home, competes for his class placement, makes friends, has adventures. They are very dark adventures and this is a very dark, dystopian world.

I liked the young characters in this story. I liked that they are a diverse group. Applause for Khalila, the intelligent Muslim girl in the hijab, the gay characters, and the important social questions that are underlying this dystopian setting. However, the story was very dark and very violent. It lacked any humor or a sense that there is even a tiny light at the end of the tunnel. I’m not sure that I will read any more of the series.