on March 6, 2015
Altered
by Dianne Lynn Gardner is a young adult dystopian novel written with
the premise that the government is contaminating the food supply.
The story begins with a young girl and her family existing in a world where genetically modified foods are the norm and only the government and its regime can produce crops. This makes every citizen a slave to the powers that be and all must follow the rules or die from lack of food. Although this is a fictional tale, it is easy to see that the premise could very well occur in the real world with companies such as Monsanto taking control of seeds and dictating the terms of usage to the farmers that sow them. This was a face-paced, adventurous read and one that will make you question what companies and the government are really doing to our food supply.
The author did a very good job in weaving a believable tale with fully developed characters. I felt myself caring about them and rooting for their success even in the darkest times of the story.
This is the first book I have read from Ms. Gardner. Will be reading her newest title, Pouraka, in the very near future.
The story begins with a young girl and her family existing in a world where genetically modified foods are the norm and only the government and its regime can produce crops. This makes every citizen a slave to the powers that be and all must follow the rules or die from lack of food. Although this is a fictional tale, it is easy to see that the premise could very well occur in the real world with companies such as Monsanto taking control of seeds and dictating the terms of usage to the farmers that sow them. This was a face-paced, adventurous read and one that will make you question what companies and the government are really doing to our food supply.
The author did a very good job in weaving a believable tale with fully developed characters. I felt myself caring about them and rooting for their success even in the darkest times of the story.
This is the first book I have read from Ms. Gardner. Will be reading her newest title, Pouraka, in the very near future.
***
on November 29, 2014
Great read if you want a book to keep you on the edge of your seat this is a must read .Couldn't put it down.
***
.
I
just finished reading the book Altered by Dianne Lynn Gardner. The
first few sentences grabbed my attention right away. 12-year-old Abree
returns from school screaming that she won't go. The reader quickly
learns that all the children in this southwestern town are being sent to
a boarding school. Abree refuses to leave her mother and brother
Nathan, but they give her no choice. I feel her anguish as she is
wrenched away from those she loves. The story leads Abree on a
heart-breaking journey, not to a boarding school, but to a prison-like
facility. There she is trained by the new government in charge. They
have plans to make all people compliant to their Draconian ways of
conquering the world.
The plot thickens when a Hopi boy befriends Abree and talks about finding the ant people and doing what they do. With help Abree begins to understand what Makia is talking about. In the end, it is the ant people's ways that save their lives.
The book reads quickly as it's hard to get away from it. Dianne's descriptive writing makes scenes come alive. The reader can almost taste the dust of the desert. Abree isn't the only character leading the reader through the story. Her brother Nathan becomes a hunted criminal, and his girlfriend Ivanna helps him escape. Each character has a unique presence in the narrative. Dianne devotes different chapters to a variety of points of view so the reader gets to see the characters fleshed out.
I recommend this book to all ages who love young adult, dystopian, or adventure stories.
on November 5, 2014
It
is a tale of control. I'm not going to tell the story and spoil it for
anyone, but it is definitely a tale of government control. By chemically
altering the food the people eat, the government is able to make the
citizens complacent and control everything from where the people live to
seizing control of their children, sending them away to "boarding
schools"; prison camps where, by using specifically altered food, they
are able to train the children work for them, making them smarter or
bigger, or whatever they need, but mostly obedient. Brilliantly told,
great smooth dialogue, and excellent character development that puts you
right in the heart of the story, grabs you from the beginning and does
not let go. I read this in one sitting, I literally could not put it
down.
***
on September 11, 2014
Great
story that got me from the beginning. I got pulled in by great
characters and lots of twists and turns. It just seemed to end too
quickly with too many unanswered questions....
***
on August 3, 2014
Altered
captivated me from the very beginning and didn't let me go until I
finished the last page. The book is both compelling and frightening...as
it involves manipulation of people through altering the food
supply...could this be happening now? I can only say...I hope not!
Ms. Gardner spins a very plausible tale with engaging characters and plenty of twists and thrilling turns. I look forward to the next book in this series...at least...I hope there is a next book!
Ms. Gardner spins a very plausible tale with engaging characters and plenty of twists and thrilling turns. I look forward to the next book in this series...at least...I hope there is a next book!
***
on May 8, 2014
I
like the way this book has of taking hot topics from current events and
putting them into them into a credible cautionary tale about huge
multinational corporate control of the world food supply. There is
plenty to hold the reader's interest as multiple plot lines converge to a
thrilling, unpredictable confrontation in a picturesque southwestern
setting. A real page turner for all ages. There was a point in the book
where I feared a political bias might emerge. Thankfully, the book
surprised me in being largely apolitical and true to its science
fiction, young adult thriller feel. Enjoyed it immensely and recommend
it highly to anyone who enjoys a good adventure story and is interested
in geopolitical affairs.
***
on April 28, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
A
foreign corporation takes over the United States and puts it under
martial law, controlling the population through a combination of
military might and mutated food supply that makes those who eat it
physically or mentally different. The story follows a group of teenagers
who become separated then meet back up again later in their efforts to
get unmodified seeds from the company to farms in Mexico.
Pros:
1) The characters are all very interesting and quite different from each other. They are recognizable as US teenagers in various forms.
2) The story line is timely, what with growing concerns about companies that genetically modifying or treating food.
Cons:
1) About two-thirds of the way through, suddenly part of the cast can’t speak without an expletive for a few pages. This is a personal pet peeve of mine. Do real teenagers curse? Sometimes, but I don't think it belongs in a book aimed at MG/YA audiences.
2) The ending felt rushed and unsatisfying. If this is Book 1 of a series, though, that can still work.
Overall:
This is a good tale with interesting characters. With some parental guidance for younger readers, I think this would work well to generate some discussion about the current events around genetically and chemically modified food.
Pros:
1) The characters are all very interesting and quite different from each other. They are recognizable as US teenagers in various forms.
2) The story line is timely, what with growing concerns about companies that genetically modifying or treating food.
Cons:
1) About two-thirds of the way through, suddenly part of the cast can’t speak without an expletive for a few pages. This is a personal pet peeve of mine. Do real teenagers curse? Sometimes, but I don't think it belongs in a book aimed at MG/YA audiences.
2) The ending felt rushed and unsatisfying. If this is Book 1 of a series, though, that can still work.
Overall:
This is a good tale with interesting characters. With some parental guidance for younger readers, I think this would work well to generate some discussion about the current events around genetically and chemically modified food.
***
on April 19, 2014
This
book was simply awesome. It was so good, I almost missed my stop when I
was reading it on the train ride home. What made this book so good was
the fact that something like this could actually happen. We are always
hearing about the stuff that is going on with the food supply. It really
makes one wonder what is going on. I can't wait for the sequel to come
out.
***
on April 15, 2014
The plot thickens when a Hopi boy befriends Abree and talks about finding the ant people and doing what they do. With help Abree begins to understand what Makia is talking about. In the end, it is the ant people's ways that save their lives.
The book reads quickly as it's hard to get away from it. Dianne's descriptive writing makes scenes come alive. The reader can almost taste the dust of the desert. Abree isn't the only character leading the reader through the story. Her brother Nathan becomes a hunted criminal, and his girlfriend Ivanna helps him escape. Each character has a unique presence in the narrative. Dianne devotes different chapters to a variety of points of view so the reader gets to see the characters fleshed out.
I recommend this book to all ages who love young adult, dystopian, or adventure stories.
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