Reviewed by Karin Librarian for TeensReadToo.com
Oscar Banks is the perfect boyfriend, the perfect son, and the perfect example of what every child should be like.
Oscar's father is the founder of Candor, an exclusive community where everything is perfect - there is no crime, teenagers do their homework and obey their parents, and everyone lives a healthy lifestyle (since instead of ice cream the stores only sell frozen yogurt and instead of popcorn at the movies they only serve carrot sticks).
Oscar plays the part of the model student perfectly - he has to in order to keep up his cover. Oscar has a way around the system and even developed his own business to counteract his father's effects on the kids in town.
Subliminal messages surround the inhabitants of Candor every moment of their lives. Messages like Academics are the key to success, Keep Candor beautiful, Healthy breakfasts make for smart minds, and Avoid physical contact swirl through their minds, but Oscar has found a way to fight off the effects of the messages.
One day a new girl moves into town. Nia is completely different from everyone else. She is wild and free and Oscar quickly becomes fascinated with her. Oscar can't stand the thought of Nia becoming like the other robots in town and starts to come up with a plan to save her.
CANDOR is an intense story about the dangers of control and the insistence of perfection. Readers will be fascinated with life in Candor and won't want to put the book down. Oscar, even though self-serving at times, is a great character to get to know, and Nia and Oscar's relationship is heartwarming.
In terms of contemporary science fiction, CANDOR is a winner.
Oscar Banks is the perfect boyfriend, the perfect son, and the perfect example of what every child should be like.
Oscar's father is the founder of Candor, an exclusive community where everything is perfect - there is no crime, teenagers do their homework and obey their parents, and everyone lives a healthy lifestyle (since instead of ice cream the stores only sell frozen yogurt and instead of popcorn at the movies they only serve carrot sticks).
Oscar plays the part of the model student perfectly - he has to in order to keep up his cover. Oscar has a way around the system and even developed his own business to counteract his father's effects on the kids in town.
Subliminal messages surround the inhabitants of Candor every moment of their lives. Messages like Academics are the key to success, Keep Candor beautiful, Healthy breakfasts make for smart minds, and Avoid physical contact swirl through their minds, but Oscar has found a way to fight off the effects of the messages.
One day a new girl moves into town. Nia is completely different from everyone else. She is wild and free and Oscar quickly becomes fascinated with her. Oscar can't stand the thought of Nia becoming like the other robots in town and starts to come up with a plan to save her.
CANDOR is an intense story about the dangers of control and the insistence of perfection. Readers will be fascinated with life in Candor and won't want to put the book down. Oscar, even though self-serving at times, is a great character to get to know, and Nia and Oscar's relationship is heartwarming.
In terms of contemporary science fiction, CANDOR is a winner.
After the death of his oldest soon, Oscar Banks' father creates the "perfect" community, one where teens are brainwashed with subliminal messages into perfect complaisance, model citizens. But his father doesn't know that Oscar's been running his own business of helping endowed teenagers escape Candor before it's too late.
But when Oscar meets Nia, she has him feeling things he never knew existed before. Oscar will do anything to keep Nia the way she is, safe from the Messages... even if it's at a great price.
Pam Bachorz takes a great concept and spins it into a suspenseful and engrossing story. CANDOR is brutal, frightening, and altogether unique.
Bachorz writes in a sparse style that is reminiscent of Lisa McMann's WAKE trilogy. While this makes me feel detached from the characters at times, it also effectively contributes to CANDOR's urgency and danger. There are no unnecessary details here: in CANDOR, it's all about the pacing, the in-the-moment, in-your-face events.
CANDOR is a great book to introduce teens to after they've grown out of Lois Lowry's novel THE GIVER. In an exploding dystopian lit genre, this one will stand out because of its creativity and the power that it will wield over readers.
But when Oscar meets Nia, she has him feeling things he never knew existed before. Oscar will do anything to keep Nia the way she is, safe from the Messages... even if it's at a great price.
Pam Bachorz takes a great concept and spins it into a suspenseful and engrossing story. CANDOR is brutal, frightening, and altogether unique.
Bachorz writes in a sparse style that is reminiscent of Lisa McMann's WAKE trilogy. While this makes me feel detached from the characters at times, it also effectively contributes to CANDOR's urgency and danger. There are no unnecessary details here: in CANDOR, it's all about the pacing, the in-the-moment, in-your-face events.
CANDOR is a great book to introduce teens to after they've grown out of Lois Lowry's novel THE GIVER. In an exploding dystopian lit genre, this one will stand out because of its creativity and the power that it will wield over readers.
