Monday, January 08, 2007

Psychosomatic

I pledge Allegiance
to the Flag
of the Safer States of America
and to the Republic
for which it stands
one Nation
under Law
with Security
and Safety
for All.

Yep. That got my attention. My how I love social commentary. Never mind relying on immigrant labor for menial jobs, just make so many laws that 24% of the population ends up in jail. Then, contract out prisoners to work camps! The government makes money on the contracts, and society has prisoners do road work, shell shrimp and make pizzas. Brilliant really, unless you were the person who dropped the apricot that Melody Haynes tripped on. Even though Melody wasn't wearing her walking helmet.

I'm accustomed to dystopias where our hero struggles against the constricts of a society and government gone wrong, so I was pretty surprised when this one turned into a football game (ok, that's overly simplified, and by the way, football? Totally illegal.). I recognize that one teen boy is unlikely to really be capable of being a sole resistor, and therefore must acknowledge that this is probably a more realistic of a teen protagonist's reaction. But darn if I didn't want Bo (short for Bono, hee!) to stick it to the man. As for the virtual sidekick Bork? Pretty darn amusing.

Rash is just my second Hautman. I thoroughly enjoyed Godless and have heard great things about Mr. Was. Sweetblood seems to involve vampires, and I'm always up for teenage vampires. Perhaps I'll get around to those someday... Meanwhile, Hautman impresses me.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a horrible nightmare. Football illegal, what would this world be coming to? :p

Jackie Parker said...

I know! And you should read about all the protective gear he had to wear just for track! Madness, I tell you! Maddness!

Little Willow said...

Sweetblood was okay. I liked the concept - the diabetes connection.

Becky said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Becky said...

I absolutely loved RASH. Definitely one of the best books of the year as far as I'm concerned. So funny. And his website is great. He really explains what led him to write Rash. I love the Grandpa too. Such a great relationship between the two. And how often does that happen in YA lit?

As far as Hautman's other works go. I recommend Invisible. It's not as great as Rash. But when I read it when it came out (2005), I was impressed.

Sweetblood was good too. But don't expect it to be a "real" vampire story. But I'm having a hard time liking anything better than Rash!