Because we don't have any official post for this book, I decided to do just a response post. When I first started reading this book, the main thing I noticed was that it was not very well written. The story line seemed to drag a little at first and I was confused for the first several chapters. Once the story picked up, however, I was able to follow it better. I liked the discovery of Jen from a plot standpoint, but her immediate pompous attitude and sass annoyed me. And while she was very informative as to the world Luke lived in, I felt like she raised more questions than answers. I must admit her death shocked me a little. And then suddenly, there was her father who was part of the Population Police. Overall, the plot seemed to lag in some places and felt rushed in others.
Now saying on this, while I did enjoy the book, it definitely screamed Children's Book! to me. And, I feel like it is the first one that did. I have to be honest, I'm not really sure how I felt about the book. When I finished it last night, I was still fairly confused about what was the truth about the population crisis. I may have to go back and reread it to see if I missed something or if the book ever fully explains exactly what happened.
In comparison to The Giver, I definitely enjoyed The Giver more. While both had similar issues: death, isolation, governmental control, I feel like The Giver was much more well written and addressed the issues better. While the death of the twin was much more graphic, I think the death of Jen was much more traumatic because she is a peer. However, I would argue that Among the Hidden is much more age appropriate. Reading Among the Hidden when you're 12 is not quite as traumatic as reading The Giver when you're 12. Both books put different perspectives on the dystopian world: both disturbing, shocking and fairly believable.
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