I recently read Feed, by M.T. Anderson. It is a dystopian novel about a world in the not-too-distant future where, through corporate ownership of just about everything, the world is practically falling apart. The book follows the story of Titus, a fairly average teen who lives a fairly mediocre life. He has what’s called a feed, which is a computer chip programmed to integrate with his entire brain, suggesting products for purchase and allowing him to chat feed-to-feed with his friends. Anyone who does not have a feed is ostracized and unable to progress in society. The story begins with Titus and his friends traveling to the moon for Spring Break, but he never could have guessed that he would meet Violet, the girl that would change his life forever. She joins him and his friends on their “exciting” trip to one of the moon’s many clubs, but things go horribly wrong. A hacker from the Coalition of Pity, an anti-feed, anti-government group, tapped into the feeds of Titus and his friends while at the club, causing them to yell anti-government propaganda until the police arrived. Luckily, they were all able to get it worked out and get their feeds fixed… Except Violet. To find out what happens to Titus and his new love interest, you’ll have to read Feed.
You’ll really like feed if you’re interested in dystopian fiction, especially those dealing with teens. M.T. Anderson may have overestimated a little bit how “stupid” the average American teenager is, but that’s up to interpretation. Other than that, the book is well-written and I highly enjoyed it.
It’s a fairly quick read at 240 pages.
TPSreads 