4 stars for Awaken (Awaken book 1) by Katie Kacvinsky.
What will life be like in 45 years’ time?
Remember the movie Back to the Future II, a 1989 American science-fiction adventure comedy film? It is the sequel to the 1985 film Back to the Future and the second instalment in the Back to the Future trilogy. After repairing the damage to history done by his previous time travel adventures, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and his friend Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown (Christopher Lloyd) travel to 2015 to prevent McFly's future son from ending up imprisoned.
2015. We are now living it. Many of the futuristic things the movie makers put in 1989's Back to the Future, which at that time seem like impossible feats, have in fact turned into reality. So, life in 45 years’ time may well be what we envision it to be now. After all, are we not already living in the Information Age as characterized by the shift from traditional industry to an economy based on information computerization? So, at any rate, how hard is it to visualize the Computer Age in another four or five decades?
These bring me to the book at hand. I read it because I am deeply intrigued by the beautifully written – and touching – prologue on digital technology that changes the way of life.
Fast forward 45 years. It is now 2060. The world is changed; altered to give way to simplicity, convenience, hassle-free and instantaneous results. Gone are the days where real trees are grown in cities and paper books are made. Welcome to the new age world where synthetic trees are preferred to living ones and digital is the way to go where books are concerned and audio learning is supposedly a better way to attain and retain information.
Computers have turned living into a digital world and people are so used to the convenience of it all that they no longer mind losing that interpersonal touch. Friends are made around the world within the safe confines of homes, without ever stepping out the front doors. With equality in the virtual world, social status, wealth, looks, clothes and jobs no longer matter.
17-year old Madeline Freeman aka Maddie is used to living behind her avatars – self-created flawless digital façade – which have over the years transformed into protective walls to mask her insecurities. Then she gets to know Justin Solvi in a live chat room where students help one another on homework assignments.
Through their friendship, Maddie finds herself awaken to the truth of what it means to live. The questions start rolling. What is the use of having extensive digital friendship where there is no depth? Are the friends who are on her list of online contacts really her friends? Or are they there because she likes their online profiles and the way they advertise themselves via the layout, design and font? Does Maddie really know herself and the people around her anymore? Does she see them as who they really are or what they want her to see?
Interestingly, I like the story and even agree with the concepts that the author puts forth because it hits really close to home, to what currently is happening in our society, to what our lives are becoming with the influx of digital technology. It calls to mind memories from the past to compare against the present and possibly the future. Many of the digital issues cited in the story are real life concerns. In the years to come, what will become of us with the deeply embedded technology in our daily lives? Will there be a day when digital technology completely replaces the need for face-to-face communication? What of the people; will we become less humane and less compassionate?
Another thing I like much in the story is the way the author handles and presents conversations in Maddie's family. Though Maddie's parents, especially her father, seem controlling and demanding, they do not come across as unloving and unreasonable. In fact, I agree with the message that the author subtly puts across that there are always reasons behind the actions taken by a parent. Perhaps it is because Maddie's parents love their only daughter so much that they show their love for her in the wrong way, by making decisions for her: who she can be friends with and where she can go.
There is much maturity and depth in the writing and consequently, the characters even though this is a young adult novel. It is definitely not one of those stories where the more you read, the more juvenile and preposterous you find the plot becoming. My only grievance is, at the point in time of my reading, I am no longer a sweet eighteen; should I have been one, I will have loved the story – especially the forbidden romance – to bits.
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition
Publication date: 17 Apr 2012
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Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her.
Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking.
In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space.
*Blurb from author's website*
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