Dystopian SmackDown!

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages! Welcome to the Dystopian SmackDown! I’m your host, Jacob Hopkins. Today, we are here to witness a possible change in history. The classic novel The Giver has been the Dystopian SmackDown Champion since its publication date in 1993. But two new novels have recently challenged The Giver for its prestigious title of being the best book about a once seemingly utopian society that is viewed differently after an initiating event caused by a young adult, thus causing the said young adult to rebel and view his world differently (try saying that three times fast). And The Giver isn’t happy about the competition. He has called for a Dystopian SmackDown; eager to prove that he’s the best out there. Let the competition begin!

In one corner, weighing in at 208 pages, is The Giver, by Lois Lowry! (Crowd cheers.) The current champ, The Giver is a short, no nonsense guy. His story is about Jonas, an eleven, going on twelve, year-old. Jonas lives in a Community, a protected area of populated land in an unnamed country, in what is believed to be the future. The Committee of Elders controls everything in the Community. They determine who you will marry, the number of children you will receive, and what job, known as an Assignment you will have. The Committee also makes many other decisions for the members of the Community, decisions that are considered too difficult and too dangerous to be made by the people themselves. Everything is regulated, and everything is the same. The Community believes that limiting and destroying choices and individuality will create for a better, more peaceful world.

At age twelve, Jonas receives his Assignment, one that is rarely given out or spoken of, the Receiver of Memories. For his Assignment, Jonas must report to the current Receiver, known to Jonas as the Giver. Jonas’s job is to “receive” memories of life before the Community, before Sameness, the process of making everything the same and equal. The Giver, a wise, kind, old man, “gives” these memories to Jonas by pressing his hands to Jonas’s back. It is important that at least one person in the Community knows these memories, so that someone can aide and give guidance to the Committee when they are making important decisions for the Community. Soon, Jonas learns about colors and sunshine and hills – things he never knew about before. He also learns about emotions, and he especially wants to know love. But not all the memories of the best are pleasant and friendly. Jonas receives memories about hunger, war, and pain. Jonas is unsure if Sameness helps or hurt. His world as he knew is turned upside down, and Jonas doesn’t know what to think, what to do. This book ultimately leads to a breath-taking conclusion that leaves readers questioning and imagining.

That’s The Giver, folks! And it looks like his score is pretty good – no, not pretty good, his score is perfect. That’s right, The Giver has received 5.0 out of 5 stars! Looks like the other novels have some tough competition! (Crowd goes wild with delight.)

In another corner, stands Delirium, by Lauren Oliver, weighing in at 448 pages. Delirium is a young competitor – he was only published a few months ago, in February – but a fierce one, too.  (Crowd gives a non-enthusiastic applause. Some taunt.) Delirium’s story has many similarities to that of The Giver’s, but it is overall a different, yet still enthralling, tale.

This story follows Lena, short for Magdalena, based off the name Mary Magdalene, a seventeen-year-old that is eagerly awaiting her eighteenth birthday. Lena lives in a society where, at age eighteen, you have a procedure to cure yourself from Amor Deliria Nervosa, which is what they refer to as love. Love is viewed as a disease in the society, and most people, Lena included, cannot wait to rid themselves of love. Before the procedure, you have an Evaluation, done by people known as the Evaluators, to determine who your spouse will be. Citizens of the society are not allowed to make physical contact, surround themselves with people of the opposite gender, or express feelings of love. Lena begins the book as a strong believer in the cure because it is all she knows. She believes that curing herself of love, and all other feelings and actions that come with it, will allow her to move away from her rocky past. Lena’s father died from cancer when Lena was very young. And, after three failed attempts of being cured, Lena’s mother committed suicide when Lena was only six. Before Lena’s mother left the world, she said the three most dangerous words in the society to Lena, “I love you”.

So you can easily see why Lena wants to leave her former life behind and start a new one as a Cured. However, when Lena accidentally meets an Invalid, an uncured person who lives outside the society, named Alex, her thoughts are changed. She sees how much Alex enjoys life, and how he isn’t sick from being uncured. In fact, Alex is happy and healthy. And Lena finds herself doing what she would have never expected, falling in love.

The results are being collected, and – oh! – it looks like Delirium has received 4.75 out of 5 stars! What an unexpected turn of events! The judges like how at the beginning of the novel, Amor Deliria Nervosa is viewed as a disease that kills, but as the book progresses, Lena discovers that, yes, love may kill but it saves, too. How about that?! (Crowd begins to stir – unsure what to think.) I believe it’s time to present the final book in this surprising event!

Our final contender is Matched, by Allie Condie. Weighing 384 pages, Matched is an unexpected novel that is expected to give the The Giver’s title a run for its money! Once again taking place in a society located in a future America, Matched explores the concept of being “matched” with someone who you will be marrying.

Cassia is a confident, obedient young woman, who, just like Lena and Jonas, believes everything is right in her world and that the society knows best. When Cassia attends her Match Banquet, a dinner ceremony where seventeen-year-olds are given their matches, who they will marry at the age of twenty-one, she arrives with her Xander, her best friend, but leaves with her Xander, her Match. Cassia is ecstatic because usually you are not matched with someone from your area and she is – matched to her best friend! Later that night, at home, Cassia goes to insert her microcard, a card that holds information about Xander and dating in the society, into the family Port, an advanced computer/phone, but when it is inserted, someone else’s face comes up, but for only a second, then flickers away to Xander’s face. Cassia is shaken and scared for two main reasons: 1) it isn’t like the society to make mistakes and 2) she recognizes the face she saw on the screen – it is another friend, Ky.

From there on, Cassia keeps seeing Ky everywhere. She’s intrigued by him and wants to know more about him. Not only that, she wonders more and more about why his face was on the Port. And after a series of encounters with Ky, Cassia begins to question whether Xander is her true Match and maybe if her microcard was correct – that Ky is meant to be her Match.

What is this?! The judges have declared that Matched is to be awarded a perfect score – 5.0 out of 5 stars! (Crowd gasps. Cries of outrage.) This means that we have a tie! This is unheard of! This leaves the judges to decide the ultimate Dystopian SmackDown Champ! The judges stand up, ready to reveal the winner.

(Silence, as the drumroll begins.)

The judge says in a deep, booming voice, “The title of Dystopian SmackDown Champion is to be awarded to...Matched!” Oh, my! What an unexpected surprise! A new champion has been born! “We thought Matched used wonderful imagery and poetic language to create a superficial and thought-provoking world,” the judge continues, “We fell in love with this book, as we are sure you will too!” (Crowd begins a round of applause that gradually turns into a great cheer.) It appears the crowd is satisfied with the new champion! And hopefully Matched, just as The Giver, will be the champion for years to come. Look forward to the sequel to Matched, Crossed, coming in November.

It appears that’s all we have for today! Until next time, this has been Dystopian SmackDown!