Candor by Pam Bachorz. High School. EgmontUSA, September 2009. Copy purchased.Candor is a perfect place to live. No one overeats. No one is late. Everyone is respectful to others. Everyone follows the rules.
Because the Messages tell them to.
Oscar, son of the creator of Candor, has figured out a way to block the Messages. He can get people out... for a price. But when Nia shows up, Oscar begins to care for her. He has to save her before the Messages erase her. That means getting her out... but what will Oscar do without her?
I'm a fan of dystopian lit and Candor did not disappoint. I was sucked in by the premise and by the two faces of Oscar. On the surface he's the perfect son, appearing to follow all of his dad's Messages to a tee. He knows he can never let that image slip, but underneath Oscar-Boy-Wonder, he's working against the establishment any way he can.
I won't spoil anything, but I think this book's got one of those perfect endings. It wraps things up sufficiently, but still leaves room for a sequel.
This is a fast-paced story and I'd hand it to fans of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series.
Read more reviews at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy, Jen Robinson's Book Page, Sharon Loves Books and Cats, and Reading Rocks.
Oh, and check out this awesome book trailer: