A Hyper-fast society...
This story is set in a future society where speed and efficiency are the most important things. Every sentence spoken must be ended with the word go. Adverbs are considered unnecessary and a waste of time. Movies are only 15 minutes long and beds are designed so you can sleep standing up. All citizens have a tracking chip that monitors their movements and speed. As people get older and start to slow down, they are placed in reduction colonies.
The main character, Angela is a typically rebellious teenager. She is tired of everything moving so quickly, and she wants to slow down. One day, she stumbles onto a group of rebels who live underground. Their main goal is to slow down. They avoid contractions and delight in unnecessary adverbs. There Angela meets Gladys, a young girl who helps her acclimate to the underground environment. Angela and Gladys develop a relationship and fall in love. But the rebel group is constantly in danger and fighting against the hyper above-ground world.
This is a graphic novel and uses mostly black & white illustrations. Towards the end, color is used to emphasize strong emotions.
I read this novel for my graphic novel class. The story is ok but lacks strong background. Details are missing that support Angela's actions. We don't really understand why she wants to slow down when everyone around her is worried about being faster. Maybe she was just born different, or maybe it comes from her relationship with her grandfather. We aren't really sure. And the motivations of the rebellion are confusing too. Bottom line: it's hard to be invested in characters without a strong backstory.
I also read this novel for my first Free Read Friday. It has 200 pages, so it is worth $4.00
