Building 903 {Review}

 

Fourteen year old twins Tessa and Theo have lived their whole lives in a utopian society.  Individuals enjoy long lives of comfort, and dissenters are promptly punished.  Their tyrannical leader has garnered dislike from most of the population, but in a life of relative ease, he's tolerated.  Until one day when Theo goes missing, and the family's peace is shattered.  Vanished... he simply vanished.  Could their 135 year old neighbor Mariam hold the key to his disappearance?  

Written in true dystopian style, Lois Lowry takes her readers on a journey... what would life be like in a world without books... without imagination... without storytelling?  A world where only "facts" reign and story is another word for "lies?"  It's a timely book, reminding us that stories reveal the innermost parts of humanity.... what motivates us and makes us truly human.  Following along the same lines as Lowry's The Giver, Building 903 touches on many of the same themes of censorship, overreaching government, collectivism vs identity, and dictatorship, only in gentler tones.  This book also reminded me a lot of Orwell's 1984.  

Building 903 is labeled for middle grades, ages 8-12 years.  In my mind, it would take a very mature 8 -10 year to handle this material.  However, for an early teen, there's a lot to be discussed here.  When does "safety" trump individual freedoms?  How does individual responsibility factor in creating a healthy society? What's the line between political disagreement and government overreach?  Lowry provides a lot of themes to be wrestled with, and this would make an interesting read for a history or government class as well.

We read this book in our homeschool with my high school sophomore and we were both hooked from the beginning.  The story is well written, easy to follow, and kept us interested from cover to cover.  We both give it a resounding recommendation.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this title from the publisher.  All opinions are my own.