Feed by M.T. Anderson

Anderson, M.T. (2002). Feed.  Candlewick Press. Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In this unique dystopian novel, Titus life is forever changed when he meets Violet on a Spring Break trip to the moon.  Titus, like his friends and most of America was born of a test tube, and implanted with a "feed" or transmitter like chip that connects his brain and entire body to the corporate communication and marketing of the world. People have loss the ability to read, write and think for themselves and that's what makes Violet different.  She has vocabulary, the ability to write, and knows what issues are profoundly effecting the world.  She even chooses to fight the feed. He finds himself growing and changing because of her, but when it is discovered that she is dying because of the feed, he doesn't even know how to handle his emotions.  This book is a  look into a possible destructive future of humanity that is disturbing because of the current need and addiction to media.

This book is a great read for students today as they are surrounded by technology and social media.  It could be a great comparison book for Literature teachers  to A Brave New World as it questions how we see the world and the future differently because of the technology that has actually been created.   I believe young adults would connect to this book because it speaks of their future, their current use of technology and language. Lessons can be gained about important decisions in how we want the world to be in the future and how technology can be used for both good and bad.