Generation Dead
Daniel Waters
Review by A. E. Jaskiewicz
Generation Dead is a rather
complex and complicated book. With
elements of humor, romance and horror, the book really is much more
than any
one of those elements. It discusses
tough issues of discrimination and morals.
It also tries to prove that love and acceptance will ultimately
help, but
with the understanding that society also needs to be accepting of all
kinds of
people.
The story of Generation Dead
is about a strange phenomenon occurring in teenagers across the United States. Teens who die
are starting to come back to life shortly after their passing. While most people call them slang terms like
corpsicles or zombies, some of the more PC people would call them
living
impaired. The truly PC would call them
differently biotic, meaning that their biology is different than that
of living
kids. The book goes to show the
discrimination that the differently biotic face, as well as the
struggles faced
by the traditionally biotic people who accept them.
There are three characters
which the story centers around. Most of
the story is told around Phoebe, a goth-girl who is fascinated by the
dead
kids. Then, there is Adam, Phoebe’s best
friend and next door neighbor. Even
though Adam is a popular jock and Phoebe is more an outcast at school,
Adam
sees himself developing feelings for her, even as she starts to fall
for one of
the dead kids. Finally, there is Pete,
who used to be good friends with Adam.
Unlike Phoebe and Adam, Pete is not willing to accept the
differently
biotic, and will stop at nothing to destroy them and the people who
help them. The method of having three
varying points of
view throughout the book is interesting as it shows the reasons why
certain
people feel a certain way about things.
It does get slightly confusing as sometimes the POV will change
mid-chapter, with little more than a line break to signal the change.
The message of acceptance and
tolerance seems to be what Generation Dead is all about.
It is a good and strong message, especially
for kids in this age bracket, where the slightest difference can
provoke
teasing and fighting. I think the book
also achieves this goal without going too far overboard.
None of the death, including ones that occur
throughout the course of the book, are graphically discussed, but they
get the
point across. The book also achieves
giving a new generation a glimpse at some of the struggles of
generations past,
and why those struggles should be overcome.
On the downside, there are
some points, though mostly minor, that do not seem to be wrapped up. While most of these are not significant to
the story, it would be nice to know, for example, if the differently
biotic
have certain powers, like telepathy. It
is implied they do, but never fully explained, either to the point of
if they
have the powers, or how they acquired them.
As a word of caution to the
readers, Generation Dead may be a little too heavy for some more
sensitive
readers, especially those who may have lost a classmate.
While the message is good, and the story not
too graphic, it may bring back some strong emotions for certain readers.
For most readers, I would say
that Generation Dead is a good book to check out. The
characters are strong and likeable. The
message of the book is important. Mr.
Waters definitely does a good job with
telling the story, and bringing everything in the story to vivid life. However, as I stated, the subject matter may
prove too emotional for some readers.