I finished Little Brother by Cory Doctorow last Wednesday and almost forgot to post a blog--whoops!
It was a fascinating look at what might happen as people allow their fear to overrule their desire for freedom (not to mention their common sense). It was smart and well-written, but I have a few grumbles.
First, there was an apparently gratuitous sex scene in the middle of the book. Worse than most, because there was an implication that these teenagers who have known each other for a few weeks somehow needed to have sex in order to cement their relationship. I would have a hard time sharing this book with students as a result...but I also felt like it undermined the main message of the story. This kid who runs ParanoidLinux and single-handedly pioneers a revolution would trust a near stranger so intimately? It just didn't ring true.
The other grumble I had was the oh-so-happy ending. I won't give it away, but it was much too neat and tidy at the end of an otherwise realistically complicated novel.
A smart, smart, smart book that many people will love, Little Brother certainly raises a number of issues that we should all be considering carefully.
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