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Most Helpful Favorable Review
8 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Symbolic, Realistic
This book surpasses most in its realism of our future society. The kids in this book are dangerously close to those I teach in my high school - numbed by everything. I actually see film over their eyes and, while reading this book, visualized the pop-ups abounding throu...Read More
This book surpasses most in its realism of our future society. The kids in this book are dangerously close to those I teach in my high school - numbed by everything. I actually see film over their eyes and, while reading this book, visualized the pop-ups abounding through the heads of my current students, as they are already 'permanently plugged into' their Internets, whether or not they're actually online! This concept is not a far stretch from what our future actually holds for us. Scary, really...Show Less
posted by teacher-j-mo on July 8, 2009
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10 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
Boring
The idea is brillant but the book fails to deliver. I was dissapointed.
posted by C_ab on May 30, 2011
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Anonymous
Posted May 30, 2011
Boring
The idea is brillant but the book fails to deliver. I was dissapointed.
10 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted March 6, 2011
... deserves 0 stars
Dont read it. What more can I say?
10 out of 15 people found this review helpful.
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Agnostc-Alabama-Adolesent
Posted January 23, 2011
Don't bother, rated R for "strong language throughout," and dull to boot
I was Impressed with the reviews and got this for my seventh grader. My son would read a bit of Feed then move to another book and only pick Feed up again when I bugged him about it. He finally brought it to me and pointed out his problem with the book: every other word was fu**! It was enough to offend a teenager. He also said the story line just wasn't engaging. It sure would have been helpful if the editorials could have mentioned this was a dull "R-rated" book.
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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teacher-j-mo
Posted July 8, 2009
Symbolic, Realistic
This book surpasses most in its realism of our future society. The kids in this book are dangerously close to those I teach in my high school - numbed by everything. I actually see film over their eyes and, while reading this book, visualized the pop-ups abounding through the heads of my current students, as they are already 'permanently plugged into' their Internets, whether or not they're actually online! This concept is not a far stretch from what our future actually holds for us. Scary, really...
8 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted April 26, 2008
hard to understand
I tried reading this book multiple times. I still don't understand it. I don't know what the people are talking about, ever. I never wanted to pick up this book and read it. This was a disappointment. And come on, an award winner? Maybe I just 'missed out on something good'?
8 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
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6632742
Posted September 16, 2011
Sucks!
This author has no idea how teenagers/young adults talk. Dont by this book or you have just wasted your money like i did.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted October 23, 2006
technology . . . the knack of so arranging the world we need not experience it - Max Frisch, Swiss writer
The Swiss writer Max Frisch once wrote, ¿Technology . . . the knack of so arranging the world that we need not experience it.¿ This is vividly illustrated in the book Feed by M.T. Anderson in which a young man finds the fatal flaw in his society. Feed is a novel about a future where almost no one can read or write, but everyone has a microcomputer called a feed. Feeds tell you the newest fashions, show you where the biggest sales are and receive messages from your friends. With the feed there is no need to even think for oneself. This is the cause of a general downward spiral in culture and intellect. Titus, the main character, is quite happy with the world until he meets someone who is trying to resist the feed, Violet. Violet¿s insights about the feed and the society that depends on it shake the foundations of Titus¿ world. Feed has deeply affected me by causing me to think about our world and how we are destroying the earth for our use. On page thirty-eight, when all the main characters are at a club on the moon, someone hacks into their feeds and broadcasts the message: ¿We enter a time of calamity.¿ This sets the tone for the book of how they have ruined the planet beyond repair and are beginning to face the consequences. This novel also made me think about how ignorant our society is becoming. The first sentence of the book is ¿We went to the moon to have fun, but the moon turned out to completely suck.¿ On page thirty-seven Titus says to Violet ¿Yeah, I¿ve been to Mars. It was dumb.¿ This shows how little they appreciate the world around them. Like the characters of Feed, people today have become jaded. They don¿t realize the beauty of our creation or care to think for themselves. They just slide along in their easy lives, making as few decisions as possible. We need to be careful of how we let technology take control of our lives.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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lkhokie
Posted September 11, 2011
you will feel dumber
this book was a complete was of time. idiotic language is used and nothing happens in the story line. i realize this book was supposed to show the eventual ultimate decline of our society, so i put up with the ridiculous valley girl/instant messaging type language in hopes that something worthwhile would happen in the story-line. but i was severely wrong and disappointed. so unless you want to feel as though your IQ has dropped at least ten points, don't waste your time on this one.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted March 19, 2007
A far cry from The Matrix
Feed may not seem relevant to younger high school students and the book¿s difficulty level is challenging. The story, while excellently written and very inventive, would not be believable by students who may still be reading only for the plot. Feed is almost as hard to read as Shakespeare. Both the dialogue and the actual writing are written in code, similar to the way people IM each other. ¿Link Arwaker was all, `I¿m so null,¿ and Marty was all, `I¿m null, too, unit,¿ but I mean we were all pretty null¿¿ Below grade-level readers will have a very difficult time deciphering the various slang terms used by the characters in the book. In addition, parts of the writing are written in the way that teenagers speak, such as using `like¿ every other word instead of using words that would help the readers figure out what is going on. Language and relevance are another problem in Feed. There is an overwhelming use of the f-word, which, while used by high-school students sometimes, seems to be more like the way that today¿s middle school students use the word - as a filler to make up for lack of vocabulary. The characters in Feed use technology that seems far-fetched, even to a tech-crazy world like ours. Most of the people in this book, both children and adults, are implanted with a ¿feed¿ which is a computer chip that networks into a central source that directs thought. This controls not only what products people buy but also what current news events characters receive and how they should feel about those events. The Horn Book (back cover of Feed) calls this book ¿ugly and distorted¿ and I agree. Even Ray Bradbury would have a hard time convincing teenagers that open sores are cool: ¿We had the lesions that people were getting and ours right then were kind of red and wet-looking.¿ At one point in the book, the feeds convince teens that lesions are cool, and girls begin to have doctors purposely cut them and implant even the weeping droplets that show that these things ooze. This adds to my thesis that Feed would not be believable by kids, who freak if they get even a little zit. I understand that the lesions are a metaphor for the illness of Feed¿s world, but would young teens get it? Would kids understand that this book is a warning or, as Publisher Weekly says, would the ¿chilling...sinister possibilities¿ of this book simply be seen as a creepy story? One of the lead characters, Violet, tries to protest the feed. She is mocked for this by her ¿friends¿ and when her feed ¿malfunctions,¿ the company known as Feedtech ¿would not consider her a reliable investment.¿ This book, while powerful and thought-provoking, is for older teens who have the reading skills, the emotional capacity and the ability to read metaphorically. Anyone who reads Feed simply for a sci-fi adventure is in for a rude awakening.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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GaryF
Posted May 6, 2010
I Also Recommend:
Feed by M. T. Anderson Review by Gary F
If you have ever been curious about the impact of technology in the future, author M. T. Anderson unveils a detailed fantasy world in his 2002 romantic thriller FEED. Centered around the main character TITUS, the story begins with a spring break vacation to, of all places, the moon! The reader quickly begins to understand the extent to which technology has integrated into people's lives as the "Feed" has replaced life's most basic functions, even making conversation obsolete.
Before divulging too much information this novel utilizes some interesting language. A mixture of current and futuristic terms such as "unit" and "brag" add to the cultural experience of the text. However, many of the phrases and scenarios described in the reading are NOT for easily offended church goers.
The author centers his story on a variety of themes that are not always explicitly stated or narrated. The environment, for one, is often a topic of discussion as lesions and other factors intrude into characters' lives and dialog. Romantic encounters are commonly used to keep the readers interest while tragedy adds dramatic effect.
This book doesn't clearly fit in one genre or the other; it incorporates aspects of fantasy, romance, and tragedy. The creativity required to develop a futuristic world is combined with puppy dog romance and family struggles. The book in general is directed towards teens and a youthful age group. In other words, for those who can understand the humor and withstand the language.
The novel is far from horrendous and far from a must-read. It creates an interesting atmosphere that incorporates humor and various twists. Despite the thorough attempt by the author to maintain excitement the book tends to drag on and the reader is left somewhat wanting from the ending. Although the Anderson uses a fresh and youthful tone he tends to express a social apathy through his characters that may not appeal to an older generation or members of the "Green Party".
M. T. Anderson has a record of successful teen and children's books such as "Handel Who Knew What He Liked" and his most recent work "The Suburb Beyond the Stars". "Feed" places as one of his great achievements, however, it appeals to a narrow group of people which may or may not include you. Regardless, Anderson's successful career as an author is has produced several works appealing to a wide variety of America's youth.3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted July 8, 2007
A reviewer
I did not get far in the book because I was so put off by the way everyone talked!! I just can't enjoy a book where the people talk so weirdly, I'm sorry. I may have missed out on an amazing story or something but I woudn't recommend this book to anyone.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted September 9, 2007
Awful
This book was not very good, and I didn't enjoy reading it at all. The plot was not good, and I was ashamed to have it on the high school summer reading list. I would think twice before buying this book.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted November 18, 2006
Made no sense
The entire time I was reading this book all I could think was 'Why am I doing this to myself?' It was extremely awkward, and most of the information seemed completely pointless and irrelevant. Although those aren't really the words I'm looking for, it was generally bad.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted October 30, 2006
Weak Plot
This book was not the most exciting book I've read. First of all, this book lacked a plot. There was no action. It just went on and on about how Violet was really sick and Titus was dissatisfied with her behavior. The book just explained things and that's it.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted December 29, 2004
this book is the WORST
When I started reading this book, I thought it was pretty cool, pretty funny, etc. however, when i got to page thirty, all of the jokes, the launguage got old. THe idea of the book is pretty cool, but as I said before, the book get's old. I wouldn't recomend this book to anyone!!!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Disappointed
I was really excited to read this book initially because the concept seemed interesting and complex. As I started reading the book, I realized I would most likely be disappointed. The novel approached its plot very artistically and it was very brief. I was hoping for something a little meatier and more thrilling. This novel had the opportunity to be great, but I'm afraid it fell short.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted April 11, 2009
No.
Not an original idea or plot line. No character development at all. Really a superficial book in its entirety. There is a warning label on the book for Ages 14+ only, which is due to the heavy swearing and references to sexual and drug activity. Otherwise, the book is suitable for one with a 8 year old reading ability. Has the potential to be like the Matrix in potential, but falls far short of that depth:
A superficial teenager lives in a society where every person has a computer embedded in their brain. They do not need to speak or think, their "feeds" provide them with all information. Then the main character meets a girl who is different. Because he is able to think more than the others, the fall in love. She leaves and changes the way he thinks forever.2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted August 31, 2008
really bad read
this book was filled with a lingo that i don't even think the smartest kid in my class could understand. Other than that, it was a good book that talked about what could happen if we let technology get the best of us.That's about it.
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted September 5, 2008
NOOO!
Well, after all the good reviews i heard about it(great read, novel of the century) i would have to say i absolutely positiveley DISAGREE.It was one of the worst books i have read in a long time. I could bareley get through the first chapter. And there are enough cuss words to last u a life time let me tell u that. I thought the concept was cool, but it was poorley executed. I REALLY hate it when a book has poor grammmar(even when the author does it on purpose). That was this book. I agree, you can bareley understand wat they are saying because they have such a limited vocabulary. It gets better but not by much. I hated the ending(but if i tell u why you wont even look at this book cause you will agree). So all in all: a big disapointment. =(
2 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted December 9, 2007
wow NO
this book to me was not a very exciting book. the plot was not planned out very well and the bool only explained things it had no action in it. it also had some bad language for young readers.
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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