Plot Summary
Titus and his friends seem to have the perfect life. At a young age they were fitted with a computer chip called the "feed". It allows them to have pretty much whatever they want. When they're bored they can ask to take a trip to the moon. Life in this future America is wonderful. When Titus wants a new wardrobe, the "feed" lets him know how to get clothes from Weatherbee and Crotch. The "feed" is connected to a network called the "Feednet" which, in this future society, controls, monitors, and manipulates peoples thoughts. It is controlled by corrupt corporations who use the "feed" to place a value on the consumer habits of those implanted with the chip. Obviously, Titus and his friends aren't aware of all of this. That is until they take a trip to the moon for Spring Break and meet Violet Durn. Titus and his friends invite Violet to party with them. At the party, a man hacks into their feeds causing them to uncontrollably say negative things about the "feed." They pass out and wake up in a hospital and aren't able to use their feeds. During their stay at the hospital, Titus learns from Violet that there might be something the "feed" isn't letting him see. The world isn't as great as he thinks it is. When they return to Earth they both begin having nightmares about riots an pollution. Violet knows these things are real because she remembers the world before she had the "feed" implanted. Soon her "feed" begins to malfunction and she learns she might die. Other people start getting lesions all over their bodies. Something has gone terribly wrong with the "feed". As the story progresses we learn that the rest of the countries in the world aren't too happy with America and its corrupt "Feednet" and Titus struggles to understand why all of this is happening.
Critical Evaluation
What's great about Feed is its message about how consumerism may have too much control over how young adults view the world. Most of the characters seem a bit selfish and one-dimensional, but then a reader has to ask if that may be the point. In a consumer driven world a lot of people are selfish and one-dimensional. Violet is the anti-consumer and the voice of reason although the book is told from Titus' view. Feed would make a great companion to Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series because they both would allow young adults to discuss the importance of being perfect and having everything at your fingertips.
Reader's Annotation
Titus lives in a future America where everyone has a chip called the "feed" implanted into their brains. It makes life fun until he meet a mysterious girl named Violet who may know the truth about the "feed."
About the Author
M.T. Anderson writes stories for adults, picture books for children, and adventure novels for young adults. Feed was a Finalist for the National Book Award and winner of the L.A. Times Book Prize.
Anderson is a board member of the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Genre
Hard Science Fiction
Curriculum Ties
Sociology
Booktalking Ideas
1) Discuss the issue of consumerism and compare it to teens consumer habits today.
2) Discuss the relationship between Violet and Titus.
Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 14+
Challenge Issues
Mild language, Consumerism
Challenge defense ideas
-Become familiar with the book and its content.
-Refer to the collection development policy of the library, see http://sfpl.org/pdf/about/policies/collection-development-plan.pdf
-Refer to reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly available for viewing on amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_21?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=feed+by+m.t.+anderson&x=0&y=0&sprefix=feed+by+m.t.+anderson
-Try to get reviews of the book from teens who have read it.
Why Included in Titles Selected
Included in sci-fi group project.
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