 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
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The Always War
- By Margaret Peterson Haddix
- Genre: Science Fiction
Common Sense Media says
Fast-paced dystopian quest for truth.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that The Always War is a fast-paced dystopian science-fiction adventure that details the stresses brought on by constant military conflict and examines the ways in which governments can misinform their populations about how and why wars are fought.
What's the story?
At some unspecified point in the future, a young girl named Tessa idolizes Gideon Thrall, the boy from the neighborhood who has gone on to become a war hero. After Gideon bolts from an awards ceremony and seems to suffer some kind of breakdown, Tess begins to spy him. Her obsession with Gideon causes her to stow away on a rogue airplane piloted by the boy, one heading directly into enemy territory and toward a secret neither of them can anticipate.
Is it any good?
In The Always War, Haddix delivers short, punchy chapters that keep the action moving, which will appeal to some readers. But the headlong pacing and the shouty dialogue undermine any sense of realism that Haddix might be trying for. Long-time science fiction fans may be able to guess the "big reveal" chapters before Tess and Gideon figure it out, but there are sufficient plot twists to satisfy those readers not thoroughly familiar with the strategies of dystopian fiction.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the fatigue that sets in when a country has been at war for a long time. Are there conflicts today that seem endless? How do people react to a constant sense of danger and deprivation?
At the beginning of the novel, Gideon has never physically visited enemy territory. How is technology shaping modern warfare in our time? How is guiding a drone missile different from being on the ground and directly confronting enemy combatants?
Margaret Peterson Haddix has written many middle grade and young-adult books, including the Missing and Shadow Children series. If you have read any of her other books, how do you think this one compares?
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| Author: | Margaret Peterson Haddix |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Science Fiction |
| Publisher: | Simon & Schuster |
| Publication date: | November 15, 2011 |
| Number of pages: | 208 |
| Hardcover price: | $16.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 12 |
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