Candor by Pam BachorzRating: 4/5
Synopsis: Oscar Banks has everything under control. In a town where his father brainwashes everyone, he's found a way to secretly fight the subliminal Messages. He's got them all fooled: Oscar's the top student and the best-behaved teen in town. Nobody knows he's made his own Messages to deprogram his brain. Oscar has even found a way to get rich. For a hefty price, he helps new kids escape Candor, Florida before they're transformed into cookie-cutter teens. But then Nia Silva moves to Candor, and Oscar's carefully-controlled world crumbles.
Review: Candor was a very refreshing read. The book has a lot of depth and emotion. As I read it, I was impressed and saddened by how the town of Candor was. The book wasn't exactly a gripping-can't-put-down novel, but it's close. The author did a great job illustrating the effects of the brainwashing down through the Messages--you get the chance to witness several characters go through the change as well as how they are completely oblivious to it. The whole idea of brainwashing was very hard to take in. I found it really depressing and unfair that no one really got a choice. To me, Oscar's dad, was the antagonist of the novel. It wasn't the messages, but him. He was just creating a fake image of perfection for every family in the town. It didn't help that Oscar was known to everyone as the "perfect" child either.
One thing I noticed was the author's writing style. The sentences are sometimes short, but it's what makes the book different. At first, I was a teensy bit irked by it, but then I learned to love Pam Bachorz's writing. :D Oh and the cover. It is absolutely PERFECT for this book. Now, I know the reason behind the orange.
I loved Nia and couldn't help but feel sorry for her. I really wanted to kill Oscar's dad (>:O). Sadly, I was not a character in the novel. And if I was, he'd probably brainwash me. Tehe. One thing that I felt that did not flow naturally was Nia's and Oscar's relationship. I really found it hard to believe that they loved each other in the beginning of the novel. I wish their love was shown more naturally. However, towards the novel, I could tell that Oscar really cares for her. Despite all of this, I loved Candor. The book was spectacular and made me really think.
What I thought of....
The Beginning: I wasn't sure how I felt at this point. Oscar and Nia's relationship was too rushed. Me no likey.
The Middle: At this point, everything got a whole lot better. I was left shocked and stunned at some things that occured. :O
The End: It was extremely intense. I never wanted it to end. I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending. It was such a huge shocker. In fact, I'm not sure if I should hate it or be impressed. AH!! The madness.
