The Other Side of the Island

Allegra Goodman. 2008. New York: Penguin Group. 272 pages. ISBN 978-1-59514-195-8.

Plot Summary: Life in the Enclosure seems idyllic to some. Cataclysmic climate change has made life outside almost impossible for people, but in the settlements controlled by “the Corporation,” even the weather has been controlled (well, almost) and life is mostly safe and reassuringly predictable. But not for Honor, because her parents are Unpredictable and this cannot be tolerated. At first Honor tries to make up for her parents’ irregularities by working as hard as possible at school to fit in and be “accurate” in all she does. But when Honor’s parents disappear she must face the ugly reality behind the artifice of her world and rescue them.

Critical Evaluation: The Other Side of the Island is an exciting read and certainly a page-turner. However, the character development is somewhat weak in the supporting characters such as Honor’s parents, and the plot seems somewhat contrived toward the end of the book. What the book does well is to portray the struggle Honor faces between her attempts to belong and be like everyone else, and her loyalty to her parents and to her own individualism. This, perhaps, is a theme most suited to younger readers within the YA age group. As the plot unfolds Honor’s character grows in complexity as she becomes increasingly sophisticated, understanding her parent’s motivations and the limitations of conformity.

Reader's Annotation: What happens to those who don’t follow the rules? Is there a place for them in tomorrow’s world?

About the author: The Other Side of the Island is Allegra Goodman's latest novel and her first young adult novel. Goodman was born in a conservative Jewish family in Hawaii. She went to college at Harvard, where she earned a A.B. degree and met and married her husband. They later moved to California whare Goodman earned a Ph.D. in English literature. Her other works of fiction are aimed at adults and include The Family Markowitz, Kaaterskill Falls, Paradise Park, and Intuition.

Named by the New Yorker as one of the twenty best writers under forty, she is also the recipient of a Whiting Award and the Salon magazine award for fiction .She is known as one of the most astute observers of Jewish family mores (http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5707). She lives with her family in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her website is http://www.allegragoodman.com/.

Curriculum ties: N/A

Booktalking Ideas: In the controlling society in which she lives, Honer wants to do good and conform, unlike her parents who do not. She later learns the costs of conformity and becomes a rebel herself.

Reading Level/Interest age: 12 and up, but also of interest to older readers.

Why chosen: This book is a favorite of my daughter, and also received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.