A riveting suspense novel with an anti-behaviorist message that works, despite the lack of subtlety or originality, because it emerges only slowly from the chilling events. Five sixteen-year-olds, all of them orphans from institutions, are separately blindfolded and taken to an enormous, mystifying enclosure, consisting of nothing but an endless series of flights of stairs, which is later identified as a prototype "reinforcement center" for training (under Presidential contract) an elite corps of Gestapolike super-plumbers who can be relied upon to follow orders without question and without getting caught. The subjects of course are given no explanation for their abduction or any hint as to what is expected of them, and readers as well learn only gradually that the glowing machine on one landing dispenses food, that they must figure out what sort of behavior on their part will get it to work, that the rules themselves change unpredictably, and at last that it will reward them only when they are cruel to one another. It is at this point that two of the five, a tough rebellious girl and a boy who had seemed cowardly, dependent and dangerously withdrawn, refuse to cooperate — moving to another landing where they weaken physically while the other three are systematically dehumanized by the machine. Before Lola and Peter can starve quite to death (and, it happens, just as Lola is about to give in) the experiment is terminated by a scientist obviously chagrined by the two "intractables" though he plans to send the other three — now vicious, untrusting robots — on for further training. House of Stairs is really more a scenario than a novel and as a scenario it has its vulnerable links — for example, Lola's instinctive use of positive reinforcement to strengthen Peter's resolve and her assertion to the doctor later that rewards work better than punishments begs the moral/ political question of mind control per se. But Sleater does a masterly job of differentiating and developing his five human subjects, compelling readers to share in the process of their enlightenment, and communicating his ominous conjecture.
Pub Date: April 1, 1974
ISBN: 0140345809
Page Count: 180
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1974
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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