Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the Hidden. New York: Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing. 1998. ISBN 0689817002
AWARDS:
Top 10--ALA Best Books for Young Adults
An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
SUMMARY: Luke Garner, twelve years old, is one of the Shadow Children. The Population Police have made it illegal for families to have more than two children. If the third child exists, he or she must live their lives in hiding, for if found by the Population Police, they will be terminated. Luke lives his live in the attic until one day he sees a face looking out of a neighbor’s window.
He sneaks to the house to find Jennifer Talbot. She is also one of the Shadow Children. She has the means to communicate to other Shadow Children. She tries to talk Luke into marching on the capital with the other Shadow Children, to demand their right to live their lives out of hiding. Luke is too afraid to go, and finds out from Jennifer Talbot’s father that Jennifer and the other protesters were gunned down. Jennifer is dead. Jennifer’s father gives Luke a fake ID and tells him he will arrange his escape. Luke reluctantly takes the ID, leaves his family, and heads into an unknown world alone.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS: This novel set in a futuristic society, governed by the Population Police, is slow-paced without much excitement until its conclusion. The ending is suspenseful, abrupt, and left me wanting to know what happens to Luke in his new life.
The character of Luke is well-developed and allows us to feel his isolation. His friend Jennifer is also sympathetic, but I felt that her actions were a little unbelievable. I can’t imagine any teenager taking the course that she took, when she wasn’t even living in the extreme isolation that Luke endured. She had plenty of food and was allowed to go out and even be around others. I can’t imagine any child risking their life when it wasn’t necessary.
I found the setting believable. I think we can all imagine a future world without enough food, where a corrupt government takes away its freedoms. The fact that families could actually hide children without anyone ever finding out is a little far- fetched.
I have recommended this book to students, because other students have said they enjoyed it and some end up reading the whole series. I think reluctant readers might get bored with the lack of action.
REVIEWS:
Publisher’s Weekly Review:
“This futuristic novel focuses on a totalitarian regime and the Internet. PW noted, "The plot development is sometimes implausible and the characterizations a bit brittle, but the unsettling, thought-provoking premise should suffice to keep readers hooked." Ages 8-12.”
School Library Journal Review:
“Grade 5-8-Born third at a time when having more than two children per family is illegal and subject to seizure and punishment by the Population Police, Luke has spent all of his 12 years in hiding. His parents disobeyed once by having him and are determined not to do anything unlawful again. At first the woods around his family's farm are thick enough to conceal him when he plays and works outdoors, but when the government develops some of that land for housing, his world narrows to just the attic. Gazing through an air vent at new homes, he spies a child's face at a window after the family of four has already left for the day. Is it possible that he is not the only hidden child? Answering this question brings Luke greater danger than he has ever faced before, but also greater possibilities for some kind of life outside of the attic. This is a near future of shortages and deprivation where widespread famines have led to a totalitarian government that controls all aspects of its citizens' lives. When the boy secretly ventures outside the attic and meets the girl in the neighboring house, he learns that expressing divergent opinions openly can lead to tragedy. To what extent is he willing to defy the government in order to have a life worth living? As in Haddix's Running Out of Time (S & S, 1995), the loss of free will is the fundamental theme of an exciting and compelling story of one young person defying authority and the odds to make a difference. Readers will be captivated by Luke's predicament and his reactions to it.”
RESOURCES:
Margaret Peterson Haddix website.
Fantastic Fiction website.
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