5 To 1

5 To 1

YA dystopia
"Appa didn't try to stop the guards when they came for me yesterday.
He didn't kick up a fuss like some of the parents do, crying and
begging for more time. He didn't offer a bribe--one the guards would
have slipped into their pockets before they proceeded to drag me to
the cart like nothing had happened."
Holly Bodger's 5 To1 offers one of the most unique dystopian
premises I've ever encountered. In Koyangar, a walled country, boys
and men have been declared superfluous, good for only one thing,
impregnating women with girl children. Women past their child bearing
years fill all the professions.
There are five boys for every girl. Teenage boys engage in
brutal competitions. Only three outcomes are permitted. The lucky
winners get wives and futures. If they are able to father girls, they
live in relative luxury. Unchosen boys with sisters and money get
jobs. Poor boys who aren't chosen live relatively short lives in the
military defending Koyangar's walls.
It is Sudasa's turn to choose her husband from the five boys who
will spend days competing for her hand in marriage. She is not a
happy camper. She's convinced the whole process is a scam, the tests
rigged. Her cousin is the most advantaged in her field of
contestants. Her very powerful and influential grandmother seems to
be setting things up to achieve her own agenda.
Kiran is a long shot competitor from a poor family. Although
winning would give him la dolce vida and allow him to help his father,
this is not what they want. His goal is to escape and locate his
mother who left when he was very young.
Their narratives are told in alternating chapters. She speaks
in free verse, he uses prose. After the first few chapters, if you're
anything like me, you'll have a very hard time putting this finely
written book down.
On a personal note, today's snow came down soft and fluffy. This
winter in Penobscot County, Maine we've seen every form winter
precipitation can take. Between that and extreme cold, Joey cat is
nearly a month late on his checkup. He has a cardboard carrier and I
have to walk to the vets and back. Otherwise I'm on cloud 9 from my
grad school acceptance. Higher Education Hello (2 day event for
accepted grad students) is in a couple of weeks. It's still hard to
believe this is really happening.
A great big shout out goes out to all the people who are overjoyed for
me and eager to help me succeed.
jules hathaway


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