Cover:
Bibliographic
Information:
Title: More Than This
Author: Patrick Ness
Title: More Than This
Author: Patrick Ness
ISBN:
978-0763676209
Publisher:
Candlewick Press
Copyright:
2013
Reader’s
Annotation:
A story about a teen boy who dies, then awakes from death, only to realize his life and death are not at all what he thought them to be.
A story about a teen boy who dies, then awakes from death, only to realize his life and death are not at all what he thought them to be.
Plot
Summary:
Seth is r drowning and dying, and then he wakes up. He enters house in where he lived in England, believes it is his personal hell at first. Seth often drifts off into sleep filled with memories of his life, his friends, Monica, H, and Gudmund, and his family. Seth seeks out food, water, and clothing, then sets out to explore his strange surroundings. Seth encounters a boy and a girl, Thomasz and Regine, who tell him they need to run from The Driver. Like Seth, they also died and woke up. It is revealed that their deaths were a way to account for a spot on their head that is a connection site, connecting them to their realities, a state of being permanently online. Seth sets out to go to the Prison, where there are thousands of people connected in coffin like devices like Seth saw at his house. Regine and Thomasz follow Seth to the Prison, and help him escape The Driver. Seth regains his memories, including what really happened to his brother.
Seth is r drowning and dying, and then he wakes up. He enters house in where he lived in England, believes it is his personal hell at first. Seth often drifts off into sleep filled with memories of his life, his friends, Monica, H, and Gudmund, and his family. Seth seeks out food, water, and clothing, then sets out to explore his strange surroundings. Seth encounters a boy and a girl, Thomasz and Regine, who tell him they need to run from The Driver. Like Seth, they also died and woke up. It is revealed that their deaths were a way to account for a spot on their head that is a connection site, connecting them to their realities, a state of being permanently online. Seth sets out to go to the Prison, where there are thousands of people connected in coffin like devices like Seth saw at his house. Regine and Thomasz follow Seth to the Prison, and help him escape The Driver. Seth regains his memories, including what really happened to his brother.
Critical
Evaluation:
Patrick Ness gives us a very strong premise in this book. The story begins with the main character dying, which is a powerful plot opener. The first third of the plot develops at a good pace. We learn who our character of Seth is, and that he wakes up in a very unusual place, the ruins of his former home town. We learn the truth of Seth's current reality at the same time he does, which works well, as mentioned, for the first third of the book. The plot really seems to stall in the second third of the book, about the time Seth meets Regine and Thomasz. It becomes unclear how these three characters are tied together, or why they are brought together. The plot drags for nearly 100 pages, until we get into the final third of the book, where the plot once again picks up, and the story speeds toward its resolution. It seems as if this middle section could use some editing and tightening up, as the book is quite long, at 480 pages.
The character of Seth is well developed; I feel like we learn a lot about what is motivating him to learn the truth, and the portions of the story that touch on Seth dealing with the situation surrounding his brother Owen are particularly touching. We learn much about Seth through periods where his past is revealed through a series of dreams. It becomes clear later on why these dreams are important to the story, but as a plot device and a way to develop a character's backstory, they seem a bit clumsy, and disjointed. We meet characters, such as Monica and H, that we do not hear from or about again for a hundred pages. It is through these dreams that we learn that Seth is in love with a boy named Gudmund. This gay romance subplot gives me a bit of pause. On the one hand, it is nice that this is treated like any other detail in Seth's story. On the other hand, I am slightly concerned that it borders on tokenism and pandering to LGBTQIA readership, and feels less than authentic.
I do like the use of symbolism of people being connected to a virtual life in the Lethe. I think this really speaks well to the impact of technology, social media, and virtual communication. This is something that a lot of teens will relate to, this concept of being plugged in to a virtual version of one's life. And I liked the concept of The Driver, but I think a lot of the symbolism regarding The Driver is confusing; it may be lost on many readers.
In short, Patrick Ness delivers a unique concept, with an engaging main character. However, the execution of the plot is a little disjointed and confusing. Most of the issues could be eliminated or tightened up with some editing.
Patrick Ness gives us a very strong premise in this book. The story begins with the main character dying, which is a powerful plot opener. The first third of the plot develops at a good pace. We learn who our character of Seth is, and that he wakes up in a very unusual place, the ruins of his former home town. We learn the truth of Seth's current reality at the same time he does, which works well, as mentioned, for the first third of the book. The plot really seems to stall in the second third of the book, about the time Seth meets Regine and Thomasz. It becomes unclear how these three characters are tied together, or why they are brought together. The plot drags for nearly 100 pages, until we get into the final third of the book, where the plot once again picks up, and the story speeds toward its resolution. It seems as if this middle section could use some editing and tightening up, as the book is quite long, at 480 pages.
The character of Seth is well developed; I feel like we learn a lot about what is motivating him to learn the truth, and the portions of the story that touch on Seth dealing with the situation surrounding his brother Owen are particularly touching. We learn much about Seth through periods where his past is revealed through a series of dreams. It becomes clear later on why these dreams are important to the story, but as a plot device and a way to develop a character's backstory, they seem a bit clumsy, and disjointed. We meet characters, such as Monica and H, that we do not hear from or about again for a hundred pages. It is through these dreams that we learn that Seth is in love with a boy named Gudmund. This gay romance subplot gives me a bit of pause. On the one hand, it is nice that this is treated like any other detail in Seth's story. On the other hand, I am slightly concerned that it borders on tokenism and pandering to LGBTQIA readership, and feels less than authentic.
I do like the use of symbolism of people being connected to a virtual life in the Lethe. I think this really speaks well to the impact of technology, social media, and virtual communication. This is something that a lot of teens will relate to, this concept of being plugged in to a virtual version of one's life. And I liked the concept of The Driver, but I think a lot of the symbolism regarding The Driver is confusing; it may be lost on many readers.
In short, Patrick Ness delivers a unique concept, with an engaging main character. However, the execution of the plot is a little disjointed and confusing. Most of the issues could be eliminated or tightened up with some editing.
Author
Biography:
(From author's web page)
I’m Patrick Ness. I claim three states in America as my home (as Americans are wont to do): I was born in Virginia, my first memories are Hawaiian, and I went to junior high and high school in Washington. Then I lived in California for college (at USC) and moved to the United Kingdom in 1999, where I’ve lived (mostly in London) ever since.
I’ve written nine books: 2 novels for adults (The Crash of Hennington and The Crane Wife), 1 short story collection for adults (Topics About Which I Know Nothing) and 6 novels for young adults (The Knife of Never Letting Go, The Ask and the Answer,Monsters of Men, A Monster Calls, More Than This and The Rest of Us Just Live Here).
For these books, I’ve won the Carnegie Medal twice, the Costa Children’s Book Award, the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, the Red House Book Award, the Jugendliteratur Preis, the UKLA Award, the Booktrust Teenage Prize and the fabulous, fabulous, fabulous Jim Kay also won the Greenaway for his illustrations in A Monster Calls (so buy that version, would you?).
I write screenplays as well, including for the movie version of A Monster Calls starring Liam Neeson, Sigourney Weaver and Felicity Jones, out October 2016.
I love the Decemberists, Peter Carey and A&W Cream Soda. I dislike onions. Intensely.
I’m Patrick Ness. I claim three states in America as my home (as Americans are wont to do): I was born in Virginia, my first memories are Hawaiian, and I went to junior high and high school in Washington. Then I lived in California for college (at USC) and moved to the United Kingdom in 1999, where I’ve lived (mostly in London) ever since.
I’ve written nine books: 2 novels for adults (The Crash of Hennington and The Crane Wife), 1 short story collection for adults (Topics About Which I Know Nothing) and 6 novels for young adults (The Knife of Never Letting Go, The Ask and the Answer,Monsters of Men, A Monster Calls, More Than This and The Rest of Us Just Live Here).
For these books, I’ve won the Carnegie Medal twice, the Costa Children’s Book Award, the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, the Red House Book Award, the Jugendliteratur Preis, the UKLA Award, the Booktrust Teenage Prize and the fabulous, fabulous, fabulous Jim Kay also won the Greenaway for his illustrations in A Monster Calls (so buy that version, would you?).
I write screenplays as well, including for the movie version of A Monster Calls starring Liam Neeson, Sigourney Weaver and Felicity Jones, out October 2016.
I love the Decemberists, Peter Carey and A&W Cream Soda. I dislike onions. Intensely.
Genre(s):
Fantasy, Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQIA Fiction
Fantasy, Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQIA Fiction
Curriculum
Ties:
Pennsylvania State Standard Standard - CC.1.3.11-12.K
Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.
Pennsylvania State Standard Standard - CC.1.3.11-12.K
Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.
Booktalk
Ideas:
Discuss how people shape their own reality when sharing information online
Discuss different types of coping mechanisms when families deal with traumatic events
Discuss how people shape their own reality when sharing information online
Discuss different types of coping mechanisms when families deal with traumatic events
Reading
Level:
Lexile HL800L
Lexile HL800L
Interest
Age:
14 and up
14 and up
Challenge
Issues:
This book could be challenged due to discussion of suicide, mild sexuality, language, and violence.
This book could be challenged due to discussion of suicide, mild sexuality, language, and violence.
If this book were challenged I would:
· Listen to the concerns of the person raising the challenge
· Consult the library’s collection development policy
· Explain how this work meets a library need based on the collection development policy
· Consult YALSA’s Dealing with Challenges to Young Adult Materials
· Consult reviews on VOYA, Amazon, Common Sense Media, and Kirkus
· Discuss any awards or notable commendations the book received
· Explain the library’s commitment to intellectual freedom as discussed in the ALA Library Bill of Rights
· Give the patron the procedure for a formal challenge should they seek to pursue it
Why
was this book selected:
I had originally read this book some time ago, and realized that, while it was not my preferred type of novel, it would appeal to a variety of teen readers. The fact that the story features a main character who is male makes it appealing, since male protagonists still continue to be a little rare. The aspects of the story that are dystopian with a cyber twist may appeal to a slightly different set of readers than typical dystopian fiction. I am not sure the LGBT aspect of the story will have much impact on readers one way or the other, but it is nice to have an additional title that features a LGBT subplot.
I had originally read this book some time ago, and realized that, while it was not my preferred type of novel, it would appeal to a variety of teen readers. The fact that the story features a main character who is male makes it appealing, since male protagonists still continue to be a little rare. The aspects of the story that are dystopian with a cyber twist may appeal to a slightly different set of readers than typical dystopian fiction. I am not sure the LGBT aspect of the story will have much impact on readers one way or the other, but it is nice to have an additional title that features a LGBT subplot.
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