The Good Citizen - Joël Henning Doty

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Résumé :
A dystopian novel for today. Governcorp has taken over the United States, Broadcasters are ubiquitous and immigrants can't be trusted. Fifteen-year-old Hannah, a new citizen, and thirteen-year-old Jenny, a future safety officer, have nothing in common. But it's Jenny's job to make sure Hannah follows the Governcorp citizenship rules-especially to carry and use a Protector properly. Having a Protector is supposed to keep you safe, and help you keep others and your community safe. Protect yourself; protect your property; protect community property; protect your friends, family and fellow citizens-that's what the Governcorp rulebook says. And what Jenny believes with all her heart. Hannah wants to be a good citizen, for her family and for her father who worked so hard to gain citizenship for them-but for someone who grew up in the Homestead, Protectors mean something else entirely to her: fear and Governcorp control. She doesn't want to carry one and she doesn't want to use one, but she has no choice. As she navigates what it means to be a citizen, she finds herself part of a rebellion that questions the rules. But when questioning the rules leads to breaking them, she'll have to rely on Jenny for help. And Jenny's idea of being a good citizen is very different from Hannah's... Gripping, disturbing, suspenseful and well-crafted, this book will appeal to reluctant teen readers as well as avid reading enthusiasts. Believable and engaging teenage characters and their relationships are at the heart of the story The question that keeps recurring in this book is, what is the best way to act in a brutal and repressive society? Should one simply go along with the crowd and ignore the dissonance between reality and what the government says? Should one peacefully protest for the redress of grievances, or should one become part of a violent revolution and use any means to topple the establishment? The Good Citizen shows there is no simple or easy answer. Reminiscent of Orwell's 1984, this is a memorable book which deserves to be read, especially by those who want to be good citizens in a corrupt and confusing world.