Blog by: Úna Nic Cárthaigh
In this very different and original story we are brought to a dystopian city where tormentors are hunting for artists as there is no space or respect for art in this world. Art is dismissed, it is not permitted to read or write books, no music should be heard and drama should be seen – it’s just a waste of time. The tormentors want to put people to work – to ‘real work’ as they call it.
The story’s narrator speaks directly to the reader and gives a warning in the preface: “go away, this is no place for you.” The narrator goes on to explain that the city was cut into two halves: the strong side and the weak side. People on the strong side are seen as hard workers, people on the weak side are lazy and complacent. We meet our main character, a young boy called Genius who was born and raised in the weak side and is searching for his parents who were kidnapped by tormentors. When people hear the repeated verse of the tormentors ‘le sonas saolta, seo fios an rúin, déanann.obair.maitheas.dúinn’ it causes people to lose their resolve and sense of self. Just as Genius is about to be brainwashed by the verse, a young girl called Juno and an older woman called Alma Mater come to help him. They make masks to trick the tormentors – but will they manage to help Genius find his parents and overturn the tormentors?
There is a particular structure to this book which brings a drama script to mind. There are three main chapters which are broken into smaller parts. Lots of the story is told through dialogue which is written out as a script. This brings pace, movement and a sense of urgency to the story. There is a certain sarcasm or cynicism from the tone of the narrator that sets the unsettling tone for this dystopian tale.
The font is big and clear and Éilis Neary’s distinctive illustration style really suits the style of the story – the characters and masks remind me of the Punch and Judy puppets from the past. The illustrations are woven through the text and add to the liveliness of the story.
While the book is aimed at teenagers, it would certainly appeal to an adult reader due to the theme and the question it poses about the importance of art in the modern world as it depicts a dystopian reality not too far from our own reality. It presents a world where the emphasis is on work, money and greed and there is no place for creativity – a timely and topical theme for today. The Irish is rich with some lovely turns of phrase and would be very suitable for adult learners as well as teenagers.
