Jenna Likes to Read

Candor by Pam Bachorz

Posted on 17 October 2009

Candor by Pam Bachorz

Oscar Banks has everything under control. In a town where his father brainwashes everyone, he’s found a way to secretly fight the subliminal Messages. He’s got them all fooled: Oscar’s the top student and the best-behaved teen in town. Nobody knows he’s made his own Messages to deprogram his brain. Oscar has even found a way to get rich. For a hefty price, he helps new kids escape Candor, Florida before they’re transformed into cookie-cutter teens. But then Nia Silva moves to Candor, and Oscar’s carefully-controlled world crumbles.

This book wasn’t quite as good as I hoped it would be.  I did find it really interesting and it kept me wanting to find out what happens next, but there were a few things that held me back from loving it.  I didn’t find Oscar all that likable.  What he was did to Sherman and Nia was not that different than what his father was doing to the town.  I think I would have liked him more if he’d used music other than jazz for his Messages.  I know he wasn’t a normal teenager because of where he grew up, but it seemed like he was more worldly than most around him.  He could have related to the new kids (like Sherman) better if he had used different music.  I didn’t really understand the great love between Oscar and Nia.  It was like after a couple meetings, they just decided they loved each other.  I felt like I had missed a page where they got to know each other.  I liked Nia, but I didn’t really understand why Oscar was so infatuated with her instantly.

Like I said, the book was really interesting and thought provoking.  It was a good read.