5 to 1

Reviewed by: Bernie Alie - Kennebunk Free Library, Kennebunk ME, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 10, 2016

Review

In 2054, women have retaliated against men in a manner to guarantee the value of their daughters. Outnumbered by boys by a ratio of 5 to 1, girls now have the upper hand in choosing their mates. At age 17, they are presented with a choice of 5 boys in a contest that will determine the fate of the boys. Those not chosen as mates are sent to guard the wall of the city, in a hidden fight often leading to death. Into this lion's den are sent Sudasa, who's grandmother was one of the women who instituted the new system, and Kiran, a boy who only wants to escape.

Although the contestants are disguised and anonymous, Sudasa figures out that the game is rigged, and her grandmother has arranged for her cousin to become her mate. Rebellious, she is drawn instead to Kiran, much to his chagrin.

Told in two voices, Sudasa's version is told in free verse, while Kiran's version is in prose. Sudasa's poetry includes symbols with some words, for instance "n#mber" and "$price" which can be disconcerting at first. Through the two voices, we see how each views the other as well as the tests that determine their future.

This dystopian look at gender issues offers no solutions, as the unscrupulous manner that power can be wielded remains the same. Boys now face the restrictions previously placed upon girls. Women of power wield their will in a similar manner as men in more traditional societies. Limitations placed upon those in the lesser classes are likewise familiar. Abortion of male fetuses is alluded. Perhaps with discussion, readers may discern that it is power that corrupts, and wanting success for family members blinds the powerful to true equality.

Slightly reminiscent of the Hunger Games, with its winners and losers and certain death for the weak, this dystopian look at gender issues will entertain but not enlighten.

Overall Book Score: good