Candor

A wonderfully refreshing, entertaining, and important novel, Pam Bachorz’s Candor from Egmont, USA (available 9/22) is a great read for young adults and teens. A picturesque city in Florida, Candor attracts rich families who want to “straighten out” their teenagers. Everything in Candor is perfect, and everyone is happy and well-behaved. Only Oscar, whose father founded the city, knows the dirty truth: Candor’s inhabitants are brainwashed by subliminal messages. Oscar secretly helps kids escape the city, if they can pay him enough; but when he meets Nia, a beautiful and rebellious girl new to the town, Oscar can’t decide whether to keep her close to him, risking everything, or to help her escape the messages.

Reminiscent of Orwell’s 1984, Candor is a surprisingly deep piece of young adult fiction. Through a highly entertaining and thought-provoking plot, Bachorz discusses the dangers of conformity and the importance of individuality in an exciting way. The writing style is advanced but easily accessible, and comic relief throughout the book helps to soften the darker aspects of Candor. I thoroughly enjoyed it as a particularly stimulating, but light read. All teens should read this book! Editor’s Note: Please see below for a trailer.

Rachel Glade is a senior at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School in Fort Lauderdale. She has been named a 2010 PSAT National Merit Semifinalist and a College Board AP Scholar with Distinction. She plays the piano and sitar and has been featured in the Miami Herald and the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Teen Link Magazine for her role in producing music for the book/CD, The Travel Adventures of Lilly P Badilly: Costa Rica. She plans to pursue a degree in both earth science and music and is particularly interested in geology and preserving our environment.