The Kite Maker: A Tor.com Original by Brenda Peynado
My rating: 3/5 cats
…the kids roamed the neighborhood playing humans and aliens, hitting each other with electronic wands that dissipated on contact so that no damage could be done. We didn’t have any aliens on our side of town; the children considered weak played the aliens, eyes big, offering no resistance. If they fought back, they were scolded, That’s not how it happened.
this story is strong in emotional appeal and would probably be better appreciated by readers with feelings. i’m not one who typically experiences any book-related feels, and as far as book reports go, i’m generally only good for assessing how it all works; cogs and cognates, not for what emotions it gives rise to. i can see the signposts where other readers will pause to admire the scenic emotional vistas, but for me it’s just looking at other people’s vacation photos on the instagram. that’s not to say this doesn’t have literary merit, it does, but it’s a little on-the-nose as far as its message. it would be a fresh and contemporary way to introduce students to the concept of allegory, and i don’t think there’s anything in it that would be too difficult or scandalous for high school readers, but someone more qualified than me on teenmatters should probably be consulted before you run out to slap a syllabus together.
check it out and tell me all about your human feelings.
read it for yourself here:
https://www.tor.com/2018/08/29/the-ki…
