The Bar Code Tattoo By Susan Weyn [Book Clubs]

     In Susan Weyn's, "The Bar Code Tattoo" we follow a protagonist named Kayla Reed. She is just a normal teen until the bar code tattoo kills her father. She begins to question whether the government is hiding something from the people. When she joins a group of teens against the tattoo they learn that it has your complete genetic code. As more and more people got the tattoo it became harder to resist it. But Kayla never gave up.

     There was a lot of different social commentary in this book. But I think the main topic was trying to form a perfect race. Many think it was just about government tracking us, but its more than that. On the tattoo is your genetic code. It contains whats good about your genes and whats bad. Right when babies are born they get their whole genetic code. And the ones who are sick are just left to die. Also when old people are sent to the hospital they don't come back out. So they are using the tattoo to eliminate people with diseases.

     This book made me think about how much we are monitored and tracked by the government. With IDs and passports the government can find tons of information on each of us. Even my phone can track my exact location. It's like there's no more privacy. The book was only written in 2025, that's only a few years from now. I think we need to begin to protect our privacy. Soon everything about us will be known.

Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper

     In Sharon M. Draper's, "Tears of a Tiger" we follow a protagonist named Andy Jackson. After his best friend Rob dies in a car accident where he was driving, Andy doesn't know what to do. He gets hated by a lot of people who think it's his fault and is put under a lot of pressure as the new captain of the basketball team. He also has to juggle school work and his distant family. Through it all his girlfriend Keisha and his psychologist are the only people who understand him.

     One thing I noticed that Sharon M. Draper used to enhance the piece was different writing forms. For example most of the book was just dialogue. But then the book started having poems from different characters homework or articles in the newspaper. All these different perspectives made it easier for the reader to figure out what was going on in each characters mind. Without this tool, the whole book would just be Andy's thoughts and you would never figure out how the death of Rob affected others as well.

     I think not being able to relate to anyone and feeling alone is something everyone can relate to. Sometimes it feels like no one else in the world can understand what you are going through. Sharon M. Draper demonstrates this really well through her different forms of writing. This way way can get perspective from each character in the story. I am definitely going to try to use this in my writing in the future.