Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Bar Code Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn


This book was suggested to me by one of my students Kaitlyn, I'm glad she did. This book, while set in the near future, really makes links to today. We don't think anything of giving out personal information over the internet, using bank cards and credit cards. Our Health Cards and Driver's Licence also store a great deal of information that is accessible with a quick swipe.
Now, imagine a world 20 years in the future. A world where everyone over the age of 17 is expected to get a 'Bar Code Tattoo'. This tattoo will take the place of your driver's licence, health card, bank cards everything. You won't need to carry any identification or money, it will all be stored on your tattoo. For most people, this sounds great. As a matter of fact, it has quickly become a status symbol to have this tattoo, a right of passage for young adults.
For Kayla however, she is questioning the tattoo. First of all, she doesn't think it is important to have all of her personal information stored on her arm. This doesn't make her popular with her peers at school or with her best friend. Kayla's parents got the tattoo a few months ago as a requirement of their job and things have not been going well for them since. Her father is determined to remove the tattoo by any means- but nothing is working. When he is fired from his job, he blames it on the tattoo.
Kayla's best friend,while at first a huge supporter of the tattoo is shocked when her parents experience hard times and they too suspect it is because of the information on their tattoo.
When Kayla falls in with a group of teens who are fighting against the tattoo and against the government, her life starts to change in unimaginable ways.
This book was fast-paced and exciting. It really made me think about all the information that is out there for anyone to find. I really hope the world described in this book isn't the future for our world.

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