Book cover image from amazon.com
AMONG THE IMPOSTERS
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Haddix, Margaret. 2002. AMONG THE IMPOSTERS. New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks. ISBN 0689839081
2. PLOT SUMMARY
“It’s not reform school or anything”. As these words are spoken to Luke Garner he realizes that they carry a deeper meaning for him. “The word stuck in Luke’s brain…they were going to re-form him. They were going to take a Luke and make him a Lee”. Luke’s identity is changed to that of Lee Garner. As he starts his new life at Hendrick’s School for Boys, he thinks he is leaving behind his life of being an illegal third child, hidden from the outside world by his loving parents. As he begins his life at a boy’s boarding school, he struggles to “blend in”. What Luke discovers is that all of the students at Hendrick’s carry the same secret, and when the true imposters are revealed, Luke’s life, and those of his fellow barons, are in danger.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Haddix has created a dystopia novel with a young protangonist in Luke while supplying readers with enough unanswered questions to require another novel in this series. According to Kirkus Review, “Thought-provoking issues, such as a government with too much power, raised in the first novel, as well as Luke's determination to change the world, carry on throughout this impressive sequel”.
By using the Population Police, Haddix creates a scenario almost too horrific to comprehend…a country in which third children born in a family are illegal and must be destroyed. Interestingly enough, the whole school Luke is involved in, is filled with wealthy families’ third children, called Barons. This play between the wealthy and poor classes and the intrusive nature of the Populaton Police creates this novel’s dystopian effect.
During the storyline we watch Luke “grow from a participant to a leader in this milieu, surprising himself with his own solutions “(Bulletin of Center for Children’s Books). Luke is heroic as he finds the solution to his dream--helping other third children like himself to live a more meaningful life.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
From Booklist: "Luke and his experiences are believable in the appealing, simple futuristic story."
From Kirkus: "Thought-provoking issues, such as a government with too much power, raised in the first novel, as well as Luke's determination to change the world, carry on throughout this impressive sequel. In the end, Haddix leaves readers longing for more about Luke Garner."
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