The Unidentified (review)

Fifteen-year-old Kid is not used to standing out in the Game, the futuristic, corporate-driven version of school in this world where the government dropped the ball on education and businesses were all too happy to step in. The kids do seem to be learning, but ads, sponsorships, and competition are equally important, and Kid is usually too quiet to attract much attention. Her notice of an act of guerilla theater and her early response to it catches the eye of key individuals on both sides, however. Soon Kid is being courted by an anti-corporate group rebelling against the complete lack of privacy and independence, while at the same time she is being offered lucrative sponsorships by companies that seem to think she represents a safe demographic of individuals happy to buy "rebellion" instead of whatever the mainstream is doing. Mariz carefully presents Kid, baffled by the spotlight and longing for days when she could just coast, as not quite being what either group wants, placing her plausibly in a confused middle ground as she, like most teens, struggles to balance individuality and capitalism. Even within the garish descriptions of cool products, there is a quiet in the narrative, a subtlety that matches the caution with which Kid navigates the world. Pair this with Anderson's Feed (BCCB 11/02) for dual examinations of the kids tuned in 24/7 to a world that always has something to sell.