Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang CompestineMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Okay, this book is AMAZING!I highly recommend reading it for it is INSANE! CAUTION: THIS BOOK WILL MAKE YOU HUNGRY! DO NOT START READING WHEN BUSY FOR WILL PROCRASTINATE ON EVERYTHING ELSE UNTIL FINSIHED!
Nine-year-old Ling lives in China during the Communist era and is in a family that is very high at risk for punishment by the government. The book chronicles Ling's (the author's) life for about 3 years until things get a little bit better for her.
Let me just say first WOW. I mean really this was book was so insightful and truthful, riveting yet slow. I'll never forget it. I never really understood what communism was until I read Anthem (look up my review on Goodreads or on my blog here: http://cabrellsacademicblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/my-super-belated-anthem-by-ayn-rand.html) and learned about the author and what she'd experienced in Russia during the early 20th century. I still didn't fully get it until reading this book when I was shocked that this kind of society was allowed to flourish in the Orient for so long.
I loved Ling's vivid descriptions of this strange world where pictures of the great Chairman Mao (who was like God) hung all over the buildings, revolutionary quotes and songs blast from loudspeakers all day long, people were tortured and arrested by privileged "comrades" for being burgeois (old-fashioned or members of the middle class, which was scorned), and schools were run by the bullying sons and daughters of the comrades. It was just so crazy and outrageous compared to what gets people up in arms in our world today. How could only 40 years ago this be allowed to grow and occur by other countries? I don't understand it.
Back to Ling. I found her a fun heroine, almost like a Katniss Everdeen in a sense (at least later in the book maybe not so much at the beginning). I loved watching Ling grow from a wilted little flower who understood nothing about the world she lived in to a fighter who defended herself against revolutionary bullies and bartered fiercely for food at the empty markets (like Katniss and her hunting and the Seam). She amazed me. I really liked the character she became in the end, which was much better than the clueless little girl she had been at the start (which always infuriates a reader). I really enoyed Ling's descriptions of her struggle since the last part of the book, and how she told about them as if she were an adult simply dealing with the doldrums of life. I have complete respect for the extreme courage and character she displayed.
What always made me happy in this book was (you guessed it): the food! Oh, man, her descriptions of the Chinese cuisine made your mouth water and pity Ling whenever she was describing the deliciousness of a dish she could no longer have, or the scarcity of food. I remember countless scenes where Ling would be eating rice and some kind of meat and veggies and how her parents were giving her their food and I was thinking, "Oh, I wish I was Ling right now!" I remember her descriptions of the dumplings and another dish she hadn't had in a while and just envying her for some strange reason. Even bartering for food in the market sounded awesome. And I think part of the reason for this is that people covet and desire simplicity and work. People, deep down inside, miss being what we used to be: people who hunted, made, and gathered our food ourselves, or at least had trouble getting it. I will talk more about this point in my review of The Hunger Games , because I think this desire had a vital part in why people love the series so much. Anyway, I think this is the main reason why I liked these aspects of the book so much. And then I also think that the foreigness of it all fascinated it me. Not that I really would want to live in her world. NO WAY. Just a certain part of the way the story is told makes you think you would live a more exciting life if you were living with Ling and her family. And then you start to feel like you are Ling because of the voice the author used. Connecting with her was easy for me.
This book was slow and yet so riveting and IMPOSSIBLE to put down. I mean, it was just events from real life, so it sometimes seemed slow, but it was still so compelling. I really couldn't put it down so I really don't recommend reading this when busy. I made that mistake aand hope never to again (unlikely).
Overall, this book is a MUST read. I am reading it because it was nominated for the California Young Reader medal (CYRM) and I read the books so I can vote on the winner. I am so torn this year as to who to vote for. The past 2 years' nominees of this middle school level haven't been that good, but this year is absolutely AMAZING! The booksEvery Soul A Star and Waiting for Normal are so good too! I'd alredy read Every Soul A Star before and it was one of my favorite books, so I was sure that (as usual)that would be my vote by a landslide. Oh, no! That is NOT the case! I have NO idea who to vote for now! They should all win! Read this book if you're looking for something a little different than all that(if you're my friend on Goodreads)YA popular stuff we're always reading. Go big and try something new and adventurous. (Plus, it gives you a new enthusiasm for food! ;)
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