The Bar Code Rebellion by Suzanne Weyn

Introduction: After reading the summary on the back of this book. I told myself this might be a good read for those moments when you want to get back to the game. I didn’t read any book for quite some time now because of my pregnancy symptoms (nausea and over-sleeping), so I was looking for something that I can just simply enjoy reading.

Overview:
They want your identity. They want your freedom. They can't have them.

The bar code rebellion.

Kayla has resisted getting the bar code tattoo, even though it's meant forfeiting a "normal" life. Without the tattoo, she's an exile. But she can't stay an exile for long....

For reasons she doesn't completely understand--but will soon discover--Kayla is at the center of a lethan conspiracy that will soon threaten the very notion of freedom. Kayla can either give in to the bar code, or she can join the resistance and fight it. The choice, to her, is clear: It's time to fight.

They want your identity.

They want your freedom.

They can't have them.
  
My Opinion: I finished reading the book and barely noticed that there should actually be a first part to this story. I think it’s good though, because interesting stories, even if they are related, should be independent of each other.

I kind of like the concept of this book, very futuristic and interestingly plausible. I can just imagine what if we are all identifiable by a tattoo that contains all our genetic information, financial and professional standing. We don’t have to carry Identification cards, credit cards or something of that sort – all that we have is recorded in that ink staining a part of our body. It’s promising really but at the same time scary.

But going back to the execution of the book, I just find that the characters lack, well… character. I cannot identify them, they seem so monotonous. The story is a little too convenient – when Kayla kept bumping into people who just like her, are rebelling against this bar code tattoo. The idea of cloning people and altering their genetic makeup is cool, but lacks a little “wow” factor in the book. I find that the story is too rushed, and it doesn’t build any momentum at all.

I personally don’t like the ending – I find it a little too easy. I feel that there should have been more to the story, especially in the character of KM-6. And there’s just too many questions left unanswered, like, why is Kayla a threat to the society? Why is she being pursued? Oh well, maybe all this is in the third book. I just don’t know if I’m reading it.

Overall, this book has served its purpose. It entertained me because I don’t have to think - It’s shallow, it’s short, and very easy to read. I’ll recommend this to those boring afternoon moments when you have nothing else to do but relax over a cup of coffee. 

My Rating: