"Cities are never random. No matter how chaotic they might seem, everything about them grows out of a need to solve some problem. In fact, a city is nothing more than a solution to a problem, that in turn creates more problems that need more solutions, until towers rise, roads widen, bridges are built and millions of people are caught up in a mad race to feed the problem-solving, problem-creating frenzy."
WHAT IS THIS, SHELBY. You have no Neal Shusterman on your blog?
Yes, I'm terribly neglectful of one of my favorite authors, forgive me, blogger. ):
This actually isn't what I'm reading as of right now, but if I do write something on that one, I doubt I'd hit the minimum mark of words that I'm supposed to be ranting out about it. But if you'd like to look it up--which I encourage--it's called The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart.
Anyway, onto this amazing piece of work. I believe that the main thing that catches my attention with books is originality, you know? Taking something that's either been used before in a whole new manner, or use some other totally new concept and weaving a web of words out of it. Downsiders does just that. It's about a civilization living in the abandoned Subway tunnels that litter the underbelly of New York City, also known as Downside, and a the strange occurence of a Topsider stumbling in upon the underground city.
Downsiders is one of those books that makes you think, as well as any Neal Shusterman book does. In this world, especially in a crazed infestation of people like New York City, do people have what it takes to step back and admire the good part of the work? To admire the details?
I'd suggest this one to anyone who likes these kids of books, as well as anything by the wonderful Neal Shusterman.
So, what are you reading right now?
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