Review

Scored

Common Sense Media says

Teens will relate to dystopian world where scores = status.
Age
14
Quality
 
  • Educational value4
    Scored raises important issues about corporate surveillance, standardized testing, and peer pressure. Two main characters must argue the pros and cons of each from perspectives they do not personally subscribe to. Other classics of dystopian fiction, such as 1984 and Brave New World, are mentioned as sources for further study.
  • Positive messages4
    Although surveillance and behavior scoring can seem to make a community safer, they can also foster divisiveness and ostracism. Fortunately, loyalty and honesty can mitigate the negative effects of too little personal privacy and freedom of expression.
  • Positive role models4
    Imani initially worries that her friendship with Cady will drag down her score, and when the plunge in ranking is greater than she expects, she is faced with a choice to spy for the school authorities. As the story progresses, she learns from her friends, from her family, and from people she views as enemies. She eventually learns that people are more than just numbers and that privacy and honesty can make society stronger.
  • Violence1
    In an act of defiance, a character smashes a surveillance camera.
  • Sex4
    The main character recalls an uncomfortable encounter when her awkward date attempted to put his hand down the back of her jeans and up the front of her shirt. In the current storyline, a young woman is ostracized for dating and presumably sleeping with a "lowbie" (a low-scorer) and is then caught on camera making love in a field with her boyfriend. The resulting video is distributed as Farm Field F*&K Fest.
  • Language4
    The f-word is used about a dozen times, mostly as an exclamation, and the main character stops just short of calling someone an assh--e. But because the characters are under surveillance at most times, their verbal exchanges are largely swearing-free.
  • Consumerism0
    Not applicable.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking2
    A high school senior offers a beer to the protagonist and drinks his own bottle of brew.
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this near-future dystopian novel features a lively debate about freedom of expression and forcefully  dramatizes the sort of alienation that can occur when private citizens are under near-constant surveillance. There is also some profanity and sexuality.

This review of Scored was written by

Most useful reviews by all members

Adult
November 8, 2011
18
Not for Kids
 
12 F-words? Seriously?
How could a book that contains twelve f-words possibly be ok for ages twelve and up? Who decides this stuff?
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Helped me decide (25) | Had useful details (26) | Read my mind (27)
Kid, 12 years old
November 13, 2011
18
Not for Kids
 
Who rates this stuff???!!!
Just based on your review of sexual content and language, HOW is this an apporpriate choice for a 12-14 year old? We don't let our child watch movies like this; why would we let her read the content?
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Helped me decide (22) | Had useful details (23) | Read my mind (27)
Teen, 13 years old
November 27, 2011
18
Not for Kids
 
SOMEONE NEEDS TO REVIEW THIS REVIEW!
The F-word about a dozen times? What on earth?!?! And the sexual content seems a HUNDRED times worse than any other book on here. Who would write something so raunchy? More importantly, who would rate something so raunchy so highly?!
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Helped me decide (24) | Had useful details (18) | Read my mind (24)
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