The Unidentified is a story about the Game--a mall converted into a school run by corporate sponsors who watch the students 24/7 on camera and use them for research to create new consumer products marketed directly at them--told from the point of view of fifteen-year-old Katey (AKA Kid) who doesn't fit well into this existence. One day after witnessing a shocking and controversial anti-corporate prank, she tracks down the people behind it and traces it back to a group called the Unidentified, named so because they refuse to be labeled by corporate sponsors. Kid eventually intermingles with them and learns their true purpose. But what happens when the Unidentified and Kid are turned into another corporate marketing fad? They do something even bigger--something that could change the way the Game is played forever.
I rather enjoyed reading this novel and particularly liked the sort of Orwellian Big Brother (see the novel 1984 by George Orwell) theme behind the Game, combined with the notion of popularity being based solely on marketing, and marketing depending on the consumers--people trying to be famous or popular . It is an obvious statement about teenage culture and popularity, and a subtle statement about not only marketing and the consumer, but the government as well. Despite the political connotations, however, it is also told from the point of view of a typical teenage girl with teenage girl problems that those who would not normally read a book like this can relate to and understand, which in turn, can help you understand the book as a whole. Overall, I give this book a 7/10 rating and recommend it for teenagers ages 14 and up.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sykesville, Maryland, United States
