Oh, this book. Where to even begin? I originally bought this book way back when, when a boy I was crushing on told me it was a favorite of his. So I bought it, and before I started it things fizzled out with said boy and it was just stuck on my bookshelf. Until now. And I tell you what — it’s being donated. That’s not to say it was terrible. The idea of the book is fascinating, and in the vein of 1984, A Brave New World and such, but there happens to be a made-up language which completely lost my interest. I read that the author created and used a language to distract or lessen the “pornographic” material of the book, which I can see and appreciate, I guess. But I would have been able to enjoy the book a whole lot more if it had been more of just a few made-up slang words, instead of what seemed like at times literally a whole new language.

Anyway. Basically the book follows a savage 15 year old boy, who beats and rapes for fun with his gang of friends, who, when one of his crimes ends up in murder, lands himself in prison. After 2 years in prison, he is selected to be part of an experiment where they “cure” him from his violent ways by conditioning him to become violently ill at any mention or sight of physically and sexual violence, and then they let him loose on society. Like I said, it was interesting enough, and thought provoking, but I could not get over the made-up language. And for that reason, my friends, I didn’t love this book.