Good or Bad?

 Author's Note: A book with no clear good or bad side can propose many questions for a reader


Have you ever read a book that made you think which side is good and which side is bad? Has a book ever had 2 sides that are both good and bad? Well, the book Divine Madness, by Robert Muchamore, it can be hard to designate a good and bad side. Muchamore uses realism and a common problem shared by many to make both sides seem good and bad.

In Divine Madness the Australian version of the F.B.I, A.S.I.S, and the “terrorist group”, Help Earth are the two sides presented to you in the book. Throughout the book there are minor conflicts between revolving around pollution; mainly around gasoline and finding a cleaning fuel. For many adult and young adult readers this book will probably remind them of the news at night because it discusses pollution and oil prices. By using these commonly shared problems; Muchamore makes it difficult to point out good and bad sides.

With the commonly shared problems; Muchamore just isn’t making the book a simple read. In the first encounter between the two sides, Help Earth aims for an empty group of oil tankers to destroy the trade route of one of the most unhealthy fuels. This immediately suggests Help Earth is the “bad side”. But later in the book A.S.I.S. bombs a small town thinking that they will disable  one Help Earth’s recruiting facilities; but instead just end up killing many innocent people. This new info can have the effect on readers that perhaps A.S.I.S. just isn’t thinking clearly and may designate them as the “bad side. Realism also backs up a commonly shared problem making the choice even more difficult.

Realism is the bee that pollinates the flower of a commonly shared problem. The realism when oil tankers are targeted by a so called “terrorist group” make adult readers make text to world connections and younger readers think about why this has to happen and how it possibly can be put to an end. However this can also be a downside to the book; making adult readers stressed thinking about all the world is going through and perhaps making the younger readers find it boring instead of satisfying. At that point making a decision on who is good or bad may not even matter to them and they might just want to put the book down or rush through reading it.

Thinking about which side is good or bad in a book can be an interesting read for many readers. Muchamore obviously makes it clear that he doesn’t want people just skimming through his books without caring but reading them with deep thought and make a reader’s mind conjure many questions.