Book Review: "The Doubt Factory" by Paolo Bacigalupi

If the name Paolo Bacigalupi sounds familiar to you, it's probably because he's also written award winners The Windup Girl and Ship Breaker. His latest book, The Doubt Factory, continues his foray into the world of Young Adult writing with, in my opinion, mixed results.

Alix Banks leads a charmed life: she has a rich family, attends a prestigious prep school, achieves the perfect balance between school and partying, and the biggest worry she has is studying for the upcoming SATs. Girls in Alix's position, with corporate fathers and out-of-touch, stay-at-home mothers, don't worry about where they'll end up in life; their family connections keep them in the world of the wealthy where they marry other rich members of the 1% and start the cycle all over again with children of their own. Complacent, Alix questions none of this until one day when someone new arrives at her exclusive academy.

Moses is the leader of a group called 2.0. They might be terrorists, hackers, animal rights activists or just vengeful teens, depending on who you ask. But both the FBI and the corporations that Alix's father helps to defend and shield are determined to bring him down, and the only way he can see to expose Mr. Banks and his business dealings is through Alix. But can he turn her? Can he make her see that her life of luxury is because of faked medical trials, harmful products on grocery store shelves, and class action lawsuits that fail because of Mr. Banks and his damage control for corporations?

I had mixed feelings about this book from the start. The first red flag went up for me when the author seemed to romanticize stalking behavior. It's integral to the plot that Moses and 2.0 be able to infiltrate Alix's life and convince her to listen to their stories, and naturally, that means getting close to her to earn her trust. But when Alix sees her headmaster violently attacked, is warned by multiple authorities that she could be in danger, and still finds herself having fantasies about the tall, dark and handsome stranger who wants to kidnap her, I was admittedly upset. Stalking is potentially a very dangerous situation for everyone, not just teenage girls. Alix did eventually realize just how dangerous of a situation she put herself in, but an awfully roundabout route was taken to get her to that conclusion.

The story does point out valuable lessons about thinking critically about what goes on around you, looking closely at things not out of paranoia, but out of a desire to understand them. The social commentary against corporations and the control that they have over us as consumers was not subtle, but it was a great real-life opportunity to tell a story of suspense, espionage, and modern subterfuge. It brings to light the reality of corporate manipulation of consumers and the marketplace, and shows how being conscious of how these concerns are spun by different parties can open a person's eyes.

It's not the most artistically spun of tails, but The Doubt Factory by Paolo Bacigalupi makes an important point about the world around us and how being more aware of it can improve some things. It'd be a great read for critically thinking teens, or those interested in activism and social justice. You can find a copy of it now at your favorite local, independently owned bookstore.