stupid perfect world

stupid perfect world
scott westerfeld
ya/scifi
harper teen
published 2012

Kieran Black lives in a "perfect" world.  Disease and starvation have been eradicated, sleep is unnecessary, and it takes no time at all to go from the Bahamas to the moon.  But now Kieran has to take Scarcity, a class about how people lived in the bad old days.  And as if sitting through an hour of Scarcity every day wasn't depressing enough, it's final projects time.  Each student must choose some form of ancient hardship to experience for two whole weeks.  Kieran choose having to sleep eight hours a night, which doesn't seem too annoying.

Maria Borsotti has never thought much for Kieran, but she decides to take pity on him and help him out with his project.  Soon, Kieran is sleeping and having vivid dreams, while Maria, whose Scarcity project is to give up all teenage hormone regulation, is experiencing emotions she never knew she had.  As their assignments draw them closer together, they begin to wonder if the olden days weren't so bad.  Maybe something has been missing from their perfect lives after all?

Ha!  This was awesome!  I love how Westerfeld's mind works.  The Uglies is one of my favorite series so I shouldn't be surprised that he's come up with another crazy world to write about.  I love just about everything in this novella.  I love that they can teleport to the moon, they don't sleep, Kieran hangs out at the North Pole, I love "headspace" and that they can't go outside their apartments because the parks are protected wildlife areas.  But I love Scarcity the most.  Seriously?  A class about how people lived in the olden days and then they get to experience something of those days.

I wish this was longer, but I don't think it would have enough meat to actually be a full length novel.  Nearly perfect!