Nigel is a 16-year-old high school student who writes a class assignment about a world in which teenagers become the leading actors in society, politically, economically, socially and medically. Unexpectedly, a publisher expresses interest, the book is published, and very quickly Nigel becomes an unwitting celebrity, subject to praise and sometimes violent opposition.
Nigel’s a loner, not a social animal, and to his surprise a mysterious new classmate fastens onto him - and strongly encourages him to complete his novel. Where she’s from is unknown, but Michelle is beautiful and intelligent and as it turns out, from the future, and the book Nigel’s written has become in her time a guidebook for the youth of her day.
Complicating Nigel’s life is the fact that Michelle has to return to her own time—and it’s left to him to decide whether he must say goodbye to her forever or else join her in the future. If he does, he can never return to his own world, in a time where teenagers remain outside the realms of power and control.
Classic Lesley Choyce, Living Outside the Lines is a fast-paced, edgy novel that continually challenges readers on the meanings of human life, power, control and love.
Reviews:
"Lesley Choyce offers teen readers a tantalizing vision of the future that raises many challenging and thought-provoking questions in this book that is both highly engaging and easily accessible. . . Readers will be intrigued by the ideas that Nigel brings forth in his novel, and by the dystopian vision of our world that this novel provides. It is a book that will undoubtedly give readers pause for thought."
-- Atlantic Books Today
Lesley Choyce once said that a voice in his head told him: “Write about what makes you feel the most uncomfortable.” The award-winning author of 65 books for children, teens, and adults and a surfer, musician, publisher, broadcaster, Lesley Choyce is always a fresh voice, challenging his readers to explore new paths, try out different attitudes. Lesley surfs year-round in the North Atlantic, teaches at Dalhousie University and lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
|