One of The Best YA Books of the Century Turns 25: On M.T. Anderson’s FEED

“We went to the moon to have fun, but the moon turned out to completely suck.” One of the most iconic opening lines in young adult fiction is also a line that helped launch a century full of outstanding, boundary-pushing, prescient, and memorable books for teen readers. Written by M.T. Anderson, Feed is a work of dystopia about Titus and his friends having their spring break plans completely upended when the feeds inside them malfunction. What follows is a story about a girl who has always lived beyond the tech-designated range of human feelings, helping Titus, his friends, and the greater world find meaning and purpose after the hijacking. Published in 2002, Feed was light-years ahead of its time in thinking about the role of technology in our world. The story resonates deeply today, with many of the very predictions made 25 years ago now real issues being grappled with. Themes of consumerism and algorithms as identity collide with deeply human experiences of first love, friendship, and adventure. I first picked up Feed when I began my career as a teen librarian. I’d spent a day doing professional development on audiobooks, led by librarians who’d been leaders in reviewing, promot...