The Bar Code Tattoo Review

Imagine a world where everything you did was controlled by a bar code. Your purchases would be paid for with the code, all of your medical information would be right there at hand, literally. In Kayla's futuristic world in 2025, everyone is getting the bar code tattoo on their wrist. When you turn seventeen, you're eligible to get this time saver printed on your skin. But some people, like Kayla, don't want to be known as a code. Just a number to the government. Suzanne Weyn's The Bar Code Tattoo haunted me with its graphic images of what the world would be like if everyone was a code.

The Bar Code Tattoo stresses the importance of individuality. Kayla realizes as the story goes on that she would much rather stand up for what she believed in than follow the crowd and do something she doesn't approve of. The theme is to stand up for what you believe despite what others tell you. In Kayla's case, the government and every other kid in school was telling her to get tattooed. But Kayla knew that she didn't want it and she didn't give in.

The style that the book was written in was easy to follow and very entertaining. The author described everything in a manner that makes the reader visualize the events. Some of the jargon spoken by the characters in the story gives the reader a sense of listening to a conversation between futuristic teenagers. The style that the author writes in is unique because she took the time to come up with slang for the characters to speak. Some of these words and phrases are "stellar!" and "final level!"

The author uses vivid nouns, verbs, and adjectives to aid the reader in visualizing what this futuristic world is like. She describes the characters as cool, futuristic, smart people who are very opinionated and stand up for what they believe in. The author describes the setting as a world with no more paper money, everything controlled by a bar code. The majority of the population goes along with the government's orders. But there are a few who rebel against the law. This is the disorganized world that the readers imagine as they read the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a thrilling sci-fi novel. I enjoyed The Bar Code Tattoo because it has everything I look for in a book: a strong-willed character, a good plot, interesting characters throughout the book, and suspense that keeps you turning the page wanting to know what happens next.

250 pages

Pioneer Football!

Another season of football has begun. The field is clean, the bleachers are filled with fans, even the smell of sweaty football players has returned to the field house. But what is it that we love most about this short, 3 to 4 month season?

Perhaps its the thrill of winning a Friday night game. The score is close and nobody knows who will win. The fate of the game lies on the shoulders of those select few who spend their time running, passing, catching, and tackling. The pioneers have the sudden adrenaline rush that only occurs when they know that victory is so close they can taste it. The ball is hiked and the players make a run for the end zone. Just before the ball carrier is tackled, he makes it over the line for another pioneer victory!

Maybe it's the stunning half time shows performed by Arkansas finest dancers and peppiest cheerleaders. The cheerleaders warm up the crowd with their flips, building, and cheers. When the Prancers step out onto the field, the crowd claps. When the music starts and the kicks begin, the crowd goes wild. The kicks reach toward the sky with toes pointed to the stars. The movements are sharp, the turns in perfect posse. The cheerleaders and Prancers entertain the vast amount of Pioneer fans as they await the victory of their boys.

As spoken by Coach Smith himself, there's nothing like a Friday night Pioneer football game to bring the community of Batesville together.