The Bar Code Tattoo

The Bar Code Tattoo
By Suzanne Weyn
Scholastic, 2004. 252 pgs. Young adult fiction.

Imagine the convenience and security of having all your electronic data permanently encoded on your arm. There would be no more credit cards to lose, no more identity theft, and no more expiration dates to be concerned about. It seems like a perfect solution, and yet there are still people who resist the tattooing and even those who delve into self-mutilation in order to rid themselves of the barcode they already have. To Kayla Reed, such desperate measures suggest the possibility that the barcode is less than perfect and perhaps even sinister. When tragedy strikes her home due to the tattoo, she is convinced to avoid it at all costs. Her life becomes increasingly tangled as she seeks to claim freedom in a world that insists upon electronic control.

This book has a highly captivating plot and is written in a very frank, colloquial style that would appeal to even a less enthusiastic reader. Although not the newest book, it remains applicable in content and even manages to convince the reader that our world could consider such a route, despite some definite improbability included. It warns against blindly turning all power over to the government, suggesting instead to be self-dependent within the straits of governing authority.

CW