Candor Blog
Jan. 4/10
By: Anthony Mariano
“Candor,” is the debut novel of Pam Bachorz. Set in the fictional town of Candor, Florida; Oscar Banks is the son of the town’s founder. Everything in Candor is perfect because subliminal messaging runs the town. The founder sends the messages to the people and they do exactly as they are told. However, that is all about to change when a new girl, Nia, moves to town. Oscar takes an immediate liking to her and has a sudden change in attitude. Before, Oscar was a perfect student and son; now he is more of a rebel influenced by Nia’s individuality.
Subliminal messaging is a common motif in the novel. The influence of these messages helps the town of Candor maintain its ideal of perfection for its youth, and the people seem happy with it. Everyone in the town does the exact same things from chores to give each other outward signs of respect. However, Oscar becomes tired of the fact that Candor is run by subliminal messaging. He thinks that it is unfair how his own father controls the town. There is uncertainty and fairness in Candor, which are the main themes.
Bachorz writes from Oscar’s point of view and it seems as if Oscar is telling us the story himself. He sounds like he is desperate and wants to get out of town, with Nia by his side. He is just getting sick and tired of how his hometown is run and wants to change that and turn against his own father. He wants to escape the influence of the messaging as well as the need to be perfect. Instead, he wants to lead a “normal” life with Nia, one where they can both be themselves.
There are a few issues in the novel that bother me personally. I was annoyed by the fact that the people in Candor are manipulated by the subliminal messaging and how they are not controlling the way they respond to the messages. Oscar was the only one who knows about the subliminal messaging and able to do something about them. At one point he is perfect, but changes his behaviour with Nia. The issue is that Oscar must decide whether the messaging should influence Nia and lose her forever, or keep Nia and face exposure.
Although they share different plots, “Candor” could be compared to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Once Nia moves in, not only does Oscar fall for her, but he begins to doubt the course of what he set out to do; in “MSND,” when Lysander is given the potion, he falls for Helena and messes up the love triangle between him, Helena, Hermia (whom he loves) and Demetrius (his sworn enemy). In this way, both plots are similar in that messaging and potion work to change each character’s destiny through the influence of liking or love for another.
I thought that Bachorz’s debut novel was good. The plot was intense and wrote with emotion. If she had a few more years experience, she would become a good author. I would definitely recommend it to adolescents who are looking for something new to read and who likes an intense, exciting novel.
