Synopsis: A challenging drama which addresses issues of intolerance, the questioning of authority, and Utilitarian control. A teenage boy struggles with huge questions with no guidance as his questions are banned and he needs to be cured for the good of all.

Review: Colemans’ challenging drama details the struggles of a young teenage boy facing a crisis of belief as he questions that of the prescribed norm. In a world where science is supreme and faith in any god is outlawed, an orphaned boy must decide if it is better to question the beliefs of the masses or remain silent. In a Utilitarian State, where parents can give their children to the State to be raised in work-house type environments, the boy struggles with issues of belief, acceptance and self-awareness.

The Cure presents an interesting perspective on intolerance and the dangers in not accepting others. Issues of faith, acceptance, religious intolerance and loyalty are addressed as well as self-assuredness and the questioning of authority. This book brings to mind Orwellian worlds and it may be difficult for less mature readers to accept the material. Reading it requires active engagement by the reader. The book raises a variety of issues which can be related to historical events like the holocaust, and current events like the genocide in Darfur, as intolerance is manifest in the work. This book raises issues which many young adults may have no previous awareness of, such as the forced administration of drugs to control behavior, and brain surgery to achieve desired compliance in non-conformists.

2007-09-21