The Cure

Rating:
Summary: Very Disappointing-try another book
Review: (...)
Gemm 16884 is willing to do anything to avoid being killed, even undertake the dangerous and mysterious Cure. Deemed unique in a utopian society of conformity due to his persistence in making music, Gemm is classified as dangerous. He will be recycled-unless he can successfully complete The Cure. So in a final attempt to survive, Gemm becomes Johannes, a Jewish musician during the Black Death epidemic. As Johannes, Gemm receives his first taste of love and pain. Will he ever be the same after experiencing emotions? Of course he won't. Although Sonia Levitin explores the complexity of love, racism, individuality, and human nature in The Cure, the plot is predictable and weak. I do not recommend this book.

The Cure could have been a good book because it has multi-dimensional characters and a strong theme. However, Levitin did not choose to craft a powerful plot around these elements; instead, she chose an exhausted storyline. Countless books have already been written about a futuristic society where individuality is scorned, among them two great classics: Anthem and The Giver. The Cure is obviously evocative of these two books, almost as if the author followed a blueprint for a traditional sci-fi novel while writing. However, unlike its predecessors, the end of The Cure does not catch you by surprise, and the characters barely develop.

In addition, The Cure is a slightly confusing, sluggishly paced book. Levitin had a good idea for a story, but did not execute it well. Consequently, the main idea is unclear and muddled. If you hunger for a book about the future, read The Giver or Anthem instead.

Rating:
Summary: The Cure
Review: Have you ever had the same dream over again? Well, Gemm 16884 did. For several months, Gemm kept dreaming the same thing. What could this mean? This is just one event that occurs in The Cure, a great realistic fiction book by Sonia Levitin. Gemm lives in the time of tranquility, 2407. Gemm is given a choice between being recycled (death), or undergoing a mysterious and painful cure. Gemm chooses the cure. But by choosing the cure, Gemm suddenly finds himself living the life of Johannas, a sixteen-year-old Jewish musician in Strasbourg, Germany, in the year of 1348, on the onset of Black Death. The town people start to accuse Jews of causing the decease, as the pestilence spreads. What would you do?

Sonia Levitin is also well known for some of her other books. Some of them are Beyond Another Door, The Return, and Sliver Days.

Some strong points of this book are that she had facts in the book, about the cure, and life in this time period. And she fit them in nicely, not just throwing them it. But some weak points of this book are that other then the happening of "the cure" there isn't a lot more action going on. This book may be difficult to read if you don't know a lot of the history, but it will be valuable to you if you are interested in learning about Jews and there challenges many years ago. Will you have to undergo a mysterious cure someday?

Rating:
Summary: The Cure
Review: I just finished reading the book "The Cure" by Sonis Levtin. I think this book was very well written. Even though the ideas and subjects in the book are not usually things I am interested in. I also like that the main character was a 16 year old and I could really relate to him opposed to an older person. The book kept me reading even though the subjects I was reading about would not usually appeal to me anywhere else. But Sonia Levitin did a very good job keeping this book exciting and interesting.
I think this book really changed my point of different reading subjects and how books can portray them like any other way there might be.

Rating:
Summary: Great for scifi fans AND Jewish history fans
Review: I originally picked up this book because it reminded me of The Giver by Lois Lowry, an absolutely fabulous book that I recommend to anyone who enjoys The Cure. I originally thought I'd love reading about Gemm 16884 and tolerate reading about Johannes in order to understand Gemm better. I was pleasantly suprised to find myself enthralled by both of the main characters. I've read books on the holocaust in the past, including Number the Stars by Lois Lowry and The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen, and enjoyed seeing the differences and similarites between that period of Jewish history and the one portrayed in this wonderful book. The Cure also provides a look at ignorance and prejudice on two levels, again showing differences and similarities. The underlying message of freedom and acceptance is anything but corny and cliche. And it had just enough of a scifi twist to satisfy me, a die-hard science-fiction fanatic.

Rating:
Summary: The Cure
Review: The Cure by Sonia Levitin is a very unique and spectacular novel. Levitin ingeniously brings the reader into two totally different worlds that are set 500 years apart. She does a great job of explaining the attitudes of people at two different time periods.
Gemm 16884 is having issues. He is creating and hearing music. Music in this utopia is a sheer sin. The authorities try to help Gemm discard his musical abilities, but they can't. Thus, the high elders leave Gemm with two choices. He can either be "recycled" (killed) or can undertake a cure, which is unlike anything he has ever been through or witnessed. Nevertheless, Gemm takes the cure option.
This cure takes us back into the medieval ages. We are found in Stroasburg Germany where Gemm has become Johannes, a Jew who is a talented musician and son to a moneylender. At this time the black plague was spreading. Everyone blamed the Jews for starting and spreading the plague. Because of this, Johannes is faced with many life and threatening obstacles that keeps the reader entertained.
Levitin does an excellent job of distinctly bringing us into two different worlds. She was really able to alter the way the characters spoke in the future and the past. Levitin also does a great job with the setting. She is able to use these little details that can really give you a great picture of the place the characters are in.
What kept me reading this narrative was to find out how Johannes would be cured. I also wanted to see how Gemm was able to get through all the hostilities he faced and what would happen to his family.

Rating:
Summary: The Cure
Review: The Cure is the heroic tale of two very similiar people from different times. One from a perfect society in the future, a future allowing no emotions or diversity in any way. The other character a jewish boy from Strasbourg, at the time of the Black Death. The Cure is a page turner, expressing both the hate and the love one can feel towards another, while also giving you a lesson of the hardship of the jews in Strasbourg. This book mixes the harsh truth of our past and the grim possibility of our future. I loved it.

Rating:
Summary: Does not wrap-up well
Review: The Cure was a very interesting book about a futuristic boy named Gemm 16884. In this time the human race has decided to eliminate racism and emotion by requiring that everyone to wear masks and pretend as if their feelings do not exist. Because music is considered to bring emotion to humans, and Gemm 16884 can not stop making it he takes part in a experimental cure where he take on the role of a Jewish musician in Midlevel Europe named Johannes. While he's Johannes he does not remember his life as Gemm 16884, but Gemm 16884 will remember the experiences of pain, joy and love. He struggles to keep his faith even though the majority of the populous feels he is the reason for the plague which has just begun it's onset of death on the European continent. The strongest point in this book is its interesting story line. It keeps you begging for more and more as you get deeper and deeper into the story. You can not put it down. The story is just that good. I would say that the flow is a little shaky but her attention to detail makes up for it. However, it's the plot and the ideas behind it that just draws you farther into the life of Gemm 16884 who is later Johannes. You root for him and hate his enemies as he does. You feel sympathy for his losses hope for his endeavors and wonder how it will all turn out in the end.

Rating:
Summary: The Cure
Review: The Cure was a very interesting book about a futuristic boy named Gemm 16884. In this time the human race has decided to eliminate racism and emotion by having every one ware masks and pretending as if their emotion does not exist. Because music is considered to bring emotion to humans, and Gemm 16884 ca not stop making it he takes part in a experimental cure where he take on the role of a Jewish musician in Midlevel Europe named Johannes. Johannes while he does not remember his life as Gemm 16884 experiences pain, joy and love. He struggles to keep his faith even though the majority of the populous feel is the reason for the plague which has just begun it's onset of death on the European continent. The strongest point in this book is its interesting story line. It keeps you begging for more and more as you get deeper and deeper into the story. You ca not put it down. The story is just that good. I would say that the flow is a little shaky but her attention to detail makes up for it. However, it's the plot and the ideas behind it that just draws you deeper into the life of Gemm 16884 who is later Johannes. You root for him and hate his enemies as he does. You feel sympathy for his losses hope for his endeavors and wonder how it will all tern out in the end.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: The Cure was a very interesting book about a futuristic boy named Gemm 16884. In this time the human race has decided to eliminate racism and emotion by requiring that everyone to wear masks and pretend as if their feelings do not exist. Because music is considered to bring emotion to humans, and Gemm 16884 can not stop making it he takes part in a experimental cure where he take on the role of a Jewish musician in Midlevel Europe named Johannes. While he's Johannes he does not remember his life as Gemm 16884, but Gemm 16884 will remember the experiences of pain, joy and love. He struggles to keep his faith even though the majority of the populous feels he is the reason for the plague which has just begun it's onset of death on the European continent. The strongest point in this book is its interesting story line. It keeps you begging for more and more as you get deeper and deeper into the story. You can not put it down. The story is just that good. I would say that the flow is a little shaky but her attention to detail makes up for it. However, it's the plot and the ideas behind it that just draws you farther into the life of Gemm 16884 who is later Johannes. You root for him and hate his enemies as he does. You feel sympathy for his losses hope for his endeavors and wonder how it will all turn out in the end.

Rating:
Summary: read this!!!!!
Review: this book is amazing! it follows a boy named gemm 16884. gemm 16884 lives in a futuristic, perfect society. in this society everyone is perfect and doesnt know love or pain or practically and emotion. they live by conformity and see diversity as a horrible, troubling, bad thing. gemm 16884 is different though...he hears music. music is not known to anyone and therefore he is different. the elders of this society want to make him go through the cure to be cured of this monstrous thing he hears,music. gemm 16884 goes through this program where he becomes a jew named johannes living in germany in the year 1348. at this time jews weren't treated like regular people. they were treated badly and dehumanized. this book follows johannes and in a way gemm 16884 is living through him. after all the hardships johannes goes through in a year, gemm 16884 wakes up, only a day passing in his society. he saw all the things and emotions johannes went through. he experianced love, pain, hatred, and many things. the pain was so great he didnt want to hear music and be reminded of the horrible things johannes went through. he wanted to conform and be like everyone else. however, at the end of the book, gemm 16884 realizes how much there is out there, like love and music. this book is wonderful and just pulls you in. this is by far my favorite book.