“5 to 1,” by Holly Bodger, Knopf Books for Young Readers, May 12, 2015, Hardcover, $17.99 (young adult)
It’s no secret that many cultures value males more than females. Holly Bodger’s “5 to 1” imagines what things would be like if the tables were turned.
It’s the year 2054, and after years of gender selection, India’s population consists of five boys for every girl. With such a disparity, women have become important. And women are tired of the state of things. So instead of choosing the highest bidder, the women form the country of Koyanagar and have created a series of tests so that every boy has the chance to win a wife.
The problem is, not every girl wants to be a wife. Not every girl wants to marry one of the five boys they’re presented with. And not every boy wants to marry the girl they’re fighting for. Sudasa is one such girl and Kiran is one such boy. Both are forced to play their role in the tests, and neither is willing to go down with a fight. As the tests progress, though, they realize they may just be on the same team.
“5 to 1” is unique in a number of ways, but one of the most beautiful and challenging is the alternating points of view — Sudasa’s in verse and Kiran’s in prose. At first, this approach is surprising and perhaps a little jarring, but as you get to know the characters, it makes perfect sense.
“5 to 1” is one of those books that does make you think. Because of the alternating points of view, it’s easy to place yourself in both character’s shoes, questioning what you would do if it were you forced into this situation. And because gender selection is actively practiced today, it’s not hard to imagine a future such as this one.
Holly Bodger’s prose is quiet and elegant. She uses great restraint, and the book is better for it. One of her best decisions was where to end the novel. It’s unexpected and a little frustrating — in many ways you feel as if the story is just beginning. By choosing to end at this particular chapter of Sudasa and Kiran’s lives, the author creates more questions, which keeps you thinking, and that is brilliant on her part.
