Adlington, L.J. The Diary of Pelly D

Kliatt, May, 2005 by Michele Winship

ADLINGTON, L.J. The Diary of Pelly D. HarperCollins, Greenwillow. 288p. c2005. 0-06-0766158. $15.99. JS

Toni V and Pelly D are as different as night and day. Toni V grew up in poverty and now works on the Demolition Crew sent to the ruined City Five to excavate and rebuild following the War. Pelly D is a spoiled rich girl whose diary he finds buried in the city plaza and reads in secret, breaking the Rules and Regulations. Their stories, then and now, entwine as Toni V finds out what happened to Pelly D following the DNA tests that tagged people from each of the three major gene pools propagated on the planet during Colonial times. On a planet inhabited in the not-too-distant future, humans still haven't learned the lessons of the past, and the results are, once again, devastating as they turn against each other in the quest for superiority and genetic purity.

Adlington has created a SF world where humans have adapted to their physical environment, but haven't yet learned how to live in harmony with their differences. In alternating chapters, Toni V and Pelly D leave their self-absorbed innocence behind as they each begin to recognize the hate and distrust in the world around them. Inspired by the diaries discovered at the site of the Warsaw Ghetto, this story is both poignant and chilling, and an excellent companion to historical Holocaust literature. Michele Winship, Asst. Prof., Capital Univ., Columbus, OH

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.