The Diary of Pelly D [Hardcover]

L. J. Adlington (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 29, 2005

This is the diary of Pelly D. It,s totally secret, so if you are reading it I hate you already.

The notebook is wrapped in faded brown paper, sealed in a battered water can. Toni V, who works on the City Five demolition crew, unearths it as he's drilling through concrete. He shouldn't smuggle it back to his room, and he definitely shouldn't read it. But he does. At first, Toni V thinks Pelly D is rich, stupid, and petty. Yet he can't help starting to care for her, especially as she begins to write about the gene tagging, the bombs, and the fighting. Her words slowly reveal the chilling state of her world. What happened to Pelly D? Toni V needs to know. He has only one clue:

Dig—dig everywhere.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10–Tony V is part of a crew of drillers excavating the ruins of City 5. While working, he finds a diary hidden in the plaza. Although keeping items from the digs is forbidden, he takes it and begins to read during his free time. It belongs to a girl named Pelly D, who is pretty, popular, and wealthy. But something changes in her life when everyone is required to be tested for gene ancestry, and she turns out to be Galrezi, one of the undesirable genetic strains that society has turned against. Readers witness the shift in Pelly D's life and its inevitable conclusion. The author has clearly based the book on the Holocaust, but the lack of background information about this fictional world leaves readers confused about the true cause of the genocide. Unfortunately, while they get a lot of details about Pelly D's vibrant, glittering rich life, her time in the ghetto is less complete. The true horrors of what is happening are muted until the end of the book, taking away much of its power. The concept is interesting and the world of Tony V is well rendered, but in the end, the novel disappoints.–Tasha Saecker, Caestecker Public Library, Green Lake, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 8-12. A young driller breaking up rubble in war-devastated City Five unearths an old water can with a diary inside and then breaks Rules and Regulations by keeping it, rather than surrendering it to the authorities. So begins Toni V's relationship with the diarist, Pelly D, a teen who, before the war, had it all. Toni V enters the everyday thoughts and experiences of a privileged girl who, despite her societal status, may not be protected when the most powerful of the planet's three genetic clans demands all citizens be identified and sorted by genetic type. Although inspired by the buried diaries found in the Warsaw Ghetto, Adlington has crafted an original and disturbing dystopian fantasy told in a smart and sympathetic teen voice. Particularly skillful is the author's use of setting and detail to build slowly toward a full revelation of the unique physical, psychological, and political worlds Pelly D and Toni V inhabit. This provocative addition to the growing body of dystopian literature for teens is a disturbing book that shouldn't be missed. Holly Koelling
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (March 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060766158
• ISBN-13: 978-0060766153
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,699,275 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars unusual and disturbing, December 13, 2005

By 

terryannlibrarian "terryann" (phoenix) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Diary of Pelly D (Library Binding)

pelly d's diary is a haunting sci-fi read. the author seems to have little hope for the future of humankind. even though we have moved on to other planets, evolved to have gills, and created new worlds, we (humans) are still a bunch of prejudiced you know whats...rings true. sigh.
the ending leaves the reader with more questions than when the book started, which keeps it in your head for long after you've put it down. i keep hearing that its a new take on the holocaust, but i didn't see it as clearly as that. it was a war book and felt real, but whether it was based on the holocaust is incidental to me...it was definately genocide though, and the book is scary for sure.
though provoking and a good read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The life of a girl in the future., March 11, 2006

By 

Toni Masters - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Diary of Pelly D (Hardcover)

The people have already left Earth, and have moved on to a different planet. Technology has increased in remarkable ways, and we have developed gills. Pelly D lives a privileged life and has everything that she wanted. But she discoveres a terrible secret and nightmares become reality.

This book was disturbing and very strange. The book is a great science fiction read, and it will make you think about what the future truly holds for us, humans.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A futuristic war diary, March 25, 2006

By 

Jessica Lux (Rosamond, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Diary of Pelly D (Hardcover)

As L.J. Adlington's author biography states, her first novel, The Diary of Pelly D, is based on her long time interest in war diaries. The novel is told from the point of view of Tony V, a teenager working on the Citry Five demolition screw. During his work, he discovers the pure fluff of the diary of Pelly D, buried in the old city plaza.

Although she doesn't know it (and refuses to admit when chaos is upon her), Pelly D has written the ultimate war diary, which provides Tony V insight into a historical conflict which was largely covered up by the government. Pelly D is a privileged leader of "cool" who loses everything in the new world order of gene profiling and limited resources. Her journal is that of a rich, petty girl who still manages to endear herself to Tony V and the reader.

My chief complaint about this book is the over-dawn exposition. Adlington spends far too long in the world of scientific and political terms that are foreign to the reader. Discussing this book with librarians and teachers, I've found that several people abandoned the book due to the frustratingly vague opening chapters. I encourage readers to make it to at least the mid-point before making a decision on the novel. The journey is well worth it once the story picks up in the second half.