The Downsiders Essay Example

Downsiders is a fourteen year old boy named Talon who Lindsay describes as "long-haired, odd-clothed, and unusual-smelling"(14) Talon is brave and holds strong in his beliefs as a Downsider until he meets Lindsay, that's not to say that he doesn't do his fair share of rule-bending.

Railborn and Gutta are Talon's lifelong friends (or so he thought. ) Then there is The Champ. The Champ is, closely, seventy years old and lives in an unfilled swimming pool in New York. He might be described as “missing a few pickets from his little white fence. ”(78) He and Talon sometimes play Monopoly in the empty pool, but Talon is a Downsider and The Champ is a Topsider so he is technically breaking the number one rule that a “Downsider must never set foot on Topside ground” (34) and especially not meet one of the Topsiders.

In reality, Talon basically broke every rule in the book when he met Lindsay. But soon they become friends and then lovers, but their worlds clash and the Downside community might be discovered if drastic action isn't taken immediately. Talon knows that none of this would have happened if he hadn't met Lindsay, but he doesn't regret meeting her. He likes spending time with her even though it is strictly forbidden. Lindsay feels the same way, but they have to do something before the Downside community is discovered.

Sometimes the plot goes too far into long detail and there are a few weak spots. The characters are a little hard to imagine at first and there are many points of view. As you read through the novel, you

might conclude that the theme or lesson of this book is that there are some things in life that are better off left alone. Overall, though, this is an exciting and entertaining story that will please fans of adventure, science fiction, and fantasy.