CANDOR by Pam Bachorz

Candor is the ideal place to live.  The houses are beautiful, the town is picturesque, and the kids are perfect.  That is as long as the music is playing.

Oscar Banks lives in Candor.  He has lived there for most of his life.  Actually this wonderful town is the creation of his father Campbell Banks.  The family needed to get away from Chicago and the memories of a terrible accident that took the life of Winston Banks, Oscar's older brother.  Mr. Banks designed Candor to be a model community, and now there is a waiting list of people hoping to move there and live happily ever after.

Of course, there's a catch.  Creating a pretty location is one thing, but how does one control those who come there to live?  The answer is brainwashing.  Mr. Banks uses subliminal messages hidden in music to create perfect residents for his perfect community.  The minute prospective clients enter Candor, they are subjected to constant music.  The messages tell them they want to live there, and once they do, the messages keep them on the straight and narrow path of ideal citizens.

Oscar has been aware of his father's methods for quite some time.  Using his father's own special technology, Oscar has created alternative messages that have allowed him to resist being brainwashed like the rest of the population.  In fact, he has his own rather profitable business going.  When he finds a new young resident with access to large quantities of cash, he reveals the secret of Candor and offers to make it possible for them to escape.  Business is good until Oscar meets and falls in love with Candor's newest resident, Nia.

CANDOR by Pam Bachorz is sure to stick with readers beyond the turning of the last page.  She has created a scary yet fascinating place where good intentions have run amok.  Every normal (or rebellious) teen who reads CANDOR will no doubt have at least a dream (nightmare) or two about what would happen if their parents learned of such a place.  Enjoy!