name that book!

Insect Overlord

Hoping somebody here might be able to help me with this, I couldn't find anything on google, wiki, etc.

I had a book at home a few years ago which, unfortunately, I got rid of in a big clear-out some time ago.
The story was similar enough to Orwell's 1984 in that it portrayed a dystopian society, set in the not-too-distant future. The protagonist was a teenage boy. All citizens in the story were required to take "the Drink" every day. Unknown to them, this "Drink" was in fact a memory repressant used by the powers-that-be to prevent violence, crime, etc being born out of revenge. The plot follows the boy as he graudally discovers this truth, and is later sent away into forced labour after bringing "infected" material into his home (ie writing about events in a diary-like format so that he can remember them later) and carrying out acts of vandalism.

If anyone can help me find out what it was called I'd appreciate it!

LoLth

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dystopian_literature

you might spot it among those if you can remember the decade you read it in and if it was a newly published work then or an oldie.....

cailinoBAC

Thanks for that Loth! This isn't the book but when I read the OP it reminded me of this one and I couldn't remember the name until I saw your list...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Giver

biZrb

It sounds a little bit like Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

cailinoBAC

No, I don't think it's that...though I had to check the wiki summary to be sure, as I'd kind of forgotten Brave New World.

Stealdo

Have Brave New World sitting here on the desk beside me (only a chapter and half in but not the book this person is looking for). BNW is based on people being programmed through various mental and physical conditioning treatments as feotuses and young babies rather than drinking something.

biZrb

Well in Brave New World they take Soma, which is used as a method of contolling people or keeping people in a certain state of mind so thats why I mentioned it. Its a good book and should be read if anyone hasn't already!

randomguy

Rearranged some bookshelves this evening and saw a book that reminded me of this thread. It's years since I read it. Only the first half follows the description below, so it's a long shot - Ira Levin, This Perfect Day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Perfect_Day

Insect Overlord

Thanks everyone for your replies. Some of the books linked look pretty interesting. Unfortunately I am yet to find the book title I'm looking for. I'll search the house again just in case it shows up, and I'll post the title, author, etc if I ever find out.

Insect Overlord

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I finally found the old book I was looking for.
It was "The Vandal" by a writer called Ann Schlee, published 1979 by Macmillan.

I guess this thread can be locked now.