A gutsy debut that will leave readers wanting more.
A teenager who sells memories for a living gets tangled up in a risky assignment while being tracked by the authorities.
Eighteen-year-old Liv Newman works for LifeCorp, a company that manufactures and sells “everything from toothbrushes to televisions—the goods that keep the entire Metro going.” She’s an EmoProxy—someone who’s been mechanically modified to sell memories, or Scraps, and enhance the productivity of wealthy Uppers in a futuristic Boston. Liv, who’s cued Black, is from the Lowers, a community built by the residents whose labor keeps the Metro running but who are unable to reap the benefits of their work. When she’s offered a lucrative job in the dangerous Outerlands, far beyond the surveilled city, she must figure out how to survive until payday. Before venturing on her mysterious assignment, Liv meets rookie Forceman Adrian Rao, a loyal, young, brown-skinned officer also employed by LifeCorp, which he credits with saving his life after he was left in the Metro by his Outerlands raider family. Their serendipitous meeting takes them on an adventure during which they test their limits as their feelings toward each other evolve, a journey narrated in their alternating voices. Tew’s fantastic contribution to the genre is full of heart. Themes such as class, labor, and ethics lie at the center of the story, which also features plenty of action, contributing to the enjoyable pacing. Fans of writers such as N.K. Jemisin and Octavia Butler are in for a treat.
A gutsy debut that will leave readers wanting more. (map) (Dystopian romance. 12-adult)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9780593710357
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK TO SCREEN
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