The Dividing Sky

Starred review from July 22, 2024
Debut author Tew presents a heart-racing dual-perspective dystopian romance set in a cyberpunk, ultra-capitalistic vision of 2460 America. LifeCorp, a leading technology company, has used its resources to save the United States from “total societal collapse” by merging urban areas into a privatized territory called the Metro, where every citizen is “technically a LifeCorp employee.” As a Proxy, 18-year-old Liv Newman uses her neurochip to sell memories to elite Metro-ites and, illegally, to citizens in the Lowers. Meanwhile, Adrian Rao, also 18, and his droid sidekick Nas maintain order as law-abiding Forcemen. When Adrian finally corners Liv for her indiscretions, she’s wiped her own memory. The pair are soon thrown together in a remote insurgent camp beyond Metro’s borders, where survival demands that they deny the ripening chemistry between them. In the characters’ “multiracial” society, employment defines social status and addictive, legalized drugs are used to increase productivity and complicity. Messy human emotions strain against technology and morality in this high-stakes story packed with slow-burn pining and plentiful tension, enriched by skillful worldbuilding and nods to Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. Liv and Adrian have brown skin. Ages 12–up. Agent:
Jennifer Azantian, Azantian Literary.

Starred review from August 15, 2024
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)

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August 1, 2024
Grades 8-12 LifeCorp: buying out entire nations to bring vigorously applied capitalism to people everywhere. Adrian, abandoned by wild raiders as a toddler, is a loyal police rookie grateful to have been rescued by LifeCorp; Liv, surrendered to a company workhouse as an infant, makes ends meet by working for a local crime lord. When a series of accidents sets the duo on an unplanned off-road adventure outside of LifeCorp's grasp, sparks abound. While character criticism of LifeCorp is not scarce and vivid scenes worthy of classic techno-dystopian novels pepper the narrative, a lack of clarity about the beneficiaries of the LifeCorp system mutes any intended social commentary. However, the narrative focus on the beauty in nature and humanity, ushered along by quotes from Thoreau's Walden, makes the growing relationship between Adrian and Liv come across in living color. This focus, along with succinct but descriptive prose, makes the reading experience atmospheric and fully immersive. Overall, a simple, sweet romance with dystopian flavor and a hopeful ending that is perfect for genre beginners.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from October 1, 2024

Gr 8 Up-When Liv Newman gets the opportunity to secure enough credits to free her found family from life as Lowers, nothing will stop her. All she has to do is make her way to the Outerlands, record a Scrap (a memory) of the stars, and deliver it to her client, Mr. Preston. No big deal, except the Outerlands is riddled with dangers, full of raiders, and Liv has never set foot outside the Metro. Meanwhile, Adrian Rao is on the hunt for Liv, determined to find and arrest her. But when he does find her, she has no memory and is not at all who he thought she was. He finds himself frustratingly captivated by her beauty and spirit. Both Liv and Adrian question everything they thought they knew-about themselves, about each other, the Outerlands, the Metro-and find hope for a life they never would have thought possible. Tew rockets back and forth between Liv and Adrian's perspectives, building readers' understanding of the year 2364 through their eyes and experiences. This has the effect of solidifying a deep emotional investment for readers. Tew touches on tough topics like drug addiction, loss of parents, and blossoming teen sexuality in ways that are relatable and approachable. VERDICT A masterpiece of speculative, postapocalyptic fiction that demands to be devoured in a night or two, this is a white-knuckle ride into the future that is both moving and frightening. If Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sower were written for teens, it might look like Tew's debut.-Amira Walker

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