Rebelwing

December 1, 2019

Gr 7 Up-As a long, complicated partition war heats up, book smuggler Pru finds herself front and center. A sentient mechanical dragon has implanted on her and chosen her to be its pilot, with riveting dragon-flying sequences. The plot thickens as she and another student engage in some covert espionage work-attempting to use PDA as subterfuge only to succumb to genuine romantic tension. Meanwhile, a complicated political landscape proves difficult for readers to navigate, with Pru's mother seeming at times too profane and hip to be believable as a political powerhouse. Although the book attempts to sell itself as dystopia, it reads like fantasy. The mech dragon and the genetic linear passage of mech control speak to fantasy or perhaps space opera. That being said, the writing is excellent, the characters well drawn and the mech-dragon offers a unique spin (sometimes literally). The bond between Pru and the other dragon copilot is palpable. VERDICT Fantasy readers will be enthralled. Purchase for libraries looking to expand their speculative fiction with a new stand-alone title.-Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 9, 2019
In this exciting debut set in an alternate North America, a handful of independent cities, the Barricade Coalition, maintain the last bastion of democracy against former war mech manufacturer United Continental Confederacy Inc. Teen prep school student Prudence Wu is skilled at running contraband literature to the culture-starved citizens of UCC Inc. territory, despite rumors of the corporation’s wyvern legions. When a drop goes sour, she’s rescued by Rebelwing, a cybernetic dragon capable of choosing its own pilot. After Rebelwing imprints on her, she is drafted into the top-secret weapons program that developed it, joining her best friend, master strategist Anabel; acerbic engineer Cat; and Alex, a charming mech pilot, as the Coalition’s first line of defense against the UCC’s newest generation of weapons technology. Keen action sequences and an intriguing premise fuel this story, and interstitial sections featuring media reports and message boards delve into the background and current events. Though the ambitious worldbuilding sometimes slows pacing, Tang’s prose is snappy, Pru’s voice strikes a likeable balance between sarcastic and sincere, and the inclusive cast is fleshed out, making this an enjoyable tale of political conspiracy. Ages 12–up. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary.

December 15, 2019
On the brink of dystopia, a girl and a mechanical dragon help defend democracy in an alternate future Washington, D.C. Sassy prep schooler Prudence Wu smuggles banned media into Incorporated territory in order to supplement her meager scholarship. Though there are warnings of wyverns, war machines used during the Partition Wars, Pru cons her way past Barricade walls during a job and ends up on the run. A chance encounter with a frightening beast leads to her waking in her dorm with a blacked-out memory and a dragon mech imprinted on her mind. In anime-like fashion, with the help of her well-connected best friend and highly placed allies, Pru reluctantly agrees to pilot the dragon Rebelwing. The author deftly flies between levity and heartbreak, cracking jokes and inserting astute historical and political commentary into a setting where survivors of wars past struggle with fears for the future. Interludes featuring student chat boards and newsfeeds offer a fuller picture of events, however sometimes they are jarring, especially when they appear in the middle of action scenes. This will appeal to fans of mecha anime; young, fumbling romance; and stories about superintelligent teens trying the save the world. Prudence is ethnically Chinese, and the diverse supporting cast includes Korean, Latinx, and queer characters. An exciting adventure. (Science fiction. 13-17)

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November 15, 2019
Grades 9-12 Following a recent civil war, North America has split into two states: the Barricade Coalition, which champions free thought, and the United Continental Confederacy (UCC), whose residents follow strict censorship laws under a corporate government. Barricader Prudence Wu is a scholarship student struggling to get through prep school who also runs a side job smuggling banned media across the border. When a client rats her out to the UCC police, Pru narrowly avoids arrest. Luckily, she's saved by a sentient, mechanical dragon, but the creature's sudden attachment to her draws Pru into another conflict brewing between the Coalition and the UCC. With the help of her friends, Pru works on a high-risk government project to combat the UCC's growing technological threat. In Tang's debut, cybernetic dragons and robotic hybrids clash as readers follow a lovable cast through the political machinations of war. A theme exploring artistic expression is intriguing and necessary, though it feels underdeveloped within the larger story, begging for a deeper examination in what's sure to be an exciting sequel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)