Lizard Radio

July 6, 2015
Schmatz (Bluefish) explores gender and identity in this dreamlike coming-of-age story, set in a future society where one’s gender is identified and reinforced as early as possible. Fifteen-year-old Kivali is one of the rare “benders,” those who score right in the middle and who could go either way; she refuses to choose and is thus marked as noncompliant. She’s sent to CropCamp, an agricultural labor institution for teens being prepped for adulthood, where she makes new friends and develops a crush on the beautiful Sully, whose capricious charms spark something deep within. But as the camp director pressures Kivali to pick a gender, a role, and a direction, Kivali continues to resist, certain that something weird is going on at CropCamp. Schmatz conjures up sympathetic characters and an intriguing premise, but her jargon-heavy world can be difficult to get into, and some explanations never present themselves. While the story’s stylistic quirks may alienate some readers, it’s still a thoughtful and intriguing look at the teenage search for identity. Ages 14–up. Agent: David Bennett, Transatlantic Literary Agency.

Starred review from July 1, 2015

Gr 8 Up-All great heroes begin with mythical origins. Fifteen-year-old Kavali is no exception. When she was a baby, she was abandoned on a sidewalk, swaddled in a T-shirt with a lizard printed on the front. Since then, she has questioned her true identity. Is she a boy or a girl? A lizard or a human? This work is set in the not-too-distant future, in which the government closely monitors gender, occupation, and emotion. When Kavali is thrown into CropCamp, a camp where teenagers learn how to grow organic crops as initiation into adulthood, she begins to question whether she should forfeit her individuality to become a cooperative part of society. Ultimately, Kavali rises above the challenges, discovers her true origins, and makes her own destiny. The themes in Schmatz's novel surpass in complexity many of its contenders in YA dystopian fiction. The author's storytelling unravels question upon question for readers, not only about Kavali but also about the power of free will. VERDICT An entertaining and thought-provoking read, this title will be a big hit for those who want something deeper from their dystopian fiction.-Jaclyn Anderson, Madison County Library System, MS

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 15, 2015
In a dystopian future, Kivali Kerwin, nicknamed Lizard, is sent to prepare for adulthood at a government-run CropCamp. Lizard's adoptive family has always resisted authority, but attending camp as a teen makes it easier to avoid being sent to the prisonlike Blight as an adult. As a midrange bender-roughly equivalent, in today's terms, to having a nonbinary gender-Lizard is at risk of being sent to Blight. At camp, Lizard unexpectedly forms deep connections to other campers. At the same time, Lizard increasingly suspects something sinister behind the camp's strong community spirit and the seemingly kind mentorship of director Ms. Mischetti. The world here is revealed gradually. The poetic, evocative prose is littered with unfamiliar neologisms-"skizzer," "Mealio," "vape"-with the expectation that readers will either pick up their meanings from context or be willing to wonder. Some words prove more useful than contemporary vocabulary: when Lizard develops a crush on a female camper, the word "jazz"-denoting everything from flirtation to sexual acts-provides a simple but startlingly effective way to talk about sexuality and attraction. Mischetti's warm leadership and disarming tendency to acknowledge disturbing rumors make her a dangerous enemy and mean Lizard's mission is more complicated than simply uncovering the truth. Sophisticated, character-driven science fiction, as notable for its genderqueer protagonist as for its intricate, suspenseful plot. (Science fiction. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2015
Grades 9-12 In her second novel, Schmatz (Bluefish, 2011) creates a world not completely unlike our own but with some interesting, though occasionally obscure, twists. Newly arrived at a CropCamp, where she will experience community and the gateway to adult life, is 15-year-old Kivali, a bender who has scored 52 on a gender test; one point higher and she would have been forced to transition to a boy. Now, still a girl, she finds herself powerfully attracted to an older girl, Sully, who is clearly trouble. Does this mean Kivali is a samer? And might she find the answers in Lizard Radio, the trancelike meditations during which she hears voices that she can almost understand? Answers remain fugitive for a very long time in this moderately paced book, impeded in part by a host of neologismsnot only bender and samer but also vape, culpas, expuls, frods, and more. Nevertheless, for patient and careful readers there are rewarding revelations rooted in character development. An open ending suggests the possibility of a sequel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)