On a Clear Day

Starred review from August 15, 2014
Myers issues a rebellious call to action that chronicles how seven diverse teenagers respond to injustice in a globalized not-so-distant future. In 2035, giant multinationals control the world's major resources, engineering positive economic growth by exploiting worldwide social inequity. Change-embracing Dominican computer whiz and Bronx native Dahlia Grillo, the narrator, is one of seven teens who resist. The ragtag team of young activists has been drawn together from all over in hopes of making a difference, but they struggle to find direction and meaning. Soon they find themselves facing off with the young, charismatic Sayeed, who might be a terrorist, a revolutionary, both or neither. With such a lack of clarity, so many variables at play and the clock ticking, they must learn to trust in one another and work together. Myers' first posthumous release brings a narrative that fully embraces the richness of global cultures to the too-pale, too-monocultural dystopian market; its emphasis on the strength of collective action over individual heroics further distinguishes it from the bland masses. Dahlia's given cultural specificity with splashes of Spanish and an ode to Dominican home cooking. Readers are left to question what actions are possible, what actions are needed and what actions are right in a world where inaction is an impossibility.A clarion call from a beloved, much-missed master. (Science fiction. 12-16)

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October 1, 2014

Gr 7-10-Myers dips his toe into a genre not typically found in his canon with this futuristic dystopian series opener. Eight corporations (C8) have taken over the world and society is strictly classified between the haves and the have-nots. A team of eclectic characters band together to stand up to the corporations and ultimately fight a global terrorist. Effort has clearly been made to diversify this cast, including a smart Dominican female lead. The supporting characters are less fleshed out. Though there is a final climatic battle scene, most of the story deals with negotiation and strategic planning, rather than a violent confrontation. The first-person narration propels readers forward, though characters at times take surprising or unrealistic action. Fans of Myers's work will welcome his characteristic themes of class, gender, and race, though they may miss deeper character and plot development. Reluctant readers, however, will be attracted to the slim size and easy-to-follow plotline.-Carrie Shaurette, Dwight-Englewood School, Englewood, NJ

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2014
Grades 9-12 The year is 2035, and life is a struggle to survive. Gangs and fascistic mercenaries are everywhere, while the gap between rich and poor has become seemingly unbridgeable. Virtually everything is now controlled by C-8, the Central Eight companies. Michael, a former rocker determined to fight these corporate behemoths, puts together a group of six teens with varying abilities: Dahlia, the 16-year-old protagonist, is a computer whiz, while others include a chess champion, an ex-con, a soldier manqu', a wheelchair-bound former athlete, and a former Peace Corpstype volunteer. After the teens encounter a young North African, things heat up when they discover that he has come to America determined to foment violence. How is he involved with the C-8? How will the teens try to thwart the corporate plans to extend their influence even further? In his last book, Myers, who passed away in July, turned his thoughtful attention to matters of pressing global importance and issued an implicit challenge to his YA readers to become involved and make a difference. It makes for a stirring valedictory. High-Demand Backstory: The final book from the inimitable Myers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)