City of Beasts

September 1, 2019

Gr 10 Up-In a postapocalyptic Western New York, women (fees) live on Grand Island and men (beasts) in Buffalo, separated not only by a river, but also by fear and desire for power. Glori and her family hide a dangerous secret that threatens them all-a little brother she adores, born of a horrific incident that has left her mother without a voice. When he is kidnapped by the beasts, Glori and her best friend do the forbidden by crossing the river to find him. Raised to hate and fight against beasts, they are leery of men in general, but if they don't trust the ones who truly want to help, finding Two Five will be impossible. Wang creates believable young characters who, while products of their elders and environments, learn to trust themselves and each other to forge a meaningful path toward a peaceful partnership, both during the events of the story and in their shared future. Explicit violence, language, and sexual references make this exploration of gender relations and survival behavior a better fit for mature readers. VERDICT Readers who enjoy the fast-paced desperation of Jay Kristoff's "Lifelike" series and Meg Rosoff's How I Live Now will appreciate the pulse-pounding intensity of this thriller.-Kerry Sutherland, Akron-Summit County Public Library, OH

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2019
The nuclear fallout that destroyed most of civilization left room for something new: a society of fees, finally free from inequality and hate, even if they are still surrounded by beasts. Glori's family has a secret: A beast lives with them, born after Glori's mother was kidnapped from their island by beasts and brutalized. Despite the beast's dark conception, to Glori it is just Twofer, and she knows it's good--there's no way it's like other beasts. When Twofer is also kidnapped, Glori leaves the safety of her community to rescue him. There, she finds the beasts are violent and dangerous, but they are also intriguing and more varied than she could have imagined, just like fees. Which is good, because working with the beasts is the only way to save Twofer. Glori and most others her age are multiracial; there are also some explicitly Chinese characters. Though set in post-apocalyptic America, society has clearly been influenced by several cultures, especially East Asian. The treatment of gender and sexuality also avoids falling prey to overarching generalities: Glori, the beasts, and the readers all have something to learn about gender, difference, and relationships, whether in the present or the apocalypse. Quirky characters offset darker themes, making this a brutal yet optimistic portrayal of a possible future. A post-apocalypse scenario combining ethics and action explores whether society can be taken apart and rebuilt for the better. (Science fiction. 14-18)

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July 8, 2019
After a nuclear event leaves the world in ruins, the women (“fees”) of Buffalo gather for safety and form a women’s-only community on an isolated island. Glori, granddaughter of the community’s founder, is part of the last generation of children born before radiation caused widespread sterility. Though she has been raised to fear and protect herself against the male “beasts” across the water, she has a soft spot for her little brother, Twofer, born under mysterious circumstances and kept a secret. When the beasts take him, she sets off to bring him back, encountering some men who are just as bad as she expected. But she also finds kindness and generosity, especially from Sway, the boy who becomes her guide to the world outside her island, and together they discover that people of all genders are capable of monstrous acts as well as comfort and kindness. As Glori and Sway grow closer, they begin to imagine their city united, but first they’ll have to foil a plot to kill every beast in Buffalo. A page-turning dystopian novel that explores the divisions that differences can engender and the things that can, sometimes, mend them. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sarah Burnes, the Gernert Company.