Under This Forgetful Sky

June 5, 2023
In a dystopian world plagued by environmental devastation and economic disparity, two teens embark on a dangerous adventure for a cure to a mysterious illness in Yero’s intense sci-fi debut. Sixteen-year-old Rumi Sabzwari—who has never left St. Iago’s fortified walls, which protect its citizens from the environmental wasteland beyond it—feels unfulfilled by the luxurious lifestyle of the Upper City. When a group of rebels infect his father with a fatal virus, Rumi spontaneously leaves, seeking a cure beyond St. Iago’s walls. Now in the destitute land of Paraíso, Rumi meets 15-year-old Paz, who offers to help Rumi find the curandera who could heal his father. Unbeknownst to Rumi, however, Paz is secretly a spy for the revolutionaries who poisoned his father, intending to use Rumi to help the rebels take down the Upper City. But as the pair develop romantic feelings, they both struggle to reconcile their pasts. The fully fleshed-out characters and their distinctly human connections juxtapose the delicately crafted sci-fi world. Through nuanced depictions of Rumi and Paz’s differing upbringings, Yero molds a convincing dystopian society that explores how technological advancements and political corruption can affect future generations. Characters read as Latinx. Ages 14–up. Agent: Andrea Somberg, Harvey Klinger Literary.

July 1, 2023
A pair of star-crossed lovers find each other against the backdrop of a devastated futuristic world in what was once Chile. A 16-year-old from one of the advanced, privileged Upper Cities, Rumi Sabzwari, who is of Pakistani descent, has only known life behind the walls of St. Iago. But when his father is deliberately infected with a fatal virus by the rebel faction Las Oscuras, Rumi crosses over to the forbidden Lower City of Para�so, desperately hoping to find a cure. Fifteen-year-old Paz Valenzuela-Valenzuela is from Para�so, a city ravaged by climate change, pandemics, and poverty and falling apart at the seams. Like many in her environmentally toxic community, brown-skinned Latine Paz is disabled; she was born with an atrophied right arm. Some say these are marks of humanity's sins. Possessing a revolutionary soul and drawn to flirting with danger, Paz considers joining the rebels bent on upending the current world order. When Rumi's and Paz's paths cross, they are both prisoners: Unexpectedly thrown together, they find themselves momentarily allied when Paz--working undercover for the rebels--agrees to be Rumi's guide and spy on him. But the more Paz gets to know Rumi, the less she feels she can betray him. Blending a star-crossed romance and a dystopian world of haves and have-nots, this intricate novel explores the topics of power dynamics, inequality, and revolution with nuance. The gorgeous writing and emotionally impactful character arcs fully deliver on the darkness of the premise. Heartbreaking and heartfelt. (maps, author's note) (Dystopian. 14-18)

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October 27, 2023

Gr 9 Up-When 16-year-old Rumi's father becomes infected with an unknown strain of a deadly virus while on government business, the teen breaks the law and ventures outside the armored walls of St. Iago in search for a cure. As he travels he meets Paz, a girl working for the Library in Para�so as a scout, gathering data and items for them every day. Secretly, Paz finds she shares many of the beliefs of Las Oscuras, the group responsible for infecting Rumi's father, and joins them, agreeing to accompany and keep an eye on Rumi on her first mission for them. As they journey together to find a curandera who may hold a cure, Rumi finds that the people outside the walls are not as they've been portrayed in the Upper City, and Paz begins to discover her own truths, both growing feelings for one another that will change the direction of their lives drastically. Set in a futuristic Chile where the people of St. Iago use specs to hide what the world truly looks like and those outside struggle to survive, Yero's novel is a love story, adventure tale, and science fiction work that reflects actions and events in our present world, causing readers to reflect inwardly and on the world around. VERDICT A unique and heart-pounding novel with an unexpected ending readers won't soon forget, this is highly recommended for young adult collections.-Selenia Paz

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