September 15, 2022
In 2098, as Nubian teens awaken to immense supernatural powers, they may become their people's saving grace--or confirm the prejudices of those who vilify them. The struggling Nubian Quarter, dubbed the Swamp, which exists in the remnants of lower Manhattan behind a precarious sea wall, houses Black and brown Caribbean refugees displaced by the climate emergencies of the 2080s. More privileged New Yorkers largely live in the Up High, a floating Jetsons-like marvel of future tech, away from the gang violence and rampant drug use. At High School 104, bookish Uzochi tries to ignore the biased, selectively taught history, remaining committed to his academic goals as a path out of the Swamp. When his powers of telepathy emerge, the accompanying responsibility is daunting. His cousin, Lencho, caught up in gang life, develops the ability to drain people's energy; he turns away from family and community in pursuit of power. Zuberi's powers allow her to see spirits and people's futures, but even she is unprepared for the coming threat. As powers once thought lost forever are rediscovered by younger Nubians, evil, manipulative Up High architect Krazen St. John aims to exploit them for his own purposes--and Lencho is particularly vulnerable to his lies and machinations. Throughout, connections between Nubians and the African diaspora are implied but confusingly explained in this near-future account of racial injustice that errs on the side of underexplained fantasy tropes. A justifiable critique of today that falls flat in imagining tomorrow. (Fantasy. 14-18)
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October 31, 2022
Entertainer Epps and Haynes (The Legacy of Jim Crow) explore class discrimination and climate change via three superpowered teens in this epic series opener. After a climate catastrophe displaced N.Y.C. citizens, the privileged wealthy developed and hid themselves away in sky cities known as the Up High, leaving the underprivileged to struggle in the derelict remains of lower Manhattan, with only a mammoth, ramshackle seawall as protection from rising sea levels and destructive weather. When Zuberi, Uzochi, and Lencho—teenage descendants of Nubian refugees to the U.S.—suddenly develop supernatural powers, their parents reveal that Nubians once had abilities that were lost but are now emerging in the new generation. Meanwhile, pro-Nubian philanthropist Krazen St. John is plotting a revolution using gifted Nubian children for his own ends, pitting the newly powered teens wishing to use their abilities for good against their kin. The discrimination and oppression experienced by the protagonists is believably rooted in contemporary reality. Epps and Haynes skillfully build emotional and narrative suspense by weaving the cast members’ conflicting needs and expectations into an explosive adventure. Ages 14–up.
November 1, 2022
Grades 7-12 In a postapocalyptic world ripped apart by the effects of climate change, New York has become a segregated landscape where the wealthy people, who live in an elaborate city known as Up High, are separated from the lower half of Manhattan, where the majority of the Nubians live. Zuberi, Uzochi, and Lencho are the children of Nubian refugees, and each soon finds they are developing powers that give them an advantage in their classist society. Epps and Haynes' characters are admirable; each of the narrators is given agency and motivation in a way that makes them memorable in their own right. Though the world building may seem a bit unfinished, the authors make interesting correlations between classicism, climate change, and the effects of racism that might spark some meaningful conversations among readers. Readers will find plenty of familiar sf and fantasy tropes here, but these are made fresh by the story highlighting the power of the African diaspora.
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December 1, 2022
Gr 7 Up-This team's action-packed Afrofuturist novel features multiple, seemingly unrelated perspectives that slowly come together in an explosive climax. In a near-future New York City, the stratification between the elite and the lower classes becomes literal; the wealthy live Up High in a sky city to avoid the effects of climate change, while those with less live on the ground, a crumbling seawall that's the only thing between them and annihilation. Zuberi, Lencho, and Uzochi are children of those who fled Nubia, a utopian society off the coast of West Africa, and each has their own approach to dealing with living in a society that views their Nubian heritage and refugee status as proof of their inferiority. But things are changing, and this new generation of Nubians is awakening to extraordinary powers-a legacy their families hid from them. Now, they will have to decide whether to leave their people behind and align with the rich and powerful Up High or find a way to help their own before it's too late. This novel offers a powerful critique of capitalism, classism, and racial injustice through the intertwining perspectives of Zuberi, Lencho, Uzochi, and Sandra, daughter of the manipulative Krazen St. John, the architect of Up High. The point-of-view characters are dynamic and engaging. While the relationships between Nubians and the African diaspora could be more clearly articulated, and the fantasy elements explored more in-depth, this novel combines a high-action plot with engaging characters and will keep readers on the edge of their seats. VERDICT A complext dystopian novel that will circulate well with fans of Black Panther, Tomi Adeyemi, and Roseanne A. Brown.-Ness Shortley
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