Mystic City

September 3, 2012
Several generations into climate change, parts of Manhattan are 30 feet underwater, and class divisions are progressing rapidly down the path H.G. Wells envisioned. The air-conditioned heights of the Aeries are havens of thuggish privilege, while in the swampy Depths are the poor and the mystics, a strictly controlled class of magicians whose powers are drained to keep them in check. Aria Rose is the only daughter of a city powerbroker and has lost weeks of her memory to a recreational drug overdose. In that lost time, she had a whirlwind romance with the scion of a rival family—or so her parents tell her. A dynastic marriage has been arranged in the name of “true love.” But if Aria was so in love with Thomas Foster, why is she obsessed with a rogue mystic who haunts her movements and her dreams? Debut author Lawrence’s writing is assured, though pacing and characterization take second place to the milieu. Aria is surrounded by gorgeous yet bland secondary characters, and it takes a while to warm up to her predicament. Ages 12–up. Agents: Michael Stearns and Ted Malawer, the Inkhouse.

September 15, 2012
Marriage is a lesson in self-discovery, particularly if your fiance is the golden son of a rival political family you've been bred to hate. Such is the ground floor of the high-rise adventure where 18-year-old Aria Rose, the socialite daughter of a wealthy and crooked family, begins. She seeks to recapture her memory (lost after an apparent drug overdose) and uncover the dark deeds her parents perpetuate to gain ultimate power. In this futuristic Manhattan (think Blade Runner), strict class structures segregate mystics and non-mystics. Mystics, once hailed for their magic, are now second-class citizens literally drained of their power and thrust, weakened, into the decaying underbelly of the city while Aria's family and the other elite rule from plush penthouses. Aria relates, at a believable pace, her evolution from the fragile puppet of her manipulative family to a defiant, independent young woman intent on recapturing her lost memories and finding her true love. Though there are occasional forays into lovesick melodrama, the story is rooted in its dedication to showcasing Aria's transformation from a clueless, privileged princess into a selfless revolutionary, as she realizes that what is family and what is right are sometimes polar opposites. A gripping Romeo-and-Juliet exploration of deception, espionage, revolution, the greater good and love conquering all--with the aid of magical green lights and a peculiar little locket. (Urban fantasy/science fiction. 14 & up)

COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2013

Gr 8 Up-In this dystopian fantasy, Aria Rose wakes up one morning missing her memories. She is told that she is engaged to Thomas Foster, son of a rival family. Theirs is a Romeo and Juliet story that has captivated New York society. Why, then, can Aria not remember any details of her romantic history? In search of answers, she travels to forbidden parts of the city, where the poor masses and the oppressed Mystics live. There, she meets Hunter, a boy who is entirely wrong for her, but who sparks her interest in ways that she is sure Thomas never has. Moreover, Hunter might be able to help her find the key to her past. What the two discover will have far-reaching consequences for their families and friends, and for the city of New York. This book marries a fast-paced plot with likable, developed characters, set in a future Manhattan that is all too believable. Readers may pick up on what has happened to Aria's memories long before she does, but the plot takes other twists and turns as the protagonist learns about the Mystics and the scope of her own family's power. Hand this book to fans of Gabrielle Zevin's All These Things I've Done (Farrar, 2011) and other urban dystopias with strong female characters.-Misti Tidman, Licking County Library, Newark, OH

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2013
In a socially divided, partially underwater Manhattan, Aria has no memory of how she and the son of her family's political rival got engaged, uniting their powerful families. Everyone assures her that she loves her fianci, but a magical rebel from the Depths raises questions. Characterization is strained, but the story's romance, danger, magic, and glitzy setting will win many readers over.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)