School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up--In the year 2052, Cherokee teenager Stevie is living in Texas and working at an art museum, trying to survive the increasingly volatile weather patterns and look out for her little brother Levi, who has a potentially fatal tree nut allergy. A new arrival at the museum, an Indigenous boy from Costa Rica named Adam who has an ambiguous background, brings with him a dire warning that Stevie doesn't want to believe at first, though it soon becomes clear that she has no choice. As a dystopian future bears down on them, Stevie must accept that Adam really is from the future; he's trying to save some Native art from the coming destruction, and she has an important role to play. Rogers adeptly creates an immediately compelling character in Stevie while also incorporating weighty but clear discussions of ethics in museum collections, climate change and its effect on our environment, racism between and within cultural groups, and the exploitation of Indigenous identities, among other themes. An exciting and intense plot combines with wonderfully realistic emotions as the story shifts from one of slow realization and acceptance to dystopia and uncertainty. VERDICT Enchanting and full of darkly prescient social commentary; a Cherokee dystopia with Afrofuturistic inspiration.--Allie Stevens
Publisher's Weekly Review
Though the world is seemingly out of balance and bizarre, catastrophic weather conditions have become increasingly frequent, high school graduate Stevie Henry, who is Cherokee, continues to build a life for herself and her family, whom she loves, particularly her six-year-old brother Levi, who is deathly allergic to tree nuts. To earn money for college, Stevie works at the Modern Art Museum gift shop in 2052 Texas, where she meets handsome new intern Adam. The two bond over their values regarding art, Native culture, and family, but he often disappears and won't name his Indigenous affiliation. Mysteries accumulate as the climate worsens, and soon Adam reveals a disturbing truth: he's from 2201, and he has arrived to save significant art pieces from the upcoming apocalypse. Inspired by Afrofuturism, per an endnote, Cherokee author Rogers (Man Made Monsters) employs smart and empathetic prose to present a realistically rendered science fiction tale that is at once adrenaline-pumping and emotionally moving. In this gripping adventure, Rogers considers the future of Indigenous heritage via an indomitable protagonist who, alongside a plethora of memorably realized characters, navigates tough issues relating to death, familial turmoil, exploitation, and climate collapse. Ages 12--up. Agent: Emily Sylvan Kim, Prospect Agency. (Oct.)
