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Book Reviewed by:In this daring and romantic fantasy debut by Latinx authors Zoraida Córdova and Anna-Marie McLemore, society wife-in-training Dani has a great awakening after being recruited by rebel spies and falling for her biggest rival.
At the Medio School for Girls, distinguished young women are trained for one of two roles in their polarized society. Depending on her specialization, a graduate will one day run a husband's household or raise his children. Both paths promise a life of comfort and luxury, far from the frequent political uprisings of the lower class.
Daniela Vargas is the school's top student, but her pedigree is a lie. She must keep the truth hidden or be sent back to the fringes of society.
And school couldn't prepare her for the difficult choices she must make after graduation, especially when she is asked to spy for a resistance group desperately fighting to bring equality to Medio.
Will Dani cling to the privilege her parents fought to win for her, or will she give up everything she's strived for in pursuit of a free Medio - and a chance at a forbidden love?
With a lush setting, a fast-moving plot, strong social commentary and two powerful Latina women at the forefront, We Set the Dark on Fire offers a distinct Handmaiden's Tale vibe, while still being entirely original...continued
Full Review
(604 words)
(Reviewed by Erin Szczechowski).
In Tehlor Kay Mejia's debut novel We Set the Dark on Fire, men marry two wives – one Primera, who is logical and controlled, and one Segunda, who is beautiful and passionate. However, when Dani, a young Primera, joins the resistance as a spy, she becomes determined to invert the whole system. Dystopian novels, while often set in alternate versions of the future, remain a powerful way of critiquing the status quo, and seem to have exploded in popularity in the YA genre. So if you're craving more YA dystopia, here's five that I personally recommend:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: This trilogy of novels is set in the nation of Panem, where each of 12 districts must offer ...
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Audrey Coulthurst, author of Of Fire and Stars
We Set the Dark on Fire simmers with political revolution and forbidden love between two powerful young women - I couldn't put it down.
