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Fragile Remedy

$14.99

Sixteen-year-old Nate has spent most of his life hiding in The Withers—the destitute, quarantined slum across the river from the cosmopolitan Gathos City—dodging slave catchers and corrupt peacekeepers, avoiding chem fiends, and scavenging tech to sell at the market. But when his body begins rapidly degenerating, he must choose between working for a shadowy terrorist organization that has the means to keep him alive, or staying—and dying—with the boy he loves. Preview this book.

Description

Sixteen-year-old Nate is a GEM—a Genetically Engineered Medi-tissue—created by Gathos City scientists as a cure for the elite from the fatal lung rot ravaging the population. As a child, Nate was smuggled out of the laboratory where he was held captive and taken into the Withers—a quarantined, lawless region. He manages to survive by becoming a Tinkerer, fixing broken tech in exchange for food or a safe place to sleep. When he meets Reed, a kind and fiercely protective boy who makes his heart race, and his misfit gang of scavengers, Nate finds the family he’s always longed for—even if he can’t risk telling them what he is.

But Gathos created a genetic fail-safe in their GEMs—a flaw in their DNA that causes their health to rapidly deteriorate as they age unless they are regularly dosed with medication controlled by Gathos City. When violence erupts across the Withers, Nate’s illegal supply of medicine is cut off, and a vicious attack on Reed threatens to expose his secret. With time running out, Nate is left with only two options: work for a shadowy terrorist organization that has the means to keep him alive, or stay—and die—with the boy he loves.

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Format

Paperback

Sixteen-year-old Nate is a GEM—a Genetically Engineered Medi-tissue—created by Gathos City scientists as a cure for the elite from the fatal lung rot ravaging the population. As a child, Nate was smuggled out of the laboratory where he was held captive and taken into the Withers—a quarantined, lawless region. He manages to survive by becoming a Tinkerer, fixing broken tech in exchange for food or a safe place to sleep. When he meets Reed, a kind and fiercely protective boy who makes his heart race, and his misfit gang of scavengers, Nate finds the family he’s always longed for—even if he can’t risk telling them what he is. But Gathos created a genetic fail-safe in their GEMs—a flaw in their DNA that causes their health to rapidly deteriorate as they age unless they are regularly dosed with medication controlled by Gathos City. When violence erupts across the Withers, Nate’s illegal supply of medicine is cut off, and a vicious attack on Reed threatens to expose his secret. With time running out, Nate is left with only two options: work for a shadowy terrorist organization that has the means to keep him alive, or stay—and die—with the boy he loves.

Copyright: 2021
Page Count: 400
Trim Size: 5.25 x 8
Rights Territory: Worldwide
Categories:
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / LGBT
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Fantasy / General
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Dystopian

Maria Ingrande Mora is a marketing executive and a brunch enthusiast. Her love languages are snacks, queer joy, and live music. A graduate of the University of Florida, Maria lives near a wetlands preserve with two dogs, two cats, two children, and two billion mosquitoes. She can often be found writing at her stand-up desk, surrounded by houseplants. Unless the cats have already destroyed them.

Reviews and Awards

“A boy-loves-boy dystopian fantasy for anyone needing a heartbreaking thrill. ” — Kirkus Reviews

“Readers will respond to the warmth, caring, and romance between young people living on the very edge.” — Booklist

“Those seeking a vivid visit to the dystopian dark side can start here.” — School Library Journal

“Mora deftly explores the raw impulses of humans through a foreboding lens: when faced with unimaginable obstacles some manage to strive for connection, resistance, and even love, and it is in that clawing against defeat that the most heartbreaking and memorable stories lie.” — Bulletin of the Center of Children’s Books

“An intensely absorbing read from cover to cover, “Fragile Remedy” is an extraordinary science fiction novel by Maria Ingrande Mora and one which is especially and unreservedly recommended for middle school, high school, and community library collections.” — Midwest Book Review

A 2021 Junior Library Guild Selection

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