Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Mon Oct 07 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Moving up could change everything for the better-but for three friends, it could also mean casting aside everything they stand forIn the vertical city of Muqadas, people's lives are defined by tiers; quality of life deteriorates as you go deeper. Those in the lowest tier never see the light of day, and a virus called Habar infests their water, causing numbness and often requiring the amputation of limbs. Close friends Mustafa, Basem, and Aarfah are ambitious engineers who dream of making better prosthetics and moving up so they can help change the system. But despite their skills and camaraderie, they're limited by a lack of resources and Habar's ubiquity. When an ambassador offers them the chance to leave and run their business in a higher tier, they face a difficult choice: Should they take this opportunity in hopes that it will bring better resources to their people, or stay put and continue the work they've been doing to help their community? This story, which features an ethnically diverse cast in a world infused with North African and Islamic cultural elements, as well as meaningful queer and disabled representation, explores complex themes around inequality paired with compelling art. The thoughtful imagery pushes the narrative beyond the text. Yao's use of light, particularly the striking color palette of teal and orange, brilliantly captures the contrasts between Muqadas' different levels.Introspective and insightful, with eclectic characters who burst through the narrative.(Graphic science fiction. 12-18)

ALA Booklist (Thu Oct 31 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Muqadas, a stylized vertical city in a setting reminiscent of \North Africa, is the home of Basem, Mustafa, and Aarfa. Also present is an infectious disease, habar, which causes loss of limb and lifelong suffering. The three teens are engineers on the lowest tier, fighting against the disparities in their hometown by designing prosthetics for themselves and their neighbors from whatever scrap they can find. When they're offered a life-changing opportunity invitation to the mid-tiers, with a new workshop, new apartments, and room for their families ey're surely off to live the dream, right? This fantastic example of Muslim futurism addresses health inequalities and inequities and explores ways the technology of today and tomorrow may only further socioeconomic injustice and intergenerational poverty. Yao's illustrations are detailed with geometric patterns in striking colors, which bring readers though arched doorways and into the innermost emotions of the characters. Readers will finish this tale wishing to know more about the intriguing world of Muqadas, and perhaps be inspired to bring their own sf world to life in a comic.

Kirkus Reviews (Mon Oct 07 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Moving up could change everything for the better-but for three friends, it could also mean casting aside everything they stand forIn the vertical city of Muqadas, people's lives are defined by tiers; quality of life deteriorates as you go deeper. Those in the lowest tier never see the light of day, and a virus called Habar infests their water, causing numbness and often requiring the amputation of limbs. Close friends Mustafa, Basem, and Aarfah are ambitious engineers who dream of making better prosthetics and moving up so they can help change the system. But despite their skills and camaraderie, they're limited by a lack of resources and Habar's ubiquity. When an ambassador offers them the chance to leave and run their business in a higher tier, they face a difficult choice: Should they take this opportunity in hopes that it will bring better resources to their people, or stay put and continue the work they've been doing to help their community? This story, which features an ethnically diverse cast in a world infused with North African and Islamic cultural elements, as well as meaningful queer and disabled representation, explores complex themes around inequality paired with compelling art. The thoughtful imagery pushes the narrative beyond the text. Yao's use of light, particularly the striking color palette of teal and orange, brilliantly captures the contrasts between Muqadas' different levels.Introspective and insightful, with eclectic characters who burst through the narrative.(Graphic science fiction. 12-18)

School Library Journal (Fri Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Gr 8 Up— In the futuristic three-tiered city of Muqadas, residents of Saha, the bottom tier, aspire to move up by being scouted for talents valued by the upper levels. Mustafa, Basem, and Aarfah are mechanical engineers living in Saha. Aarfah lost her legs to Habar, an incurable infection stopped only by amputation. Mustafa and Basem are developing prosthetic legs for Aarfah, both to help her and to get scouted. The three plan to ascend and send resources back to Saha if they reach the upper levels. When they ascend, they learn the truth about upper classes and the systems keeping Saha in poverty. It slowly becomes clear the people in Saha aren't passively accepting their situation. The story raises interesting questions about whether a better life is worth the price. Each friend responds differently, showing the complexity of the question. The art is solid, but color and design choices create difficulty with the visibility of some panels. Sometimes only eyes and teeth of dark-skinned characters are visible, and some panels are so dark that details of what is happening in the story are obscured. The setting appears to be influenced by the Middle East and some dialog is in Arabic. Characters range from dark brown-skinned with textured hair to fair-skinned with straight hair. VERDICT The dramatic narrative asks thought-provoking questions about class and mobility under repressive systems. The murkiness of the art sometimes gets in the way of engaging with the story, but the text carries it through.— Carla Riemer