ALA Booklist (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

The elite of Gathos City harvest flesh and blood from Genetically Engineered Medical surrogates (GEMs) to survive the highly infectious lung rot that threatens both Gathos City dwellers and the slum dwellers of neighboring Withers. Nate, 16 years old and a Withers Tinker (known for his tech/mechanical skills), has successfully hidden his status as one of the GEMs, finding a family of sorts with handsome Reed and his crew of outcast scavengers. Nate has long harbored a major crush on Reed, which seems to be reciprocal. But GEMs have limited lifespans, and Nate is reaching the end of his; Remedy, the scarce and effective drug that stems the physical decline built into all GEMs, is no longer working. Nate must now consider revealing his true nature and risk losing the boy he loves. Peopling the book primarily with LGBTQ+ characters of color, Mora provides welcome diversity, though those characters could benefit from more dimensionality. Readers will respond to the warmth, caring, and romance between young people living on the very edge.

Kirkus Reviews (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

A genetically engineered boy struggles to survive a dystopia and win over the boy he adores.Nate was manufactured to be a commodity. When lung-rot threatened the upper echelon of Gathos City, GEMs (Genetically Engineered Medi-tissue) like Nate were bioengineered for their restorative blood. Nate's parents refused to let the privileged class vampirically use him, and they smuggled him out of Gathos-dying in the process. Liberated but orphaned, Nate faces other threats: GEMs die without a special remedy, and a street gang hunts GEMs to harvest them. So Nate conceals his genetics for self-preservation and to prevent the merry band of misfits he lives with from being accused of unwittingly harboring him. Plus, the head of those misfits, Reed, is the most beautiful boy Nate has ever wanted to kiss. Grit, grime, and steampunk tinkering define a landscape that could easily serve Oliver Twist or Blade Runner. Acts of terrorism, conflicting castes, and meals of rotted fruit underscore the struggle. But there's beauty in the connectivity Nate's band of friends find in surviving together. This is a dystopian labyrinth leading to love, with minotaurs in the form of murder, drug fiends, and the raw need to survive. Nate has golden-brown skin, love interest Reed has dark-brown skin, and their friend Sparks is cued as trans.A boy-loves-boy dystopian fantasy for anyone needing a heartbreaking thrill. (Fantasy. 14-17)

School Library Journal (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

Gr 8 Up-Nate, 16, created for spare parts and highly prized blood that causes euphoria, struggles in a world where so many have succumbed to lung rot. Genetically Engineered Medi-tissue, or GEM, he hides his secret because his blood is highly addictive for non-genetically engineered human beings. The poor and powerless live in the quarantined and lawless Withers, outside the walled metropolis of Gathos City. A Tinker who repairs broken tech, Nate is in love with Reed, the leader of a small gang whose members live by scavenging whatever they can find in bins and trashed buildings. He also has a troubled but intense relationship with Alden, a local drug dealer, who is the only one who can provide Nate with the Remedy he needs to stay alive. Primary characters have depth and complexity, while secondary ones serve mostly to forward the plot. This dystopian survival story wraps up too neatly in the final pages, with new characters introduced and hidden motivations suddenly revealed for a tidy conclusion. However, the action is immediate and relentless, with detailed and complex world-building. The Withers is described in language that evokes the worst of urban decay, providing an intriguingly shadowy backdrop for the unfolding events. Romantic, sensual moments between Reed and Nate, as well as Nate's fervid encounters with Alden, are juxtaposed against the grinding, daily struggle for survival. VERDICT Those seeking a vivid visit to the dystopian dark side can start here.Janice M. Del Negro, GSLIS Dominican University, River Forest, IL