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In a future Taiwan, street kid Jason Zhou disguises himself as one of the wealthy elite in order to take down a murdering CEO.Jason's been alone since his mother died of pneumonia when he was 13, just another casualty of the disease-ridden streets of polluted future Taipei. He's been poor his whole life, but now Jason's living in luxury and wearing something only the ultrarich can afford: a Jin Corp suit and helmet, designed to keep Taiwan's polluted air from touching his lungs. Among the Taipei glitterati, Jason's success rides on his successfully pulling off a disguise as a rich American new to Taiwan. Taiwan-born Jason and his international crew of friends believe the head of Jin Corp--and inventor of the suits--has been murdering anyone who agitates for cleaner air. The only way Jason can find the information they need is to pose as a high-rolling playboy romancing Jin's daughter, so Jason kidnaps a rich girl so they can use the ransom to finance his wealthy disguise. It's just bad luck that he's kidnapped Jin's daughter. A few seams show from the adaptation of Blue Skies, Pon's short story from the anthology Diverse Energies (2012), fleshed out here into action occasionally overwhelmed by romance. Overall, though, the effect is successful. An exciting, socially conscious futuristic thriller. (Science fiction. 13-16)--Kirkus Reviews 5/1/17 Jason Zhou and his friends are determined to change the world for the better. They live in an alternate future in smog-filled Taipei, where prolonged exposure to pollution can be fatal. The Jin Corporation holds a monopoly on manufacturing suits to protect citizens from the toxic air. Yet a rigid class structure divides those who can afford suits (yous) from those who cannot (meis). When it becomes clear to Jason and his friends that Jin, the CEO of Jin Corp, is driving profits by intentionally harming the environment and infecting citizens with a powerful strain of the flu, they decide to infiltrate and destroy the corporation. The success of this plan depends on Jason, who intends to pose as a you and gain intel by befriending Jin's daughter. However, his developing feelings for Daiyu threaten to thwart the scheme. This fully realized futuristic city is complete with descriptions of airpeds, bots, and colorful nightlife. While the technological advancements are alluring, Pon reminds readers of the devastating effects of pollution by depicting the dull and damaged landscape of Taiwan. The plot moves along at a fast pace. There is plenty of romance to appeal to wistful readers, but this won't deter fans who prefer action. A supporting cast of diverse and intelligent characters with relationships rooted in loyalty round out the book. VERDICT A strong sci-fi novel that will entice an array of readers. A solid addition to any library.-Amy Reddy, Lewiston High School, ME--School Library Journal April 2017 If you don't have cash, and massive amounts of it, your life is going to be short and terrible in this futuristic Taipei where pollution is choking the 95% of those who can't afford fancy protective suits. Jason Zhou is one of the unlucky ones, but at least he's got friends and a mission that keeps him busy: take down the Jin Corporation, the biggest and most nefarious company around. When the group decides that an insider will yield useful information, Zhou reinvents himself as Jason, a wealthy Californian teen who lives alone in an apartment dripping with luxury, an endeavor funded by a kidnapping for ransom. It is quite a shock when Jason realizes that the girl he kidnapped (whose memory he erased with an injection) is the girl he is now falling for, who is also the daughter of Jin himself, CEO of Jin Corp. Thus a tangled, emotionally complex romance/espionage/sci-fi plot is off and running. Jason Zhou is a decent person trapped in impossible circumstances, so he's an accessible everyguy whom readers will likely be rooting for, even as he makes many mistakes. Side characters are a bit flat, all blindingly loyal or unrepentant in their greed, but the core group is so compelling that it really doesn't matter. Sci-fi fans, especially those with any knowledge of the current city of Taipei, will find this to be a gripping, fast read that blends cultural elements, edgy tech, and a future coming out of a recognizable pollution-heavy current path.--BCCB May 2017 Paste Magazine's Best YA Novel of 2017 A Junior Library Guild Selection Vividly conjured...positively chilling. --The New York Times Book Review Fresh, compelling--and timely. --Veronica Roth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Carve the Mark and the Divergent series An exciting, socially conscious futuristic thriller. --Kirkus Reviews Pon excels as this society's architect, constructing sights, sounds, and smells that make this Taipei come alive. --Booklist A strong sci-fi novel that will entice an array of readers. --School Library Journal A gripping, fast read that blends cultural elements, edgy tech, and a future coming out of a recognizable pollution-heavy current path. --BCCB Cindy Pon's sci-fi debut envisions a world that could very easily become our own. --Beth Revis, author of the New York Times bestselling Across the Universe series A story brimming with high-octane action. What a rollercoaster! --Marie Lu, author of the New York Times bestselling The Young Elites trilogy You will not find a more plausible or terrifying dystopian future, and if you've always wanted to visit Taipei, this book is a first-class ticket. --Ann Aguirre, author of the New York Times bestselling Razorland trilogy Fast-paced, utterly engrossing, and highly recommended. --Leah Cypess, author of Mistwood A Junior Library Guild Selection Vividly conjured...positively chilling. --The New York Times Book Review A spectacular, fast-paced, action-packed novel full of brilliant suspense and vivid characters. --Buzzfeed Fresh, compelling--and timely. --Veronica Roth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Carve the Mark and the Divergent series An exciting, socially conscious futuristic thriller. --Kirkus Reviews Pon excels as this society's architect, constructing sights, sounds, and smells that make this Taipei come alive. --Booklist A strong sci-fi novel that will entice an array of readers. --School Library Journal A gripping, fast read that blends cultural elements, edgy tech, and a future coming out of a recognizable pollution-heavy current path. --BCCB Cindy Pon's sci-fi debut envisions a world that could very easily become our own. --Beth Revis, author of the New York Times bestselling Across the Universe series A story brimming with high-octane action. What a rollercoaster! --Marie Lu, author of the New York Times bestselling The Young Elites trilogy You will not find a more plausible or terrifying dystopian future, and if you've always wanted to visit Taipei, this book is a first-class ticket. --Ann Aguirre, author of the New York Times bestselling Razorland trilogy Fast-paced, utterly engrossing, and highly recommended. --Leah Cypess, author of Mistwood A Junior Library Guild Selection Vividly conjured...positively chilling. --The New York Times Book Review Fresh, compelling--and timely. --Veronica Roth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Carve the Mark and the Divergent series An exciting, socially conscious futuristic thriller. --Kirkus Reviews Pon excels as this society's architect, constructing sights, sounds, and smells that make this Taipei come alive. --Booklist A strong sci-fi novel that will entice an array of readers. --School Library Journal A gripping, fast read that blends cultural elements, edgy tech, and a future coming out of a recognizable pollution-heavy current path. --BCCB Cindy Pon's sci-fi debut envisions a world that could very easily become our own. --Beth Revis, author of the New York Times bestselling Across the Universe series A story brimming with high-octane action. What a rollercoaster! --Marie Lu, author of the New York Times bestselling The Young Elites trilogy You will not find a more plausible or terrifying dystopian future, and if you've always wanted to visit Taipei, this book is a first-class ticket. --Ann Aguirre, author of the New York Times bestselling Razorland trilogy Fast-paced, utterly engrossing, and highly recommended. --Leah Cypess, author of Mistwood Fresh, compelling--and timely. --Veronica Roth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Carve the Mark and the Divergent series An exciting, socially conscious futuristic thriller. --Kirkus Reviews Pon excels as this society's architect, constructing sights, sounds, and smells that make this Taipei come alive. --Booklist A strong sci-fi novel that will entice an array of readers. --School Library Journal A gripping, fast read that blends cultural elements, edgy tech, and a future coming out of a recognizable pollution-heavy current path. --BCCB Cindy Pon's sci-fi debut envisions a world that could very easily become our own. --Beth Revis, author of the New York Times bestselling Across the Universe series A story brimming with high-octane action. What a rollercoaster! --Marie Lu, author of the New York Times bestselling The Young Elites trilogy You will not find a more plausible or terrifying dystopian future, and if you've always wanted to visit Taipei, this book is a first-class ticket. --Ann Aguirre, author of the New York Times bestselling Razorland trilogy Fast-paced, utterly engrossing, and highly recommended. --Leah Cypess, author of Mistwood Jason Zhou lives in a near-future Taipei where the super-rich yous wear suits that protect them from the deadly pollution, while the meis struggle and die young. But Jason and a group of bright and clever friends are determined to change things, and to do that they need money. So Jason kidnaps a wealthy you girl; the ransom lets them put into motion a plan to destroy the powerful Jin Corporation that makes the suits--and perhaps manufactures some of the deadly poisons that ensure their necessity. Jason, who must assume a you identity to get close to Jin Corp, is successful thanks to the escalating relationship between him and Mr. Jin's daughter, Daiyu. Unfortunately, she's the girl he kidnapped, and he must hope the memorywiping he administered will hold. Pon excels as this society's architect, constructing sights, sounds, and smells that make this Taipei come alive. Her characters are layered, too, and though some predictability shoots through the plot, the action, attraction, and high stakes will keep readers satisfied. -- Ilene Cooper--Book List April 15 2017