Al Hess

4.5 stars

This is a unique and compelling story with people just trying to do their best in a bizarre situation.

Denver (autistic, nonbinary, and queer) is a pie critic driving back to his home in Muddy Gap, Wyoming, when xe notices a possible UFO explosion over the town. Then strange things start happening.

I grew up near the area where this takes place, and it was really neat to see references to places I've known most of my life but most people have no idea where they are. Denver is a messy character just trying xyr best to figure out what the heck is going on with the town. The relationship between Denver and Ezra was awkward but cute, and I loved the addition of Taisha and Trevor.

The book is kind of slow-paced, but I kept wanting to know what would happen next, and it all resolved satisfactorily. There's a good balance between plot and character growth. I'd have been interested in blog excerpts from Denver.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.… (more)

In a world where many wealthy elites have fled, life goes on, with scavengers in the desert and cities in which people live well. Valentine, a trans man, would love to get a visa for a city where he could get T and top surgery, but his undiagnosed ADHD and the general expenses of living as a scavenger hold him back. With his partner, he’s offered an incredible opportunity—retrieve some androids for a citizen and they’ll both get visas. But the opportunity comes by way of an android who is actually a sentient AI city manager displaced into an android body, whose own dysphoria and experience of abuse lead Valentine to make riskier choices. It’s mostly a romance; despite the sometimes-dangerous circumstances and a lot of misgendering by non-heroes, the people at the heart of the story are largely trying to be kind.… (more)