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oxfordcommas91 's review for:
The Dividing Sky
by Jill Tew
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a very fun little dystopian YA book. I saw it at a local bookstore - the cover/dust jacket is gorgeous and intriguing - and didn't hesitate diving right in.
It's fairly straightforward in nature; capitalism has done what capitalism does and the city where Liv and Adrian live has been privatized by an evil overlord corporation (LifeCorp) that tightly controls their lives. This is especially true for Liv, who lives in the lowest class part of town, where she is a "proxy" - a person who helps to provide a service for the wealthy residents. Adrian is a rookie law enforcement officer for their corporate overlords, a self-assured "good guy" who believes in order and stability. There are some creative elements that set Dividing Sky apart from a lot of other dystopian novels, though, and I think the author does a really nice job exploring those.
This dual POV book throws Liv and Adrian together in a crazy quest where Liv is risking her life to make enough money to raise her and her adopted family out of poverty while at the same time Adrian is working to track her down and bring her to "justice" for her crimes against the Metro/Life Corp. But this book is ultimately about what happens when someone else from a completely different walk of life forces you to confront everything you thought you knew to be true. Both Liv and Adrian have to come face to face with complexities they never could have imagined, for their loved ones and for the entire Metro. They struggle to understand each other, but also know they might have to work together to save their people.
Honestly, it feels a bit surreal to be reading a book like this in America in year 2025, because there are plenty of elements throughout this novel that are eerily close to reality and may very well serve as very important warning signs towards a potentially tumultuous and difficult future outside of fiction.
Would rec to any adult - no matter your age - but would be particularly good for middle-high school level.
It's fairly straightforward in nature; capitalism has done what capitalism does and the city where Liv and Adrian live has been privatized by an evil overlord corporation (LifeCorp) that tightly controls their lives. This is especially true for Liv, who lives in the lowest class part of town, where she is a "proxy" - a person who helps to provide a service for the wealthy residents. Adrian is a rookie law enforcement officer for their corporate overlords, a self-assured "good guy" who believes in order and stability. There are some creative elements that set Dividing Sky apart from a lot of other dystopian novels, though, and I think the author does a really nice job exploring those.
This dual POV book throws Liv and Adrian together in a crazy quest where Liv is risking her life to make enough money to raise her and her adopted family out of poverty while at the same time Adrian is working to track her down and bring her to "justice" for her crimes against the Metro/Life Corp. But this book is ultimately about what happens when someone else from a completely different walk of life forces you to confront everything you thought you knew to be true. Both Liv and Adrian have to come face to face with complexities they never could have imagined, for their loved ones and for the entire Metro. They struggle to understand each other, but also know they might have to work together to save their people.
Honestly, it feels a bit surreal to be reading a book like this in America in year 2025, because there are plenty of elements throughout this novel that are eerily close to reality and may very well serve as very important warning signs towards a potentially tumultuous and difficult future outside of fiction.
Would rec to any adult - no matter your age - but would be particularly good for middle-high school level.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Police brutality, Classism
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Abandonment