Between Sun and Shadow

Gr 8 Up–In a speculative sapphic ­retelling of the Hades and Persephone story, the planet of Pagomènos is divided between the Daylands, whose inhabitants wear radiation suits and use implanted chips to fix degrading memory problems, and the Nightlands, full of beings who have embraced the radiation of a crashed meteor to give themselves powerful inhuman mutations. Adria is the newly crowned queen of the Nightlands, and when Kori, heir to the ­Daylands’ throne, crashes into her territory, Adria sees it as an opportunity to leverage the Daylands and unite her people. But Kori isn’t what she expected, and as the two get closer, a romance blooms in the darkness. Hoping to build a legacy outside each of their parents’ expectations as they uncover sinister secrets on both sides unites them. The people and planet of ­Pagomènos create a setting that is wholly original and expertly blends ­aspects of ­science fiction and fantasy. While a ­romance at its heart, Genn’s debut doesn’t lack action, with punchy fight scenes and violent moments of well-placed horror. Kori has a tan complexion and wavy brown hair, and Adria has blue-white skin and dark hair; these descriptions match their contrasting living conditions of sunlight based on where they are on the planet. ­