Lizard Radio

Gr 8 Up—Whenever 15-year-old Kivali needs a mental break from her CropCamp duties, she tunes into Lizard Radio, a station that exists only in her head. Kivali lives in a not-too-distant future where gender and emotions are strictly monitored by the government. Adolescents who don't test either male or female are given the choice of gender, but must conform to societal gender norms. Testing right at mid-range, Kivali prefers her female gender but does not want to adhere to heteronormative expectations. As she learns to be a farmer and starts to develop feelings for Sully, she longs to keep her individuality without risking additional government involvement in her life. Some of the jargon may be confusing, and listeners may need to revisit the meanings of the made-up words. While narrator Bahni Turpin does a delightful job conveying Kivali's struggles and achievements at CropCamp, listeners can be left in the dark at times during some of the action sequences.