A Wild Radiance

Gr 7 Up–Since she was adopted as an orphan, Josephine has been raised by the House of Industry to do one thing: build Progress to spread radiance, an energy source that operates similarly to magic and generally can’t be afforded by the lower class. When she is sent to the farthest Mission from the city, she expects to disappear into time as a nameless nobody. At her new home on the outskirts of civilization, she meets two men: her strict and intelligent supervisor and a warm young man from the woods. As mysterious hints are dropped, Josephine eventually discovers the terrible truth behind her work; she embarks on a journey of resistance. Mora spins a compelling tale of small rebellions weaving into a larger movement against systemic injustice, power hoarding, and suppressed truths. With immersive worldbuilding and romance, this is everything to love about YA, with refreshing queer updates to traditional tropes. Josephine has pale skin and red hair while Julian has brown skin and plays an active role in the plot. Notably, both the young men are also love interests for each other. While this is nothing groundbreaking in YA, it is a solid book to display alongside The Hunger Games as a next read.