I unfortunately did not like this book. There was far too much emphasis on the romantic plot for me and not enough chemistry to make me care about them. I also wasn't a fan of the main character, and that's obviously enough to put me off a book completely.

I think the plot had a lot of potential to be gripping, thrilling, and exciting (all three!), but unfortunately as I couldn't connect to the characters I didn't care about what they were doing either. This is unfortunate, as I was really intrigued by the concept!

Perfect for those readers of Young Adult Dystopian books like "Uglies" and "Divergent" but who would like more diversity and LGBTQIA+ representation than those two examples provided, "Fragile Remedy" is a post-pandemic adventure through the underbelly of a city ravaged by climate change, disease, addiction, and rampant classism. In this city, the wealthy rarely (if ever) have to come into contact with the poverty-stricken outcasts who live in highly surveilled, exploited, and oppressed enclaves that exist in between their walled and patrolled privileged nei9hborhoods. The wealthiest of all can afford to create GEMs, or genetically engineered clones whose tissues are harvested whenever their original owners need a transplant as a result of disease or other damage. (Yes, there are plenty of "The Island" vibes, only queer and age-appropriate for teens.) The GEMs are designed to be reliant on the synthetic drug Remedy. Whenever disaster strikes, it's the people living outside of those privileged enclaves who suffer the most, and that's where our story really gets going.

Our main character, Nate, is an orphaned, escaped GEM who grew up in hiding and on the run from those who would turn him in for profit, all while scavenging the city for bits and pieces of old technology that can be sold to feed the small group of survivors who have taken him in. One day, Nate is injured while freeing some of the wealthy trapped on a crashed train, drawing attention, and his tightly-knit found family is forced to relocate to an even more dangerous part of the city. With his black-market supply of Remedy compromised and his personal safety as well as the safety of his friends on the line, Nate is forced to take more and more risks in order to stay alive--even working with those who are using terroristic practices to try and overturn the city's existing social order.

Despite a slow start, "Fragile Remedy" does build toward a rewarding, nuanced conclusion. It is perhaps less concerned with the details of the city's history and how its existing social order came to be than it is with those who are actively attempting to reshape it in the present, so those of us who crave lore will probably be left wanting more than we get by the end--but that doesn't negate the value of what is on offer here. I appreciated that the central relationship was already established by the book's beginning, skipping past any awkward insta-love meet-cute moments that tend to derail a lot of young adult novels for me. You still get plenty of yearning and pining, only framed against a preexisting friendship with a believable timeframe for its progression, and the decisions that Nate makes in order to protect his friends and love interest feel more real as a result.

It took me far longer than it should have to get around to reading this book, but I'm grateful I did, and even more happy that I now have another book to recommend in the wake of "Uglies" getting the movie adaptation treatment, because I think this book is perfectly geared toward the same age range.

Fragile Remedy, for me, had a persistent YA issue where the lead and the love interest are the pair of characters I'm least interested in. Nate's decision-making choices were infuriating at times, and Reed came across as rather flat to me. That said, the supporting cast and worldbuilding elements held my interest well. I adored the characters of Pixel and Alden - one so straightforwardly lovely, and one complex and morally grey. The world created within the novel was also intriguing - I would have liked further detail about this, as we only really see one part of the society. I can see the potential for more books about what happens next, although depending on which characters it focuses upon would affect my eagerness to read it.

I really enjoyed this dystopia. It reminded me of The Fever King by Victoria Lee (always a plus in my mind). Fragile Remedy addresses issues of personhood and identity in a way that really makes the reader think.

Man, I really wanted to finish this book, but ultimately I didn't want to keep torturing myself and gave up. The 1 star goes to the effort of including poc and lgbtq characters, but that's it.

I really enjoyed the storyline in world building in the novel. I also really liked the characters. I thought this was a solid read, and I will definitely be reading more by this author.

I purchased this book for my high school library. My students have enjoyed it. and it has circulated well.

Rating = 3.5 Stars

This was a good book. I enjoyed the worldbuilding and storytelling elements. The plot moved a bit slow for my taste, but you'd enjoy this if you like character-driven stories. The characters were definitely the best part of this book. They all felt so real and I was really invested in their relationships with each other.

Overall this is an excellent book for younger readers and I'd definitely recommend checking it out.

I am disappointed with this book. I was expecting one thing and received another. It had potential but it was not well written.

Unfortunately this book left me wanting. The concept was so interesting... but the execution was lackluster and underwhelming. I don't feel like there was much of a plot at any point during the book. Every time something with the potential for being impactful occurred, it was resolved in 1-2 chapters.
I don't think I ever quite enjoyed the story and found myself whishing that it was over many times throughout the reading...

Yeah, this is a dystopian story with a whole plot, with a cool worldbuilding, but really? truly? For me, personally, this is a book about found family. And I mean that as a compliment. People coming together and fighting for one another is the most beautiful thing in the world for me, and this book delivers that in wonderful ways!
It also doesn't hurt that the romance is very lovely.

When I first picked up this book and tried to get into I unfortunately lost my cousin to COVID and couldn’t really get into it. I put all this down to my loss.
I recently picked it back up when I remembered about it to try again but unfortunately it really was not for me :( it took me a week to read and I’m an extremely quick reader.
I can see where this would entice lgbt young adults as it’s very much got a punch but it was lost on me :(

This book brought me back to the beginning of my reading journey. I've been reading my whole life, but really got back into it when I was 12. Dystopian books were all the rage at the time. This book was really fun to read and helped transport me back to a much simpler time in my life. I loved the plot and the characters. It took me a few tries to get into at first, but once I pushed through the first couple of chapters, the story got so, so much better. Thank you to the publisher, author, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book early.

I just couldn't get into this one which sucks because I really liked the sound of it.

Might try and pick it up at a later date!

Fragile remedy is a dystopian book that involves certain people man created with unknown gene that creates healing blood called gems. Nate is a said gem and this book basically about him trying to survive with found family . I thought this book was good over all.

Fragile Remedy is set in a world where rich people have genetically engineered "bodies" that they can harvest for organs in order to protect themselves from lung-rot. Nate is one of these bodies -- but he is protected as he hides in the Withers, a region that is quarantined. Led by Reed, Nate becomes part of a small misfit gang who have no idea of the Nate's true nature. But then bodies start falling ill due to a genetic flaw and violence breaks out in the Withers. Nate then has no choice but to join a shadowy terrorist organisation to help keep him alive.

I haven't read a YA dystopian novel in a while but I'm glad I read this one! I loved the worldbuilding and the action, but I adored the characters more than anything. The found family trope is one of my favourites and it is on point in this book -- I love nothing more than a group of misfits who have no choice but to band together and start to trust each other.

If you're after a great dystopian read, look no further than Fragile Remedy !

Yeah, I'm a short way in, but I am not feeling these characters or this story. The dialogue seems juvenile for a 19 year old character to me

This diverse dystopian story is one of a kind. I loved the themes that it represented and the pacing of the story. It was an out of this world ride that I won't forget. The story was engrossing and the characters were some you could root for.

OMG this book is amazing. If I could be a member of Reed's gang and hang out with Nate and the rest of the team I would. Fragile Remedy takes place in a dystopian world where the wealthy are in Gathos City where they are taken care of and have little to no worries and the poor are kept in Withers which was a quarantine zone but now just keep the poor and impoverished off the streets of Gathos now that the danger from lungrot is no longer a worry. Reed's gang or rather family all live in Wither and they struggle to survive. Our main character Nate is a GEM (genetically engineered medical tissue) but his parents helped him escape Gathos City so he wouldn't be used or experimented on. Unfortunately, to survive he must take a drug called Remedy which you can only get from Gathos City. Fortunately his friends are able to help him get some until the gates to Gathos close and they must find alternative ways to keep him alive. This book is a story of friendship and perseverance and I can't wait to see what Maria Ingrande Mora does next.

4.5 stars


In a city left a wasteland, after the deadly lung-rot spread through it, Nate ekes out a living selling tech, to help his small gang of friends survive. None of them know he’s a GEM, someone genetically created for their blood to cure lung rot. If anyone knew what he was, they’d turn him back over to his creators, to be drained for the rest of his short life. Although, his life may be short anyway. Without a certain remedy, Nate and GEMs like him always die young and the remedy is running out.

I love a good dystopian book and Fragile Remedy managed to be both nail biting and just plain entertaining. I loved Nate’s gang of unlikely friendship and his complicated relationship with the man who took him in when he was first found. With the city full of people addicted to a drug called Chem, barely any food and ‘Breakers’ looking for people like Nate around every corner, the Withers, where he lives, is a dangerous, desperate place. The actions of the Chem addicted were a little over the top, but that’s the only real criticism I had.

Was Fragile Remedy a believable dystopian story? Not really. But was it fun? Absolutely!