I truly appreciated the complexity of this story. You can see the value that Liv and how she shows up for her family. I also really liked seeing how Adrian shifted just in being in Liv's presence and feeling her comfort. I didn't want to put this down and loved the commentary it provided on today. It eerily felt relatable and spoke to the cautions necessary when managing how corporations play a larger role in all of our lives.

The enforcer, Adrian, is tasked with tracking down an outlaw, Liv, who sells happy memories to wealthy clients. However, when he finally locates her, he discovers her memory has been erased. Now, he faces a moral dilemma: can he condemn her for a crime she doesn't even remember committing?

I really enjoyed Jill Tew's world-building. In the year 2460, corporations govern this town. Individuality is eliminated, including hobbies such as cooking homemade meals and reading books. People’s worth is based solely on their productivity.

The cast of characters in The Dividing Sky is incredibly diverse. It's fantastic to see Liv, a POC female MC who rivals Katniss (Hunger Games), Tris (Divergent), or Mare (Red Queen). All the characters, including the side characters, are relatable. And teens are bound to fall in love with the wholesome enemies-to-lovers relationship between Liv and Adrian.

Other Highlights: Themes of human connection, capitalism, and individualism

I paired the audiobook and physical book. Junior Nyong’o and Khaya Fraites did an amazing job with the narration. You can't go wrong with either format.

The Dividing Sky is an excellent installment to the catalog of YA Dystopia. Lovers of Divergent and Legend will feel like coming home when they pick up this romantic and thrilling debut novel!

I have an endless amount of good things to say about this book, but let's start with the characters. The fully fleshed, genuinely interesting, characters of The Dividing Sky drive this story from the very beginning. There's not a lag in sight. And don't get me started on the romance! Tris and Four, meet your successors. The tension between Liv and Adrian is its own entity. This plot, the world, lends itself to so much uncertainty.

It is one of the best books I've read in a very long time. Do yourselves a favor and go get a copy!

A fast-paced, brilliant debut! This sci-fi romance with dystopian vibes is everything we've been missing from the genre in recent years! Tew creates a vibrant, messy world which mirrors our society in some of the scariest ways, all while drawing the reader in with characters and action. Lovers of sci-fi and dystopian will enjoy it, of course, but I believe fantasy readers will as well! An all POC cast full of heart, and an enemies to lovers romance that is as tense as it is sweet.

I really enjoyed this ya sci-fi dystopian. It was really different from everything I have read before and the world-building was fantastic. The romance and the characters were so compelling. My only complaint is that I want so much more of this world! I need more from all the side characters and another taste of happily ever after.

Thank you penguinteen Canada and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was an absolutely fantastic story. I can't say the last time I read a dystopian, and this was right up my alley. I was expecting more violence (I'm glad there wasn't, though). The banter was great, and this was action-packed. I'm so excited for what Jill Tew has coming up.

This is a dystopian sci-fi romance that manages to combine elements of memory manipulation, societal control, and an unlikely enemies-to-lovers relationship. Liv and Adrian are caught on opposite sides of a system rigged for corporate profit. Yet, due to the unique use of the anemia trope, their connection is allowed to flourish in a way that feels both natural and compelling.

Long before this story, a corporation graciously takes over for a failing government, the populace and culture have drastically changed. Its citizens have very specific roles and are separated into Uppers and Lowers. Liv collects experiences and emotions to sell to the rich (and illegally to the poor to try to elevate the status of she and her family - an almost impossible task) while Adrian is an enforcer.

Adrian, the rookie officer chasing Liv, has his own journey to go through. His strong belief in order and justice is challenged as he grapples with Liv’s lost memories and the moral complexities of punishing someone who no longer remembers their crimes. Their romance blossoms from this strange situation, and I loved watching them navigate their feelings amidst the danger and tension of their world.Even though some of the supporting characters didn’t get as much time to shine, I still really enjoyed them and they all felt like individuals.

The world-building is chilling in its depiction of a society under corporate control, where even emotions, memories, and relationships are commodities. I was hooked by how the neurochip technology alters people to specific needs and the government-sponsored drugs keeps them docile and productive. It’s both terrifying and immersive, with commentary on the dangers of unchecked capitalism. The roles within society and how they’ve been modified for control are fascinating.

I will say that the pacing wasn't as fluid as it could have been. Some of the world-building and relationships weren't given a lot of time and attention despite how interesting they were and the amnesia trope in the middle of the story really slowed things down in the story. The middle of the book felt a bit separate from the rest of the story and the ending felt rushed.

If you’re a fan of dystopian settings with a sweet romance, this has plenty to love.

Thanks so much to Netgalley, TBR and Beyond Tours, the author, and Random House Children's for the complimentary copies. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

“𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗬”

A 5⭐️ rating from me, often means the book made me cry. Not this time. THE DIVIDING SKY by JILL TEW overwhelmed me with pure joy!

This book was such a treat! It’s a YA love story set in the dystopian world of the Metro, a stretch of the United States’ eastern cities essentially owned and operated by LifeCorp. Human value is determined by an individual’s productivity, and quick stimulation has replaced genuine enjoyment and fulfilling rest.

Tew’s writing is tight and direct, which gives the story a pretty quick pace. When we meet the main characters they both have a degree of naïveté, their worldview limited by the roles they play in society. But once they are forced out of their regular routines, both Liv and Adrian catch on to the truth of LifeCorp pretty quickly. I appreciated this as a reader, as too often I find myself frustratedly waiting for characters to clue-in to the obvious.

There were a few scenes I wish would have stretched out a bit longer. Without giving away spoilers, I’ll just say there’s a big scene in the arcade during the story’s climax. A longer beat to revel in the shared emotional moment, the big revelation, would’ve provided more cinematic punch.

I loved how this book both embraces and subverts dystopian tropes. “Cozy dystopian” shouldn’t work, but in the end, The Dividing Sky feels like a warm hug. Its lessons are those we all know in our hearts, but still need to hear.

Read this, and Tew’s words will fill you with joy to withstand the winter to come.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This story combines what different things I love about my favorite dystopian and AU properties. There are clear societal divisions like in The Hunger Games, a focus on everyone doing a particular task they’ve been trained to do and nothing else, which to me is similar to everyone picking a moral they will follow in Divergent, a government that has a special version of a serum everyone wants to get their hands on like in The Boys. Some of the best aspects of popular dystopian stories are brought together in an incredibly effective way.

The idea of the proxies really resonated with me. It was something unlike anything I’d read in another book, and the idea that, if you have enough money because you work a higher-paying position, you can pay those in a different societal tier to experience life for you is such an interesting concept. The obvious connections between living life to the fullest and not letting experiences escape you, even if it’s through someone else, is a fascinating thing.

I also found this society particularly compelling because of the emphasis placed on productivity. Even the upper echelons aren’t immune. Their productivity is just as important, their jobs just take on a greater role in society, which causes more stress and takes more time away from them. The value of productivity and someone’s ability to perform a task fast and well just spoke to me as someone that was told being productive was the key to life. Slowing down is hard, and I liked seeing the topic handled in a dystopian setting, especially in a technologically advanced society.

f you enjoy dystopian books, look no further, you'll adore this one!

Read if you like
Dystopian
YA romance
"I shouldn't love you"
Memory loss
Found family
Forced proximity
Taking care when sick/hurt

Dystopian's stories are something I really wished I read more. It is such a different vibe, often with high-stakes and it is captivating. In this one, we are in a future where people are exploited, working and living for the rich. The whole idea of sending others to actually live your life is really eye opening and not far from reality when you think about the amount of time we spend living through our phones or screens. It really makes you question yourself, that is for sure.

I really enjoyed how the story was divided, with placing our characters first and letting us discover this whole futuristic world, and then it was definitely more romance centered which I adored, to a more action packed ending with lots of revelations! The fact that Liv had lost her memory but not all of it and that bits were coming back fast kept things really interesting. I enjoyed seeing our characters really getting to know each other in this different set-up. They had so many cute moments and it was delightful. I have to admit, I am not big on love at first sight so I got scared by our characters' first meeting. It was also a bit weird how Adrian felt so betrayed when they didn't know each other and she had just helped him... but still, the fact that Adrian was fighting the pull between them so hard made it okay for me, haha. Love me some tension!

The found family vibes, both from our main characters' original friends and also the new ones they made during this story, was really satisfying. (Nas was simply everything!) I also quite enjoyed the internal dilemmas the characters were going through, their insecurities, their traumas, it all made them more relatable. I did find however that sometimes our characters were making deductions quite fast, I did not see the thoughts progress in their mind and it felt like some infos were just coming out of nowhere, but then, I'm not that bright so I might be the problem, hahaha!

Overall it was a very enjoyable dystopian read and I am impressed this is actually a debut!

Thanks so much to PenguinTeenCA and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

t’s been a while since I’ve read a dystopian novel and this story was soo refreshing and full of BIPOC characters! The world building was easy to follow, the character development, and life within the Metro was understandable and detailed. This is a YA dystopian novel, which follows Liv, a girl living in a world that is production based. As a proxy your life is essentially not your own, as you have to be of service to those above you through giving memories, providing childcare, and even maintaining another persons personal relationships.😮‍💨 This story was a reminder that there is so much more to life, and to really appreciate the beauty around you. Definitely worth the read!

Thank you @jtewwrites and @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I just finished THE DIVIDING SKY last night, and it is a page turner!

This YA dystopia is set in the remnants of the US run by a corporation, "LifeCorp," where everyone is drugged into optimism and complacency and gig work dominates the labor market. Liv Newman is an "EmoProxy," someone who collects and sells emotional experiences. Desperate for cash, she accepts a big payout to go outside the city and capture the stars for an eccentric client, while hot on her tail is a rookie cop who may also be falling in love with her.

The romance is sweet, the worldbuilding engaging, the plot fresh and unpredictable, and the found family delightful. Fans of DIVERGENT, HUNGER GAMES, and WALDEN by Henry Thoreau (iykyk) will eat this up!

Congratulations to Jill Tew on an terrific debut! THE DIVIDING SKY is out on Tuesday, 10/8.

Thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for the free ARC. I wasn't asked to blurb this, but I sometimes go on NetGalley and request things that look good.

Thank you so much TBR & Beyond for my tour copy of The Dividing Sky by Jill Tew! This dystopian novel features two Black leads, and Jill describes it as being “for every Black girl who dreamed of being Tris, or Katniss, or Tally,” and I wholeheartedly agree that Liv deserves to be up there with some of our favorite FMCs for sheer badassery!

Adrian and Liv are well-written in that they both have imperfections and insecurities and similar childhood trauma. As enemies-to-lovers, their dynamic is unique because Liv loses her memories and so gets the opportunity to fall for Adrian without the factors of their different statuses getting in the way. Adrian’s underlying code of morality makes him the perfect protector, just as soon as he realizes who actually deserves his protection!

I think the world described in The Dividing Sky is an all-too-possible future in which a corporation becomes our government and our lives are based solely around being their employees. It is perfectly terrifying in its potential to become fact.

I loved that Jill imagined a future in which there is no racial divide, largely in part to all peoples eventually blending genetics so that all skin tones were in shades of brown and all hair and eye colors ran the gamut of possibility.

I think this book has a wonderful revolutionary ending that left me wondering if there could be a next book but also feeling a good amount of closure in regards to the conflict and romance. I think The Dividing Sky is perfect for any dystopian lover, but I also recommend it to anyone whose favorite plotlines were Katniss and Peeta or Tris and Four, and definitely to those Black girls and women Jill calls to in her promos! Four stars!

THE DIVIDING SKY BY JILL TEW

More YA scifi  

This book has *everything* - a futuristic society deep in the throes of late-stage capitalism. A young woman given a job that could change everything. A young man who owes his life to the corporation she could destroy. AMNESIA! Overall, this was a fun, fast read that's perfect for anyone wanting that YA dystopia itch scratched. Though selfishly I wish I'd gotten this story spread out into another book or two - the worldbuilding was so cool!!

Here are a few of the coolest things about THE DIVIDING SKY: 
YA Total Recall with a little Uglies flair
Capitalism is the enemy (just like IRL)
Quitting being a future cop bc you fell in love with a criminal (and lightly ACAB)

#amreadingromance #bookstagram #review #romancebooks #romancelandia #romancereader #romancereads #books #bookrecommendation #joyrevolution #arc #netgalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this!

This book is set in a dystopian world, but it is important to know that the focus is Liv and Adrian’s relationship. And because of the fact that their relationship developed so fast that they said they loved each other after knowing each other for ONE WEEK, I couldn’t give it 5 stars (I’m sorry I just really don’t find the insta-love believable!)

I do really like how Liv and Adrian’s viewpoints of life were challenged because of each other, giving them satisfying character arcs. That also led to the conclusion that the people were being pitted against each other to benefit a corporation… sound familiar?

I really liked the group of friends Liv has and their unique banter and I wish we got to see more of them!

Overall, while this has all the pieces of a truly horrifying but not completely impossible dystopian, I feel like the gravity of the world isn’t felt as much in favor of the romance getting more attention. And I do feel like that was the intention of the book, but it’s just an important note to not except something as dark and intense as The Hunger Games.

I recommend this!

Thank you to @tbrbeyondtours and @jtewwrites for the eARC and for including me in this book tour!

Liv Newman dreams of a better life beyond her lower-class existence in the Towers of the Metro. As an EmoProxy, her job is to provide her wealthy clients with Scraps, memories with heightened emotions. When her client offers her an exorbitant sum to create a memory in the Outerlands, a place outside the safety of the Metro and filled with wild beasts and raiders, Liv can't say no. While on her journey, Liv gets caught up with Adrian Rao, a rookie Forceman whose task is to bring Liv in for her illegal Scrap dealings that are changing the brain chemistry of lower-class citizens. But as they travel the Outerlands, facing danger together and getting to know one another, they find their dreams of the future turned upside down.

This was 100% the feel-good young love dystopian story I didn't know I needed! I loved how easy it was to picture this world that Tew crafted where everyone is an employee of LifeCorp and all that matters is your productivity. It's not hard to envision that this is the future we're headed for.

Although I'm not normally a fan of insta-love, I was actually rooting for the relationship between Liv and Adrian. Although their connection was more immediate than might seem realistic, I appreciated that Tew gave them some time to sit on their feelings before acting on or confessing that connection.

I loved this read, and I can't wait to see what Tew publishes next!

Read if you like:
Enemies to lovers
Found family
Memory loss
BIPOC characters
Dual-POV
YA dystopian

𝓽𝓪𝓰𝓼: bipoc, dystopian, enemies to lovers
𝓻𝓮𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓮 𝓭𝓪𝓽𝓮: October 8, 2024
𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
𝓶𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼:

In a dystopian world where LifeCorp controls everything, a young girl must fight for what she wants.

“𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄’𝙢 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡. 𝙄 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡.”

Liv is a memory merchant, aka a Proxy, who sells memories to wealthy clients.
She’s weary of LifeCorp and wants a better life for herself.
Adrian is a rookie police officer and tasked with hunting down a rogue Proxy whose memories are changing people’s brain chemistry.
He’s a huge supporter of LifeCorp since he was left on their doorstep as a toddler from the Outerlands.
However, when Adrian catches up to Liv, he realizes she no longer has memories of her own and the two must embark on a perilous journey to get to the bottom of what’s going on.

I’m honestly obsessed, y’all.
The plot.
The characters.
The development.
The gentle yet powerful romance.
The message.
Absolutely breathtaking!

I loved how everyone is multi-cultural.
The societal gaps were intense and specific and so realistic.
The use of drugs to control and manipulate was deeply troubling.
This story is a bit dystopian and a bit reality and that’s both worrisome and wholesome.

I loved all the side characters.
And I ADORED the development of Adrian and Liv.
It was raw and tender and so real.
A ya romance at heart with a bit of science-fiction and dystopian.
SO good.
And I love the cover.

𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣.

My first foray into reading a dystopian novel and it did not disappoint. The concept was great, the world incredibly vivid and I immediately fell in love with Liv and Adrian 💕

Cannot wait to read again when the book is released!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Dividing Sky by Jill Tew is a first person dual-POV YA dystopian romance. Liv is an Emoproxy, someone who experiences intense feelings, such as fear and heartbreak, records them, and sells them to people who have had their emotions repressed by the governing body LifeCorp. Adrian works for LifeCorp and is assigned to bring Liv in, but he gets a lot more than he bargained for when he learns Liv wiped her own memories.

I rarely comment on covers, but this cover warrants it. The use of pinks and purples only to blend into orange to reveal the city is eye-catching and feels romantic. I love how the nature scene on Liv’s side, complete with a hill, moon, and image of her and Adrian, is juxtaposed next to the bright lights of the city in Adrian’s silhouette. The best part is that Liv is facing away from Adrian and we can see her chip on her ear while Adrian is turned more towards the audience.

One of the coolest parts of the worldbuilding is that humanity on Earth has intermingled so much that everyone is mixed race and this is reflected in the character descriptions and names. Another part that I really liked was the selling of emotions. Liv does daredevil stunts and has repeat customers who offer her a lot of money for things she might take for granted but others strongly desire the experience of feeling it for themselves even if it’s painful. A lot of the ideas presented are fascinating and I would be interested in reading more stories set in this world from Jill Tew or works in a similar vein.

Liv and Adrian’s relationship isn’t a slowburn but I wouldn’t say it’s Instalove either. Liv is attracted to Adrian quickly, but it takes time for them to start acting on their attraction and we get to see some development of those feelings while they are trapped in the woods together. Adrian is pretty far gone for Liv but he’s trying to hold himself back because he’s supposed to arrest her and he hasn’t told her why he’s there. This makes their romance start off in a very sticky place, but Adrian does feel guilty.

I would recommend this to fans of YA dystopia who prefer a strong romance, readers looking for a sci-fi romance that could sit next to a lot of the books from the dystopia boom of the 2010s, and those interested in a romance exploring life without emotions.

Wow! This dystopian romance was exciting, emotional and left me extremely worried about Amazon becoming our future overlord! In all seriousness this was such a well thought out world with interesting characters that we were brought into.

The way the corporation ran everything and used propaganda to make it seem like they were helping the citizens (who were in actuality employees) but they were just overworking and suppressing them. I really loved the two MCs and their complex emotional journeys and character arcs. I really liked the romance I just wish it took a little longer to get it. I liked the tension when they were enemies!

I really wish there was another book and this isn’t the last we’ll see of these characters and world!