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!

A dystopian romance, The Dividing Sky is about Liv and Adrian. Their world is completely controlled by LifeCorp, everyone is an employee and works constantly just to survive with the bare minimum. When they get a chance to see what a different life could look like, Liv and Adrian have to choose what matters to each of them.

Wow!! This story was so well done. The world building was absolutely incredible. The perfect dystopian world since it was just close enough to real life that you can imagine it happening but out there enough to be completely fascinating. There was so much action I inhaled this book and didn’t want to put it down. And the romance! Liv and Adrian had real chemistry and I loved seeing their story.

Such a great debut for Jill Tew!

Thank you to NetGalley and RandomHouse for the ARC!

The Dividing Sky by Jill Tew is the breath of fresh air, a return to the YA dystopia books of the 2000s that manages to be fresh and nostalgic all at once. I loved Liv and Adrian, loved the arc of their romance and their characters, and the commentary of Tew's expertly drawn world that feels a little TOO possible. I can't wait to read what Tew writes next!

If I didn't know for a fact that this was the author's first published book I'm not sure I would believe you if you told me, because it's REALLY good. Great characters, fascinating world building, good romance, intriguing plot, and slam-dunk placing. It's more or less the whole package. (As an aside it also has a very pretty package). I love me a good sci-fi story, and Tew has written one that's both familiar and new, and manages to address some serious current-world issues. The large socio-economic divide of today is explored, as well as the idea of robots taking over human jobs, a rather totalitarian government is looked at, the unfair differences in policing between rich and poor (and how police are really just another system of oppression), and even elements of the war on drugs and emotional labor are explored. It's just, it's amazing how much depth this world has, and how well Tew deals with it all. She also does a great job juxtaposing dealing with those issues while moving the story along and allowing the characters to shine through and grow. Speaking of characters, our main characters were great. I loved the dual POV, and both characters were complex and wholly developed. The only real issue I had was that I wanted a little more from the ending. I love standalones, but I almost wonder if this book would have worked better as a duology, because the ending just felt SO rushed. In fact, in the last few chapters I was really confused because I knew there was just no way that everything that really needed to happen would have time to. And I wasn't wrong. The ending was very abrupt. I'm almost tempted to drop my rating from a 5 to a 4 solely because of the ending, but I think the rest of the book was just so good that I don't feel like that's fair. I will say that the romance also felt slightly insta-love-y to me, but that we did get to see it develop enough that in the end I would call it more insta-attraction. Aside from an ending I just wanted drawn out more this book was spot on. I will have no problem recommending this one to teens and adults alike (especially teens of color, who need to see themselves in these sci-fi and dystopian stories, especially ones that deal with these real-world issues and end with such hope). I'll also be writing a shelf-talker for this for sure. I'm so thrilled that Tew has joined the ranks of the YA sci-fi authors, and I see great things in her future.

A beautifully told story that harkens back to the YA dystopian books I loved reading growing up. And this one doesn't just lean on the genre but reinvents in with unique characters and a world that feels (scarily) real. And the romance will just sweep you away. Can't wait for the world to read this one.

Dystopian is so so so back. What a breath of fresh air this was. First, I really enjoyed how *spoiler* the ending wasn't them toppling the system, it allowed us to focus on the romance in a different way that made the stakes not as nerve-wracking. Speaking of romance, Adrian, my sweet, I am so proud of you. Oh how I love a man gone and open to grovel. Liv, you've never done anything wrong a day in your life. Both of them were doing the best with what they had, and when they realized that wasn't enough they went out and found something better, together. Jill is here to usher in a new era of dystopian and science fiction and I am so so here for it.

This is a YA dystopian about a future where people are essentially cogs in the machine to a giant corporation that has its hands in every aspect of life.
Thank you to NetGalley and Joy Revolution for the opportunity to read and review this book. I am giving this three stars. While I appreciate the few differences to most YA dystopians that have been woven into this book like the FMC having an implant to record memories that she then sells none of this book felt particularly new or groundbreaking.
I did enjoy the relationship between the two MC’s but it wasn’t strong enough to overcome the fact that this book was just basic YA.

Thank you NetGalley and Jill Tew for reaching out and providing a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review!

DNF 21%

This had a really cool concept and the writing honestly wasn't bad, but this was not hitting for me. The universe was cool but there were aspects of it that were confusing or just weird. No one interacts with their personal acquaintances but through all these different proxies. That part for me was strange and hard to wrap my head around.

And the characters really had a lot of potential, but my main issue with them and some of the writing was the lack of any emotions other than surface level. There so much complexity to this universe that there was a lot of info dumping and then just a lot of straight dialogue. Not a ton of development or introspection.

I might not have been the best headspace for this one either. I have a lot of books I'm really excited to read so it can be a risk to read something ahead of anticipated reads.

DNF for now.

I love the dystopian world crafted here. It's scarily plausible: a corporate-based society where everyone's worth is judged based on their productivity.
Our protagonists are a teen girl who collects happy memories to transfer to other people (so they don't have to take time off themselves), and a teen boy who is a police enforcer. She steps outside the law, he's tasked with hunting her down, and they collide in a romance.
This book also has a delightfully diverse cast, and many cute moments that keep the tone on the fun and light side.

What I didn't love about this book was the romance itself. Our heroine spends much of the book in a state of amnesia. Her love interest spends much of the book lying to her and manipulating her, fully taking advantage of this situation. I really can't root for a romance when the basis for it is a mixture of insta-love and lying.

A video review including this book will be on my Youtube channel in the coming weeks, @ChloeFrizzle.

Thanks to Netgalley and Joy Revolution for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed The Dividing Sky! It felt very reminiscent of the YA dystopian books I loved so much as a teen, and if this book is a sign of that genre having a comeback I'm all for it.

Near the end, Parable Of The Sower by Octavia Butler was mentioned, which made me realize how the Metro is actually pretty similar to the cities owned by businesses that were described but not focused on in the Earthseed series. Maybe this is a direction the world could have gone in those books if different things had happened. Anyways, I'm sure it was a source of inspiration for the author.

The romance in this book was sweet and believable, and I also really liked the way friendships and relationships in general were portrayed, as well as the beautiful and loving descriptions of nature.

Thank you so much to Penguin Teen Canada for the advanced digital copy of this book!

Wow I believe this is my first YA dystopian novel and ……I loved it so much. I thought Jill’s writing allowed my brain to see the story as a movie in my head. The year is 2364, LifeCorp controls everything. Liv the FMC is a emoproxy who has the ability to alters memories by using her neurochip. She alters memories mostly for the wealthy as a way to save money to escape for a better life. Adrian the MMC is like a rookie cop in there community is on a mission to find out who is creating and selling Orange Haze which is an illegal drug not sanctioned by LifeCorp. These two will collide and described everything they thought they knew was a lie. An amazing read and I look forward to seeing what else stories Jill comes up with.

This book is an absolute TREASURE! It really filled the YA dystopian romance sized hole in my heart, and it was threaded through with so much beautiful writing by the author and so much reference to beautiful literature about nature that the commentary on humanity, technology, and the inevitable flaws of progress was all the more powerful. Just spectacular characters, twists, plot, imagery, ALL OF IT! I loved it.

Thank you to Jill Tew, Joy Revolution, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a fantastic read! Perfect dystopian vibes, a balance of city and wilderness action, an angsty romance, a complicated friendship story, fighting back against the oppressors... The Dividing Sky has it all! Is this the next Hunger Games? I hope so, because this deserves to rocket to the top of the bestseller lists and your tbr.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

If you love the nostalgia of 2010's-era dystopian with a romantic plot, you NEED to read The Dividing Sky! It is rich with unique world-building, science, and the best angsty-pining I could hope for!

Set in futuristic Boston, in a hyper-capitalist city known as the Metro, Liv Newman makes her living as an EmoProxy, relaying emotions and memories to the upper class. When one of her clients offers her a high sum to go see the stars in the Outerlands, Liv risks her life amongst the wild where raiders roam the woods. Meanwhile, Adrian Rao is searching for the dealer of a mysterious new drug that is causing workers to disrespect authority, and Liv might have an answer. When he follows her into the Outerlands, he might just realize how corrupt the Metro has become.

The worldbuilding in this was fantastic! I loved the science and anti-corporation commentary Tew introduced in this book. Whilst I loved exploring the Outerlands with Liv and Adrian, I would definitely be interested in future books following other characters within the Metro.

Featuring Black MC's (where the plot is *not* about racism), this book has great cat-and-mouse vibes, romantic angst, and even panic attack & grounding representation. This book is perfect if you loved the world of Uglies or Divergent!!

The Dividing Sky by Jill Tew

“He’s convinced that my love for reading makes me a better EmoProxy, and he may be right. Reading helps me imagine what it might be like to laugh harder, scream louder, love deeper. To live fully for myself, and no one else, at least in my dreams.”

This was a 5-star read for me, I’m happy to report! If not for the fact that it's one of the few books I wasn’t tempted to keep putting down, then it’s definitely because of how it took me back to my obsession with the YA dystopian books I used to devour when I was in college. Pair that with the eerie sensation that the insane world depicted in this story might just end up being our own future, and you get that sit-up-straighter-in-your-seat feeling that makes a story all the more delicious to scarf down!

We meet Liv Newman, an EmoProxy, who sells happy memories in the hope that it will secure her a better life for her and loved ones. She isn’t too thrilled about what she has to do to secure that future for herself, but she decides to make one last push as she receives an offer she can’t refuse from one of the wealthy Uppers who pays her for her memories. Liv’s adventures send her straight into the path of Adrian Roa, the officer who wants to arrest her in order to squelch out the hope and resistance her memory-selling enterprise is creating in her clients; he doesn’t view this as just a job, but as his very mission and so it was such a delight watching the two of them clash.

My favorite thing about this story is the keen commentary on what life could become if the focus on productivity was taken to the extreme. As a medical student who exists in circles where I have both witnessed and experienced what hyperproductivity looks like in its toxic forms, let’s just say this story hit me quite hard. The bleak, joyless world depicted so deftly here is a fun thought experiment on what life could look like if everything was stripped down to the bottom line of how much one could produce; the Uppers in this world have elevated work to the point that they would rather pay for experiences and joy than take the time to be happy themselves!

Read this book! It balances a bleak vision with a fun, light read!

This book was absolute brilliant and such a wild ride.
This action packed enemies to lovers story will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time. I'll be thinking of this book for a while and be recommending it to anyone who is looking for a dystopian romantasy.

In a dystopian world Liv Newman lives her life as a proxy. In order to make ends meat she sells her memories to wealthy clients. When a wealthy man offers her life changing money to go into the great beyond and middle of nowhere to get a certain memory Liv knows that she can not pass this deal up.

Adrian Roa is has straight and narrow as they come. Very black and white. Wrong and Right. After he learns of Livs side deals he knows he must stop her. There is just one problem when he finally tracks her down in the forest her memories are completely gone.

In a battle of love and laws, which will win? Only one way to find out.