5⭐️

[a copy of this book was provided to me by the published from netgalley. thank you!]

i have been following the author on YouTube for ages, and it feels like a huge honour to get to read this e-Arc, so thank you. this debut novel is a queer reimagining of the great Gatsby set in New York City in 2075. excellent writing, character development and an interesting world to fall into. i will definitely be watching this author in the future

This book really surprised me—it kept stopping me in my tracks with lines that just hit hard. The writing is beautiful and completely pulled me in. I felt like I was right there in the story, seeing everything through Nick Carraway’s eyes. The characters felt so real and complicated, like the author really understood them inside and out.

Thank you Netgalley for providing an ARC

Fajardo's debut is a dazzling futuristic cyberpunk retelling of The Great Gatsby and it is everything retellings of classics should be. It a bsolutely honours the source material while still giving an updated and personal spin to the story. The conversations on classism, capitalist exploitation, and body modification technology are all very interesting dilemmas that build on the original story's examination of opulence and the American Dream. The themes of holding onto the past so much that you miss your future hit especially hard. Despite being very familiar with the original, I still felt myself unable to put the book down to see where the story goes. Nick is a fantastic main character and serves far more of a purpose than the original being a vessel for the reader. He is fully fleshed out, full of repression and waiting for him to finally snap was delicious. I loved all the charater dynamics and everyone felt real and messy. I cannot recommend this book enough and I cannot wait to see what else Fajardo releases.

Arc provided by Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

By pure enjoyment alone, this is my top read of the year so far. In her debut, Fajardo managed to create a gorgeous love letter to The Great Gatsby while also building a cyberpunk capitalistic hell-ish future. As an admitted Sci-fi hater, I was going into this book looking forward to a queer retelling of a beloved classic, but i am completely enthralled with everything that happened. The tension and restraint between Nick and Gatsby felt like it was sitting on my chest and stopping me from breathing at certain parts. Even while faithfully following the main plot points of the original novel, I still felt the suspense on where this book was going to go, and the ending was all the more devastating. Every main character felt fleshed out and not like caricatures of the original, and I particularly adored Jordan and Nick's dynamic.
I rushed through this in one sitting but this is a book I can see myself going back to many times once it's out.

3.5 stars rounded up!

oh WOW. im honestly speechless. this was such a beautiful tribute, sure to be loved by those who are fans of the original and wanted to see more pieces of themselves in the story. i loved the changes made to the characters, the expansion of their personalities that made me understand them so much more. the interactions between nick and gatsby, and that ending specifically, made my heart clench. i got so much more attached to them that this hurt more than the original, even though i was prepared. i also love the way daisy, jordan, and even myrtle were expanded upon so much more than in the original work— they all could actually stand on their own while still remaining true to what makes them the characters from the original. daisy especially was very interesting to read in this book and she had so much more depth.

i will say that the pacing of the book did feel a bit off to me; most of the first half of the book seemed to drag on a little without much plot avdancement. i also was confused for most of the book on the process of diving and what it even is. i do like how the author didnt just info dump at the beginning all the info regarding this world and instead eased readers into it, but i wouldve appreciated getting more knowledge on the whole process of diving, what happened to the world to make it this way, etc.

overall, i did really enjoy this story! jordan was my favorite character, with nick a close second. the second half of the book is definitely much stronger than the first half, but overall this was a great read that i think queer gatsby lovers will enjoy!

This was such a unique retelling that strongly stands out! I love all that this author did with fleshing out the characters in this story and their motivations and themes. Highly recommend.

This just be one of my favorite retelling of The Great Gatsby. This take one the original feels so fresh but familiar.

The cover is what initially drew me to want to read this, then finding out it was a retelling, extra sold. I LOVE retellings, especially when done right, and this was done oh so right!

Some sci-fi is hard to get into, but this was so easy to read. I read this in less then 24 hours. Once I started, I just couldn’t put it down.

I love how the author kept aspects of the original characters, but also gave them a twist to fit the narrative and it was so, so good.

I love how she took old school and combined it with futuristic, cyberpunk, dystopian, queer.

Some parts I enjoyed more than others, but I enjoyed this very much overall. 4.5 from me and I can’t wait to get my hands on the published version!

As always, thank you to Netgalley and Bindery for the eARC of this book!

Local Heavens is a queer cyberpunk retelling of Great Gatsby, with main character Nick Carraway, a netdiver who takes up a job to obtain information on the mysterious Jay Gatsby. They come across each other at one of Gatsby’s parties and become drawn into each other’s lives.

This was a book I could not put down!!! The prose and imagery was incredible, setting up the world and all of its little quirks. Netdiving and body mods were both such cool concepts and all the little details reminded me of the Cyberpunk Edgerunners world. I was immersed immediately, and Nick was a really fascinating main character to follow. It was interesting to see the divide between his thoughts and who he presented himself as on the outside. All of the other characters were also extremely fleshed out and my favourites definitely were Jordan and Jay. The mysteries of their motivations and their personalities were super entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat. Everything from the dialogue to the world-building was incredible and It was also interesting to see how Fajardo incorporated different aspects of Filipino culture and the language into the novel, especially with Daisy and Nick, and also addressed themes such as capitalism, classism, and racism within the context of this world. Everything was really well done and this is definitely going to be one of my favourites of 2025.

I have not yet read the original Great Gatsby, but this was an excellent retelling that has definitely inspired me to pick it up. Fajardo’s debut novel was incredible and I will definitely be looking forward to her future work!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The prose is this book is charming and very reminiscent of the original Gatsby and I appreciate the sci-fi worldbuilding (the mods are super cool!). There's a lot to love about this retelling and it's very clear that the author spent considerable time and energy studying the original.

DISCLAIMER: I received an advance e-copy of this book through a Bindery Books giveaway.

First off, let me say that the synopsis/descriptions/blurbs I’d read about this book prior to reading it were definitely intriguing (this book has been on my TBR pretty much since it was announced by The Inky Phoenix), but they don’t do this book justice. This book is so much more than what I expected. I definitely stayed up way past my bedtime (“Just one more chapter!”) to finish this book.

In addition to reading The Great Gatsby, I’ve also read a number of retellings/re-imaginings (The Chosen and the Beautiful, Beautiful Little Fools, Self-Made Boys, and Wild and Wicked Things, as far as I remember). As much as I enjoyed some of them, none were as good as Local Heavens. One issue I often had with the other re-imaginings I read were that the authors, in an attempt to make some of the characters more sympathetic, ended up making them less interesting. Or sometimes the authors tried to stay too close to the original novel, even when it didn’t entirely make sense for the retelling. Somehow, K.M. Fajardo manages to make a character like Daisy sympathetic, while keeping her complexity and not glossing over her flaws. Similarly, even though this story is set in a cyberpunk semi-apocalyptic-ish future, the allusions and references from the original novel are perfectly done. They’re placed in just the right moments and never pull you out of the current story.

Local Heavens is wildly original and I think that’s a big part of what makes this re-imagining work. Fajardo very much tells her own version of Gatsby, set in a completely different world, and weaves her own themes to make it feel fresh and so very, very relevant. (I found Tom’s character especially representative of some of the BS we’re dealing with these days.) Even though I didn’t fully understand the backdrop at first and it felt a little bit like I was dropped in the middle of a foreign planet, it was well-done enough that I could follow along as things were shown and explained in more detail. The themes of “the American nightmare” and colonialism/imperialism, while not always explicit, were a constant undercurrent throughout the book, reminding you why certain things played out the way they did. Fajardo’s world-building was subtle and highly effective.

What made this book stand out the most to me were the characters and their relationships to each other. Of course, all the subtext between Daisy and Jordan and between Gatsby and Nick is still present. But they’re tragic stories. There’s no HEA between the couples, much like there was no HEA at the end of the original. Fajardo allows her characters to be flawed and broken and while I personally crave HEAs these days, the way things concluded were perfect for the story. The tension between Gatsby's dreams of Daisy and reality with Nick was beautifully and devastatingly done.

The only minor quibble I have is that the formatting issues in an advance e-copy made it a little hard to read, especially deciphering who was saying what in conversations, but that has nothing to do with the substance of the book itself.

A beautiful, sprawling, atmospheric adventure through the future and past. Broke my heart into a million pieces and still made me feel hopeful and optimistic. Highly recommend!

"I wasn't supposed to want you like that."

Local Heavens, K.M. Fajardo's debut novel, is a cyberpunk retelling of a timeless classic: The Great Gatsby. It's been over a decade since I read the classic and watched the film adaptation. I believe someone who is more fluent and familiar with Fitzgerald's work would be able to appreciate or notice the metaphors/easter eggs than I do.

This retelling is unique on its own, a reader wouldn't need to read TGG beforehand unless they want to further understand the storyline and nuances better. Fajardo stated on Goodreads that while TGG is about Gatsby, Local Heavens is about Nick Carraway, and I felt that deep in my bones.

As a Southeast Asian, it's absolutely refreshing to see this take on Carraway as a Filipino-American. As the narrator, his voice is clear and the world-building doesn't feel like an info-dump at all. The prose is crisp; it's satisfying to be able to read Fajardo's writing after a long time following her journey in writing and publishing through her YouTube channel.

It's also worth mentioning that I love how the dialogues in Tagalog are not italicized, nor did they come with translations. It's unapologetic. It adds depth to Nick's character and the way he speaks to the people back home in Manila. And I had fun trying to translate the dialogues myself.

The characters in this book, as experienced through Nick's POV, are so distinctive and real. I especially adore Nick's dynamic with Jordan as much as his relationship with Gatsby puts me on the edge of my seat (read: bed). Though no labels are attached, Nick being bisexual feels right. The differences in dynamic and relationship between Nick and Jordan vs Nick and Gatsby are stark, painted clearly through clever dialogues and Nick's train of thought.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly not just as a reader, but also as a writer myself. I strive to deliver each scene in a book as continuously impactful and significant as Fajardo had done with Local Heavens. The format of the book is intriguing—I especially liked that the transcripts are included in between chapters to provide nuanced insights and foreshadowing for the storyline alongside the linear narrative of Nick's recounting of the events.

The complexity of the world-building and the technology that exists in this book is astounding. I wonder what Fajardo's process was like when creating things like the mods and Happy Sleep during her planning stage. They remind me of Black Mirror episodes! I love that. The interwoven themes of capitalism; the rich getting richer and the poor poorer; the expectations society has for women and the blatant disregard when in Jordan's storyline where she is expected to step down from being an athlete because the people want a younger woman, a shiny new toy—everything falls perfectly into place. It's almost envious, how easy it was to read Local Heavens.

Some parts did get confusing, especially at first when I was still familiarizing myself with the world and their technology. The ending also left a hanging, almost wrenching feeling deep in my chest because I flipped the pages and found only the acknowledgements. I need more!

Major kudos to K.M. Fajardo! I'm proud of her journey, and I can't wait for this book to hit shelves on 14 October. This is one hell of a debut 🖤

I can see this book hitting big. It was so unique and so fun and I can't believe it's a debut but I'm excited to see what comes next.

I really enjoyed this book. I couldn’t put it down! The character development and world building were magnificent. It has been awhile since I read the original Great Gatsby. I wondered how this would impact my perception of Local Heavens. I found that distance from the original novel was not an issue at all and made for an interesting reading experience. The characters and storyline—along with new and exciting elements—came back to me as I read Local Heavens.

THIS BOOK!!!!! I haven't read Gatsby since I was in school, and I don't remember much about it except that I liked it. But K.M. Fajardo's translation of Nick Carraway's world into a futuristic America is SO well thought-out and explored - it feels like the perfect mirror to the New York of the 1920s. And the writing—I'd read it over and over again for the writing style itself, it's so immersive. I also adore how Fajardo explored Nick's inner workings. That said, my favorite part remains how Fajardo's writing style transcends time and explores Gatsby through a contemporary/futuristic lens. I'll definitely keep my eye on the author's future works.

Wow!!! What a beautiful debut!! Absolutely loved this book from start to end! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for opportunity to read it early!!

4.5 stars. This book prompted so many mixed feelings from me I consider it to be remarkable just for that! But all in all, I really did enjoy Local Heavens and I can imagine that if you like cyperpunk/sci-fi/speculative fiction AND The Great Gatsby this is a wet dream of a book waiting to happen to you. As it is, I don't particularly seek out those genres (although that is changing thanks to books like this!) and I was a little underwhelmed by TGG when I first read it, but I have enjoyed retellings before and this was no different. In fact, I really enjoyed the loyalty to the text while also creating a drastically different setting. That was incredibly clever. My small criticism was that the pacing felt slow at times, and I think what I remember most about TGG was how it was a short and fast-paced and that was somewhat lacking in Local Heavens. But I will absolutely be recommending this book to those who I think will enjoy its many richly woven elements and I am very curious what the author comes up with next. Also EXTRA BONUS POINTS for making this book so deliciously bisexual.

calling this THE GREAT GATSBY retelling is a disservice to this book.

gorgeously written, LOCAL HEAVENS is a gay cyberpunk reimagining of THE GREAT GATSBY with the same familiar cast but each with fresh take and new agency. coming to this book initially, i had my reserve since it’s pretty much GATSBY, even with the prose—i think it was good, but it might not be a strength for a debut author, because now i keep wondering if it’s really her prose or it’s Fitzgerald’s. what really reeled me back was the massive world building, the way emotions werrle written so intimately, and the way Fajardo incorporated tech into this story we all know by heart and love so dearly. LOCAL HEAVENS derives off the main story toward the end to become its own thing, like they become Fajardo’s entirely.

i still think i’d have liked this book more if it had been set in the Philippines instead of New America. i loved the Filipino take to the story and wished she had run with it more. But overall, an impressive debut!!

3.5

Some people will love this book, but I am not one of them. The world-building shone, and I appreciate what was trying to be done with the thematic writing. I also loved the callbacks to the original Gatsby! However—I was not a fan of the prose, I felt I could’ve gotten more out of the characters, and the payoff for the romance, which I was so excited for, just did not work for me; that was honestly the biggest disappointment. I’ll be reading more of Kris’ work—I just came away feeling largely Meh about Local Heavens.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bindery Books/Inky Phoenix for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

A reimagining of The Great Gatsby with a cyberpunk twist. The world in this story feels alive, layered with meaning and emotion. It reflects the core themes of wealth, control, and personal identity in a way that feels both fresh and thoughtful. I hadn’t read the original Gatsby before this, but I was excited to dive into KM Fajardo’s take, and I was hooked from the start.

The MC, Nick, is observant, a little lost, and full of contradictions. That made him feel really real and added depth to the story. The rest of the characters are also complex. They're flawed, morally gray, and compelling. The mix of genre and emotion made this a unique read.

Fajardo’s writing is really good. I think it was emotional, layered, and full of intention.

This one’s perfect for fantasy and sci-fi fans. If you liked The Great Gatsby... but want a cyberpunk twist...this one is definitely for you

Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Aren’t we all just in love with the worst people?” I hate Tom with all my heart, but in this one line, he sums up Local Heavens' love square in one devastating swing.

Swathed in neon greens, pinks and blues, Local Heavens is the queer cyberpunk Gatsby story I didn’t know I needed. Fajardo builds a unique world that is still as close to the Roaring Twenties as it is to both the current landscape and the distant future, breathing new life into a classic tale about ambition and the so-called American Dream.

Local Heavens is a tribute and a great transformation, honouring its source material while carving out something wholly original with its reimaginings. With Nick, Jordan and Daisy being people of colour, they are given an extra layer of dimension that deepens their flaws and desires, making their interactions with Gatsby and Tom (as well as the wider world) all the more impactful. The prose is a perfect marriage of Fitzgerald’s languid decadence and Fajardo’s nostalgic yet contemporary lyricism, Walking alongside Nick, you feel his perspective stronger than ever as his fascination, his frustration, and his inevitable heartbreak bleeds through the page, and makes you wish for a 'happier' end to his story.

Fajardo never loses sight of the human story at its core, but there were moments I noticed myself glazing over the world-building amid the spectacle, which is likely a fault of my own. Still, Local Heavens is an ambitious and electrifying retelling, one that respects its origins while fearlessly forging ahead. It’s a love letter, a warning, and a neon-soaked fever dream all at once. If Fajardo's work is this strong now, then I can't wait to see what she has in store for the future.

Nice world building and an engaging story. Objectively a good book, would recommend, just not really my thing. Unfortunately, I didn't love the prose itself, and the book felt too long. But the futuristic themes were interesting and well-handled, and I loved the aesthetics of the world.

I hadn’t read The Great Gatsby before getting into Local Heavens so I didn’t know all that much about what to expect and I’ll have to say I was pleasantly surprised! Honestly, I’m pretty sure I prefer this version than the classic. I love queerness.

The world building particularly was very engaging, it took me a while to get into it and understand it but that may be personal.

Nick was a very interesting character in the way that he didn’t have the personality of a "savior" and the standard hero persona of protagonists in dystopian-ish scenario. It was refreshing that the characters all felt very realistic, some rather morally grey or straight up bad people as well.

The romance was pretty well-written as well although somewhat questionable at times in my opinion but i won’t elaborate because I want to remain spoiler-free. It definitely got me very invested at times, I loved the tension.

Some parts of the book got me way more engaged than others which is why i didn’t give it a 5-star rating but it was definitely a read I will remember for a long time due to its originality.

Read if: you love the Great Gatsby, cyberpunk, or tragic love stories that will make you feel something

There's something about knowing the way a story ends and just hoping that maybe this time it will be different. The characters in this book were so amazing and the reimagining of their stories was so masterfully done. K.M Fajardo wrote those characters with so much love that I couldn't help but love them as well. The writing in this book was so good. There were so many sentences I wanted to annotate and I will absolutely be picking up a physical copy upon release just to have this on my shelves.

This story revisited and expanded on the themes of The Great Gatsby but also had so much more to say and to add, and I treasured every addition. The amount of work and passion that the author put into this book is evident. The cyberpunk elements were so well done and added so much to the story.

Without giving to much away, this book was great on so many levels but the relationship between Nick and Gatsby was the highlight for me. The building of their relationship was a masterclass in show don’t tell and has cemented Fajardo as an auto buy author for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery Books/Inky Phoenix Press for the e-ARC one exchange for an honest review. Review posted on Goodreads and rating posted on storygraph. Review linked on twitter.

3.75 stars!

I have many thoughts, most of them very positive! I can't say I needed a queer sci-fi retelling of The Great Gatsby in my life but I'm glad I live in a world where I can have it.

One day, corporate hacker Nick Carraway gets an unusually new assignment which leads him into the sparkling, new-money world of the mysterious Jay Gatsby. With massive dueling corporations looming over him and an increasingly chaotic social scene around him, Nick must navigate the tangled truths of the New York City elite even as he begins to fall for the man he's meant to be hunting. I'm one of the few people who were overachievers in English class in high school and don't like the original Great Gatsby. This, of course, is a lot more up my alley and even if I'm not a fan of the original, there were definitely points where I was excited to be reminded of it (I knew some gay shit was happening in that elevator!!). I have to applaud the writing because it is gorgeous and I like how fleshed out the setting was, even if some of the details of netdiving and the corporations kind of went over my head. The characters are all slightly more likable version of the ones in the original, except for Tom of course, but still have some grit and irrationality for flavor. One general downside of retellings is that the story ends up being pretty predictable, but I don't think most people mind that and there's enough added here that it doesn't feel beat-for-beat. The slow burn on Nick and Gatsby's relationship was great and I liked the little transcriptions between chapters. I think the messaging about class is a little heavy handed, but that's true even more so in the original in my opinion, so I'm not mad.

Admittedly, I think the premise of this book isn't really for me but it is really well executed. This is also the first book I've read from Bindery although I've been following them since day one, so I'm happy to be a part of a kind of publishing experiment, I think it's going great!

Thank you to K. M. Fajardo and Inky Phoenix Press for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

Happy reading!

Finished this book and immediately had to go back to the first page and read it all over again because of how intimately this story touched my soul. The only way I can describe the feeling of reading this is that the entire time, it felt like an incorporeal wisp of greatness that I spent the entire time trying to grasp and never got close enough to it.

Local Heavens paints a gorgeous picture of the dark, unsavory truths of capitalism while also creating a complex sea of relationships that perfectly illustrate the deep desires of love and connection inherent to human nature. Fajardo's cyperpunk New Americas is a perfectly opulent and ghastly backdrop for a story that interrogates greed and capitalism, questioning what it means to benefit from a corrupt system and how much culpability we hold in the wake of it.

Truly, one of the few retellings that stands its own against the original source material.

Thank you, NetGalley for an arc! To start, as someone who has never read The Great Gatsby, (yes, I’m just as confused as you are, my English class’s reading material was different), but has seen the movie a million times and considers it a comfort favorite; this was a DELICIOUS (queer) retelling of the classic story—though I probably missed a few references but I’ll read the original (one day).

“Aren’t we all just in love with the worst people?” I hate that I’m quoting Tom but in this circumstance, this quote comes off as a faraway observation of the unlikely foursome that is Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Nick Carraway, and Jordan Baker. The tragedy of it all, the woes of falling in love under a ruse and setting plans but the heart gets in the way, the longing in hopes for a different outcome! And all of it against the most unlikely backdrop—a cyberpunk future, which was a bit hard to chew in the beginning but the world-building was so lush and the high-tech was so cool, namely the ocular mods and that food simulation place (cannot get that whole sequence out of my head). The cyberpunk world building cranked the politics and power of the upper and lower class on high and it was very interesting to see the many ways NYC took a toll on Nick. 

Careful and awe-striking writing too, here’s a couple of my favorite quotes: “No, in fact, I’ve just left it all behind in search of a better beverage,”  (I do just love Nick and Jordan’s relationship in this book), “Because, Because, Because—”. 

All in all, as close as I was to giving this only 4.5 stars, I absolutely had to go five stars for this fantastic debut (first 5 star read of the year down 🙂‍↕️)! I will be running to get my physical copy when this is released! For some reason now, I want to rewatch La La Land just as much as I want to rewatch The Great Gatsby and that’s probably saying something.

This book was so beautifully well done. It’s a love letter to the past - it honors the original work with so much care and devotion. It’s a promise to the future - not only in the futuristic cyberpunk setting, but in a renewed interest in speculative sci-fi fiction that will undoubtedly blossom after it hits bookshelves. And it’s a gift to the present - because while it wrecks you, the reader, it does it in the best way possible. It’s gorgeous prose and enthralling 4th part will sit with me for days. I loved it, and I was not a huge fan of The Great Gatsby when I read it 25 years ago. This renewed my interest in the work; however, I’m also pretty sure that it won’t live up to the author’s incredible updates and twists. Loved it. Thank you to Bindery Books, Inky Phoenix Press, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

New refreshing take on a classic story bright and vibrant writing. Different enough from the original that whole things are familiar it’s still a whole new story to get lost in. Our characters are both charming and complex. The world is also so interesting, being a this high tech future version of our world. It was a lot to take in at first, but the way it was written made it easy to understand. Overall a pleasure to read and I would highly recommend!

Local Heavens wrecked me, in the best way possible. The timing of this book couldn’t be any better. Fajardo took a risk on doing a retelling of a beloved classic and absolutely nailed it. In this revisiting of Gatsby, Fajardo’s writing stoked emotions I haven’t felt in a long time and though familiar with the original story, I questioned how everything would end. Fajardo’s Gatsby knows how to take large parties to the next level. Thank you for my digital ARC from NetGalley and Bindery Books/Inky Phoenix Press in exchange for an honest review. K.M. Fajardo is an author I will be eager to read again.

This book is the most stunning book that I have ever read.

First of all, the cover is magnificent, and the cover artist should get a raise for this one! That is what caught my eyes first, and I am glad It did!

Then, we have the story itself.

The world building is unique, and unlike anything that I have ever read before in my history of reading. Sci-fi can be a little hard to get into, but the author made it seem easy enough by explaining what needed to be known, when it needed to be known.

I came from the author's YouTube channel, and I can't believe that I got to read this story early. I will read this authors grocery list, and I will definitely be picking up her next work!

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for an early copy.

Local Heavens is a queer reimagining of The Great Gatsby that blends sci fi elements with precise, evocative prose.

One of the most exciting parts of this for me (especially as a big reader and massive fan of the video game, Cyberpunk) was the world building. The cyberpunk elements melt into the story and carry the original sexiness of the jazz age forward - in addition to the contemporary issues of class, status, identity and corporate greed.

I also loved the diversification of the main character, Nick. He is Filippino-American and the inclusion of Filippino culture and language was very well done and added another layer of dimension to the character and world. This book brings new depth to the characters and relationships in the original Gatsby, and in doing so, K.M. Fajardo perfectly captures longing, tragedy and beauty.

This is the way a classic should be retold.
Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and K.M. Fajardo for this brilliant ARC.

What a book. What a glorious book. It really says a lot that a book that's a retelling of a story so familiar—and to me, beloved—could keep me up until three in the morning because I couldn't put it down for the last 30%.

Local Heavens is a cyberpunk retelling of The Great Gatsby, focusing on a Nick Carraway sent from Manila to New York City on behalf of his cousin, aiming to look into a mysterious cybertech CEO whose company is looking to pair with her family's—one Jay Gatsby.

Reader, I loved this book. I was set up for success with it—any queer retelling of Gatsby is always going to be a want-to-read for me, and this one was no different. The author, K.M. Fajardo, popped up on my TikTok feed with a video that had maybe 20 likes at the time pitching this book, and I instantly pursued the author on all social media to make sure I didn't miss a detail, including when it would be available here on NetGalley.

But my excitement for this book also set my expectations high—and Local Heavens surpassed them. For me, one of the grandest, and often overlooked themes of The Great Gatsby is the American Dream, and how the idea of it damaged so many along the way either in pursuit of it or loss of it. The cyberpunk aspect of this story and the destruction of our world in pursuit of wealth, creating a cavernous division between the have and have not, was so soulfully true to the original text. The author also did an incredible job matching the beats of Gatsby at their core while never feeling entirely beholden to the story.

As a lover of Nick Carraway, the way he was treated as a character—with such thoughtfulness and care, when often he's relegated to a piece of clay to serve whatever storytelling purpose—was thrilling, as was the depiction of all of the characters and their future interpretations. Jordan Baker was a highlight for me, and the way her and Nick's relationship in its various forms gave the book such a spirit. The subtle differences between them and the way they went about life represented both the reasons they cared for each other and the reasons they were, in the long run, incompatible.

Speaking of compatibility, the way the relationship between Nick and Gatsby was represented was... Perfect. I could use more eloquent words, but perfect is the right one. The way they foiled each other and made mistakes all on a journey of slow falling for one another, to the point where you hardly know where any of it began, was artful. Gatsby himself is a difficult man to write, and Fajardo does it with all of the passion of a fan of the original work and all of the creativity that the mastermind behind this novel requires.

The cyberpunk elements to the story were also presented in a way that was digestible, so I never had to spend a large amount of time trying to figure out what was going on with all of the tech—it came easy, with the world vivid in Farjardo's prose, allowing me to simply relish in the creative story and rich characters laid out in front of me.

I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this to annotate the life out of—thank you for the eARC of this beautiful book in exchange for my honest review.

PS: Extremely niche comparison but last summer I saw a musical version of The Great Gatsby at the ART in Boston, with music by Florence Welch, and haven't stopped thinking about it and its music since—this book is truly that adaptation's spiritual cousin. This comparison is for the niche crossover of people who will have watched and will read both.

A beautiful, rich book. It is artfully mysterious,yet introspective with layered characters and twists. The authors study of the original The Great Gatsby makes for an fulfilling retelling that can lure both Gatsby fans and sci-fi readers. I enjoyed the unique cyberpunk universe and can't wait to read more from K.M. Fajardo.

Local Heavens is one of those rare books that stops you in your tracks, again and again, with devastating lines and gut-punch twists. I usually tear through books in hours, but this one lingered—both in pace and in my mind long after.

The prose is lush, immersive, and electric, pulling you straight into the story, walking beside Nick Carraway and feeling everything he feels—joy, anger, fear. Each character—Nick, Gatsby, Jordan, Daisy—is given new depth, both lovingly and critically.

You might be skeptical about a cyberpunk retelling of The Great Gatsby. But trust me—it WORKS. I was blown away by how this version remains faithful to the original’s commentary on class, wealth, and morality, while making the story entirely its own.

Simply put: this is essential reading. It belongs in classrooms, book clubs, bookstores, and beyond. We need books like this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

“But if God was real that night, then he was crafted in the image of Gatsby’s and Daisy’s mindless joy.”

Thank you NetGalley and Inky Phoenix Press for providing me with an early copy of Local Heavens for review

There’s a few things you should know before I dive into this review. The first, I’m a little bit obsessed with Gatsby. Secondly, ever since Gatsby entered the public domain I’ve been not so patiently waiting for someone to do something worthwhile with Fitzgerald’s third novel. And reader, this might be it.

Local Heavens transposes the social, technological, political, and economic instability of the original works roaring 20’s into a futuristic 2075 were corporate net diver Nick Carraway meets his latest assignment, alluring new-money Jay Gatsby. Nick finds himself swept up in the complicated affairs of the city’s rich and powerful and contending with the devastating impacts their whims and wants have on those less fortunate.

This is going to be a long review, so I’m going to say this now. If you’re a fan of Gatsby (especially as a queer text), of cyberpunk media, of commentary on capitalism and climate. Read. This. Book.

Okay, now were was I.

I don’t quite know how to articulate my sheer love for this book without this turning into a 2000 word essay in which I unpack everything I adore from Fajardo’s careful reconstituting of Nick Caraway’s iconic character voice into something entirely her own to the careful way she balances both adding and subtracting from Fitzgeralds original novel.

This book is written with a precise kind of elegance, every word; page; line of dialogue; string of prose serves an exacting purpose. The Cyberpunk elements are explained efficiently and integrated effortlessly into the narrative.

Fajardo asks what the American Dream means in a world run by the 1%, in a world devoid of wonder, in a world in which technology might drive us into the ground before it pushes us forward. This book is timely and intelligent and so fucking good.

I loved this… A wonderful reimagining of Gatsby in a Blade Runner-esque world that was a total joy to read, so fun. Kris has done something very cool here! Must recommend for all of my English-lit nerds who enjoy a sci fi moment.

As an avid great gatsby fan, THIS is the retelling I’ve been looking for. The prose is gorgeous, the characters are nuanced and fleshed-out, and the world is so compelling. Bravo.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC!

I finished this book in less than twenty four hours, but waited a bit to write the review because I doubt I can do the novel true justice. I wanted to sit with it, let it wash over me, keep it in my mouth like candy. It was the first time in a while I didn't feel inundated with info-dumps, but trusted as a reader. I felt as if I had the space to unpack this, that it was more than just the text on page. It was at once the original work and something else entirely.

Local Heavens is a cyberpunk retelling of The Great Gatsby, which, if you weren't aware, is my favourite classic. The bar was high for me, and Local Heavens delivers on all fronts.

The writing style has Fitzgerald's meticulous decadence, which I'm happy to sink my teeth into any day of the week. While doing this, it still retains aspects of a style outside of the original's, which I think is crucial in any retelling. Some old lines or metaphors were adjusted to suit the new setting, which I thought was a necessary addition. It definitely ran the risk of poor execution, but not in this case; it managed to hold its own very well. Jordan's interlude, while still remaining as strongly written as the rest, felt as though it had its own, clear voice outside of Nick's—and that is very difficult to accomplish. I could go on about the prose for weeks, but I'll stop. Just trust that the writing alone was enough to secure Fajardo as an author I will be reading voraciously in the future. Understanding another author's style to this extent, while maintaining clear hints of one's own, is a Herculean feat. I deeply admire it.

The worldbuilding may be confusing for some, but I rather appreciated the work I had to put in on my end to understand it—that's good, that's what I want and like, especially as a frequent sci-fi/fantasy reader. It was evident that there was thought put into not only how the world's "current" systems work, but how they got there in the first place. I would've loved more elaboration, but I understand how this can be limited by page counts and run a risk of, indeed, info-dumping. What matters was that it was interesting, and did a good job of setting up basic "laws" of the technology as well.

Above everything else, it was the characters that really blew me away. They are, at once, the same as the original work and entirely different people. Nick remains my favourite, as he's always been (I have always thought him very intriguing, and not at all who he says he is), but the changes made him not only more entertaining, but more down-to-earth. The choice of having Nick be a person of colour and how it played a role in the way he interacted with the elite was fantastic. It created another, crucial layer on top Fitzgerald's initial critique—which, alongside the added aspects of the role of technology and the effects of late-stage capitalism, really rounded out the point of the original novel and modernised it. From the moment I heard it was a cyberpunk Great Gatsby, I knew it would work. The themes, criticism, characters, and plot of the original novel graft almost perfectly into such a setting.

It'd be a poor review if I didn't mention the relationship between Nick and Gatsby. Without saying much, as it is worth the experience, I was not only deeply invested in their development, but appreciated the quiet way it built up. There was no explicitly stated tension, and not only is that perfect for their relationship, but it is how I prefer relationships to be written in general. This was done very well, especially considering how many plot points and other relationships had to be juggled. (Also a bisexual Nick has always made sense to me, I thought the same when I read the original work. I also appreciate that the scene in Chapter 2 of the original work was properly understood. Glad we all agree that's what Fitzgerald was implying.)

Local Heavens is timely, but more than that, it is aware the reader does not need to be badgered with quotables and dialogue stating the obvious. The disastrous effects of capitalism are clear even before Nick sets foot in the cyberpunk version of the Valley of Ashes. Attraction between characters brims under the surface, unsaid, for hundreds of pages before it releases. Every scene is exquisitely written. Quite frankly, this is the exact kind of book I not only want to read, but write myself. I can't stress enough how much I recommend it, if not for your own love of The Great Gatsby, but then for your enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC!

Local Heavens is a queer cyberpunk retelling of The Great Gatsby where Nick Carraway, the main character, gets the assignment to move to New York and investigate Jay Gatsby.

Like The Great Gatsby, Local Heavens is a commentary of class but also delves into race, sexuality, and sexism. The prose is beautiful and also reminiscent of Fitzgerald’s at times in a way that seems purposeful but not overdone, as the novel still has a distinct voice to anything I have read before.

Because I have a lot of thoughts, I will be breaking it down into pros and cons:
Pros:
The characters: I absolutely adored the characters! Well, mostly, not all (looking at you, Tom).
- Nick: Nick is a really interesting (the forbidden word for English majors ik) main character, and without spoiling anything, all I can say is that I loved his character arc and him grappling with how other people see him vs how he sees himself.
- Jordan: If there’s one thing about Jordan, it’s that she will always be a baddie in every iteration. The commentary on women in sports and women “aging out” of things were really well done, and I enjoyed that part of the novel a lot!
- Owl Eyes: An unexpected favorite! Sure, she sucks at her job, but she is speaking facts.
- Daisy: I have very mixed feelings about Daisy, but I love her complexities and seeing how she deals with motherhood and her (shitty) husband. I always love it when books deal with flawed characters.
- Gatsby: Another character who has a lot of flaws. He is positive to a fault, naïve, believes in miracles, and I love his conversations with Nick (his complete opposite in the way they view the world) about optimism and pragmatism.

The relationships
- Whether platonic or romantic, I think the relationships really just sold this book for me! They were all done really well, and it never felt like any of the platonic relationships were pushed aside for the romantic relationships, which I really enjoyed! It’s definitely a character driven story, and platonic relationships are, in my opinion, very important for those kinds of stories.

The prose
- I already mentioned the prose, but I just have to mention it again because it is stunning! I will absolutely be buying the physical copy when it is released and underlighting so many lines.

The social commentary
- This had a lot of layers of social commentary, as mentioned before. Because I have read The Great Gatsby, I was expecting the commentary on class, and Fajardo delivered! There were a lot of parallels to our world that probably veers into spoiler territory if I talk about them too much, so all I’m gonna say is that it all makes a lot of sense for the cyberpunk genre!
- I love the way Fajardo tackled racism, both in 2075 when the novel takes place but also in the lives of Nick’s family members who lived years ago, showing how racism has somehow survived throughout all these years despite there being so many bigger issues to worry about (sounds familiar?).
- I also loved the discussions on what kinds of “fighting the system” actually work. It’s similar to a lot of conversations being had today too. Can you fight the system using the very system you’re trying to fight, or do you have to fight it from the outside?


Cons:
The retelling aspect
- I don’t mean that I dislike it being a retelling, not at all. I just think it, at times, leaned a little too much into the retelling aspect, and I know it is a retelling, but it doesn’t seem to leave much wiggle room (which probably sounds like a wild thing to say about a book that reimagines The Great Gatsby in a cyberpunk setting). What I mean is that there are events and conversations that happen at certain times in the original that also happen in some way in this book, and it sometimes felt like they’re here just because they were in the original.

Underdeveloped side plot
- There’s a side plot that is introduced early on in the book that’s kind of just… not talked about for like 100 pages and then suddenly it’s brought up again and said to be a huge part of everyone’s daily lives, and it’s said that everyone talks about it and it’s on the news all the time, except… we’ve only seen it on the news once and we’ve only heard people talking about it once. It wasn’t a huge plot point, but I’d still have loved to see it talked about more to see how people actually felt about it instead of just being told that people talked about it.


I will also say, there was a moment before the beginning of the second part where I got really confused about what was happening because I had no idea what year we were in (I don’t know if this was mentioned earlier in the book and I just forgot about it?), but then I read the blurb again and remembered it’s 2075 and then it made sense, so that might just be on me. But other than that, I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and didn’t find it confusing, so I didn’t want to put this as a con.

Overall, I could talk a lot more about the things I loved about the book than the things I liked less (and there wasn’t really anything I disliked), and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book when it’s released! It also feels like the kind of book that will be even better on a reread, so I’m looking forward to reading it again in October!

I have been following KM Fajardo for quite some time and as soon as she said she was writing a Gatsby retelling I wanted to read it immediately. I was so unbelievably excited to be accepted for this ARC, but about 15% in, the formatting - would be due to Netgalley I am sure - became almost unreadable. I obviously have such an anticipated read pre-ordered, so as soon as I get my hands on that copy I will be giving a proper review on Goodreads! What I did manage to read was INCREDIBLE though, and I absolutely cannot wait to see how the rest unfolds!! (she's already nailed my favourite scene - if you know you know)

I was so eager to get my hands on this book, and I am so grateful to Bindery and NetGalley for the e-arc for review!

Local Heavens is a queer, cyberpunk retelling of The Great Gatsby that not only manages to hold up against the original, but bring something new and fresh into the conversation. The themes around class in Gatsby are brought to new heights in Local Heavens with the integration of tech, race, and critiques of capitalism. Nick, in particular, goes from a somewhat invisible, bland character to a complex, well-rounded one to suit the additional identities (queer and Filipino) the author has given him. Jordan, too, goes from a mildly interesting side character to having a solid storyline and new identity of her own. And the lush, fever dream of a setting in Gatsby is elevated in Fajardo's vision of the near future.

The author clearly put in the work to learn Fitzgerald's writing style and make it her own. There was an abundance of beautiful prose with so much to chew on in every paragraph. And the metaphors were to die for!

Overall, this more than lived up to my expectations, and I can't wait to read whatever K.M. Fajardo writes in the future!

A very cool cyberpunk adaptation of The Great Gatsby. The worlds and tech created by the author were stunning. The anti-colonialist and anti-capitalism commentary much needed.

When I first came across Local Heavens via Fajardo's social media platforms I was Immediately intrigued by the pitch "a queer, cyberpunk retelling of The Great Gatsby". It promises a lot and as a lover of the classic and lover of queer media I had high hopes for the execution.

It certainly did not disappoint. Local Heavens is easily one of the best books I have read in years and an absolutely stunning debut from Fajardo.

The prose was elegant and rich and did such a great job of blending in Fitzgerald's style into the authors own voice. Overall I think the way that The Great Gatsby was honoured in this retelling was done with so much taste. The book could easily stand on its own for a reader who hasn't read the classic but adds so much depth for those who have.

I found the world building to be clear and intriguing, if i had any criticism it would be that i would have enjoyed diving a little bit deeper into it but I still felt as though it was very flushed out. I think by far my favourite part was the characters. They had such great depth, they were flawed and complicated and truly felt like real people. The way that the relationships both romantic and not were intertwined was done very successfully and were quite captivating, I only wanted to see more and more of them as I read on.

And of course the romance in the book was another main highlight. This is the unspoken tension and natural build that I want in a fictional romance. I loved how it really felt like all aspects of it were thought through with care and I wasn't just being told how they were feeling, I could see it and feel it.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Local Heavens, it will certainly have a spot as my staff pick come its release in October. I look forward to more work from Fajardo in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

First of all, thanks NetGalley for getting me this eARC!

It took me a while to get into this book due to the world-building. But, once I did, it was a great read! I read The Great Gatsby a long time ago, but I recognized the storyline and I think it's a good retelling. It's a completely different world compared to the original and that really sets it apart. K.M. Fajardo did a fantastic job with the very descriptive, immersive world-building and the characters. I can't wait to see what else she'll write!

Fantastic debut from Fajardo. I signed up for a NetGalley account specifically to request this title and I was not disappointed. I'm looking forward to the official release, and will most definitely be watching this author's career.

The Nick Carraway we know has been heavily modified, physically and spiritually -- upgraded, so to speak. From a character who needs almost as much sussing out as the titular character, Nick has been transformed for Local Heavens into a Filipino-American, unambiguously bisexual, military-veteran-turned-"net diver" just trying to get through his latest assignment. Neither his queerness nor his heritage feels tokenistic. In fact, both add dimension to the story and strengthen this retelling's ties to the original themes of classism, US imperialism, and a(n admittedly more subtextual) homoerotic kind of admiration and yearning. For all of this Nick's confusion (frustration) at being pushed and pulled by familiar (and not so familiar) forces, he remains his own man, and an empathetic one at that. It helps that we get to see him interact with more characters, and that his time with Gatsby is given more care and emotional intimacy (that middle section where they spend the evening outside rather than at Gatsby's residence is simply Magic!).

Of course, by deliberately remixing Nick's background and personal traits, we find that Gatsby himself can only be changed as well. The source material's Gatsby already appeals to the reader and to Nick for reasons other than his glamor and ostentation. This story, however, turns up Gatsby's charm and pathos, especially in his interactions with Nick. We see that, regardless of the plot reasons for their sustained contact, Nick can barely help being drawn to Gatsby, and vice versa. Each of them operates in a language different from the other, at a level that the other might not ever fully comprehend. Still, they cling to each other and bare their hearts to each other, even when it might make more sense not to, and isn't that the stuff of a classic love story? Putting aside the ethics of the business that made him a billionaire, perhaps Gatsby's greatest flaw might be the same as it was in the 1920s. As intelligent and resourceful as he is, he has learnt too little from life to know how to love without crushing everyone, even the beloved, under the weight of his feelings.

What really drew me in after learning of the initial concept was the world-building. I wouldn't consider myself well-versed on cyberpunk or on the real life tech industry, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could follow the descriptions of the tech in this universe pretty well. Perhaps the framing of certain futuristic elements through their ethics, their material impact on "our" world, helped me connect (heh) to this aspect of the story more easily. That's what intrigues me personally about technological development anyway. What is the human cost to the normalization of these glittering pieces of an infinitely malleable virtual reality, even objective reality? How does technology improve the quality of human life for some while diminishing it for others? What are the lengths to which people go to make humanity and its mysteries more bearable? The hypotheticals supplied by this book render this universe frighteningly dystopian, particularly when the lens of profit potential is forced upon the reader like an ocular modification. Nevertheless, the cynicism of the original is tamed by this new take. Local Heavens is surprisingly hopeful, and this is a good thing when the first half of the actual 2020s had been morbidly bleak.

That said, this book unfortunately might have been too hemmed in by Fitzgerald's own story beats. A crucial scene, for example, is changed by Nick's presence. It's a powerful bit of characterization for all the players and also sets off an emotionally significant chain of events past the "canon", but it otherwise sticks closely to the flow of the original. While I believe that, overall, a good balance was struck between coloring within Fitzgerald's outline and probing past it, Fajardo could've set the boundaries of this story even further. The strength of this retelling actually lies in its original elements (such as the transcripts, an effective bit of storytelling on their own) and more daring reinterpretations of the source material. The book is glorious when it feels like a speculative fix-it fic, but not so much when it feels like it could've been an alternate take left on the cutting-room floor.

Anyway, the prose is lush and beautiful, reminiscent of Fitzgerald's style in the way it can craft sparkling visions as in a Happy Sleep. It serves the purpose of laying out a future where hover technology has apparently been perfected and communication channels and youthful beauty are merely an installment away. It also reflects Nick's sensitivity, the thoughts he purposefully keeps to himself. It works as a display of fine wordsmithing. Yet the metaphorical language bogs down the storytelling at times as it overloads the senses like a hyper-realistic simulation. Nick can afford to be more direct and upfront in his own narration, even when he can't be the same in speaking.

A teeny tiny gripe of mine is that some of the Filipino/Tagalog dialogue sounds stilted. A more colloquial tone might have worked better for certain lines (See: "Nawawala ba kayo, corpos?" Consider: "Nawawala kayo, corpos?" / "Uy/Hoy, corpos! Nawawala kayo?" / Naliligaw kayo, corpos/boss/bosing?" ; See also: "Pareho kayong gwapo." Consider variations like: "Ang gagwapo niyo namang dalawa." / "On the house na! ... Tutal, gwapo naman kayong dalawa." / "Libre na 'yan. Para sa'yo at sa partner mo. Gwapo rin naman kayong dalawa."). The moments of code-switching also could've been recalibrated to better replicate real life Taglish. There are typographical issues here as well, e.g. "mag ingat" should be "mag-ingat"; a specific instance of "ng" should be "nang".

On a related note, I would have loved to have the Filipino side of Daisy's and Nick's family tree as a more palpable, even if distant, presence. Having spent about half of my life outside of the Philippines and the other half in the country, I can understand what it's like to sense a gulf between myself and my extended family, but I think there was an opportunity to give Nick stronger ties to a Filipino community (at least to his mother or any other relatives in the New Americas). Otherwise, the lack thereof could've been addressed. The original Nick's isolation has always puzzled me, so I didn't expect this Nick's intimate circle to also be limited. Maybe the author intended to make a statement about individualism and the fracturing of larger societal units through migration and other factors, but there was actually a heartening thread about friendship and community-building in the story, so I'm not sure why Nick isn't more closely connected with those who might've called him "kabayan" or "parang kamag-anak".

All in all, this is shaping up to be a strong debut. I'm glad to have been given the opportunity to read this early version of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery for the eARC!

K. M. Fajardo's debut novel is a romantic, sultry reimagining of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, set among a backdrop of cybernetic body-modification, New York's disastrous economic inequality, and the exploitation of the rich against the poor. Unusually for cyberpunk, Fajardo's Gatsby retelling - by necessity - focusses on the upper class, those being Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, the Buchanans, and Jordan Baker. Carraway, a Filipino-American netdiver, is sent to investigate an acquisition being made by Gatsby's corporation, Gen Wealth, but finds himself swept up into the wild, wealthy world of Jay Gatsby.

Anybody familiar with Fitzgerald's novel will be familiar with most of the storybeats in Fajardo's, and the class and origins theme of the original novel comes through well with the addition of Nick's mixed-race heritage and the consideration of working within the system versus overthrowing it.

While the themes of Gatsby are very relevant to today's questions of wealth and social inequality, it often feels as though Fajardo is held back by the retelling aspect of her work. Often, the characters felt not-entirely realised, with some aspects of personality and personal revelations stilted by the weight of their predetermined expectations. The cyberpunk elements of the novel feel a little underutilised, particularly in the realm of the posthuman. Despite this, there is no denying that Fajardo understands the themes of the original novel and brings them to life in imaginative ways. Nick's origins as an immigrant, for example, allow for an innovative consideration of the idea of "self-made". Likewise, Fajardo capitalises on the obvious queer undertones of the original, which she makes explicit in the relationship between Nick and Gatsby.

This is, overall, an exceptionally well written debut. The prose is lush and romantic, effortlessly enjoyable to read. Even though the cyberpunk elements leave much to be desired, Fajardo's characters are perfectly unlikeable, each believing their own possible redemption even as they steal it from themselves and those around them. The relationships between Nick, Gatsby, and Jordan are built up exceptionally well, with the major issue in character relations being, again, the limitations of the retelling format. It begs the question of what this author could do with the freedom to flex an entirely original narrative.

This is a novel worth reading for any fans of Gatsby, sci-fi, or dramatic narraties about the wealthy. A very accomplished debut with stunning prose by an author with a great handle on her craft.

I loved this near-future re-working of Fitzgerald's classic novel. It was so original and intriguing. The flowing writing style and current themes set in a somewhat futuristic setting really worked for me.

Local Heavens is a queer cyberpunk retelling of the Great Gatsby.
And quite frankly, the only part about this that intrigued me beforehand was the "cyberpunk" and the "queer". As for Gatsby, I only had watched the movies years back and only remembered not really understanding the whole vagueness of it.
I'm still not sure if I understand everything that's going on with Gatsby, but that's in no way this books' fault. The author painted a picture of exactly the feeling that Gatsby caused in me, but with more interesting characters and way more immersive setting.

K.M. Fajardo did a phenomenal job with the world building without over-explaining or info-dumping, with telling you exactly as much as you need to understand and envision it.
I also enjoyed the different character dynamics, they felt flawed, real, morally questionable.
The underlying yearning was palpable throughout the whole book and was what kept me going - despite the main plot just not being my jam (because it is so Gatsby and the stakes throughout the story aren't as high, except for the ending).

But the ending really made the book for me - It was hot and made me cry within the last 70 pages.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery Books for the eARC!

If you had asked me if I needed a Gatsby retelling I would have said no, but then I heard it’s a queer cyberpunk retelling and I had to know if it was as good as I was imagining it. Let me tell you, it is! I loved this book even after it broke my heart multiple times and I was yelling at everyone and their mothers. My cat thought I lost my mind multiple times, but my god was this book so fun and emotional! K.M. Fajardo did amazing with this book, I actually liked the characters more here than in the original book. I’m not going to spoil anything, but do have tissues ready. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to scream into the void and hopefully feel something! Thank you NetGalley and Bindery Books for this arc.

mind is blown !!! i like the great gatsby and this futuristic retelling of it was everything i could never think of, the writing, the setting and the flow was incredible, it did take me a little time to get into it, but all it all an incredible book.

Perfect! Thank you thank you thank you so much for this book. The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite books, but local heavens stands completely on its own. Oh, my I’m at a lost for words. I cannot express how much I love this book without giving it away. The selling point was the book being queer, but it’s the story and landscape that keeps me hooked and loving this beautifully crafted and written book

Thank you to Netgalley & Bindery for the eArc!

A glimmering jewel of a debut novel, Local Heavens is The Great Gatsby reimagined in such a way that I often forgot it wasn't always this way. It feels so natural that these characters are in a world where technology is king, where holographic advertisements appear on every corner. I cannot wait for fellow Gatsby fans to read this and I cannot wait for Fajardo's future work.

A longer review will be provided upon publication!

local heavens is a brilliant tribute to fitzgerald’s magnum opus, and the great gatsby is perhaps my favorite book ever, so i do not say this lightly. fitzgerald’s prose is something that cannot be truly replicated, but fajardo does an amazing job with the language and atmosphere while adding a twist to the story. although local heavens is set in the 2070s, a century and a half after the events of the great gatsby, its overarching message and overall ambience is still reminiscent of the original.

‘it was strange to observe—not because i believed in magic, but rather because a part of me, right up until the end, had still believed in “gatsby.”’

‘buildings grew taller, slums grew wider, bodies younger and souls colder, and at the end of it all, we had moved far from the society we’d been when the probe first launched, its romance diminished with each generation under the growing cynicism of our declining nations.’

what i think made the great gatsby so special to me was the complexity of its characters and their relationships with each other and the world, and local heavens is the closest i’ve ever gotten to reading something that resembles the magic of the great gatsby. nick carraway was always my favorite character and local heavens’ nick is no exception; i loved the interconnection of cultures and ideals in his character. gatsby was perfect and daisy was so flawed i adored her character so much #istandwithmycancelledwife

the worldbuilding in this book was absolutely insane. everything was so clearly thought out and fajardo’s way of portraying it was so vivid but didn’t feel thrust in my face at all. i’ve never been a particularly big fan of dystopia (i still am not) but local heavens absolutely blew me out of the water and it was just so?? realistic?? fajardo doesn’t shy away from dissecting capitalism and wealth and privilege even in the cyberpunk world and it was so intriguing to read about (especially considering the state of our world rn)

‘it was an odd thing to see an android hesitate—a small but devastating trick of technology that replicated the very human instinct of sympathy.’

local heavens is genuinely such an impressive debut & i look forward (am gnawing at the cages of my enclosure) to reading more of the author’s work!

thank you to netgalley for the arc!

‘“a breach?” muttered gatsby.
“yes, sir.”
“physical or cyber?”
the klipspringer paused. “both, sir.”
jordan and i feigned interest in the aquarium.’

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this upcoming debut album by K.M. Fajardo.

I have casually followed the author's journey through her posts on booktube, and it was very exciting for me to have an opportunity to read her work. Admittedly, I was a skeptical of the novel itself, being a reimagining of Great Gatsby. As a millennial, the Leonardo DiCaprio film influenced so many dances and parties during my teens and twenties that I had pretty much burnt out on the classic novel. But seeing that this new take was cyberpunk, queer, and tackling the social issues in the novel from a new perspective made me open to trying it.

And what a novel it is! I loved this from the start. The atmosphere feels electric, like the neon flashes that wash the dark city with bright light. The characterization is deeply personal and feels so true to the source material, while also finding space to dig deeper. K.M. Fajardo portrays iconic characters such as Daisy Buchanan, Nick Carraway, Jordan Baker, and Jay Gatsby himself with so much nuance and intensity, I found myself suspended in this new-but-familiar world. As the plot progressed, I genuinely questioned whether I knew the ending or not. Sure, I knew the key plot moments, but the emotional journey felt raw, fresh, and urgent in a way I personally never experienced reading Hemingway's novel.

Note: there is a bit of spice on the page, for those who care, but it's not the sole emphasis of the story.

This novel feels as much an emerging companion to The Great Gatsby as it feels like a classic in its own right. I am thrilled for K. M. Fajardo to debut and I can only hope she continues to share her voice with us readers for years to come.

5/5 Stars - highly, highly recommend. Perfect for fans of Song of Achilles and The Great Gatsby (of course).

(This review will be posted to Instagram on Friday, July 25)

Local Heavens by K. M. Fajardo is one I’ve followed on YouTube and Instagram for a hot minute, so I was over the moon when I was selected for an ARC. I’m also a huge fan of the recent musical adaptation and spent last summer listening to the album while I read the original Fitzgerald novel.

So if you weren’t in the know, Local Heavens is a cyberpunk retelling of The Great Gatsby and right away I was intrigued by the concept. Back in high school I read the series The Thousandth Floor, which honestly has really similar vibes technologically and thematically. Local Heavens balances being a riveting summer-read and commenting on class and racial conflicts.

Now, with all that out of the way... It was amazing!!

I say that as someone who’s not super into science fiction. For some reason I can eat up a complex magic system with unique terminology but as soon as an author does the same thing with technology the wrinkles in my brain turn into question marks. But Fajardo’s worldbuilding steadily grows more fascinating across the pages.

But I was really there for the characters. Fajardo manages to remain true to the characters’ original molds whilst also imbuing them with a new life. The only problem is how am I supposed to explain all the wild shipping going on in my brain for characters that people will immediately tie back to the 1925 classic American novel The Great Gatsby? Like, how am I supposed to talk about how NICK CARRAWAY is being rotated in my head on a microwave plate.

I also wanted to talk about what stayed versus what shifted in this retelling. In Local Heavens, Nick and Daisy are Filipino, a detail that is also used to open the door to conversations around micro-aggresions and racial identity. This came to a head with Tom in the last 100 pages in ways that had me shook. The build-up to that confrontation was a well-laid path, but it was such a good choice on Fajardo’s part to show how insidious racist behavior can be.

Another interesting detail was the murders at the end of the book. If you’ve read The Great Gatsby you know. You know. But the slight twists that Fajardo includes strengthen the themes of Local Heavens. I could writes essays on this. I could write fanfiction. Just trust when I say it was so good.

“Well, I’d rather do something real. Build something good out of everything that’s been broken.”

This is one of the only four books to ever make me shed a tear. What a masterpiece.
I have never read the original Great Gatsby, and though I plan to, Local Heavens made me feel like I somehow already knew it—like it was already in my soul. Fajardo’s love for this story shines through the gaps like sunrise through closed curtains.

The prose was excellent, the world-building unbelievably awe-striking. This is the modern 'roar' of our 20s, the ultimate vision on where our present-day is heading. From AI to Memories, to cheating death and sport.
This is irreplaceable modern literature.
I could sit and marvel at the craft for an hour but what would I achieve doing that when I could just pick this up all over again from Page One?

It’s a tragedy that this a debut because I need more!!!

Local Heavens was a slow starter, but once I got going, I could not stop reading. The world is complete, the characters are complicated and the more that I read, the more I wondered what was really going on.

One of the greatest things about it was that nothing in the book really does what you think it's going to do. Whether it's the characters, their motivations, or even the universe as a whole being in the future, there is always something else beneath the surface. Who is really telling the truth, and what aren't they telling you?

Overall, Local Heavens is a slow burn that is worth it completely. It's a clever, well-crafted book that encourages you to question your assumptions and has you pondering long after you've closed the final page.

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

LOCAL HEAVENS is the queer, cyberpunk gatsby retelling of my dreams—a feverish, sensual, and decadent hover car ride through the american capitalist nightmare. fajardo's debut captures the spirit of fitzgerald's classic perfectly, mirroring the beauty of his language and dreamy severity of his characters, while effortlessly moving the story into a plausible, technology-ruled future that's as harrowing as it is promising, ripping open the chest of late-stage capitalism and performing an autopsy on its rotten, glittering heart.

the 2070s of fajardo's new york city is a world of surreal body modifications, billionaire corpos, disillusioned celebrities, and all the ordinary people whose lives are crushed by capitalism as those at the top thrive off their misery, exposing the blood that keeps america running—asking if you can see it, asking if you care. in LOCAL HEAVENS, nick carraway is a filipino-american corporate hacker, jay gatsby is an elusive billionaire, daisy fay is a filipino-american retired star of technological dream simulations, and jordan baker is a nigerian-american bullet-golf champion. a love square connects the four of them, and fajardo uses the beauty and tragedy of their relationships to explore humanity on both intimate and grand scales—from the delicate dance between strangers to exploring proof of life beyond earth.

LOCAL HEAVENS retains the spirit of fitzgerald's novel while imagining it anew in clever, revelatory ways that will redefine what it means to take a timeless classic and transmute its heart for the future it gazed into. the essence of the great gatsby is more relevant than ever in fajardo's hands: her world is the one we're already living in, but with our fears and dreams dialed as high as possible. it's a prophetic scream from a hacked security system, set to a jazz number. fajardo has written a gorgeous, sleek, and unforgettable debut right on time for the great gatsby's centennial anniversary, and i can't recommend it highly enough. LOCAL HEAVENS is going to haunt me for a very long time, and ensured that i'll follow fajardo anywhere in the world.

LOCAL HEAVENS hits shelves on october 14! it's available for preorder now, and if you needed a literal green light to convince you, here it is! go forth, old sport.

I must admit, it took me way too long to realize that this is a retelling of The Great Gatsby.

That being said, it means I did not already know where the story was going and was able to enjoy it as it is.

What stood out to me, is that people looked, talked and behaved in the way I would have expected people in the past to do. This did not harmonize with the fact that the story is set in the future. But of course, now that I know this is a retelling of a classic, it makes a lot more sense.

I appreciated the world building and the fact that the main character had Filipino roots. Plus all the queerness!

I'm not sure how much needs to be said about the plot, since I have basically already revealed where this is going.

Still the ending left me feeling vulnerable and emotional and frankly that's what I expect from a good book.

thank you to netgalley and bindery books for giving me access to the e-arc in exchange for an honest review! all opinions are my own.

** mild spoilers ahead **

local heavens is a queer, cyberpunk retelling of the great gatsby - one of my favourite classics reimagined through a cyberpunk lens AND it's queer? yes, please.

nick carraway, a corporate cyberspace hacker, is tasked with investigating the elusive billionaire jay gatsby, whose existence seems shrouded in secrets. despite his best efforts, nick can't seem to resist the allure of gatsby's charm and slowly becomes entangled in the world of society's elites.

local heavens is primarily a contemporary critique of late-stage capitalism - the rich are thriving, the working and middle classes are living on the brink of society, the environment destroyed, and workers replaced by androids. i love cyberpunk as a way of addressing these issues and, despite being set in the year 2075, this novel feels very relevant in 2025.

the writing is gorgeous, and the characters feel fleshed out and realistic. the main plot beats of the great gatsby are replicated in this novel, but turned up a few notches, with interesting tech and worldbuilding. i wish we had learned a little more about diving, or been with nick in those moments - it's such an interesting concept that i wanted to explore further than the explanations went.

if you enjoy the great gatsby, the cyberpunk genre, and toxic gays, i highly recommend checking out local heavens!

This is a futuristic, queer, cyberpunk retelling of The Great Gatsby. I've read TGG at least twice, but it's been many years, so it isn't super fresh in my mind. I thought the setting is this version was unique, I haven't read other cyberpunk stories, so not much to compare to there, but it was interesting. I liked the writing, I liked Nick as the narrator, I liked that the focus of the story was a bit more skewed to Nick's experience overall, and I liked getting to know Jordan more than in the original. I'm not sure if this would stand on its own for someone who has no reference of the source material. Some of the dialogue and references felt out of place in such a futuristic world. Gorgeous cover art! A very cool debut!

Local Heavens is a bold, electrifying reimagining of The Great Gatsby, set in a vividly dystopian 2075 New York. Filipino American Nick Carraway is no longer just a bystander—he’s a hacker navigating the corporate underbelly of a fractured society, drawn into the enigmatic orbit of a tech-augmented Jay Gatsby. This version of the classic tale pulses with fresh urgency, blending class critique, cyber-noir intrigue, and moral ambiguity. With sleek prose and razor-sharp commentary, Local Heavens asks timeless questions about desire, deception, and the cost of truth in a future that feels all too plausible.