Gifted

Description

In Orpheus Chanson's world, geniuses and prodigies are no longer born or honed through hard work. Instead, procedures to induce Acquired Savant Abilities (ASAs) are now purchased by the privileged. And Orpheus's father holds the copyright to the ASA procedure. Zimri Robinson, a natural musical prodigy, is a "plebe"-a worker at the enormous warehouse that supplies an online marketplace that has supplanted all commerce. Her grueling schedule and her grandmother's illness can't keep her from making music-even if it is illegal. Orpheus and Zimri are not supposed to meet. He is meant for greatness; she is not. But sometimes rules are meant to be broken. Here is a thriller, love story, and social experiment that readers will find gripping-and terrifying.

H. A. Swain is the author of Hungry and the craft book Make These Toys. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. heatherswainbooks.com

Praise for Hungry by H. A. Swain: Swain's near-futuristic dystopia explodes onto this well-trod genre with a fresh idea, tense plotting, and relatable characters.... Fans of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and Lois Lowry's The Giver will flock to this story. --School Library Journal "Compelling... A female protagonist who isn't staunch, heroic, and perfect is increasingly rare in dystopias, so Thalia's fumbling around for the right path is refreshingly different." --The Bulletin "An alluring adventure in a future without food... Emotionally satisfying." --Kirkus Reviews