Riot Act

April 15, 2024
All media is subject to despotic censorship, and any “anti-American thought” is banned in this 1991-set supernatural alternate history by Lariviere (Time Travel for Love and Profit). “Being dead is exactly like living in the Midwest,” remarks snarky, recently murdered 18-year-old Max Bowl. But his soul still lingers, his consciousness linked to that of his best friend Giselle “Gigi” Durant. Past events portraying Max’s life leading up to his death are depicted alongside Gigi’s experiences in the present, in which she has reunited her former cohort of Champaign, Ill., thespians to mourn both Max and the recent death by suicide of their beloved teacher, Ms. Lee. Dodging political party informers, checkpoints, and raids, the students risk their lives by channeling Ms. Lee’s rebellious attitude (“I’m doing it because they told me I can’t”) to stage an illegal “punk rock Shakespeare” version of Henry VI. While Max’s presence in Gigi’s life sometimes feels voyeuristic, as when he witnesses her first sexual encounter, tension zings throughout the twined plots, making for an unabashed profession of the importance of art in a tale both gritty and timely. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Susan Hawk, Upstart Crow Literary.