Show Us Who You Are

Starred review from September 5, 2022
By exploring ethical dilemmas around digital immortality and neurodivergent identity, McNicoll (A Kind of Spark) grants this speculative novel the intensity of a psychological thriller. In near-future London, autistic 12-year-old Cora Byers is a budding investigative journalist navigating her mother’s death, relentless bullying, and whether to “care about normal” at school. When she meets Adrien Hawkins, a homeschooled boy with ADHD who’s unabashedly self-accepting, their blossoming friendship brightens her days. Adrien’s father, wealthy Magnus Hawkins, runs the Pomegranate Institute, an innovative corporation that’s developing lifelike interactive holograms with a goal of digital immortality, preserving loved ones and celebrities after death. The institute is eager to recruit Cora as a subject so that they can learn to re-create “that kind of brain.” Despite strong misgivings from her father—and from Adrien, once a grudging participant—Cora joins the program, in the process discovering new truths about grieving, her autistic identity, and the Institute’s true goals. Neurodivergent author McNicoll writes Adrien and narrator Cora with nuance and verve, interlacing deep moral conundrums with raw emotional revelations to make a disturbing, potentially prescient read. Most characters cue as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Suzie Townshend, New Leaf Literary.

September 1, 2022
An autistic London girl discovers that a groundbreaking technology comes at a heavy cost. Usually, 12-year-old Cora Byers doesn't mind being autistic. But when her teacher patronizes her and classmates bully her, sometimes it feels very important to be "normal" and mimic neurotypical interactions. So when she's dragged to a party hosted by her brother's boss, CEO Magnus Hawkins of the prestigious Pomegranate Institute, she doesn't expect to befriend Adrien, Hawkins' son. Adrien, who has ADHD, doesn't care about social norms or expectations, much to Cora's perplexity. Gradually, Cora warms to his free-spirited outlook, but their endearing, banter-filled relationship hits a snag when she's asked to participate in Pomegranate's latest project: uploading living humans' personalities into holograms that will continue existing after their death. Having lost her mother last year, Cora doesn't understand why her father and Adrien warn her against such wondrous technology, especially since Pomegranate finds her autistic perspective particularly valuable. But when tragedy strikes, she makes a horrifying discovery. Through Cora's frank, insightful narration and heartwarming bond with Adrien, McNicoll--herself neurodivergent--vividly explores tough issues such as death and identity with nuance, humor, and care. A poignant twist and an especially nasty (if somewhat one-dimensional) villain will keep readers hooked until the satisfying ending, and the premise will keep them thinking after the last page. Characters are presumed White. A touching, perceptive take on grief, technology, and self-acceptance. (Science fiction. 9-13)

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November 1, 2022
In this middle-grade sci-fi tale set in the near future, twelve-year-old Cora meets Adrien (and his wealthy family) at a grown-up party. Both children are neurodiverse: Adrien has ADHD, Cora is autistic, and they bond over a shared love of adventure and the feeling that neurodiverse people shouldn't have to change what makes them unique to be accepted. Adrien's father runs Pomegranate, a company that creates holograms to give its customers a chance to hobnob with celebrities and revisit loved ones -- a concept that appeals to Cora, who would love to be able to interact with her recently deceased mother. But after a devastating accident, Cora discovers that Pomegranate has flattened Adrien's neurodiverse traits to make him seem more neurotypical. Horrified by the "digital eugenics," she makes it her mission to expose the corporation's deception and cruelty, while coming to terms with her own perceptions of death and grief. Adrien and Cora are smart and funny characters who make relatable the work of navigating life in an often-unsympathetic world. McNicoll's suspenseful story has a lot to say about what makes a person worthy of respect. Sarah Berman

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2022
In this middle-grade sci-fi tale set in the near future, twelve-year-old Cora meets Adrien (and his wealthy family) at a grown-up party. Both children are neuro-diverse: Adrien has ADHD, Cora is autistic, and they bond over a shared love of adventure and the feeling that neurodiverse people shouldn't have to change what makes them unique to be accepted. Adrien's father runs Pomegranate, a company that creates holograms to give its customers a chance to hobnob with celebrities and revisit loved ones -- a concept that appeals to Cora, who would love to be able to interact with her recently deceased mother. But after a devastating accident, Cora discovers that Pomegranate has flattened Adrien's neurodiverse traits to make him seem more neurotypical. Horrified by the "digital eugenics," she makes it her mission to expose the corporation's deception and cruelty, while coming to terms with her own perceptions of death and grief. Adrien and Cora are smart and funny characters who make relatable the work of navigating life in an often-unsympathetic world. McNicoll's suspenseful story has a lot to say about what makes a person worthy of respect.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)