We Set the Dark on Fire

Starred review from November 1, 2018
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* In Medio, a myth tells of the Sun God, who took two wives, one wise and loyal, the other sensual and nurturing. Now, selected young women train to become the dual wives of the nation's politicians: the Primera to be his partner in work and business, and the Segunda to run his home and family. Daniela's poor parents lied to get her into the school, hoping to secure her a better future, and indeed, Dani has become the top Primera student, keeping her emotions in check and her forged papers a secret. Mateo, her new husband, seems strangely cold and cruel, and it doesn't help that the family has chosen Dani's longtime rival, Carmen, as their Segunda. But the worst comes when Dani is contacted by a resistance group and asked to spy on Mateo and politicos like him. As she learns more about Mateo's narrow-mindedness and oppressive politics??and as she and Carmen grow startlingly closer?Dani's sympathy for the resistance grows, but is there even a life for her beyond this one? Like the revolution, Mejia's world is carefully built. With its achingly slow-burn romance and incisive examination of power structures, this is a masterfully constructed novel, made all the more impressive as it's a debut. This timely examination of how women move through the world is potent and precise, and readers will be eager for the sequel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2019
Seventeen-year-old Dani is the new Primera (one wife of two who manages the husband's household and aids in his career) to a wealthy aspiring politician. But the identification papers that place Dani's origin on the advantageous side of the border wall are a forgery. Mejia's inventive dystopian world is full of clear references to our own. Frequent twists, questions of whom to trust, and a clandestine queer romance make for a page-turner.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2019
On the island of Medio, upper-class men have two wives: Primeras, who manage their husbands' households and aid in their careers; and Segundas, responsible for the emotional and physical aspects of marriage. Seventeen-year-old Dani, the newly wed Primera to wealthy, powerful aspiring politician Mateo Garcia, has a secret that could destroy her future: the identification papers that place her origin on the advantageous side of the border wall are a forgery paid for by her parents, who envisioned a better life for her than their own. That secret allows a resistance group to blackmail Dani for information, but as she learns more about the Garcia family and her expected role, she becomes willing to help the group sans coercion. Mejia's inventive dystopian world is full of clear references to our own?but here, despite parallels with real-world immigration issues, Latinx cultural elements and Spanish-inflected language are the accepted norms on both sides of a fraught, walled border. Frequent twists and turns and questions of whom to trust make for a page-turner, as does a clandestine queer romance. Unresolved questions at the fiery end are likely to leave readers eager for the promised second half of the duology, but in the meantime, this volume brings up plenty to think about, from gender roles to wealth and privilege to the sacrifices involved in resistance. shoshana flax

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from November 1, 2018

Gr 8 Up-As the top Primera of the Medio School for Girls, Dani has spent the last five years trying to forget the world her parents fought hard to leave behind-the world beyond the border wall, where people are dying of hunger and illness. Dani has learned to check her emotions and prepare to be her husband's equal, a partner who will help him in all things political. Then she is paired with longtime enemy Carmen Santos, a Segunda who, with her beauty and grace, completes the third side of the marriage triangle to Mateo. When Sota, a member of La Voz-a group seeking to bring down the government that keeps people like Dani's family in the margins-saves Dani by providing her with legitimate documents to keep the government from discovering her true origins, Dani becomes entwined in the group's goals, using her role as Mateo's wife to pass on his plans to the rebellion. As Dani becomes more involved with La Voz, she struggles to keep her feelings for Carmen at bay-emotions that, in Medio, are forbidden. Intricate mythology sets the scene for a cast of characters full of complex motivations. Readers will find themselves drawn to a richly constructed world full of fantasy and diversity, with a mystery that will keep them guessing until the very end. VERDICT A must-have fantasy filled with action and political intrigue.-Selenia Paz, Harris County Public Library, Houston, TX

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from December 1, 2018
Power, truth, and lies intertwine dangerously in Mejia's debut novel about oppression and resistance with a cunning Latinx teenage heroine.Medio, an island nation divided by a wall, is literally in between extremes: "On one side there was the might of a nation. On the other, desperation." Clear parallels to Mexico in imagery and themes abound. Born on the wrong side of the wall without legal papers, 17-year-old brown-skinned Daniela "Dani" Vargas graduates after 5 years of diligent training at an elite finishing school to join the powerful Garcia family as their son's Primera. In this well-constructed world, an ancient mythology forms the basis for a practice in which husbands have two wives each: Primeras are quick-witted and emotionally restrained while Segundas are brave and passionate. When Dani's Primera training falters in the face of her ruthless, power-hungry husband, her past overwhelms her present, and she is recruited to spy for the resistance. Excerpts from the Medio School for Girls rulebook precede each chapter, a juxtaposition that effectively reveals Dani's conflicted self-awakening. An action-packed third-person narrative, smart dialogue, and lush descriptions offer readers a fresh and steely heroine in a contemporary coming-of-age story. This well-crafted fantasy offers a mirror that reflects themes in our own difficult world, namely privilege, immigration, and individualism versus the common good. A queer subplot with sensual tenderness adds rich complexity to the story.Thrilling and timely. (Fantasy. 14-18)

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