…provocative…[Grove] mixes action, noir, brain science and moral philosophy here…At its best, The Waning Age is visceral and disarmingly smart…Grove refuses to write down to her audience, which makes her kin to her main character. Natalie may just barely remember what it means to feel, but she's as defiant and loyal a big sister as anyone could ask for.
The New York Times Book Review - Jeff Giles
02/25/2019
Emotions have dried up in this stripped-down sci-fi noir novel by Grove (the Mapmakers trilogy), in which people “wane”—lose their ability to experience feelings—around age 10, a benchmark that keeps getting younger. Natalia Peña, 17, has been taking care of her younger brother, Cal, almost 11, since their mother died. Nat works as a maid at San Francisco’s Landmark Hotel, where she occasionally rubs elbows with the very rich, who can buy calibrated emotions, or “synaffs,” from manufacturing conglomerate RealCorp. Without feelings to guide them, the populace must follow strict rules to maintain law and order (“Know what harm is. And cause no harm. Know what need is. And help those in need”) to keep from becoming violence-seeking “Fish.” But Cal still responds to the world empathically and emotionally. When he is identified as a late waner and taken to RealCorp for testing, Nat determines to help her little brother, even without the ability to feel traditional love. Logic and reason are king in Grove’s rich near-future world, where a Raymond Chandler-style narrative meets questions of ethics and technology. This fast-paced novel provides readers with a deep range of emotions while highlighting the importance of empathy, attachment, and emotional intelligence. Ages 14–up. Agent: Dorian Karchmar, William Morris Endeavor. (Feb.)
★ "A provoking, striking call to self-reflection." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review★ "Unexpected twists create a fast-paced plot . . . A must-have for libraries with dystopian fans." —School Library Journal , starred review "A dazzling,emotional journey about a sister's love and the fight against an emotionless society." —Booklist "Grove’s world shines through as a complex statement on empathy." —BCCB Reviews "Readers, especially lovers of dystopian fiction, will enjoy this book and may just come away wondering, “what if…?” —School Library Connection "The Waning Age brings dystopia back to YA, in a novel that feels like Lauren Oliver's Delirum mixed up with Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go" —Bustle "A fun ride with cool characters set in an interesting world you won’t regret diving into." —Hypable
★ Winter 2018
Gr 9 Up— In her first solidly YA novel, Grove crafts a dystopian society of teens who "wane" or lose all emotional sensitivity. Wealthy individuals create synthetic drugs that allow them to experience a range of feelings, while the poor attempt to secure cheap, often lethal versions of similar substances. As adolescence begins, children "wane" and are educated to follow logical rules and order. A portion of youth still turn to senseless acts of violence. When Natalia and Calvino lose their mother, they are forced to grow up quickly and fend for themselves. Calvino's late waning and constant show of emotion make him a prime target for lab testing at RealCorp. When RealCorp conspires to adopt Cal with the intent of indefinite testing, Natalia must break every rule to release him from a life of experimentation. The author creates a bleak society of people who yearn to feel, but offers hope through the relationship Natalia has with her brother. Unexpected twists create a fast-paced plot. Topics of suicide, rape, extreme violence, and murder arise but are discussed with reserved detail and sensitivity. Readers will explore the implications of a negative biological evolution and the relationship between human emotion and social order. VERDICT A must-have for libraries with dystopian fans.—Monica Cabarcas, Albemarle High School, Charlottesville, VA
Narrators Kyla Garcia, Julio Sanchez, and Arthur Morey combine their talents to describe a disturbing future in which people gradually lose all their emotions. Primary narrator Garcia adeptly gives voice to Nat Peña, a young woman whose emotions have already waned but whose younger brother, Cal, is still emotionally responsive. With complete believability, Garcia communicates Nat’s panic when Cal is kidnapped by the pharmaceutical giant RealCorp. Her performance is compelling, although her passionate delivery can seem at odds with Nat’s emotionless state. In supporting roles, Sanchez and Morey are expressive and sympathetic. Morey is particularly effective at conveying the twisty but tender side of the complicated Dr. Glout. Listeners will be captivated by this gripping, if somewhat uneven, production. S.A.H. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Narrators Kyla Garcia, Julio Sanchez, and Arthur Morey combine their talents to describe a disturbing future in which people gradually lose all their emotions. Primary narrator Garcia adeptly gives voice to Nat Peña, a young woman whose emotions have already waned but whose younger brother, Cal, is still emotionally responsive. With complete believability, Garcia communicates Nat’s panic when Cal is kidnapped by the pharmaceutical giant RealCorp. Her performance is compelling, although her passionate delivery can seem at odds with Nat’s emotionless state. In supporting roles, Sanchez and Morey are expressive and sympathetic. Morey is particularly effective at conveying the twisty but tender side of the complicated Dr. Glout. Listeners will be captivated by this gripping, if somewhat uneven, production. S.A.H. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine