Solis - by Paola Mendoza & Abby Sher

Book Synopsis

From the authors of Sanctuary comes a haunting near-future companion tale about undocumented immigrants subjected to deadly experiments in a government labor camp and the four courageous rebels who set into place a daring plan to liberate them. Now in paperback!

The year is 2033, and in this near-future America where undocumented people are forced into labor camps, life is bleak. Especially so for seventeen-year-old Rania, a Lebanese teenager from Chicago. When she and her mother were rounded up by the Deportation Force, they were given the brutal job of digging in the labor camp's mine searching for the destructive and toxic, but potentially world-changing chemical, aqualinium. With this chemical the corrupt and xenophobic government of the New American Republic could actually control the weather--ending devastating droughts sweeping the planet due to climate change. If the government succeeds, other countries would be at their mercy. Solidifying this power comes at the expense of the undocumented immigrants forced to endure horrendous conditions to mine the chemical or used in cruel experiments to test it, leaving their bodies wracked in extreme pain to the point of death. As the experiments ramp up, things only get worse. Rania and her fellow prisoners decide to start a revolution; if they don't, they know they will die.

Told by four narrators--Rania, Jess (a former teenage Deportation Force officer), Vali, and Vali's mother Liliana--Solis is about the courage and sacrifice it takes to stand and fight for freedom.

Review Quotes

Praise for Solis

"A riveting adventure and a warning...a compelling story of a possible future, but one with echoes of past fascist governments. A story of courage and hope but also one of vengeance and loss, raising the question of whether you can defeat the enemy without becoming a monster yourself."--alldonemonkey.com

"Solis is an urgently needed antidote to the fear, fascism, and destruction that defines so much of the present world. At the core of this staggeringly beautiful story is a singularly rich, beautiful, and evocative queer love that reminds us that getting to live and dream as our full selves is the ultimate gift. Through Rania and Kenna, Paola and Abby have allowed queer love to breathe and transform--defying narrative and societal constraints, Solis finally lets queer readers see themselves fully on the page." --Chase Strangio, ACLU Lawyer and Transgender Rights Activist

"Terrifying...yet necessary."--latinxinpublishing.com

"A tight pace and distinct voices bring dynamic energy to this harrowing dystopia, which is perhaps most terrifying in its similarity to our current environmental and political landscape...Each character has their own unique traumas, underscoring the very many ways the world is falling apart and the very few possibilities there seem to be for humanity to survive. Readers of Mendoza's Sanctuary will recognize some key elements, but no knowledge of the previous book is needed to understand the overwhelming odds these teens--and the world--are facing."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Set in an alarmingly near future, Mendoza's sequel to her novel Sanctuary describes a nightmarish United States in which all immigrants, regardless of current status, are categorized as illegal...The plot is tautly written and the pace increases rapidly toward the climax."--Booklist

"Resistance and a fight for freedom in the face of unspeakable horrors...the characters are three-dimensional, and their deep connection and care for one another are highlights of the story. A gripping concept..."--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Paola Mendoza is an author, film director, activist, and artist working at the leading edge of human rights. A co-founder of the Women's March, she served as its artistic director. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Huffington Post, Glamour, Elle and InStyle. Paola is a co-founder of The Resistance Revival Chorus, The Soze Agency and The Meteor.

Abby Sher is an award-winning writer and performer. She is the author of Miss You Love You Hate You Bye, All the Ways the World Can End, Breaking Free, Amen, Amen, Amen: Memoir of a Girl Who Couldn't Stop Praying, and Kissing Snowflakes. Abby has written and performed for the Second City, Upright Citizens Brigade, HBO, and NPR.