Bumpy Oak Books

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Actual rating: 3.5

Maria Ingrande Mora’s Fragile Remedy is part dystopian, part scifi, all unrepentantly queer. Gathos City was ravaged by a lung rot disease which led to the development of GEMs- Genetically Engineered Medical Surrogates. The GEMs provided a means to cure those elite able to afford their development, and are equipped with a mechanism in their DNA that leads to their gradual degradation without access to Remedy. Nate, a GEM, was smuggled out of Gathos City to the peripheral Withers. When his illegal supply of Remedy runs out, he has to make a lot of difficult choices to protect his found family and his own life.

There was strong LGBTQ rep in Fragile Remedy, which I was very much excited to see. I was also excited to see that the rep didn’t end with solely the main pair of Nate and Reed, but extended to side characters as well. The author’s bio states that Ingrande Mora identifies as queer herself and that she has a passion for LGBTQ representation in children’s literature. I certainly feel like she contributed with Fragile Remedy. I especially loved the inclusion of Sparks.

Conceptually, I think that the story was strong. I do believe there were some issues with pacing and execution, but nothing that was overly distracting from the story. I did not find myself attached to any one character specifically, but I did like the dynamic of the gang as a friend group. Nate, as the main character, did not feel more or less developed than any other member of the group despite us knowing more of his story, which came across as well-balanced.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and felt that Fragile Remedy was a respectable debut. I look forward to Ingrande Mora’s future works.