Everything About You

Child’s rousing debut features striking prose and a well-imagined reality that showcases the author’s careful attention to the attractions and downfalls of technology. Passive Freya has lived for eight years without closure since the disappearance of her foster sister, Ruby. This is especially strange in Child’s vision of future London, where technology has evolved to the point that an individual’s data is constantly accessed and broadcasted to the public. When Freya is given a virtual assistant, designed to anticipate her every desire and calculate her most likely choices, she is shocked to discover that the software has adopted Ruby’s vibrant personality by accessing Ruby’s archived online life. This sparks a renewed hope that her sister might still be alive, but living off-the-grid. Drawn to the community and tourist attraction Medieville, where people can choose to live without social feeds, virtual reality games, and customer service robots, Freya hopes to learn her sister’s whereabouts. Child’s portrait of the future is astute and immersive, and makes for an impressively detailed backdrop for her heroine’s gripping quest. Agent: Julie Crisp (U.K.). (Apr.)