Lost in Arcadia

This insightful study of a world in flux, framed by a dystopian future America and a disintegrating family, is disturbingly timely. It’s 2037, five years since Juan Diego Reyes, the creator of the online realm Arcadia, left his wife, Autumn, and three children for good, devoting himself fully to his work. Autumn is finally filing divorce papers, but to her surprise, Juan Diego asks to sign in person. He’s interested in her work at the publishing company Glosster, with plans to exploit it for Arcadia’s use, but to what end? Their story is filled out with portraits of people in their orbit: Gideon, who created (at the request of a former fringe Baptist preacher turned isolationist president) the ad-subsidized Great Wall of Freedom on the U.S.–Mexico border, takes solace in interactions with the anonymous nightXangel, while he maintains virtual reality rap megastar Gravedigger from his home. High school graduation is only a few weeks away for Devon, who uses Arcadia as an escape and is terrified of the “dark unknown” of adulthood. Holly, an artist, seeks deeper meaning in her art and the world around her. Debut author Gandert has quite a lot to say about human frailty and obsession, rampant consumerism, and, most importantly, interpersonal connection. Agent: Josh Getzler, HSG. (July)