by Hernán Díaz
First published 2026
The orphan grew up on loss and survival in a city where the state no longer exists. Humans are building new ways to live together and connect with nature. She becomes a pincher, stealing power from the electrical grid to sell on black markets. The work pays well but carries serious risks. Her stolen electricity lights up secret concerts in the underground art scene. The job also brings her close to a massive scientific discovery that could reshape reality itself. She must navigate the space between the family she has found and the dangerous world of illegal energy trading. Her choices will determine not just her survival but her connection to the people she cares about most.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, adventure, 21st-century
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, high-stakes
Setting: City
Period: 21st-Century
464 pages · Hardcover · Riverhead Books
Content warnings: violence