There is no water in the City of Lies, and inhabitants have their tongue wrenched from their mouths when they turn 13 so that the monstrous Ajungo Empire will continue sending water. Soon to be 13, Tutu strikes a bargain: if he's given water for his mother, dying of thirst, he will venture into the desert to find water for the entire city. A debut writer from Nigerian American Utomi; his YA debut, Daughters of Oduma, also appears in spring 2023.

DEBUT The City of Lies has no water. They only survive by the grace of the Ajungo Empire, who trade them a trickle of water in return for the tongues of the people. But one young boy named Tutu leaves the city just before his cutting to search for water in the Forever Desert. He is doomed to fail but determined to try. When he is forced by hard and desperate lessons to see what he has been taught is itself a lie, he is finally able to find not just water but freedom. This is a story at the intersection of fable and fantasy. The Forever Desert is a setting that could hold multiple myths—and does. Through Tutu's eyes, readers experience this desert world in all its stark beauty. They also experience the grit of his loss of innocence, as the scales that have blinded him fall from his eyes. VERDICT This short but deeply affecting parable will unveil new perspectives to readers long after it's done. Highly recommended.—Marlene Harris