Thief of the Heights
A Graphic Novel
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- 12,99 €
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- 12,99 €
Beschreibung des Verlags
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
ALA's Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
Enter the world of Muqadas, where the climb to the top of this vertically stacked city—away from disease-ridden waters of the lower levels—is paved with betrayal, secrets, and rebellion in this debut graphic novel from author Son M. and artist Robin Yao.
Lifelong friends Basem, Mustafa, and Aarfah have carved out a place for themselves in their corner of Muqadas, where they dream of climbing from their place in the city’s lowest level, above the limb-snatching, disease-infested waters, to the very top of their vertical city. Young inventors who’ve seen firsthand the havoc the Habar infection causes set out to dazzle the masses with their innovative prosthetics and escape the dangers of Lake Saha.
When their inventions catch the eye of a scout who is on the hunt for new talent to bring to the higher tiers, their dreams are suddenly within reach. But as the wonders of the upper tiers enchant, Basem, Mustafa, and Aarfah begin to question why the bounty of Muqadas falls short of reaching Lake Saha's inhabitants.
Behind the beauty of the city's upper tiers lie dark and dangerous secrets—ones that threaten not only everything they’ve worked for but everyone they love. And when Mustafa and Aarfah are cast away for their allegiance to Lake Saha, Basem is faced with the difficult choice: Fight to bring justice to all of Muqadas? Or abandon his friends and fall in line to achieve everything he’s ever dreamed of?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
M. (Animalheads, for adults) explores intricate themes of ambition, friendship, and social justice with heart in this captivating graphic novel set in a vertically stacked dystopian city, where one's quality of life is determined by which tier one occupies. Friends Basem, Mustafa, and Aarfah dream of bettering the lives of their community in the lower levels of Muqadas, where citizens never see daylight and must contend with a water-polluting virus. The trio's inventive prosthetics creations soon garner the attention of a scout from the upper tiers, launching them into a world of opportunity and enchantment. But even as the teens procure valuable resources for their inventions, they're forced to reckon with the darker side of Muqadas society, which could compromise everything they stand for. Debut illustrator Yao's exquisite artwork vividly bring Muqadas to life; unique and visually diverse character designs feature people of varying abilities, body types, and skin tones, adding further depth to M.'s richly rendered worldbuilding and emphasizing the work's focus on class dynamics, exploitation, and marginalization, and how they affect one's livelihood. It's an engaging and nuanced read with much to offer. Ages 13–up.
