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Lizard Radio

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Lizard Radio

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Overview

In a futuristic society run by an all-powerful Gov, a bender teen on the cusp of adulthood has choices to make that will change her life—and maybe the world.

Fifteen-year-old bender Kivali has had a rough time in a gender-rigid culture. Abandoned as a baby and raised by Sheila, an ardent nonconformist, Kivali has always been surrounded by uncertainty. Where did she come from? Is it true what Sheila says, that she was deposited on Earth by the mysterious saurians? What are you? people ask, and Kivali isn’t sure. Boy/girl? Human/lizard? Both/neither? Now she’s in CropCamp, with all of its schedules and regs, and the first real friends she’s ever had. Strange occurrences and complicated relationships raise questions Kivali has never before had to consider. But she has a gift—the power to enter a trancelike state to harness the “knowings” inside her. She has Lizard Radio. Will it be enough to save her? A coming-of-age story rich in friendships and the shattering emotions of first love, this deeply felt novel will resonate with teens just emerging as adults in a sometimes hostile world.

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About the Author

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763679514
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	09/08/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Lexile:	HL610L (what's this?)
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Pat Schmatz is the author of the critically acclaimed Bluefish. About Lizard Radio, she says, "I keep a notepad with sketches and ideas, and one day a lonely lizard wearing headphones came out of my pencil. The young lizard was desperate to pick up a signal, and from that moment on, so was I. When I tuned in, I found this story." Pat Schmatz lives in Wisconsin.

I grew up in rural Wisconsin and spent most of my time reading, or in the woods, or reading in the woods. I always wanted to write, but tried for a while to be “practical” and “realistic.” I went to Michigan State University, and then to the University of California, Berkeley, and I learned many practical and realistic things, but mostly they just made me want to be impractical.
Now I live an impractical life. It’s not very realistic by grown-up standards, but it’s really, really good.

I received a letter from a kid in rural Wisconsin who wrote, “I’m just like Travis.” His teacher enclosed a note telling me that this kid generally hated books and school, but when they read Bluefish together in class, he loved it. I visited that school later in the year and met that kid. He asked me some wonderfully piercing questions about the book and the characters. I felt like he knew them better than I did. It was like seeing Travis get up off the page and come to life.
Connections like that are the most magical part of being an author. I decided I wanted to be a writer after reading The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. That book reached me in a way that nothing else had. It made me feel less alone in the world. If anything I write can do the same for someone else — that’s what I want.

Three Things You Might Not Know About Me:

1. I grew up in a summer camp for boys.

2. I was run over by a motorboat when I was twenty-one years old.

3. I probably know more Brady Bunch trivia than anyone you will ever meet.

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07/06/2015
Schmatz (Bluefish) explores gender and identity in this dreamlike coming-of-age story, set in a future society where one’s gender is identified and reinforced as early as possible. Fifteen-year-old Kivali is one of the rare “benders,” those who score right in the middle and who could go either way; she refuses to choose and is thus marked as noncompliant. She’s sent to CropCamp, an agricultural labor institution for teens being prepped for adulthood, where she makes new friends and develops a crush on the beautiful Sully, whose capricious charms spark something deep within. But as the camp director pressures Kivali to pick a gender, a role, and a direction, Kivali continues to resist, certain that something weird is going on at CropCamp. Schmatz conjures up sympathetic characters and an intriguing premise, but her jargon-heavy world can be difficult to get into, and some explanations never present themselves. While the story’s stylistic quirks may alienate some readers, it’s still a thoughtful and intriguing look at the teenage search for identity. Ages 14–up. Agent: David Bennett, Transatlantic Literary Agency. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

The themes in Schmatz’s novel surpass in complexity many of its contenders in YA dystopian fiction. The author’s storytelling unravels question upon question for readers, not only about Kavali but also about the power of free will. An entertaining and thought-provoking read, this title will be a big hit for those who want a little something more from their dystopian fiction.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

Sophisticated, character-driven science fiction, as notable for its genderqueer protagonist as for its intricate, suspenseful plot.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Schmatz conjures up sympathetic characters and an intriguing premise...a thoughtful and intriguing look at the teenage search for identity.
—Publishers Weekly

Schmatz paints a beautiful story with the use of amazingly diverse and well-developed characters. Kivali’s struggle to find where she belongs is highly relatable to a variety of readers, especially those who struggle with their own gender identity as Kivali does...Any person who has trouble fitting in will greatly enjoy this book.
—VOYA

In a sea of post-apocalyptic and dystopian young adult novels with female heroes, Lizard Radio stands out. Unusual, mildly magical, and well paced, Kivali’s quest to dismantle the system manages to be unique yet relatable. The distinct dystopian world, the genderbending protagonist, and the socially conscious writing provoke questions about Kivali’s (and the reader’s) reality.
—The Horn Book

...there are rewarding revelations rooted in character development.
—Booklist

Lizard as a character is endearing from the start, relying on a pretend Saurian identity to push the idea that she doesn’t fit...Sci-fi buffs who love character-driven novels and teens on the GLBTQ spectrum who are looking for a book that isn’t realistic fiction will all find much to appreciate in this clever, edgy novel.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

This work of science fiction addresses complex issues and deep questions, and would be an outstanding addition for all library collections.
—School Library Connection

From the Publisher

★ 07/01/2015
Gr 8 Up—All great heroes begin with mythical origins. Fifteen-year-old Kavali is no exception. When she was a baby, she was abandoned on a sidewalk, swaddled in a T-shirt with a lizard printed on the front. Since then, she has questioned her true identity. Is she a boy or a girl? A lizard or a human? This work is set in the not-too-distant future, in which the government closely monitors gender, occupation, and emotion. When Kavali is thrown into CropCamp, a camp where teenagers learn how to grow organic crops as initiation into adulthood, she begins to question whether she should forfeit her individuality to become a cooperative part of society. Ultimately, Kavali rises above the challenges, discovers her true origins, and makes her own destiny. The themes in Schmatz's novel surpass in complexity many of its contenders in YA dystopian fiction. The author's storytelling unravels question upon question for readers, not only about Kavali but also about the power of free will. VERDICT An entertaining and thought-provoking read, this title will be a big hit for those who want something deeper from their dystopian fiction.—Jaclyn Anderson, Madison County Library System, MS

School Library Journal

★ 2015-05-18
In a dystopian future, Kivali Kerwin, nicknamed Lizard, is sent to prepare for adulthood at a government-run CropCamp. Lizard's adoptive family has always resisted authority, but attending camp as a teen makes it easier to avoid being sent to the prisonlike Blight as an adult. As a midrange bender—roughly equivalent, in today's terms, to having a nonbinary gender—Lizard is at risk of being sent to Blight. At camp, Lizard unexpectedly forms deep connections to other campers. At the same time, Lizard increasingly suspects something sinister behind the camp's strong community spirit and the seemingly kind mentorship of director Ms. Mischetti. The world here is revealed gradually. The poetic, evocative prose is littered with unfamiliar neologisms—"skizzer," "Mealio," "vape"—with the expectation that readers will either pick up their meanings from context or be willing to wonder. Some words prove more useful than contemporary vocabulary: when Lizard develops a crush on a female camper, the word "jazz"—denoting everything from flirtation to sexual acts—provides a simple but startlingly effective way to talk about sexuality and attraction. Mischetti's warm leadership and disarming tendency to acknowledge disturbing rumors make her a dangerous enemy and mean Lizard's mission is more complicated than simply uncovering the truth. Sophisticated, character-driven science fiction, as notable for its genderqueer protagonist as for its intricate, suspenseful plot. (Science fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews

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