Fathom Fall

A teen living in water-starved near-future Canada learns that his favorite video game is covering up a real-world conspiracy in this pulse-pounding dystopian thriller with Orson Scott Card vibes. Because his parents are lead engineers at Hydrexo—the “producer of 50 percent of the continent’s drinkable water”—14-year-old Wyatt’s peers scornfully refer to him as Water Baby. To prove that he’s more than a child of luxury, Wyatt resolves to become a top-ranked player of popular new video game Fathom Fall, in which users fight water-stealing aliens called Bluddites. But after he encounters a Bluddite IRL, the lines between reality and fiction begin to blur. Tapped to participate in an elite Fathom Fall tournament, Wyatt reconnects with his estranged best friend and discovers that the competition was designed to recruit warriors capable of fighting real Bluddites. To save the world, Wyatt must do whatever it takes to win. Cerilli (Bad in the Blood) deploys tense prose to delve into themes of corporate manipulation, resource management, and social justice, with water scarcity serving as the catalyzing conflict. As Wyatt comes to question both authority and reality, the narrative kicks into high gear, culminating in a provocative look at how technology can shape society and necessity can drive humankind. The cast cues as racially diverse. Ages 12–up. Agent: Ali McDonald, 5 Otter Literary. (Mar.)