At the heart of this is unhealed Trauma. It's written so well that the techno-socioeconomic-landscape muddies the waters, covers the brokenness of many of the inhabitants of the city and in particular Amelia's world. She never had a chance to heal and to mourn. She had to shield herself, move within and then fight to survive outwardly through menial job after job including the Friendrr app. And yet, Amelia remained committed to her escape even through just the windows of her imagination. Every other thought inbetween the hopelessness of her situation was of Mars (not the silver screen Mars where one could wear pretty dresses outdoors and stroll out of cardboard prisons) the red planet where settlements lived in domes, drink recycled urine as liquid sustenance and worked to build the colonies.

Three Things:

⦁This book came out right on the cusp of the same technological advancements in our world, real-time. If that overpriced nonsense Apple VR at $3400 is any indication - we are hurtling towards this dystopian biotech future at breakneck speed. If global currencies and inflation are any indication - were more than half way there. Looking at you Turkey, and Argentina and heck too many to count.

⦁The relationship between Lucia and Amelia was almost maternal and gentle at times. Amelia probably witnessed her mother die after being her caregiver for 2 years. Although Lucia was a client, she was in an unspoken way, a pseudo-mom and pseudo-sister because as Mars is my witness, Martha was a colossal piece of trash.

⦁Amelia is inspiring...she didn't mess up and even if she did, she decided that she couldn't just give up and be one of the old women begging for a tajadero on the bus, she refused to. Sometimes, it seemed like a delusion, to save pennies upon pennies to get to Mars - but it was her lifeline. When Amelia was needed, she changed the course of her successful-life trajectory to be there for her dying mother. The cards she was dealt thereafter were Martha's cruel, conniving, callous cards. I hate Martha.

And there you have it. So, if we're moving to colonies on other planets. can I get a Class B Visa to Europa or Titan. I'm not down for living in a red space desert drinking recycled bodily fluids thanks.