All City Lib/E

All City is more than a novel, it's a foreshadowing of a world to come. In a near-future New York City ravaged by climate change and economic inequality, a superstorm hits, leaving behind only those who had nowhere else to go and no way to get out. Among those who remain are twenty-four-year-old Makayla, who works in the city's most ubiquitous convenience store chain, and Jesse, an eighteen-year-old, genderqueer anarchist living in an abandoned IRT station in the Bronx. In the aftermath of the storm, Jesse joins Makayla's group of remainders in an abandoned luxury condo building, carving out a small sanctuary in the midst of a destroyed city. Meanwhile, mysterious, colorful murals begin to appear throughout NYC, bringing hope to the forsaken and left-behind. But the storm's castaways aren't the only ones who find beauty in the art: the media, having long abandoned the supposedly hopeless metropolis, "discovers" the emergence of the murals. When one appears on Makayla and Jesse's repurposed luxury condo, it is only a matter of time before the landlord class comes back to claim the city for themselves.

About the Author :
Alex DiFrancesco has published fiction in the Carolina Quarterly, the New Ohio Review, and Monkeybicycle, and his nonfiction has appeared in the Washington Post, Tin House, Longreads, and Brevity. He was a finalist in Cosmonauts Avenue's inaugural nonfiction prize. DiFrancesco is also a skilled bread baker and pastry cook and a passionate activist and advocate. Eboni Flowers is an actress, singer, audiobook narrator, and teaching artist from Montgomery, Alabama. She was first bitten by the acting bug in a typical story of auditioning for the elementary school play in third grade and booking the lead role. Her work has addressed social issues, sparked provocative dialogue, and inspired people across the country. Eileen Stevens is a voice-over actress whose voice can be heard on cartoons, promos, programs for English-language learners, and audiobooks. An Earphones Award-winning narrator, she is also an audiobook director and producer. Jayme Mattler is a professional voiceover artist with years of experience in recording, directing, and producing. Passionate about narrating audiobooks, she has been the recipient of multiple Audie Award nominations. Timothy Andrés Pabon is an English- and Spanish-speaking voice-over artist who has had acting roles on House of Cards and has also been a costar on HBO's acclaimed series The Wire. As a stage actor, he has worked off-Broadway at the June Havoc Theatre, and his regional credits include Center Stage, the Shakespeare Theatre, Arena Stage, the Hippodrome, Olney Theatre, Rep Stage, and GALA Hispanic Theatre.

Review :
"A unique and original dystopian novel...simply riveting read from cover to cover." -- "Midwest Book Review" "Set in the near future...this new reality...could be our own sooner than we realize if we don't heed this warning." -- "Ms. magazine" "The plot is laced with sly commentaries on gender, income inequality, and gentrification...with nimble prose and complex characters, which feel shockingly familiar." -- "Lambda Literary" "This loving, grieving warning thoughtfully traces the resilience, fragility, and joy of precarious communities in an immediate, compassionate voice." -- "Publishers Weekly"