authenticity and empathy, and not a small amount of The Waning Age
humor offsets the sometimes bittersweet realities of the S.E. Grove
characters’ lives.
Emotions have dried up in this
stripped-down sci-fi noir novel
Young Adult
in which people “wane”—lose
Gravity their ability to experience
Sarah Deming feelings—ever earlier. When
This gritty, uplifting story
follows Gravity Delgado, who
begins boxing at age 12 and
is preparing for the 2016
Summer Olympics by age 16
Nat’s little brother Cal is identified as a late waner and
taken in for testing, she determines to help him, even
without the ability to feel traditional love. In Grove’s
rich near-future world, a Raymond Chandler–style
narrative meets questions of ethics and technology.
while navigating familial and social matters. Deming
gives readers a thrilling firsthand look inside a boxing
ring while offering the layered tale of a dedicated,
formidable young woman.
F L A G L E R parent M A G A Z I N E | 17