Coldwire by Chloe Gong

[Margaret K. McElderry Books] An instant New York Times bestseller! “Super-charged with electrifying action, mind-blowing twists, and timely commentary.” —Xiran Jay Zhao, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Iron Widow From #1 New York Times bestselling author Chloe Gong comes the first book in the dystopian StrangeLoom trilogy, an “adrenaline-fueled mystery” (School Library Journal, starred review) in which humanity has moved to virtual reality to flee their deteriorating world, following two young soldiers who must depend on unlikely allies in their fight for survival. The future is loading… To escape rising seas and rampant epidemics, most of society lives “upcountry” in glistening virtual reality, while those who can’t afford the subscription are forced to remain in crumbling “downcountry.” But upcountry isn’t perfect. A cold war rages between two powerful nations, Medaluo and Atahua—and no one suffers for it more than the Medan orphans in Atahua. Their enr