I think I enjoyed the actual social interactions more than the science fiction of it all. But I think I understand what Fadugba is doing, it a very diverse, modern, updated version of Wrinkle in Time in a way--and while I enjoy A Wrinkle in Time, I find that it's often hard to summarize or book talk. I would be interested in reading something Fadugba does next, especially if it's a contemporary.

Stunning and unique writing and it's about PHYSICS?? As a londonder myself, I loved Fadugba's depiction of london, and the plot itself is fast-paced and exciting

A thrilling and clever adventure. This book will be the perfect escape for anyone interested in physics, time travel, found family relationships, and London slang.

I included the Upper World in my monthly and weekly roundup of new releases and spotlighted it as Book of the Day on all of my Black Fiction Addiction platforms.

No review at this time. I did not finish reading this book due to the sexual content included in the book. I am currently reading to create a list for other teachers and librarians in my district. The sexual content in this book violates Texas obscenity laws for minors, therefore I cannot use this book on that list.
It started out great. I will probably finish reading it another time just to see how it ends.

This story is set in London and follows too timelines that interlope. I liked reading a book from the Black British perspective that heavily featured Black British English and was set in Peckham in what we in the US would describe as the hood. The neighborhood is plagued by gang violence and Esso struggles with staying on the right path and following in the footsteps off some of the other boys in the neighborhood.

15 years later a foster child named Rhia, who is a rising football player, finds her interest in physics growing more and more when she releases her tutor has the answers she's seeking about her birth mother.

The Upper World was a different kind of read for me because I don't usually read sci-fi. And this was sci-fi that heavily included physics and math. I never took physics but math was never a strong subject for me in school so those parts were a little harder to follow along with because they made my head spin. But the parts I liked were really the day to day on interactions in the neighborhood. I can see this story translating well on screen and I'll be waiting for the Netflix adaptation.

I received an arc from Harpercollin in exchange for an honest review.

BOOK REPORT for The Upper World by Femi Fadugba

Cover Story: It's in the Eyes
BFF Charms: Meh, Yay
Swoonworthy Scale: 4
Talky Talk: Teen-glish
Bonus Factor: Physics
Anti-Bonus Factor: Gang Violence
Relationship Status: See You in the Future?

Content Warning: The Upper World features depictions of gang and teen-on-teen violence.

Cover Story:
When looking at this cover, I find it really hard to look away from the young person's eyes. And I'm a little freaked out by the fact that I can't figure out if there's a mouth in their mouth area or my brain is just making me think I see the faint outline of one?

The Deal:
Esso doesn't have reason to believe that his life is anything but normal until it becomes something other. And then he isn't sure how to deal with the fact that he seems to be able to time travel, or at least experience instances from other points in his timeline.

Similarly, Rhia knows her life's nothing special. But then she meets Dr, Esso Adenon, a blind tutor who has a strange excitement about physics and a possible connection to her mother, who died when she was just a baby.

BFF Charms: Meh, Yay
I have to admit something to y'all—I don't quite understand teenage boys. And although Esso was a pretty decent dude who tried to stay out of trouble but stood up for himself when the situation warranted it, I really struggled to connect with him. Am I just too old? Too disconnected from the youths? Perhaps.

Rhia, on the other hand, was someone I felt a much better connection to. She's experienced a lot of tough times in her life that have made her stronger, but she's not bitter. She's talented and brilliant and has a really great future ahead of her, and I envy her confidence. (I would also be a much better friend to her than [REDACTED], but that's neither here nor there.)

Swoonworthy Scale: 4
Esso has a huge crush on a girl in his class, Nadia, and he has for ages. From the short scenes we get with her, it's clear that she's a really cool girl. But there's only the telling from Esso that he has feelings; I never really felt the chemistry. (And even in "the future" when it's clear that Esso's still obsessed 15 years later, I just felt pity. No swoon.)

Talky Talk: Teen-glish
I'm all for books in which people speak with their actual voices, including using slang and terms unfamiliar to me. But in cases of books that have a lot of unfamiliar slang, I'd really love a glossary. Otherwise, I end up struggling throughout, trying to make sense of what folks are saying. Such is the case with The Upper World, which is set in a south London district with very distinct speech—speech that is wholly unfamiliar to me, an American (and an older one at that*). Not even the context clues helped with the majority of terms, and my iPad's built-in translation software was no help at all.

Plot-wise, once I got past the fact that I was just going to be confused sometimes, the book was intriguing but fell a little flat in the end. It mixed ancient theories with modern physics that went way over my head and introduced a very unique sort of time travel, but the feeling that it all was leading somewhere major just fizzled in the resolution. (According to Goodreads, this is not a series, but there is an Upper World 2 in Fadugba's book list.)

*This is the second time I've mentioned being old in this review. Methinks the fact that my 38th birthday is this weekend is weighing heavily on my mind …

Bonus Factor: Physics
Although the science went way over my head—I've never had a mind for physics—I loved that it was such a huge part of this book. And that there was a girl (le gasp!) who was good at it as one of the main characters.

Anti-Bonus Factor: Gang Violence
One of the driving forces behind the plot of The Upper World is gang violence, and while I understand that it was a large part of Esso's life because of where he lived—and it's a reality for a lot of folks all over the world—I didn't love that it played such a large role in the story. It's just so brutal and heartbreaking.

Relationship Status: See You in the Future?
We didn't really have chemistry, Book, and I think that's mostly because we're just from two very different worlds. In this case, it's just a matter of neither of us being right for each other, but that doesn't mean we aren't right for others. And it also doesn't mean that we couldn't have something later in life. We can always try again at some undetermined future date and see.

“When you fully believe in something, it flows from your heart, soaks into your blood. It makes the unbelievable… real.”

What I enjoyed:
•Another cover that I just LOVE. Simple, yet drew me into the story immediately.
•I'm a big fan of multiple POVs, especially when it is done well, and the author, Femi Fadugba, did an incredible job with this. The timeline jumps back and forth between the two POVs, Esso and Rhia’s, and collides in the end. Since the story is character-driven, this element really allows you to connect with each character and understand how they both play a role in each other’s lives.
•It is fast-paced and keeps readers on their toes with talk of time-travel, maths, and physics. With Esso, the book explores the difficulties of being a Black teenage boy caught up in the pressures of gang rivalries. With Rhia, it explores growing up as a Black girl in the foster care system. A well-written book all wrapped up in a total of 368 pages.

What I didn't love:
•I would say the main part of the book I didn’t love was the end… but I’ve said before that I’m a harsh book-ending critic haha. I just felt like once it got to the actual “time travel” part, I was not as interested. The character growth and the world building along the way truly make the book what it is.
•This is solely my opinion: Sometimes the maths / quantum physics talk went too in-depth and lost me a bit as someone who isn’t as interested in that topic. Don’t get me wrong, I can enjoy books with those elements (i.e. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch), but it became a bit too much at times. However, for the right audience, this could be an element that really sparks a reader’s interest!!

The Upper World by: Femi Fadugba // 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

So the entire premise is fairly awesome- we're in the past (but closer to our present) with Esso, then the future with Rhia (and Esso, too). We're basically seeing how Esso got to this point where he needs some help fixing the past. Without giving too much away, the book explores how the two are connected, how these glimpses into time work, and if it is even possible to change the past.

I loved reading about Esso and Rhia's lives, frankly. They are very likable and sympathetic characters, and I was really rooting for them. And the whole thing is incredibly interesting and thought provoking! Granted, it is fairly science (predominantly physics) heavy. And look, I won't lie to you, I have never taken a physics class in my whole life, nor do I plan on it. So a lot of it went over my head. That is really my only complaint with the book, and I think if you are even a little more into physics you'll be fine. Even I was fine- I just kind of went with it, you know? Like "sir says this is how it works, then this is how it works".

I was surprised to hear that there was a sequel, since I felt that it wrapped up fairly well, but there is a ton of potential for more from this world, and I am certainly game for more of Esso and Rhia's stories, so sign me up!

Bottom Line: Super interesting premise with great characters, and science abound.