Sid is Knox’s Proxy, which means he is forced to endure harsh punishments on Knox’s behalf. Knox causes a car accident that kills his best friend, and Sid is sentenced to death. Eventually, the two boys realize that they have more in common than they think and that they must form an alliance if they want to have any hope of changing the vicious world in which they live.
Publisher’s Description:
Knox was born into one of the City’s wealthiest families. A Patron, he has everything a boy could possibly want—the latest tech, the coolest clothes, and a Proxy to take all his punishments. When Knox breaks a vase, Syd is beaten. When Knox plays a practical joke, Syd is forced to haul rocks. And when Knox crashes a car, killing one of his friends, Syd is branded and sentenced to death.
Syd is a Proxy. His life is not his own.
Then again, neither is Knox’s. Knox and Syd have more in common than either would guess. So when Knox and Syd realize that the only way to beat the system is to save each other, they flee. Yet Knox’s father is no ordinary Patron, and Syd is no ordinary Proxy. The ensuing cross-country chase will uncover a secret society of rebels, test both boys’ resolve, and shine a blinding light onto a world of those who owe and those who pay. Some debts, it turns out, cannot be repaid.
Genre: Science Fiction
Representation:
Gender:
Cis boys: Syd, Knox
Sexual Orientation:
Gay/Queer: Syd
Heterosexual: Knox
Romantic Orientation:
Not explicitly addressed, but assumed to be the same as the sexual orientations.
Race/Ethnicity:
Black: Syd
White: Knox
Trigger Warnings:
Death, Murder