Just City

Genre
Young Adult
Award Category
Book Award 2023
Logline or Premise
Just City is an award-winning novella about 21-year-old Nathan who dreams about creating a start-up with his friend Jack, but ends up questioning his own beliefs about meritocracy and begins the search for a new life credo that will have both love and reason at its core.
Submission file
Just City - First 10.pdf

Comments

Stuart Wakefield Mon, 04/09/2023 - 09:21

From the outset, "Just City" captures attention with its engaging premise, and the setting is contemporary, making it relatable to a broad spectrum of readers. In just ten pages, you've successfully hinted at the deeper conflict Nathan will face—the concept of meritocracy—doing so without overwhelming the reader.

Katja Kane Mon, 04/09/2023 - 15:24

I enjoyed this opening with its quirky characters - loved the grandma especially, and I'm intrigued by the setup and the themes and philosophical questions that are being raised. It seems like a great way to get young people questioning the received wisdom about how our society works. I look forward to seeing this in a bookshop one day!

Jennifer Bisbing Sat, 09/09/2023 - 22:07

The concept of the book is intriguing and original—the wise vs the driven youth. And a perfect setting to have the story play out in—behind goggles. It made me want to play the game, just to see if my convictions hold up to VR questions.

Pulane Chaka Fri, 15/09/2023 - 18:16

Beautifully written. This is an engaging read and I just want more!