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The Fragile
Seventeen-year-old Maya is a Fragile—someone deemed too weak to function in society —and has spent the last decade institutionalized at the Academy for the Rehabilitation of Children. Maya wants nothing more than to be cured of her neurotic hypersensitivity which causes her to experience the pain and emotions of others. Instead, she begins to have vivid nightmares where she connects with a young girl’s trauma, leading her to uncover a plot to destroy the empathy centers in children’s brains.
Desperate to escape the girl’s pain, Maya learns she can transfer feelings into people with her hands when she accidentally hurts her best friend, Jacob. Lacking faith in her new ability, Maya must choose between fighting a man bent on destroying everyone like her, and finally being free from the burden of empathy.
In doing so, she might discover that she’s not so fragile after all…
Desperate to escape the girl’s pain, Maya learns she can transfer feelings into people with her hands when she accidentally hurts her best friend, Jacob. Lacking faith in her new ability, Maya must choose between fighting a man bent on destroying everyone like her, and finally being free from the burden of empathy.
In doing so, she might discover that she’s not so fragile after all…
299 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 23, 2024
2 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 1, 2024
If you couldn't get enough of Eleven from Stranger Things, The Fragile is your next read.
Seventeen-year-old Maya is a Fragile. She's too empathetic and blacks out at the thought of a mouse getting hurt. Soon all Fragiles will be rehabilitated, even if not everyone survives the procedure. But when empathy becomes a gift, one feared by even the rehabilitation center's founder, can Maya save other Fragiles from being "cured" of their gifts?
Seventeen-year-old Maya is a Fragile. She's too empathetic and blacks out at the thought of a mouse getting hurt. Soon all Fragiles will be rehabilitated, even if not everyone survives the procedure. But when empathy becomes a gift, one feared by even the rehabilitation center's founder, can Maya save other Fragiles from being "cured" of their gifts?
June 19, 2024
The author does a fine job of creating Maya, an earnest, vulnerable main character who's indeed sensitive and able to recognize other people's pain. For me, this was the winning factor of the story, because she was consistently in tune with that part of her, and it's easy to see how that brings her in conflict with the rigid, sterile environment of the Academy for the Rehabilitation of Children. The concept of empathy and heightened sensitivity manifesting as a superpower also holds a lot of promise, I think, and I believe it will challenge a lot of readers to think more deeply about the influence of empathy in human beings.
I think one of my struggles (which I must preface is more due to my personal reading tastes) is the villains, that is, the facility and staff of the ARC. I personally prefer variety and subtlety amongst a villains cast, and here in the ARC, it seems most, if not all of them, are easy to recognize as villains or at least people who don't have Maya's best interests at heart, through their open hostility and iron-cast rules. It might add a bit more intrigue to see at least one villain who tries to play "good cop" and puts on a front of being unpredictably kind towards Maya. Navigating the different threats that both a "bad cop" and "good cop" present might create a more frightening conflict.
Again, this is more coming from my personal tastes in villains. Readers, if you're seeing this, I urge you to read The Fragile, and make up your own mind on the villains. What makes sense to one reader might not to another.
As with a lot of YA dystopia, The Fragile evokes a lot of Hunger Games tropes, and I think there's a lot of thought to process about facilities and practices that medicates mental health patients, as well as perceptions on protests and activism. Many often equate dystopian resistance with militarism and violent coups (as is the Republic's narrative of Huruma), but I want to commend the author for featuring both the beauty and pragmatic social benefits of communities who grow their own food. That in itself is dystopian resistance, very underrated.
I can't say YA is my favorite medium to explore dystopia, but The Fragile takes a good hearty swing at the genre and its subjects as well.
I think one of my struggles (which I must preface is more due to my personal reading tastes) is the villains, that is, the facility and staff of the ARC. I personally prefer variety and subtlety amongst a villains cast, and here in the ARC, it seems most, if not all of them, are easy to recognize as villains or at least people who don't have Maya's best interests at heart, through their open hostility and iron-cast rules. It might add a bit more intrigue to see at least one villain who tries to play "good cop" and puts on a front of being unpredictably kind towards Maya. Navigating the different threats that both a "bad cop" and "good cop" present might create a more frightening conflict.
Again, this is more coming from my personal tastes in villains. Readers, if you're seeing this, I urge you to read The Fragile, and make up your own mind on the villains. What makes sense to one reader might not to another.
As with a lot of YA dystopia, The Fragile evokes a lot of Hunger Games tropes, and I think there's a lot of thought to process about facilities and practices that medicates mental health patients, as well as perceptions on protests and activism. Many often equate dystopian resistance with militarism and violent coups (as is the Republic's narrative of Huruma), but I want to commend the author for featuring both the beauty and pragmatic social benefits of communities who grow their own food. That in itself is dystopian resistance, very underrated.
I can't say YA is my favorite medium to explore dystopia, but The Fragile takes a good hearty swing at the genre and its subjects as well.
May 27, 2024
“Fragiles? That’s just a word they created to oppress you. It’s not who you are.”
This isn’t the type of story I usually go for, but the premise sounded so cool that I gave it a shot, and I was hooked from the start. The found family of Maya, Tully, Jacob, and Ren show us there is strength in vulnerability in this gem for readers who enjoy stories of personal growth, resilience, and the fight for justice.
Maya’s life at the Academy for the Rehabilitation of Children is a miserable struggle as she battles her neurotic hypersensitivity, which forces her to experience the pain and emotions of others, which she learns she can transfer through touch. She grapples with her new-found power and her desire for freedom from the burdens of empathy, and her journey from seeking a “cure” to embracing her unique gift and learning who she is is more than enough.
The group’s quest to take down the evil Commander Abigor (and those like him who fear what they don’t understand) is a compelling story with events relatable to our present society.
Great YA debut, and I look forward to reading the sequel. And there better be a sequel because I was not prepared for that ending! Thanks, Wild Ink, for my ARC of this cool story!
This isn’t the type of story I usually go for, but the premise sounded so cool that I gave it a shot, and I was hooked from the start. The found family of Maya, Tully, Jacob, and Ren show us there is strength in vulnerability in this gem for readers who enjoy stories of personal growth, resilience, and the fight for justice.
Maya’s life at the Academy for the Rehabilitation of Children is a miserable struggle as she battles her neurotic hypersensitivity, which forces her to experience the pain and emotions of others, which she learns she can transfer through touch. She grapples with her new-found power and her desire for freedom from the burdens of empathy, and her journey from seeking a “cure” to embracing her unique gift and learning who she is is more than enough.
The group’s quest to take down the evil Commander Abigor (and those like him who fear what they don’t understand) is a compelling story with events relatable to our present society.
Great YA debut, and I look forward to reading the sequel. And there better be a sequel because I was not prepared for that ending! Thanks, Wild Ink, for my ARC of this cool story!
July 23, 2024
Dystopian is one of my favorite genres to read. I think in many cases, when authors create worlds with societal "worst case scenarios" it enables us to look out for those happening in real life and be aware. Debut author Mitra de Souza did just that. Maya's journey pulls you in from page one. She's been gaslighted into believing she is a Fragile, an empathetic individual too weak to function in society who has been institutionalized for rehabilitation. Eventually, she and her best friend realize they've been lied to. With the weight of saving their world on their shoulders, they escape and band with a group of found family determined to take down the institution and individuals responsible before anyone else's lives are shattered. Maya is a main character you can easily root for. Congratulations, Mitra, on a stellar debut!
September 10, 2024
The Fragile is a rich, realistic dystopian book where hypersensitivity is treated as a disability to be "treated" institutionally. Maya and her two friends, Jacob and Tully, endure a myriad of hardships while attempting to expose the evils of the (ARC) Academy for the Rehabilitation of Children.
The struggles and Maya's unique sensitivity are palpable. Her inner conflict is well-written and relatable, making for a suspenseful page-turner. Mitra's strength is in her character-building. I cried for and with Maya, got angry alongside Tully, and was chilled to the bone with Jacob. HSPs cannot help but be affected by this book.
As I generally read books of a more "light and fluffy" nature, this took me longer than normal to read. If anything, it was TOO engaging for me - which is perfect, for true fans of dystopian fiction!
The struggles and Maya's unique sensitivity are palpable. Her inner conflict is well-written and relatable, making for a suspenseful page-turner. Mitra's strength is in her character-building. I cried for and with Maya, got angry alongside Tully, and was chilled to the bone with Jacob. HSPs cannot help but be affected by this book.
As I generally read books of a more "light and fluffy" nature, this took me longer than normal to read. If anything, it was TOO engaging for me - which is perfect, for true fans of dystopian fiction!
July 8, 2024
The Fragile paints an all too realistic image of a dystopian future in a society that shuns any form of weakness. The story feels personal, and the characters are emotionally complex, yet the pacing is tight, keeping you reading page after page. Maya's journey shows how those seen as the weakest among us are truly the strongest in this gripping narrative. The author delivers not only an enjoyable read but an important one. Cover to cover, I couldn't put it down.
July 30, 2024
I love The Fragile. The characters are vivid and the story is compelling. I felt like I was really with Mays, Jacob, Tully, and the others. I couldn’t put it down. Think Hunger Games meets X-Men. I donate most of my books to the library, but I’m keeping this one. Now I just have to wait for the sequel!
May 26, 2024
Holy cow! This was intense from start to finish with serious “Shatter Me” meets Panem from “The Hunger Games” vibes! What a fantastic debut and I can’t wait to read more of Maya, Jacob, and Tully’s story!
February 12, 2025
This fantastic story grabbed my attention right away and left me wanting so much more! Mitra did a fantastic job of describing her characters, without excess boring details. This dystopian story is creative and poignant in today’s society. I loved everything about it and cannot wait for a sequel!
July 23, 2024
“She forgave hope each time it betrayed her…” This phrase hooked me from the beginning and I had to see how this would all play out for Maya. I knew I was in the capable hands of a master storyteller with her descriptions of Maya’s hypersensitivity that were so graphic I could feel them in my own body.
The author carefully introduces the reader to the little band of friends who will accompany Maya in her adventures and mission to bring down the ARC and protect the children who are in danger. As Maya and her friends encounter daunting hardships that threaten to overwhelm them, they refuse to give up. Through their struggles, they draw closer together and become like a family as they deal with common emotions of fear, anger, jealousy, love, courage and despair. They learn to trust each other and appreciate the strengths and weaknesses that each brings.
I hope there will be a sequel as I’m not ready to say goodbye to Maya and her friends and the new challenge we are left with at the end of this book.
The author carefully introduces the reader to the little band of friends who will accompany Maya in her adventures and mission to bring down the ARC and protect the children who are in danger. As Maya and her friends encounter daunting hardships that threaten to overwhelm them, they refuse to give up. Through their struggles, they draw closer together and become like a family as they deal with common emotions of fear, anger, jealousy, love, courage and despair. They learn to trust each other and appreciate the strengths and weaknesses that each brings.
I hope there will be a sequel as I’m not ready to say goodbye to Maya and her friends and the new challenge we are left with at the end of this book.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews