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Syncopation: A Novel in Verse
In the aftermath of a Memory War, society is fragmented into strange new cultures, castes and coalitions. Set against a backdrop of retrofitted food garages, microchip-sorting factories and hyperloop terminals, Whitney French brings us a dazzling novel-in-verse where memory is the highest currency and love, like all revolutions, is dangerous, unruly and singed with hope.
O and Z are two young women searching for purpose in a world where a decades-long earthquake reverberates through the Earth’s crust, and the population scrambles to hide from deadly acid rain. Descended from space pirates, O is drawn to the sky, while Z is earthbound, a skilled forager with connections to the black market. The two become travel companions and lovers until, torn between choosing their values or each other, a fateful decision must be made at the el Corazón space station.
In this speculative and intoxicating novel, French offers readers an intricate future-world that resonates so powerfully with our own, as it explores a people gripped in the war-torn politics of migration, memory-keeping, labour, and survival.
O and Z are two young women searching for purpose in a world where a decades-long earthquake reverberates through the Earth’s crust, and the population scrambles to hide from deadly acid rain. Descended from space pirates, O is drawn to the sky, while Z is earthbound, a skilled forager with connections to the black market. The two become travel companions and lovers until, torn between choosing their values or each other, a fateful decision must be made at the el Corazón space station.
In this speculative and intoxicating novel, French offers readers an intricate future-world that resonates so powerfully with our own, as it explores a people gripped in the war-torn politics of migration, memory-keeping, labour, and survival.
300 pages, Paperback
Published November 4, 2025
3 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Whitney French
12 books27 followersWhitney French is a writer based in the Toronto area although she does most of her eating, sleeping and actual writing in her hide-out north of the city. Her writing interests include character-driven fiction, children’s literature, screenwriting, poetry, speculative fiction and essaying. She recently graduated from Concordia University for Creative Writing and Child Psychology and works as a freelance writer.
But if you really want to know what Whitney is like…
She loves anime
She ties her shoes sitting down, always
She talks smack on the basketball courts but she’s really no good
She has an irrational fear of metal jewelry touching her skin
She hates chocolate
She taught herself how to play the guitar
She writes in trees often
But if you really want to know what Whitney is like…
She loves anime
She ties her shoes sitting down, always
She talks smack on the basketball courts but she’s really no good
She has an irrational fear of metal jewelry touching her skin
She hates chocolate
She taught herself how to play the guitar
She writes in trees often
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 8, 2026
Syncopation is a novel written in verse by Whitney French. This story takes place 50 years in the future after the Memory War where the remnants of civilization on Earth are divided into different factions, struggling to survive as constant earthquakes and acid rain plague the landscapes. Humanity has advanced to the point of space travel, with many fleeing Earth as it has become a toxic environment. Humans also have memory chips where they can view the memories of others or delete their own stored memories.
O and Z are the two protagonist women in this story. O is descended from space pirates and has always looked to the sky for her future. Z has connections to Earth and wants to forage and be one with the Earth while also helping it heal. They are always on the move due to the environment and due to other people in unfortunate circumstances that might cause them harm. These women fall in love and have a deep romance, but they must make the decision of staying together or following their passions.
Rating: 5.0/5.0
My thoughts:
I loved this story. This is my first 5-star review for an ARC this year. I loved the pacing and the setting of the world. This story really calls to me about my own life. It makes me ask, “How do I navigate love through dystopic realms and times?” But this question is not far from what one can experience in reality. Our world is not to the extent of decay that requires looking to the stars for survival like in the story, but the whispers are there. There are places with acid rain due to industrialization and the toxification of water sources and rivers. We (people from the West) see vast amounts of political instability and political violence that have decimated places such as Gaza but remain privileged due to the roll of the dice of the place of our birth and also the color of our skin. Even though atrocities still occur, people prevail and continue to work hard and fall in love, such as O and Z do in the story, and they ask themselves (if they have the ability), do we stay with our home and each other and try to heal and rebuild, or do we leave and abandon it for our hopes and dreams?
Overall, this read was mesmerizing and will put you in a trance. I found myself breathless through the romance scenes and could feel the intensity of O and Z’s emotions. I would love to hear how it would sound in an audiobook or performed live. This book is for anyone who enjoys LGBTQ+ romance along with dystopian and science fiction themes. A huge thank you to Wolsak and Wynn Publishers Ltd. for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
O and Z are the two protagonist women in this story. O is descended from space pirates and has always looked to the sky for her future. Z has connections to Earth and wants to forage and be one with the Earth while also helping it heal. They are always on the move due to the environment and due to other people in unfortunate circumstances that might cause them harm. These women fall in love and have a deep romance, but they must make the decision of staying together or following their passions.
Rating: 5.0/5.0
My thoughts:
I loved this story. This is my first 5-star review for an ARC this year. I loved the pacing and the setting of the world. This story really calls to me about my own life. It makes me ask, “How do I navigate love through dystopic realms and times?” But this question is not far from what one can experience in reality. Our world is not to the extent of decay that requires looking to the stars for survival like in the story, but the whispers are there. There are places with acid rain due to industrialization and the toxification of water sources and rivers. We (people from the West) see vast amounts of political instability and political violence that have decimated places such as Gaza but remain privileged due to the roll of the dice of the place of our birth and also the color of our skin. Even though atrocities still occur, people prevail and continue to work hard and fall in love, such as O and Z do in the story, and they ask themselves (if they have the ability), do we stay with our home and each other and try to heal and rebuild, or do we leave and abandon it for our hopes and dreams?
Overall, this read was mesmerizing and will put you in a trance. I found myself breathless through the romance scenes and could feel the intensity of O and Z’s emotions. I would love to hear how it would sound in an audiobook or performed live. This book is for anyone who enjoys LGBTQ+ romance along with dystopian and science fiction themes. A huge thank you to Wolsak and Wynn Publishers Ltd. for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
February 9, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity (and honestly, the HONOR) of reading a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is positioned as a queer sci-fi / dystopian novel in verse. And it very much is that. It is also music. And confusion. And a love story. And poetry for the modern era. 5 stars.
syn-co-pa-tion: the practice of displacing the beats or accents in music or a rhythm, so that strong beats become weak and vice versa.
This entire book is an exercise in syncopation, both literally and metaphorically. The verse is full of words and phrases that mimic offbeats. The alternating of different types of prose/verse in each chapter mimic syncopation in structure. And the characters all move and speak and interact with each other in their own syncopated rhythms that is equal parts jarring and perfect.
For real, though, I don’t think I’m smart enough to appreciate all the nuances woven throughout this book. I was looking for a book to honor Black History Month and came across this on Netgalley. However, I don’t think you have to be a literary genius like Whitney French to appreciate this book. I really loved getting lost in the verse (sometimes literally)! And I am glad I picked this as my BHM read, as while it is set in the future, it is very much a direct reference to the past as well as the present. (“Legacy is as strong as its weakest memory.” What a perfectly relevant and perfectly-timed quote from the author!)
The last chapter before the epilogue, “Liftoff” is probably one of the most beautiful things I’ve read in a long time. It’s a poetic re-enactment, and I really can’t say more without spoiling the book. But man, way to land a book with a takeoff!!!
This book is positioned as a queer sci-fi / dystopian novel in verse. And it very much is that. It is also music. And confusion. And a love story. And poetry for the modern era. 5 stars.
syn-co-pa-tion: the practice of displacing the beats or accents in music or a rhythm, so that strong beats become weak and vice versa.
This entire book is an exercise in syncopation, both literally and metaphorically. The verse is full of words and phrases that mimic offbeats. The alternating of different types of prose/verse in each chapter mimic syncopation in structure. And the characters all move and speak and interact with each other in their own syncopated rhythms that is equal parts jarring and perfect.
For real, though, I don’t think I’m smart enough to appreciate all the nuances woven throughout this book. I was looking for a book to honor Black History Month and came across this on Netgalley. However, I don’t think you have to be a literary genius like Whitney French to appreciate this book. I really loved getting lost in the verse (sometimes literally)! And I am glad I picked this as my BHM read, as while it is set in the future, it is very much a direct reference to the past as well as the present. (“Legacy is as strong as its weakest memory.” What a perfectly relevant and perfectly-timed quote from the author!)
The last chapter before the epilogue, “Liftoff” is probably one of the most beautiful things I’ve read in a long time. It’s a poetic re-enactment, and I really can’t say more without spoiling the book. But man, way to land a book with a takeoff!!!
February 10, 2026
I have never read anything like this. The closest comp I can think of is This is How You Lose the Time War. I will admit that I got lost a few times, but that only makes me more excited to reread this in the future.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews