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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
5 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Whitney French
12 books28 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 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 11, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
A novel in verse is an ambitious undertaking, for the author, yes, but also for the reader. I was drawn to the concept of this story and the writing itself is undeniably beautiful. French has a style that works wonderfully in verse format, and many individual passages felt vivid and atmospheric.
That said, I struggled to fully connect with the narrative as a whole. It took me about 35% of the book to settle into the cadence of it and begin understanding how the story was unfolding. By the time it started to click, I wondered if perhaps I would benefit from starting over. Alas, I didn’t.
For me, the story felt fragmented, and I had difficulty consistently connecting the different POVs, timelines, and memories into a single continuous narrative. Rather than forcing it, I eventually changed my approach and focused on appreciating the writing itself and the individual moments within the text.
As someone who has spent half her life in Toronto and half in Montreal, I enjoyed recognizing familiar (and a little obscure) neighborhoods and locations woven into the story.
Readers who enjoy experimental structures or novels in verse may have a very different experience with this book. While I sometimes struggled to piece together the full narrative, I truly appreciated the uniqueness of the approach and the beauty of the writing.
This is also a quick read, and I’m curious whether experiencing it in its final printed format where the visual structure of the verse may be clearer, might change my experience with it. I did try changing font size on my Kindle to see if perhaps that helped (it did a little).
My rating ultimately reflects my appreciation for the author’s writing and ambition, even though the story itself didn’t fully come together for me.
A novel in verse is an ambitious undertaking, for the author, yes, but also for the reader. I was drawn to the concept of this story and the writing itself is undeniably beautiful. French has a style that works wonderfully in verse format, and many individual passages felt vivid and atmospheric.
That said, I struggled to fully connect with the narrative as a whole. It took me about 35% of the book to settle into the cadence of it and begin understanding how the story was unfolding. By the time it started to click, I wondered if perhaps I would benefit from starting over. Alas, I didn’t.
For me, the story felt fragmented, and I had difficulty consistently connecting the different POVs, timelines, and memories into a single continuous narrative. Rather than forcing it, I eventually changed my approach and focused on appreciating the writing itself and the individual moments within the text.
As someone who has spent half her life in Toronto and half in Montreal, I enjoyed recognizing familiar (and a little obscure) neighborhoods and locations woven into the story.
Readers who enjoy experimental structures or novels in verse may have a very different experience with this book. While I sometimes struggled to piece together the full narrative, I truly appreciated the uniqueness of the approach and the beauty of the writing.
This is also a quick read, and I’m curious whether experiencing it in its final printed format where the visual structure of the verse may be clearer, might change my experience with it. I did try changing font size on my Kindle to see if perhaps that helped (it did a little).
My rating ultimately reflects my appreciation for the author’s writing and ambition, even though the story itself didn’t fully come together for me.
March 8, 2026
The only way I can describe Syncopation is like hearing a song for the first time. It has a rhythm that immediately catches you. You might not understand every word right away, but you feel the story underneath it, and that feeling is beautiful.
Once I settled into the rhythm of the writing, I was completely locked in. There were moments where the passages felt abstract or confusing, but instead of stopping to dissect every line, I let the story move the way music does. And that approach worked. Syncopation tells its story in a unique way, using very few words while still managing to convey something layered and emotional.
Set in the aftermath of a Memory War, Syncopation unfolds in a fractured future where memory has become the most valuable currency. Amid acid rain, constant earthquakes, and a society divided into new cultures and coalitions, two young women—O, a sky-dreaming descendant of space pirates, and Z, a grounded forager with ties to the black market—travel together in search of purpose. As companions and lovers, they navigate a world shaped by survival, migration, and political unrest until a choice at the el Corazón space station forces them to decide between their ideals and each other.
What impressed me most is how much meaning the author manages to convey with such restraint. The structure is unconventional, but it feels intentional, like each line is part of a larger composition.
This isn’t a book meant to be rushed. It’s one to sit with, read slowly, and let the rhythm guide you through the story.
If you’re looking for something different, something that reads almost like a piece of music, Syncopation is absolutely worth experiencing.
Once I settled into the rhythm of the writing, I was completely locked in. There were moments where the passages felt abstract or confusing, but instead of stopping to dissect every line, I let the story move the way music does. And that approach worked. Syncopation tells its story in a unique way, using very few words while still managing to convey something layered and emotional.
Set in the aftermath of a Memory War, Syncopation unfolds in a fractured future where memory has become the most valuable currency. Amid acid rain, constant earthquakes, and a society divided into new cultures and coalitions, two young women—O, a sky-dreaming descendant of space pirates, and Z, a grounded forager with ties to the black market—travel together in search of purpose. As companions and lovers, they navigate a world shaped by survival, migration, and political unrest until a choice at the el Corazón space station forces them to decide between their ideals and each other.
What impressed me most is how much meaning the author manages to convey with such restraint. The structure is unconventional, but it feels intentional, like each line is part of a larger composition.
This isn’t a book meant to be rushed. It’s one to sit with, read slowly, and let the rhythm guide you through the story.
If you’re looking for something different, something that reads almost like a piece of music, Syncopation is absolutely worth experiencing.
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.
March 4, 2026
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Syncopation is set 50 years into an alternate future divided by how memory is stored and traded. French tells the story of O and Z, and how their lives intertwine in a post-apocalyptic North America. The poetry is evocative, painting images of a world ravaged by—and perhaps healing from—war and climate change. I would classify the ethos driving Syncopation as both solarpunk and afrofuturist.
While I'm enchanted by French's poetic style, with its driving rhythms and words dancing across the page, I think Syncopation falls somewhat short as a novel. The worldbuilding is ambitious—probably too much so for a medium like the verse novel. I often found myself a little bit lost as new elements were thrown in: voices like bombs, memory as currency, characters with long introductions who only nudge the plot forward. I think what I expected to be the heart of the story—the complicated love between O and Z—gets lost among the trees.
This is still a work well worth reading for the poetry alone, but I would caution anyone approaching the novel expecting the straightforward storytelling of, say, Ellen Hopkins. Syncopation will appeal to readers who enjoyed the worldbuilding of Janelle Monae's The Memory Librarian, and the lyrical prose of This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone. I have fewer comparisons to offer readers coming from the poetry world, but from a popular standpoint I think French carries echoes of Ocean Vuong, especially his poems about Vietnam.
Syncopation is set 50 years into an alternate future divided by how memory is stored and traded. French tells the story of O and Z, and how their lives intertwine in a post-apocalyptic North America. The poetry is evocative, painting images of a world ravaged by—and perhaps healing from—war and climate change. I would classify the ethos driving Syncopation as both solarpunk and afrofuturist.
While I'm enchanted by French's poetic style, with its driving rhythms and words dancing across the page, I think Syncopation falls somewhat short as a novel. The worldbuilding is ambitious—probably too much so for a medium like the verse novel. I often found myself a little bit lost as new elements were thrown in: voices like bombs, memory as currency, characters with long introductions who only nudge the plot forward. I think what I expected to be the heart of the story—the complicated love between O and Z—gets lost among the trees.
This is still a work well worth reading for the poetry alone, but I would caution anyone approaching the novel expecting the straightforward storytelling of, say, Ellen Hopkins. Syncopation will appeal to readers who enjoyed the worldbuilding of Janelle Monae's The Memory Librarian, and the lyrical prose of This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone. I have fewer comparisons to offer readers coming from the poetry world, but from a popular standpoint I think French carries echoes of Ocean Vuong, especially his poems about Vietnam.
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!!!
March 20, 2026
I loved this fabulous collection that I received from Net Galley in exchange for my review.
I began reading it on a kindle, only to realize I wanted to underline half of the text. My experience was hindered in reading it via kindle, and my review is less detailed because of that. I probably will buy this to re-read it again in paper.
It's a huge feat, to pull off a speculative, futuristic novel in verse. And it works so well. It works because author Whitney French has a mastery of poetry and verse like few others. The collection begins with the first of several iterations of deja vu, this one with a specific ocean pattern. It sets the structure for the novel as being non-linear, one that is gentle on the reader and makes it easy to follow along in what would, in other hands, probably be too complex. Yet, French alternates prose poems/lyric essays with free form verse that sticks to familiar poetic elements (specifically, she excels at enjambment). The mix of long form with short, a mix of dialogue only, with slash poems, even a new form, one based on a geographic timeline, connects it all. I definitely would read this in paper form, not in a reader.
I began reading it on a kindle, only to realize I wanted to underline half of the text. My experience was hindered in reading it via kindle, and my review is less detailed because of that. I probably will buy this to re-read it again in paper.
It's a huge feat, to pull off a speculative, futuristic novel in verse. And it works so well. It works because author Whitney French has a mastery of poetry and verse like few others. The collection begins with the first of several iterations of deja vu, this one with a specific ocean pattern. It sets the structure for the novel as being non-linear, one that is gentle on the reader and makes it easy to follow along in what would, in other hands, probably be too complex. Yet, French alternates prose poems/lyric essays with free form verse that sticks to familiar poetic elements (specifically, she excels at enjambment). The mix of long form with short, a mix of dialogue only, with slash poems, even a new form, one based on a geographic timeline, connects it all. I definitely would read this in paper form, not in a reader.
March 10, 2026
This novel in verse is so beautifully written! French gives us a mesmerizing tale of O and Z in a post-apocalyptic North America. It has been a long time since I’ve read poetry and this novel is a work of art!
O and Z are trying to navigate romance and love in a post-apocalyptic world—and just trying to survive that world.
I am sure that there were some nuances that I didn’t necessarily pick up on, but even still, this book was amazing!! It is definitely worth a read to witness the beauty of French’s poetry!
Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
O and Z are trying to navigate romance and love in a post-apocalyptic world—and just trying to survive that world.
I am sure that there were some nuances that I didn’t necessarily pick up on, but even still, this book was amazing!! It is definitely worth a read to witness the beauty of French’s poetry!
Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 19, 2026
I loved this novel in verse. It does such a wonderful job of weaving memory, nature, and futurism together in a satisfying and tragic love story. I was especially pleased with the way it queered some classic YA dystopia tropes in the form of its factions. It's hard to pick out individual stand out poems when its a novel-in-verse and yet there are some truly fantastic stand outs that display French's technical poetic prowess while the whole uses the sensory intensity of poetry to
worldbuild a specific and emotive vision of what our present metaphorically means for our future.
worldbuild a specific and emotive vision of what our present metaphorically means for our future.
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.
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