The Lost Code

Emerson (Carlos Is Gonna Get It) launches the Atlanteans series with a novel that blends post-apocalyptic, SF, and paranormal elements into a summer camp story. In a future in which climate change has rendered most of the planet uninhabitable, teenage Owen has gotten a rare scholarship to Camp Eden, where privileged kids and survivors of cryogenic freezing can experience a simulation of the biosphere of old. When he almost drowns, he discovers the camp's hidden secret: Owen and a handful of others (including his crush, Lilly) have developed gills and can breathe underwater. Owen is thrilled by his new abilities and sense of belonging, but when a child at the camp dies under mysterious circumstances, it becomes apparent that something sinister is occurring at Camp Eden. As Owen and friends attempt to figure out who to trust, they uncover more conspiracies about both the camp and the state of the world. Emerson throws perhaps a little too much into the book, but the high-stakes narrative moves forward with momentum, and a romance between Owen and Lilly is gracefully unveiled. Ages 13%E2%80%93up. Agent: George Nicholson, Sterling Lord Literistic. (May)