The Amateurs
By Liz Harmer
Knopf Canada, $32.95

In The Amateurs, the first novel by Liz Harmer, a space travel device called “Port” has been created by PINA, the world’s largest tech company. Urged by nostalgia and longing, consumers are quick to use the portal to revisit their youth or to explore their futures; however, many don’t come back. As the world’s population plummets and grids go down, Port resisters and Port survivors spring to action. Deeply original, The Amateurs is tense and fast-paced, exploring what happens when technology and desire meet in a world that doesn’t seem so different from ours.