Monochrome

In a world drained of color, nothing is black and white. Grace is one of a handful of people who are seeing the world in shades of grey. She agrees to join a government-run study with other teenagers who experience intermittent color episodes, but soon realizes that the reality is much more complicated, shocking, and dangerous than she could have ever imagined.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 06 October 2022
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

A captivating dystopian tale set in a chillingly realistic future, Katherine Webber's Wing Jones and Only Love Can Break Your Heart transport readers to a world where the colors have faded away.

Mark Ballabon, an environmentalist and author of Home, paints a vivid picture of a world drained of color, where nothing is black and white.

In the early hours of a morning, Grace wakes up to a world shrouded in ominous grey skies. It's as if she's watching a disaster movie, but her family doesn't seem to recognize the gravity of the situation. Grace is among a select few who perceive the world in shades of grey. However, this is just the beginning of the greyout, or Monochrome Effect, which is rapidly spreading across the globe.

The loss of color vision is linked to polluted water systems and the abundance of microplastics in the ocean, which have been contaminated with harmful bacteria for years. The consequences are dire, with failing harvests and stay-at-home orders in a world on the brink of a major ecological disaster. There seems to be no cure, until one day, Grace glimpses a single flash of red.

Driven by curiosity, Grace agrees to participate in a government-run study with other teenagers who experience intermittent color episodes. They are promised that they hold the key to reversing the damage, but Grace soon realizes that the reality is far more complex, shocking, and dangerous than she could have ever imagined.

As she delves deeper into the study, Grace uncovers a sinister plot that threatens the very fabric of society. She must navigate treacherous waters, confront powerful forces, and make difficult choices that could have far-reaching consequences for the world as she knows it.

Wing Jones and Only Love Can Break Your Heart are not just stories; they are thought-provoking examinations of the human condition and the consequences of our actions. Through Grace's journey, readers are invited to reflect on the importance of color, the power of perception, and the potential for change in a world that seems to be falling apart.

Weight: 262g
Dimension: 127 x 197 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780349003900