(Published 9/29/2026)
“‘And look,’ she said, pointing to the letters that spelled MIRIAM on the side of each box, after she had described their neighbor’s departure, the goodbye, the search, and the hiding place. ‘They all have her name on them. See? But the letters aren’t made properly at all. My teacher would give her a fail.’”
"Building 903" is set in a dystopian world ruled by a tyrant who monitors every street corner, every public conversation, and even determines which career a citizen will work for the rest of their very long lives. And those who break even the smallest rule or law, receive a tattoo baldly naming their crime.
Tessa is a twin to her brother, Theo, who, despite outranking her in intelligence and receiving special access to advanced education, was the one to go missing. Tessa and her family are slowly coming to terms with Theo’s mysterious disappearance when their 135-year-old neighbor, Miriam, slips Tessa a key - both figuratively and literally - as Miriam’s being hauled off to the retirement community.
With the key, Tessa unlocks more than she wanted to. Tessa holds a book for the first time in her family’s living memory, prompting the family to make dangerous choices and face growing suspicions about their government. Her father, from whom Theo inherited his X-Cogni-Superior designation, confesses to Tessa and her mother that an experiment of his went very, very wrong. Thus begins the family’s mission to find Theo with the hope of returning him home.
Quintessentially Lois Lowry, "Building 903" is simply written but delivers powerful messages about censorship, storytelling, complacency, and the power of imagination. Censorship and loss of community are the swords of corrupt power, worn on the hips of oppressors to intimidate and haunt the subjugated until the day they are wielded, severing curiosity from autonomy. But access to books and storytelling, especially sharing our own stories, real or fiction, provide us power that can never be taken away. Through Tessa, we are reminded that imagination is a muscle and a skill that is to be practiced, stretched, challenged, and always within reach. No matter how dormant, it can always be revived with curiosity.
As a lover of "The Giver", I was beyond excited to read the newest edition to Lois Lowry’s bibliography, and I recommend it to anyone else who is a fan of hers. It is touching, thought provoking, and made me giggle at the thought of finding a book and not knowing what to do with it. With lasting effect, Theo’s journey reminds me that no one is ever truly lost. Find what grounds you - love is a good place to start - and it will always save you.
reviewed by Hannah Harris
