Shadows Cast by Stars

May 7, 2012
Aboriginal mythology and mysticism play a large role in Knutsson’s dystopian debut, as she draws on her own heritage for inspiration. Two centuries from now, plague has devastated the world, and only Native American tribes possess the antibodies needed to fight off the disease, making them a valuable but expendable commodity. Off the coast of what was once Canada, the Band dwells on the Island, protected by treaty and a barrier keyed to their blood. Sixteen-year-old Cassandra Mercredi is a half-blood, and when her family is forced to seek refuge on the Island, she is only grudgingly accepted. Soon, she begins a romance with the leader’s son and an apprenticeship under the local medicine woman. As her power to see and interact with the spirit world grows, she discovers her true purpose. While Knutsson’s concept is sound, and the story flows smoothly, the apocalyptic future is just a sketchy backdrop for a fairly standard coming-of-age adventure. There’s little detail paid to the world outside the Island, so the significance of living in the “Old Way” is lessened. Otherwise, this is a strong beginning. Ages 12–up. Agent: Diana Fox, Fox Literary.

May 1, 2012
A post-apocalyptic debut breathes new life into a quickly flagging genre with its setting among the First Nations peoples of the Pacific Northwest. Even though they live in the Corridor, Cassandra Mercredi and her family have kept to the Old Way. When a new strain of the Plague that killed their mother emerges, she, her twin brother, Paul, and her father flee to the Island, where the Band clings to treaty lands. Metis, they are apart from the specific culture of the Island, but they are nevertheless Other, and their blood contains the only known cure for the Plague. Cass finds herself apprenticed to healer Madda and increasingly drawn to Bran, the son of the Island's vanished leader. She also experiences a terrifying connection to the Sisiutl, the serpent-spirit that dwells in the lake by her house. Knutsson's narrative is ambitious, twining together Pacific Northwest mythology, standard post-apocalyptic tropes and a coming-of-age story inflected with romance. Readers of Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian will recognize the harsh realities portrayed, albeit within the science-fictional framework. Knutsson's language is often atmospherically beautiful, but the story flounders at times, introducing unfulfilled subplots that may be foreshadowing for events in future volumes or simply red herrings. Nevertheless, it's an absorbing read populated by characters hardly ever found in teen novels. (Science fiction. 12 & up)

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August 1, 2012

Gr 8 Up-Two hundred years in the future, 16-year-old Cassandra, a Metis Indian with mysterious gifts, lives with her twin brother and father in the Pacific Northwest. A plague has killed off much of the population, but Others, people of aboriginal descent, have special antibodies that protect them from the disease. The blood of one Native American can save many other people; because of this, the government is hunting them. Cassandra and her family have managed to survive under these conditions while living by "the Old Way," but when the plague returns, they flee for The Island, a protected space where Indians (of many different tribes and backgrounds) are able to live together safely. There Cassandra's abilities quickly earn her an apprenticeship to the local healer and the attentions of the chief's son, Bran. Unsurprisingly, the peace of the Island is short-lived and Cassandra must play a part in keeping her community safe. The feel of the story is far more fantasy than dystopian. The Island is a richly drawn setting and the Native American imagery feels authentic (the author is, herself, a member of the Metis tribe). Cassandra is a strong character, much more concerned with survival than with romance-though there is a romantic subplot. This is a good title to give to fantasy readers who like novels with tough female leads.-Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2012
Grades 8-11 Postapocalyptic young-adult novels glut the market now, but the unique twists in this debut should capture and hold the attention of avid fans of the subgenre. Sixteen-year-old Cass lives in a grim world 200 years in the future, one nearly destroyed by virulent plagues. The current population has advanced technologies yet suffers from regular blackouts, mediocre food substitutes, and brutal distinctions between people: the general population that has suffered most from the ravages of plague, and the Others, who are of plague-immune aboriginal descent. The blood of the Others is a hot commodity, as it contains antibodies that fight the plague. Cass, her brother, and her father exist on the fringes of society, living the old way without modern conveniences and masking their Otherness from a world that would kill them to gain the protective properties of their blood. One day everything changes, and Cass and her brother must flee to the Island, a place that will draw Cass into deeper physical and metaphysical adventures. For fans of Sara Wilson Etienne and any genre-blending YA titles.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)