Shadows Cast By Stars

Oct 08, 2012 Sanette rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-reads, dystopian, strong-females, female-pov, mythology, supernatural-abilities, favorite-authors

"There's a story among people, not my people, for I am, and will always be, one apart. But there's a story of how people came to be, how Raven dropped from the sky to pry open a clam shell, and found humankind inside. They say that this story took place a long, long time ago when earth was still young, when Raven still spoke words that were lies and truth at the same time.

So I say: This is the story of the way things once were, and now are, and how they will be, for if there is one thing I've...more "There's a story among people, not my people, for I am, and will always be, one apart. But there's a story of how people came to be, how Raven dropped from the sky to pry open a clam shell, and found humankind inside. They say that this story took place a long, long time ago when earth was still young, when Raven still spoke words that were lies and truth at the same time.

So I say: This is the story of the way things once were, and now are, and how they will be, for if there is one thing I've learned, it's that we are not bound by the myths created for us..... These are my truths, my myths, my lies. This is my story."

This is the story of Cassandra, a half-blood aboriginal whose family must flee their home to a place called The Island in order to keep her and her twin brother safe from the government. For people of aboriginal decent are valuable to the government as their blood is the only known cure for the Plague that has ravaged the world and wiped out most of the population. Those with aboriginal blood are drained of their life force to save the greater good.

Cassandra has always been different, so has her brother. They are connected to the Spirit world and Cassandra has the unique ability to see other people's Shades, their spirit selves. She can also cross into Spirit whenever she wants to. These are powerful and rare abilities so when they arrive on the Island, a sanctuary that is guarded by a group of guerrilla warriors who call themselves The Band and an energy force that keeps out all non-Aboriginals from the Island, she is taken under the healers wing and protected from the greedy Elders who would use her for their own deeds. But it is not just the healers heart she touches but the Band leader's son who falls for her strength, courage, love and beauty. For Cassandra is the ultimate warrior and one of the strongest female characters I have ever read. The spirit world is angry and it will stop at nothing to be heard and they have chosen Cassandra to deliver their message.

This book was unlike anything I have read in a very long time. The mysticism of the aboriginal people combined with the pure magic of Knutsson's writing sweeps the reader off their feet from the very first page. It has been a very long time since I have read something so lyrical and poetic that you feel the very spirit world that Cassandra visits all around you. Knutsson's writing blew me away. The way she could describe something so beautifully that it had the reader feeling as though they were standing there with the character experiencing everything right along with them.

But this story is not all beauty, for there are some ugly deep rooted messages that Knutsson covers. For racism, greed and hate are prevalent throughout this book and Cassandra must stand against all of them. The UA (government) bleeds her people dry to save the white men, but even on her protected island she is discriminated against because she is what they call a half-blood. This Island that is supposed to be a sanctuary away from the UA is steeped in the same ugliness that the Elders and leaders believe they have escaped from. Knutsson's portrayal of these underlying themes had me gripping the book in anger, wanting to jump through the pages and scream at these people for their disgusting behavior. But unfortunately this is nothing new, for this kind of behavior can be found in our world and not just in Knutsson's.

While I normally love intense romances, the relationship between Bran and Cassandra was just as beautiful as some of the more intense relationships that I love even though Knutsson did not spend a lot of time focusing on their relationship. It was a sweet romance that was handled perfectly and maturely for people grow up fast on the island and life is short and Cassandra is not someone to question her own mind. She knows what she wants and she goes for it.

"I should have been there." His voice is breathy as if the words hurt his throat.
Should he have? I look up at him. For sixteen years I have survived without Bran Eagleson. I stand, slowly, and lift my shirt to expose the scar on my belly before Bran can look away "Look at this, Bran. Look. I don't need a protector. I am capable of taking care of myself, and if you can't handle that, then you should leave." I let my shirt fall back into place and sit back down.
"You want me to leave?" He asks. Surprise colors his voice.
"No." I begin to work on the wind chime again, just so I won't have to look at him. If I did I would want to fix his hurt, his confusion, but thats not for me. This, Bran needs to figure out on his own, though nothing says I can't help him along a bit. "I want you to stay, but only if we're equals. Not if you think I need your protection, that I'm your responsibility all the time."

Their relationship is one of mutual respect and deep rooted love and a trust in each other that has them both putting their life in each others hands without a moment of doubt. It's as magical and beautiful as everything else in this book.

But what I loved most, other than Knutsson's incredible writing, was all the aboriginal mysticism and beliefs that are the root of this story. I didn't know much about their culture or beliefs before reading this book but now I am fascinated and am eagerly looking forward to learning more about them. Their belief in the universe and that everything has a soul (or what I like to call energy), the air we breath, the grass we walk on, the chair we sit on and the desk that I type at, it's all connected and as much alive as we are. It's a belief I share with them and one I thought Knutsson captured beautifully. Madda, the healer that takes Cass under her wing, was one of my favorite characters and will have you laughing, crying and thinking throughout the whole book. When she explains to Cass the stories that Cass must carry on to the next healer, the understanding of the universe and the spirit world, I felt as thought she was speaking directly to me and passing on to me these valuable lessons. Not only did I get swept away on an amazing journey of a story but I felt that my beliefs were challenged as well and I have walked away from this book with even more peace in what I believe my place in this universe truly means.

Catherine Knutsson is one of my new favorite authors and I cannot wait to see what else she produces for she is truly one of the best new voices in YA today and Shadows Cast by Stars is one that everyone should read. (less)

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Jan 07, 2013 Diana Stevan rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was so impressed by this book. I loved the fact that Cassandra, the protagonist, was so multi-faceted. Not only was she strong and courageous, but she was also loving and giving, and therefore very appealing. The author, Catherine Knuttsson, wove in First Nations mythology, the supernatural, and herbal medicine as she told the story of a family in the future, trying to survive in a land at a time when so much was uncertain. It seemed that with every chapter, things couldn't get worse, and yet...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Mika Joey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-agains

This book was written with such thought that in moments I felt the true emotions of what these characters were feeling. It was something that kept me reading until there was no more to read. Through struggles, love, hate and pain...that is what our heroine had to face but in the end, she sucessed through the sorrows and sacrifice that helped her become a person she thought she might never come to be. A story of person rising from the shadows to become something more or something their destined i...more

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May 29, 2012 Lindsay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-debuts, borrowed, young-adult, canada, danger, death, family, futuristic, romance, secrets, reviewed, own

Two hundred years from now, blood is the most valuable commodity, but only if you're of Aboriginal heritage. If you do, your blood will be harvested for the Plague antibodies the rest of the world needs to survive. Cassandra might be immune because of what's in her blood, but that doesn't mean she wants her blood taken from her. When a search threatens her family, they go off to the Island, an idyllic and mysterious place protected by the Band, a pack of guerrilla fighters, and an energy barrier...more Two hundred years from now, blood is the most valuable commodity, but only if you're of Aboriginal heritage. If you do, your blood will be harvested for the Plague antibodies the rest of the world needs to survive. Cassandra might be immune because of what's in her blood, but that doesn't mean she wants her blood taken from her. When a search threatens her family, they go off to the Island, an idyllic and mysterious place protected by the Band, a pack of guerrilla fighters, and an energy barrier that keeps enemies out and the spirit world in. But even though the village healer is teaching her, and even though the village leader's son is falling for her, that doesn't mean she's safe in her new home. The creatures of the spirit world are angry, and they've chosen Cass as their instrument.

Shadows Cast By Stars is an enchanting debut, a tale that captivates and ensnares the reader's soul. My heart was in my throat right at the beginning and didn't fall until I turned the last page. Cassandra's world, already dangerous, becomes lethal, and all she can do is run, run straight into the heart of something that wants to make her theirs. This book awakens ancient tales and myths, customs seldom-used and more often than not forgotten. In this book, the past lives on in the future, and it might be the only way to survive.

The prose is so visual. As I read, I could picture the wide lake and the house nearby, the large trees that cover paths so it feels like you're inside and not outside, the totems that Cass sees. It has a very rustic and ancient feel, living off the land, the scent of cedar strong in your nose the second you wake up. There seem to be two types of novels that take place in the future: those where the world is overrun with technology, and those without. This is the latter, and it's written wonderfully.

What enchanted me most about this book is the other side, the world made of of Spirit, of Raven and Sisiutl and Thunderbird, the ancient sensations brought on by a book set two hundred years in the future. The spirit world, the things that Cass can see, make this book unbelievably compelling. The Aboriginal mythology, the legends and tales of spirits and animal gods that were present, made this book for me. The sense of being surrounded by something greater than us, something more than we are, something we can't see but is always watching over us is powerful.

Also Cass, I can't leave her out as one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so. She's so lost, so confused, but so strong in the face of the unknown and pain. She's a girl with some spine and courage of her convictions who's ended up in a primarily male-driven society where said males in charge hope to keep her under their control so the order of things isn't disturbed. Knowing that, we all know that something will happen, that her going to the Island will change everything, that she might lose everything if she doesn't fight back with all of her being.

Not many books I've come across focus on Aboriginal people and their beliefs, but I have to say it's something I'd like to see more of. There's something about legends and stories passed down for generations, about spirit guides and animal totems, about trickster gods that unknowingly fascinate me. I didn't know that I'd be so captivated by this book when I first started reading it.(less)

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Jul 02, 2012 jo mo rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: cover-swoon, dystopia, paranormal, 2-stars, 2012, animals, creatures-of-the-night, dark-fantasy, fairytale-folktale-myth-legend, fantasy, flowers-plants-gardens, odd-writing-style, outsider-underdog-pariah, post-apocalyptic, tough-heroine, nature, stories-or-books-in-books

2.25/5

random notes
it's got bits and pieces of different books thrown in like ...

* a soul/totem which manifests itself in an animal form(the golden compass),
* on a mission to find the lost (twin) brother (blood red road) and
* a dark tinge not unlike that of the dark angel trilogy (view spoiler)
* various myths,
* aborigines culture and
* the magical feel (including the relationship between humans between animals and nature) of miyazaki fi...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Cat Hellisen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: beautiful-writing, fantasy

I am dying to get my hands on this one. The cover is beautiful, and I know Catherine Knutsson's writing is wonderful so I'm really looking forward to seeing what she does with this novel.

Okay wow, gorgeous, gorgeous book. Like waking up in the dark.

Have you ever watched Princess Mononoke? There's that one scene where the forest god is walking through the lake, with the half-submerged trees, and there's light everywhere and yeah....

This book felt like that scene - dreamlike, dangerous, wild, spir...more

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Jun 13, 2013 Jaime Leroy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dystopian books are all the rage in my library right now, but this one stands apart from others because there are ways it can relate to real world situations and has many Native American references. Cassandra, her brother, and her father live in the Pacific Northwest 200 years in the future. They are Metis Indians and are only alive because of it. Their blood contains antibodies that kept them alive while a plague killed off most of the population (their mother included). So when the plague retu...more

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May 10, 2013 Rich in Color rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia-post-apocalyptic, fantasy, romance

I wish I liked this book more.

As a moving-to-a-new-town book, Shadows Cast by Stars is serviceable. Cass’s struggles to fit in with the people on the Island—including wanted and unwanted attention from boys—make for some interesting character dynamics and conflict. I particularly enjoyed Cass’s scenes with Madda and her (sort-of) friendship with Helen. The women are the most memorable characters in the novel, though the boys don’t give them much competition in that regard (more on this in a bit...more I wish I liked this book more.

As a moving-to-a-new-town book, Shadows Cast by Stars is serviceable. Cass’s struggles to fit in with the people on the Island—including wanted and unwanted attention from boys—make for some interesting character dynamics and conflict. I particularly enjoyed Cass’s scenes with Madda and her (sort-of) friendship with Helen. The women are the most memorable characters in the novel, though the boys don’t give them much competition in that regard (more on this in a bit).

Unfortunately, I wasn’t invested in Cass’s relationship with Bran. They fall for each other far too quickly for my taste, and their relationship crosses off most of the plot devices for romances (down to an ex-girlfriend stealing a kiss in such a way that the heroine thinks the boyfriend is cheating on her). It doesn’t help that Bran spends large chunks of the story away from Cass, so they end up hitting their relationship milestones really quickly compared to how many hours they actually spend together on-screen.

I have three major complaints with the book, and the first is a matter of expectations. Based on the summary, I was expecting there to be a lot more time invested in exploring this particular disease-ridden world. I wanted to see the cultural, social, and legal ramifications of a world where the government is totally okay with draining people of all their blood in order to stop the spread of Plague. The premise promised me all sorts of interesting possibilities, from a black market for blood to exploitation to national testing and IDs.

I got none of that. The most I got was a chip in all the Corridor citizens’ wrists which let them…connect to the internet? The details are supremely fuzzy and leave more questions than answers: Why doesn’t the government keep better tabs on the people who are the only cure for the Plague? How could our heroes possibly have had time to run when a new plague outbreak occurs? Why isn’t there some kind of set-up where everyone immune to the Plague donates plasma/blood/etc. every [X] days, gets paid handsomely for it, and then the government distributes those vaccines/cures to the people who can afford to get them? Do the antibodies in Others’ blood grant immunity like a vaccine or is it more of a medicine given once the illness has been contracted? Does this government really think it’s an awesome long-term solution to execute the only people immune to the Plague? What is the government going to do when they’ve “overhunted” to extinction?

My second complaint is that many of the characters in the book feel distressingly shallow. Paul spends the entirety of the book as an enigma, and once they get to the Island, Cass spends more time with Bran than him. Neither Cass nor Paul seem to care much about getting ripped out of their lives—the closest we get to them missing anything is when Cass asks her dad if the Island has a school system. (As far as I remember, this never gets answered.) Neither Cass nor Paul apparently had any friends or even extended family in their previous lives. There was one attempt to humanize Avalon, which fell flat for me, Cedar was creepy and probably triggery, and Grace was creepy with a side order of broken. Much of the time these characters (except for Madda and Ms. Adelaide) simply didn’t seem to live in the world they inhabited.

My third complaint is that the culture of the Island felt really off to me. I’ll be the first to admit that my experience with literature starring or written by native people is pretty limited, but even I was able to pick up on many of the problematic bits that Debbie Reese identified. The mixture of Greek mythology and Arthurian legend didn’t mesh well with the story and were distracting (minor) players in the narrative. Frankly, I would have much preferred that they weren’t included at all.

Recommendation: Just skip it, unfortunately. While there are a lot of interesting ideas in the story, they got all tangled up around each other. (less)

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May 03, 2013 The Airship Librarian rated it 3 of 5 stars

~~Look at the pretty cover!~~
Ahem
This was a unique book. I've read books that look into First Nation culture before (Keeper'n Me, April Raintree, but I've never read a futuristic, dystopian, fantasy that centered around Aboriginal culture. It was a really neat experience. It was a positive experience, because this book told its story really well, and the words flowed. There were a lot of good things, and as is my custom, I'll start with those.

1 The setting. The setting was really, very cool. The i...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Bayan Basri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, female-pov-only, no-love-triangle-thank-god, stand-alone, strong-heroin, ya-paranormal, magic

It's been a long time since I've read a stand-alone and this is probably one of the best-And longest. Now on to the pros and cons:-

What I liked

*Cassandra or Cass for short. Her personality is very real, for example she when finds that her boyfriend's mother crazy, she doesn't try to make excuses for her and doesn't spend lots of time with her. She's nice to her for the sake of Bran, but tries to stay away as much as possible. And she really loves what's left of her family. And my favorite part:...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Brianna Kilcrease rated it 5 of 5 stars

First Line: We live the Old Way.

This is by far, one of the best books I have ever read. It probably sits up in the top twenties. This morning at 11 in the morning I was eighty pages into Shadows Cast by Stars, and got so into it that I finished it at 4 in the evening this same day! For five hours I sat in the same room, on the same chair reading this book! And the crazy part? I don't think there was any better way I could have spent that time.

I chose Shadows Cast by Stars to read first out of th...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Nick rated it 3 of 5 stars

Read more of my reviews at Nick's Book Blog

What attracted me first to Shadows Cast by Stars was the beautiful cover. Dystopian novels are really rocketing in the YA world these days, but good solid dystopian books are very hard to find. In Shadows Cast By Stars, I was looking for a book that would completely surprise me. Fortunately, it did, up to an extent.

In the dystopian society crafted by Catherine Knutsson, society is divided into two different sectors: The Corridor and The Island. The citi...more
Read more of my reviews at Nick's Book Blog

What attracted me first to Shadows Cast by Stars was the beautiful cover. Dystopian novels are really rocketing in the YA world these days, but good solid dystopian books are very hard to find. In Shadows Cast By Stars, I was looking for a book that would completely surprise me. Fortunately, it did, up to an extent.

In the dystopian society crafted by Catherine Knutsson, society is divided into two different sectors: The Corridor and The Island. The citizens of The Island are aboriginals, whose blood contains antibodies against The Plague. For this reason, the government seeks to harvest blood from them. The main character, Cass, is of aboriginal descent living in The Corridor. Soon, her family, consisting of her father and brother, Paul, are forced to take flight to The Island which is completely shrouded in mystery. There, Cass begins to unravel secrets about herself and these very secrets threaten her loved ones.

Cass wasn’t exactly a character who was easy to like at first sight, but instead as she grew throughout the story, I began to grow fond of her. Having lost her mother, she has always been the “New Mom” in the family, always caring for her family and trying to protect them from all harm. I really loved how defensive she was about her twin brother, Paul. One scene that really struck me in a good way was when she said she would do almost anything to transfer Paul’s grief to her. This depicted how deep her love for her brother was. She really tried her best to hold her whole family together in a tight knot, although it seemed to be a difficult task. As the story unfolded, Cass began to mature, shedding all the insecurities and doubts fringing her and becoming a strong girl comfortable in her own skin. Beautifully molded, the secondary characters were ones who had depth, but not quite to my satisfaction. I really wanted to get to know Paul a little better because he was so mysterious and secretive. At the end of the book, I was left with millions of questions regarding his character, which I hope will be answered in the next installment of the series.

The world-building in Shadows Cast by Stars was enthralling, rich and highly complex. While reading, it was stark clear that the author had bothered to do some research to write about a highly detailed world. The myths, the lifestyles of the aboriginals, the healing, the spirit world and the totems were absolutely fascinating. Because it had fresh ideas, I thought the book was highly imaginative. One problem I had with the book was the pace of the story. I, personally, thought that the plot moved at a tortoise speed, which resulted in my attention swaying on several occasions. Also, there was a bit of an instant-love in the book in that the characters, Cass and Bran, jumped into a relationship a little too fast to my liking. Regardless, I was glad that the romance never inundated the plot. In fact, it was subtle and it was present in an appropriate dose. Catherine Knutsson caught me by surprise often by throwing in unexpected twists and turns.

Shadows Cast by Stars was a nice medley of dystopian and paranormal. Even with some of the complaints I had, I found myself really enjoying the book. I'm definitely going to be on the look-out for the next installment of this series.(less)

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Dec 11, 2012 River Lange rated it 2 of 5 stars

The writing was exquisite!!!

I read in some of the reviews, the readers thought the plot was slow. I have to disagree. However, somewhere around page 250, things went horribly wrong. And maybe I was overly disappointed because I expected the wonderful story to keep me on the journey, instead of a wild chase through the forest, like a dog chasing his tail in circles.

From here on, the book started shapeshifting and couldn't decide if it was fighting a war against mankind/the plague/tribal warfare/o...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Alz rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-mg, dystopian, mythology-folklore

This book is nicely written--beautifully, even--but very slow. It's way, way more character-driven than plot-driven since there pretty much is no plot until the second half of the book, and that hardly culminates in anything except to set up for book 2.

And, unfortunately, the character-driven nature of this book suffers since the characters don't grow all that much. They do grow and it does feel real and genuine (except for the romance, which swooped in out of nowhere), but there's not a whole l...more This book is nicely written--beautifully, even--but very slow. It's way, way more character-driven than plot-driven since there pretty much is no plot until the second half of the book, and that hardly culminates in anything except to set up for book 2.

And, unfortunately, the character-driven nature of this book suffers since the characters don't grow all that much. They do grow and it does feel real and genuine (except for the romance, which swooped in out of nowhere), but there's not a whole lot. Mostly this book is Cass being uncertain of herself and angry for various (understandable and totally justified) reasons.

Also disappointing was the entire promised dystopian world where aboriginal people's blood is stolen to combat plague--the only reason there's this dystopia going on in the first place is probably because dystopian fiction is the hot thing in YA and a few events of the story needed some kind of reason/motivation for happening.

The blood-serum-for-the-plague thing ended up being lame because it's never explained--it just is, because someone discovered it. Why? Nobody knows. I'm pretty sure it actually says this in the text. As for why the never-defined government harvests "Others" to the point that they die instead of keeping them alive so as to continually harvest their blood, uh, that's not explained either. Or why/how this government exists and appears to sanction reserves for those of Other blood but at the same time also keeps harvesting them against their will--yeah, I don't know either.

Not to mention that 99% of this book takes place after Cass and her family move to an island where life is "the Old Way" which means it's just living in the forest and making your living with your hands, off the land. Dystopia and future technology and those first promising signs of worldbuilding pretty much go kaput.

The spirit-world and spirit-aspects of the book were interesting but again, hardly come into play until halfway through, and before that reading through pages and pages of dialogue of Cass's new medicine-woman mentor explaining things to her palled before long. The takes on mythology (not only aboriginal but also Greek and even Arthurian) were interesting and fairly well-done.

The lack of resolution with which the book concludes left me feeling like I'd gone for a very long, tiring walk, having been promised a beautiful journey and a great destination; instead, it was boring and I got nowhere. I doubt I'll be picking up the sequel.(less)

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May 25, 2013 Khanh rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: boring-main-character, dystopian, magic, mythology, on-the-run, religious-spiritual, siblings, twins-triplets-clones, unreadable, ya

I expected an action-packed, fast-paced adventure, with incorporated elements of Native American mythology...I got a book filled with introspection and a lot of boredom. It is more of a self-exploration book, a rite-of-passage for the main character than it is a dystopian fantasy. I suppose it is a dystopian tale, technically, that is the setting in which the story takes place, but it moves along at such a slow pace that one can hardly tell that it is there. I certainly expected a lot more excit...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Victoria Law rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia, book-by-writer-of-color

Knutsson lays out several issues that are realities confronting indigenous and aboriginal people in the U.S. and Canada today. If you've found yourself angered or outraged about some of these issues (or even just curious), I encourage you to check out the Lakota Grandmothers' Truth Tour:

http://www.lakotagrandmothers.org/tru...

Wagunpi Woashake Ikickupi (Lakota Elders Take Back Their Strength) is a grassroots movement to end the genocide of the Lakota people and support the full renewal of matriar...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Jeff Raymond rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, read-ya-fantasy

This was a bit of a strange read. It's inspired a lot by aboriginal spirituality, and tries to infuse a lot of that into a dystopian setting, but it ends up feeling more long and flat than anything else.

It's unfortunate, too, because I feel like this is a book that the YA "genre" needs in a lot of ways, but I kept thinking back to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian as a book that handles the topic well, and how this kind of left me wanting more from start to finish.

It's not a comple...more

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Jan 22, 2013 a1000booklife rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was a pleasant surprise! It had been recommended to me but I kept over-looking it for newer books, but once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down! It's well written for a Teen novel, but more importantly it has originality that derives from the traditions, storytelling and history of native peoples. The story itself is rather similar to many of the other apocalyptic novels out there, but the complexity and uniqueness of Native American culture make this book a fresh read. I also...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Bookseller Cate rated it 4 of 5 stars

N.B.: The author and I were once in a critique group together. This means that while I was predisposed to like her book, I'm also likely to hold her writing to high standards. Advanced Reader Copy provided by Simon & Schuster.

One of my favourite young adult genres is the dystopian novel, from Lois Lowry's The Giver up to Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games. Reading the jacket copy for Shadows Cast by Stars I was thrilled to find someone of my acquaintance was contributing to the genre. What'...more N.B.: The author and I were once in a critique group together. This means that while I was predisposed to like her book, I'm also likely to hold her writing to high standards. Advanced Reader Copy provided by Simon & Schuster.

One of my favourite young adult genres is the dystopian novel, from Lois Lowry's The Giver up to Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games. Reading the jacket copy for Shadows Cast by Stars I was thrilled to find someone of my acquaintance was contributing to the genre. What's even better is that Knutsson diverts from some of the common tropes into something quite unusual.

Dystopian novels often hold symbolism in the geography of their worldbuilding. One common trope is the idea of the reluctant quest: the protagonist, born on the outskirts of the dystopic society, is pulled into the heart of it and discovers/reveals the true horror that's been masked from the people. Think of Katniss traveling to the Capitol in The Hunger Games. The trope of banishment/escape is the reverse, a character who discovers the corruption of the government and leaves for the outskirts, either willingly or unwillingly, such as in Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth.

The geography of Knutsson's world is built from our own, her novel set two hundred years in the future. A plague has been decimating populations. There is a cure, but it comes with quite a price. Antibodies in the blood of aboriginal people protect them from the plague. It's been decided that the ends justify the means and aboriginal peoples, known in this world as Others, are rounded up and drained of their blood to save non-Others.

As Métis, Cassandra and her brother Paul have been relatively safe from cullings, especially living where they do, on the outskirts of one of the population Corridors, but when a new outbreak of the Plague nears, their father removes them to the Island, which lies beyond the Boundary, a mysterious force that allows Others to pass through but confound the Corridor's searchers.

This is where Knutsson breaks from the usual geography of dystopian novels. Instead on starting at one of the extremes of the geographic world, she begins in the midlands. The reader (at least this one) assumes we are going to travel into the centre, but then finds that we are instead going further afield.

On the Island, Cassandra is taken on as apprentice to the local medicine woman and begins to understand some of the meanings behind the visions and dreams that have always been part of her life. Even as she finds her place and struggles to learn about her new position, malevolent forces seem to be gatherine around her, including a strange creature in the lake near her house, a creature that seems to be hunting her. The reader begins to wonder if she has traded one dystopia for another.

I sincerely hope that this is not Knutsson's only novel in this new world she has created, for in creating such a rich symbolic geography, she has definitely left me wanting more. Luckily, the structure of this novel leave that possibility open to fulfillment in myriad ways: prequel, sequel, or even unconnected characters inhabiting the same future. (less)

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Mar 19, 2013 Katie added it

This was a great book. If you like the old native ways, and the stories you will like this book. It's kind of long but once you get towards the end you won't want it to end. It's about a plague that broke out and the Native American's (in the book they are called others) are immune to it, so non-others want their blood to save everybody. The only reason they have a tough time finding them is because they are on an island with spiritual properties that protect them, the non-others cannot pass thr...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5.

A very interesting premise- but the plot could be difficult to follow at times. I caught myself re-reading various paragraphs/pages in order to understand what was going on.

Cass's characterization developed throughout the story line- and I am looking forward to see how she grows in the sequel.

I felt like the other characters, with the exception of Madda, need some work on character development. Especially Brann and Paul.

I loved the futuristic setting- paired with old Indian customs. I fel...more

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Apr 26, 2013 KT rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reads

This was that kind of book that set up for something great and ended up dropping me on my face by the very end. The main character was a slow developing character and when she did develop I saw her go from a person that could grow, in a Mary Sue girl that got lucky a lot in tough times and praised too much in the boring. And the storyline itself was so spotty and forgotten at times, and it left so many loose ends. Once it did end I was mad, mad because it ended so left out to dry. Ee onky git to...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Allison rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, aboriginal, dystopian, need-to-buy, fantasy, dark

This book was SO GOOD. Interesting narrator, beautifully written prose, and some of the best supernatural creatuers I've ever read about. At first I was worried the book was going to be a little too Pocahantas-ish (you know, "sing with all the colors of the wind" or whatever) because a lot of it seemed to be a very stereotypical representation of American Indian culture, but after the first 100 pages the story quickly found its stride and became one of the best books I've read in awhile. I like...more

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Mar 18, 2013 K rated it 2 of 5 stars

This one was just okay for me. The synopsis is kind of deceiving. I was expecting much more excitement and mythology. And the blood thing wasn't really that big a part of it, it wasn't completely irrelevant just not the focus. The book wasn't bad but the whole time I felt like I was waiting for something and it just... never happened!

The plot is kind of tricky because it would seem like it was going to speed up but then sike! Just kidding! I also thought the plot skipped around or was missing s...more

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May 27, 2013 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars

In this postapocalytic novel, we meet Cass who is living 200 year in the future. A plague has wiped out most of the population on earth. Now Cass and her family must hide away. It seems that the blood of Native Americans contains the antibody that kills the plague. And the powers that be want to kill all Native Americans to get the cure. Add to this a spiritual world element when Cass realizes that she can communicate with spirits. This is an interesting combination of postapolcalyptic fiction a...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars

There are times when a book feeds my soul. It reminds me of times that are almost lost. While this book was based on a dystopian future, where the North America is ravaged by the "Plague" and the only cure is found in the blood of the "Others." The Others are those who are of Aboriginal or Native ancestry. The story is told from the perspective of Cassandra Mercredi (Cass), who is Metis. She lives with her brother and father in what is known as the Corridor. When there is a new outbreak of the p...more There are times when a book feeds my soul. It reminds me of times that are almost lost. While this book was based on a dystopian future, where the North America is ravaged by the "Plague" and the only cure is found in the blood of the "Others." The Others are those who are of Aboriginal or Native ancestry. The story is told from the perspective of Cassandra Mercredi (Cass), who is Metis. She lives with her brother and father in what is known as the Corridor. When there is a new outbreak of the plague, Cass and her family must flee. They flee to a sanctuary for the "Others" known as the Island (Vancouver Island). The Island is protected by Spirit, but Spirit has grown impatient being stuck to the Island. However, the inhabitants of the Island have grown comfortable, they are refugees from different tribes of Aboriginals.

This book is a coming of age for Cassandra as she grows up, becomes apprenticed to the Wisewoman/healer, Madda. She learns of love from opening herself up to the heart of the missing Chief's son, Bran. She has to contend with Bran's mother who has large plans for her son, believing that he is the lost king of an old European legend (I'm guessing King Arthur). She has to contend with a girl her own age who is jealous of her, Avalon. She makes a friend in Helen. And she experiences the distancing of a brother who she used to be the closest to. As well she has to contend with the Spirit world who might want more than she's willing to give.

Like I said, there are times when a book feeds my soul. It's been a while since I've dealt with a part of me that I haven't felt in a while. I used to have a book of Native stories, based around Raven, and this reminded me of it in someways. It weaves the myths born out this land long before "white man" touched the shores. And it reminded me of the tiny bit of heritage that flows through my blood as well, if only minutely.

I normally don't give exposition to the books I read, but I felt this one needed it just to convey the deep appreciation that I have for this book. It gets the missing star from a perfect because there were times that the narrative didn't flow and jumped around from one spot to another causing me to say "wait - What?"

Also points go for the Canadian content.(less)

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Apr 28, 2012 Adrienne Fray rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book opened with so much potential. The description was exquisite. Knutsson creates intrigue with Cassandra's mysterious power and her brother Paul's enigmatic visions. But for me, that's all it was. A lot of build up to a so-so outcome. The tension never escalated to the point where I found myself turning pages, dying to hear what came next. There was simply a lot of 'I can sense something horrible coming' and 'too bad this good feeling won't last long'. When things finally did take a turn...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Jenna rated it 4 of 5 stars

To start, this book was beautifully written. It had a depth of feeling that you sometimes don't get with "young adult" books. Start to finish it had me hooked.

You can read the synopsis through the book link so I won't get into that, but I will say that if you're looking for something mystical/magical that's outside of the current trends this would be great for you.

The only negative that I have to add is that I was thinking it was stand alone, but upon completion, it seems as if there will be mor...more

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May 26, 2013 Journey rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm waffling between 2 and 3. 2.5?

I wanted to love this book because the premise sounded so original and exciting. however, that has very little to do with the book; it's pretty much only the tool to get them to the Island, and then it only pops up one more time. I would have liked to know more about this actual world.

the plot threads are really tangled and hard to follow sometimes.

also, while I'm not native and I know the author is Metis, I couldn't help but wonder about the many of what seeme...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Natalie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This story is an unexpected treasure of nDn lore woven into a disturbingly possible dystopian future. Its protagonist Cass is wonderfully human yet has many layers to her. Just when you think you are beginning to know her, she is once again immersed in situations which while plausible in the context of the story, are surprising in their complexity and nuance. I am loving the world the author has created, while at the same time cognizant that the 'end of the world as we know it' isn't likely to b...more

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