Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Shadows Cast By Stars” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Shadows Cast By Stars

Catherine Knutsson

3.59 · Rating details · 1,809 ratings · 242 reviews

Old ways are pitted against new horrors in this compellingly crafted dystopian tale about a girl who is both healer and seer.

Two hundred years from now, blood has become the most valuable commodity on the planet— especially the blood of aboriginal peoples, for it contains antibodies that protect them from the Plague ravaging the rest of the world.

Sixteen-year-old Cassandra ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 1st Edition, 456 pages

Published June 5th 2012 by Atheneum

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Shadows Cast By Stars, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

2012 Debut Authors (Young Adult & Middle Grade)

1,041 books — 6,587 voters

YA Novels of 2012

1,317 books — 10,650 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.59 ·

Rating details

· 1,809 ratings · 242 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Shadows Cast By Stars

May 12, 2013 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it it was ok

Shelves: boring-main-character, religious-spiritual, siblings, magic, mythology, ya, on-the-run, twins-triplets-clones, dystopian, why-do-i-hate-myself

I expected an action-packed, fast-paced adventure, with incorporated elements of Native American mythology...I got a book filled with uninteresting introspection and a whole lot of boredom.

Shadows Cast By Stars is more of a self-exploration book, a rite-of-passage for the main character than it is a dystopian-based book. Technically, it is a dystopian tale, since that is the setting in which the story takes place, but it moves along at such a slow pace and the setting is so far removed from the ...more

flag 23 likes · Like · see review

Feb 14, 2012 Wine Country rated it it was amazing

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

"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'v "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. ...more

flag 16 likes · Like · see review

Jan 15, 2012 Giselle rated it liked it

Shelves: 2012, from-publishers, unsolicited, 3-star, genre-dystopia, age-young-adult, diverse-characters, genre-paranormal, genre-romance, genre-science-fiction

A finished unsolicited copy was provided by the publisher for review.

There’s such a creepy tone when I read this book that I couldn’t help but get shivers. Thinking of the spirit world in a sense makes me think of ghosts! Eeks! Imagine being able walk into the world and talk and interact with souls. I wished there was more of this. I don’t know what to call it but soul searching.

I love the concept of the disease. The plague wiping out most of the world but when a scientist finds out the antibodi ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

May 14, 2011 C Hellisen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, beautiful-writing

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

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Jul 28, 2017 Jalilah rated it really liked it

Shelves: first-nation-native-american, fantasy-and-science-fiction, canadian-lit

This beautifully written debut novel is highly original and captivating. It does seem like it's the first in a series and there should be more to come. I hope the author writes a sequel!
I could not help but notice one of the reviews, unfortunately the one that got the most likes, complains that its is too slow and "nothing happens". Okay.....people reading this book expecting
a First Nations/Native American version of Hunger Games might be disappointed, however I disagree that "nothing happens", ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

May 03, 2013 Ingrid rated it liked it

~~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

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Jul 18, 2010 Nafiza rated it really liked it

Shelves: author-canadian, source-review-books, read-2012

This will be an interesting review to write simply because I have such conflicting feelings about this novel. I gave it four stars but really, that is no reflection at all on how I actually really feel about it so read on and I might be able to articulate myself. I read the ARC version of the novel so that may account for my muddled feelings but well...let's just get on with it. I really liked how Cassandra and her twin, Paul were characterized. There seems to be a gravity to them, in them that This will be an interesting review to write simply because I have such conflicting feelings about this novel. I gave it four stars but really, that is no reflection at all on how I actually really feel about it so read on and I might be able to articulate myself. I read the ARC version of the novel so that may account for my muddled feelings but well...let's just get on with it. I really liked how Cassandra and her twin, Paul were characterized. There seems to be a gravity to them, in them that you normally don't find in protagonist - almost a melancholy in their characters. Also, they are metis and are inheritors of the years and years of violence, injustice and discrimination done to them by the Colonizers. A history that is being repeated in their time as they are the only group of people immune to the mysterious plague that has thrown the rest of the world into chaos. Okay. First sticking point here. The plague is obviously an important part of the novel as is the immunity of the First Nations people but there is not much attention given to both of these things. I wanted to know what exactly the plague is, how many people had died, was it the same thing around the world, and who are these "non-Others" who are dying. Are they made up of white people or are other countries and races affected the same way or do they not even exist anymore considering their lack of access to the First Nations people. Also, why are the First Nations people? What is in their blood that makes them immune? Have the white people/ruling body tries to reproduce whatever is in their blood to make their antidote and if not, why not? Things like these are what makes books so difficult to write but are what holds a book together. The little details that somehow become the most important ones by their absence. I was interested in the world Knutsson created and that is exactly why I want to know more about it.

The story moves to what I read is a mythical representation of Vancouver Island and as I said, I really like Cassandra, Paul and their father so I continued reading and I am glad I did. Shadows Cast by Stars is rich in mythology, culture and legend. It has a different flavour of paranormal that has not been represented in the YA genre before (as far as I know) so I found it absolutely enriching and fascinating to read about the different Gods and supernatural creatures that populated the pages of the novel. Usually when you come across Native Indian mythology in YA novels, it is of the American flavor and I think this is the first time I've come across stuff that has a uniquely Canadian taste to it and I loved that. I also loved how detailed (but not overwhelmingly so) the description of every day life is. Also, the way the conflicts that play out between Paul and Cassandra is also intriguing. Cassandra's love for her brother is obvious in her concern for him and I found that relationship to be much more interesting than the romance. Which brings me to my second sticking point. There are tinges of insta-love in this. Tinges because it is not quite. In fact, I am not sure why Cassandra loves Bran or if she even loves him. There is an ambiguity to her feelings, a mystery to them so that even though she is with him, she goes through all the motions that say she loves him, it doesn't seem like she does. There was insta-love but none of the following dramatic love and melodrama that are so characteristic of insta-love. In fact, Cassandra is remarkably self-contained which made me like her more. There is a love triangle but of a different variety than the usual in that the third side of the triangle starts off as a hostile character who may or may not have reformed by the end of the novel.

The plot is a bit blurry and lacks the clarity and the sharpness that I would have liked. It has a lot of abstract action by which I mean that there is a lot of metaphysical stuff occurring which is okay for me but I fear that some readers may get lost in all of it. What I liked a whole lot was how the action is evenly distributed through the novel so there is no one chapter of action and 74 chapters of dithering. And the end of the novel is poignant and though there is no cliff hanger, Knutsson does create a logical bridge to the next novel which means that I will wait anxiously for the sequel because I have a soft spot for Paul. I kinda wish that the sequel would be from Paul's perspective but I am not sure I am willing to lose Cassandra's point of view.

Okay, this doesn't really have anything to do with reviewing but considering that I am a lit major, I couldn't help but notice how interestingly the women in the novel were portrayed. There's obviously Cassie but there are also three mother figures who are as different as can be. Bran's mom is certifiably insane, Madda is...well, what anyone would expect a mystical healer to be and there's Cassie's Mom who is...well, you'll have to read it to find out. Then there are the three girls - Cassie, Avalon and um another character who I really liked but whose name I don't remember at the moment. And three boys. Cedar, Paul and Bran. I wonder what it is with the number three and if it's a coincidence or if there is a deeper meaning to it. I'm probably just reading too much into it.

Anyway, in conclusion, I recommend this novel. Strongly recommend it because even with its faults, it contains a rich world where the line between folklore and reality is very thin. Where survival is more than staying alive and a world where monsters may just be the only allies you have. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Aug 23, 2011 Diana Stevan rated it it was amazing

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

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

May 09, 2014 black lamb rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi-and-fantasy, reviewed, mythology

Well, I liked it. I guess a lot of people thought the blurb was misleading? The synopsis makes it sound like more of a Hunger Games-y, Divergent-y, post-apoc-y dystopia kind of thing, when really this book is more of a magical fantasy. Frankly, I'm relieved. I'm sick of dystopias.

What I got out of this was much more interesting - a spiritual journey, a kind of coming-into-power or self-discovery fantasy about a young woman who gets to actually, you know, do stuff. She spends the majority of the Well, I liked it. I guess a lot of people thought the blurb was misleading? The synopsis makes it sound like more of a Hunger Games-y, Divergent-y, post-apoc-y dystopia kind of thing, when really this book is more of a magical fantasy. Frankly, I'm relieved. I'm sick of dystopias.

What I got out of this was much more interesting - a spiritual journey, a kind of coming-into-power or self-discovery fantasy about a young woman who gets to actually, you know, do stuff. She spends the majority of the book learning to be the apprentice to the local medicine woman, and then spends the rest of the book on a rescue mission, saving lives and journeying into the world of spirit to right some pretty grievous wrongs. There are some moments in this book that are genuinely frightening and horrifying; Knutsson does not gloss over the more gory parts of the spiritual stuff she's working with here. There's ambiguity and nuance, which is great. This book is obviously part one of a series; the ending was an obvious set-up for a sequel, and I hope one comes, because I'd be interested to read it.

You don't see a lot of books with Native protagonists, and what I liked about this is that it is very much a Native story, not just a story with some brown people tossed in for diversity's sake. The mythology and history of the people and the land are beautifully interwoven with the struggles of a young girl in a futuristic setting not too different from ours, and the book recalls mythology from other parts of the world in interesting and fresh ways. I don't think it's a spoiler to mention that the name Cassandra was very obviously deliberately chosen. You used to see that name picked a lot for YA protagonists for no other reason than because it sounded cool, but there's a point to it here.

The book is light on romance, though it definitely exists, especially in the first half — Cassandra falls for a boy and there's another boy who later develops feelings for her. But romance is never the focus of the story, instead it is, for the first three quarters or so, about the relationship between Cassandra and her new mentor, Madda, as well as the changing and dwindling relationship between Cassandra and her twin brother Paul.

The book is not perfect, which is why I gave it four instead of five. The plot kind of circles around itself in frustrating ways. Sometimes things kind of just happen arbitrarily because Knutsson needed them to happen, and then aren't explained, like when the Band 'goes to war' when the UA comes for them. Like, they leave, some very significant stuff happens to Paul and Cassandra, and then they come back and it never comes up again? I don't know.

Knutsson introduces the concept of a Plague and the fact that indigenous people are the only ones whose blood produces antibodies to combat it, antibodies that apparently this hyper-advanced society cannot reproduce artificially, and so they start harvesting the blood of indigenous people "for the good of all." This sounds like a major plot point, but ends up being stuff that's going on in the background, and is mostly just the impetus for the Native peoples in this book to isolate themselves from the rest of the world. And don't get me wrong, the whole "the government is literally harvesting the blood of Native people" thing is a pretty pointed metaphor, I would have liked to see more done to explore that, but maybe it's coming in book 2 or 3?

I wish Cassandra had a little more of a personality; she's kind of a cipher, and sometimes seems a little slow to pick up on what should be obvious, or unwilling to ask important questions at the right time. (Cassandra's moments of sass and spine, though, are pure gold.)

There were some really interesting minor characters in this, like Grace and Avalon, two white women with some pretty severe problems of their own. I like what Knutsson does with Avalon, I didn't really like it up until a certain point when she kind of subverts an obvious and overdone YA trope. I'm really interested in reading more about characters like Helen, who I hope has a bigger role and more character development if/when a sequel ever comes out. Madda is a really great character, I loved her, she toed the line of a trope that can get really tiresome but she always felt like a real person. I don't want to spoil too much but I hope she comes back.

Sorry this isn't a very fun review, it's hard to make reviews about books that didn't make me want to nuke the surface of the earth entertaining. Sometimes I just feel obligated to leave nice reviews for books that deserve more attention, like this one. (ALSO TO PROVE THAT I DON'T JUST PICK BOOKS TO READ BECAUSE I KNOW I'LL HATE THEM SHH. SHHHH.) ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

May 28, 2020 P.M. rated it liked it

Here we go with another pandemic book. I never realized i had so many lying around in my stash. It's about 200 years in the future and much of the world has been destroyed. The Plague has decimated the population but there is a cure - the blood of the Others. The Others turn out to be Native Americans. When danger looms, Cass, her twin brother Paul, and her father escape to the island to find safety from the searchers who want to harvest their blood. Both Cass and Paul have talent which allow th ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 02, 2016 CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian rated it it was ok

Shelves: canadian, fiction, science-fiction, young-adult, indigenous, reading-in-colour

Oh no, disappointing book!! I'm sad I spent all of yesterday reading this underwhelming and, in the end, boring book. It reminded me of my experience reading Throne of Glass, which is a similarly kind of terrible YA about a supposedly cool girl heroine that went on for far too long.

Okay a few things I liked:
- very cool concepts (a plague 200 years in the future, Indigenous people's blood has the antibodies to it)
- some nice writing about human truths, etc., for a debut YA novel
- the SF setting Oh no, disappointing book!! I'm sad I spent all of yesterday reading this underwhelming and, in the end, boring book. It reminded me of my experience reading Throne of Glass, which is a similarly kind of terrible YA about a supposedly cool girl heroine that went on for far too long.

Okay a few things I liked:
- very cool concepts (a plague 200 years in the future, Indigenous people's blood has the antibodies to it)
- some nice writing about human truths, etc., for a debut YA novel
- the SF setting on Vancouver island was cool for me to imagine, as someone who knows the place
- integration of some Pacific Northwest Indigenous mythology was super cool
- explicitly Metis main character, yay
- there seemed to be some kind of vague statement happening about patriarchy in tribal government structures, i.e., how it's bad and caused by colonization (but I'm making that inference, it's not really in the book)

Things I did not like:
- very underdeveloped world-building; like, great ideas as I said, not developed at all or integrated into the "plot." The central premise of the world (Indigenous folks have an antibody non-Indigenous folks want for this plague) is literally irrelevant to 90% percent of what happens in the book.
- I use the term "plot" lightly here because, frankly, this book doesn't really have one?? I spent like the entire book--all 456 pages of it--waiting for something to happen. That's not quite true, actually, things happen like two-thirds of the way in, and they make no sense. Like, there is no reason or motivation behind anything and there are just kind of hints towards things that are kind of fishy that are never resolved. There's actually a point late in the novel in which Cass thinks "nothing that has happened makes any sense" and I was like, yes! exactly. I realized by the end of the book that it is clearly the first book in what is going to be a series (oh no), but that's no excuse for having a very long book with no plot arc. It was like reading an entire novel of exposition and introspection, with a few random, inexplicable events thrown in.
- Characterization was as terrible as the plotting. Cass, the main character, has some cool skills with healing and being able to see people's totems/spirits, but that's the only interesting thing about her. She is totally bland and devoid of personality, as is mostly everyone else (her dad, her boyfriend), or else they have one personality trait that dominates (her brother). When the characters don't feel like real people, you don't care about what happens to them.
- Ugh, insta-love is a trope I'm not that into, especially between two boring characters with no discernible personalities.
- All of this boils down to terrible editing, which makes no sense since this is published by Simon & Schuster Teen and it's not like they don't have the money. Seriously, teens, especially Indigenous ones, deserve better. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 02, 2011 Tati rated it did not like it

Shelves: fantasy

This was a really weird book. I think that the author tried to do something different, but it was so confusing.

In a world where aboriginal people are immune to a disease that kills everyone else, their blood has become quite valuable, and periodic searches are made in order to try and capture those immune. When Cassandra's family is threatened by one of those searches, they decide to flee to the Island, a place protected by an energy barrier and a group of warriors. Once there, Cassandra sees he ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

May 17, 2011 ILoveBooks rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc

How far would you go to escape the dreaded Plague? Would you take the blood of an innocent? In this dystopic world, the only survivors or hopeful survivors are the ones who are immune or who have the ability to access that immunity. Aboriginal blood is found to offer hope against the Plague and is highly valued. Cassandra, the main character, might feel that she is safe against the Plague, but she has to worry about the government and people hunting her down to harvest her precious blood...not n ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Aug 17, 2012 Mia Searles (The Muses Circle) rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, young-adult-dystopian, coming-of-age

**GIVEAWAY** ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A HARDCOVER COPY OF SHADOWS CAST BY STARS by: Catherine Knutsson! Go to my review posted on my blog HERE to enter. Giveaway ends June 20, 2013. Open to US residents ONLY!

My Review: Shadows Cast By Stars is one of the most uniquely original novels I've had the pleasure of reading within the past year. I regret that it has taken me this long to review it, but things happen for a reason and I'm always happy to bring attention to a novel whether it has just bee ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Sep 26, 2010 Dark Faerie Tales rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed-by-emmy

Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: This novel crosses boundaries of science fiction and fantasy to weave together a world of racism, plagues and myths that test the heroine in ways she never imagined.

Opening Sentence: We live the Old Way.

The Review:

The UA’s greatest concern is the Plague. With everyone crammed into Population Corridors and quarantine sections numbered off, they harvest the Others for their blood. The Island is the last resort of Cassandra’s father, who’s clung ha ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

May 09, 2013 Rich in Color rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy, romance, dystopia-post-apocalyptic

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 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. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 11, 2012 nick (the infinite limits of love) rated it liked it

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
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. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 27, 2015 Levin Low rated it did not like it

Possibly quite the worst book I have ever read.

Let's look at why it is so.

Pros: The setting is wonderful. A beautiful island steeped in various cultures and myths.

Cons: Everything else. The main character, Cassandra feels fake. So little is devoted to her feelings. Where are her emotions? Like, oh, I just got electrocuted. I will carry on! And: dear me. My hearing has been sacrificed to the angry spirits. I cannot hear anything. Or express anything either. Her ability to see totems is also fair Possibly quite the worst book I have ever read.

Let's look at why it is so.

Pros: The setting is wonderful. A beautiful island steeped in various cultures and myths.

Cons: Everything else. The main character, Cassandra feels fake. So little is devoted to her feelings. Where are her emotions? Like, oh, I just got electrocuted. I will carry on! And: dear me. My hearing has been sacrificed to the angry spirits. I cannot hear anything. Or express anything either. Her ability to see totems is also fairly useless, and contributes nothing to the main plot. I would give almost anything to see her act like a normal human being.
The other characters fall flat. Painfully flat. They fall so hard I can almost hear the sound of their nose smashing into their brain. That might have been what happened to them, as they are strictly two-dimensional.
Cassandra's twin Paul is a boring enigma. No clue as to why he behaves in that manner. I believe he may have a split-personality disorder, or some other mental illness.
Madda, the medicine woman? Her role in this story is to play the mentor, the mother figure to Cassandra. Instead, she teaches her the very basics of Medicine-alogy and warns her of her rival for Bran's affections. Plus, she does not, in any way, seem to display any maternal feelings towards Cassandra. Gracie Eagleson was more mother to Cassandra than her.
Avalon. Avalon, Avalon, Avalon. Now she, at least has potential. Or at least she had it. Towards the end of the book it's almost nonexistent, like... Anakin Skywalker's immolated torso encased in clunky, limiting Darth Vader armor. Burnt, depending on life support, and with no limbs. Also, again with no emotions.
Bran Eagleson. How do I even begin to explain Bran Eagleson? Bran Eagleson is moody. Bran Eagleson is a terrible liar. Bran Eagleson is a woefully lacklustre guy who can't make up his mind. Come back, Paul. All is forgiven.
The adventure is...so unadventurous I almost wish the sisiutl would return and maul Cassandra. Row row, in a canoe, lalala. Cedar is touching my thigh, I have lost my hearing. Please.
As for the romance between Cassandra and Bran, what can I say? This is more like the romance in Fifty Shades of Grey. The sex is ragin', but the dialogue tries to be and fails epically.

I will not be reading, or even cracking this book open again. Only to extract those befuddling moments and poke fun at them.
...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 05, 2011 Rose Vanden Eynden rated it really liked it

This beautifully-written novel is hard to describe. The story moves at a slow, deliberate pace, much like the thoughtful and sacred world in which we find our protagonist, Cassandra, a young woman who can see into the spirit realms. Cass is Metis, of Native ancestry, which gains her access to a world that penetrates the dystopian society in which she lives. Her Native blood also keeps her immune from a Plague that has ravished society, and the majority of the people who are not immune soon drive ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Aug 10, 2012 Brianna Kilcrease rated it it was amazing

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

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 27, 2016 Chalyss rated it did not like it

I had been eyeing this book for quite some but the price was so high that I just didn't buy it. I finally gave in and am sorry to say it wasn't what I wanted or thought it was going to be.

The idea was so intriguing, a girl who connects to the spirits and the spirits trying to connect to everyone through her, it sounded great but the actual story line did not truly come in until about 75% of the way through the book. The actual plot didn't even fully come to fruition it was half of what the blurb ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jun 09, 2017 Crumbcat rated it it was ok

Shelves: 50-books-2017

SCbS could be described as sci fi or fantasy, but it really reads more like a traditional maturation novel. Cassandra spends most of this first book worrying about her friends and family, realizing and rebelling against power dynamics within her tribe, and growing into her own as a powerful and skilled healer. While the unique cultural elements make Shadows Cast by Stars an interesting and engaging read, there were some major problems, especially as the book progressed.

The balance between the in ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 17, 2014 WatermeLoonie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014

This was quite a reasonable in my opinion, just not my kind of story. Too much bark, not enough bite one might say. It lacked a... I don't know... Spark, I guess. It didn't have a lot of emotion written inside it, but then again, maybe the author designed it that way, thus bringing everything back to my first statement.
The cover I bought was a lot more prettier and simpler than the other one. I don't know, people say "don't judge a book by it's cover," but I tend to think the ones with simplisti ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Aug 06, 2011 jesse rated it it was ok

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

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 06, 2012 River Lange rated it it was ok

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

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Sep 09, 2013 s e n t i m e n t a l i t i e s olittlebear rated it it was amazing

Really impressed by the strong ending. There's so much going on in this book I was worried it would feel like only half of each story is getting told, or that it wouldn't feel like it was all part of the same thing, but it interwove itself beautifully. The book ends with far more to happen, but it doesn't leave you teetering on that cliff. I'm satisfied with how it ended, and that's rare enough. I am certainly awaiting the subsequent book though.

I can't sum this book up. Any description I were t ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Oct 31, 2012 LiN rated it it was amazing

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

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 11, 2011 Jaime rated it it was amazing

This review will be short and sweet. The reason? There is nothing I can say about Shadows Cast by Stars to explain just how amazing it really is. And believe me when I say, it is truly an amazing tale. I have never read anything like this before. When I first started it, I wasn't sure if I could stick with it, but it didn't take long for me to get pulled into this story. And once I was in, I couldn't get away. It is beautiful. Hauntingly beautiful.
Usually I am clamoring for stand-alone's, but ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 17, 2015 Hannah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya, fantasy, dystopia, canadian

This was billed to me as a "Native American retelling of King Arthur," and it wasn't. It was the standard YA dystopia set on a reservation...

Except it wasn't standard at all.

Instead of overthrowing the evil government with the power of a love triangle, MC trains to be a medicine woman/nurse and falls deeper into the spirit world. There was also an actual description of the setting rather than vague references to how the world is now run like a suburban high school.

I thoroughly enjoyed this an ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Aug 06, 2010 Cass - Words on Paper marked it as top-wishlist

Shelves: 2012-release, dystopian, my-name-twins, black-matters

Ooh! Now there are two 2012 debuts with protagonists who share the same name as me. ;P I couldn't tell this was dystopian, but I dig the fact that this mentions Aboriginal heritage, seeing as I live in Australia. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Shadows cast by stars, by Catherine Knutsson	2	18	Sep 02, 2014 04:52PM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Young Adult

122 users

Fantasy

112 users

Science Fiction > Dystopia

104 users

Science Fiction

38 users

Romance

35 users

Fantasy > Paranormal

33 users

Fiction

23 users

Fantasy > Mythology

21 users

Fantasy > Magic

18 users

Adventure

12 users

See top shelves…

About Catherine Knutsson

Catherine Knutsson

96 followers

I live on beautiful Vancouver Island, where I write, ride, run, and hike in the wilds. Oh, and I'm Métis, just like Cassandra, the main character in SHADOWS CAST BY STARS.
...more