Shadows Cast By Stars - Book Review

Shadows Cast By Stars
by Catherine Knutsson

What is it about:
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 Mercredi might be immune to Plague, but that doesn't mean she's safe— government forces are searching for those of aboriginal heritage to harvest their blood. When a search threatens Cassandra and her family, they flee to the Island: a mysterious and idyllic territory protected by the Band, a group of guerrilla warriors— and by an enigmatic energy barrier that keeps outsiders out and the spirit world in. And though the village healer has taken her under her wing, and the tribal leader's son into his heart, the creatures of the spirit world are angry, and they have chosen Cassandra to be their voice and instrument...

What did I think of it:
I totally fell for the cover of this book. And when I read it was a Dystopian story, I had to have it.

Yeah...

Apart from a few minor things, this book could just as easily have been set in the past or in the now. So there was disappointment number one.

And there was the story it self...

Not that it's bad. It's just... Stagnant.

There are things happening of course, but those things don't lead to change. Cassandra doesn't change, her brother doesn't really change, everything stays the same no matter what happens.

Even the character that I found the most interesting, because he did seem to develop, finally ends up back where he started...

So when I finished this book I was left feeling underwhelmed. I wanted to like this story. It's well written, and the setting is interesting, even though it's not really Dystopian, but the stagnancy of it all made this a disappointing read. A shame, because the set up certainly had potential.

Why should you read it:
It's a well written (Dystopian) YA read.