For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
402 Pages (Hardcover)
Balzer + Bray
June 12, 2012
ISBN:0
062006142

It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

    I am a bit of a history nerd, so when I read the synopsis of this book and saw "Luddite" I was immediately enthralled. Historically, the Luddites were a group of workers during the English Industrial Revolution who would break into factories and destroy the machinery. They believed that the new technology would threaten their jobs, so they resisted it. The Luddites in this novel do not have the exact same motives, but they stem from the same ideals.

    Luddites are at the top of the social hierarchy. Years ago when people started genetically modifying everything - including themselves- the Luddites resisted. Eventually the modifications took a toll and the new generations became Reduced, riddled with deformities. The Luddites were the only ones who were not effected by this sort of apocalypse, so they rose above. They run farms, directing the reduced like slaves, hoping to create enough food to last. Recently the Reduced's children have been born "COR"s (Children of the Reduced), or Posts as they like to be called, with none of the apparent reduced symptoms. Does this mean the world is starting over again?

    Elliot North has always been involved in the running of her family's estate. After her mother dies prematurely, it was up to Elliot to keep everything running, although officially it should not be her job (as the second daughter, the estate is not even in her inheritance). Elliot grew up side by side with a Post child, Kai, who she grew to love. When Kai left unexpectedly, she was heart broken and kept waiting for him to reach out to her. Years later he returns, not as the boy she once loved, but rather Captain Malakai Wentforth, and he is determined to show Elliot just how little he thinks of her. The more time Elliot spends around Malakai and the other Post members of the Cloud Fleet the more Elliot questions her own Luddite upbringing and the future of the world. How many secrets can she learn until her whole world is shattered? Just how far is she willing to go to protect the ones underneath her? Even if it means loosing everything she has ever known?

    I really enjoyed this one! In-between the chapters there would be letters written by Elliot and Kai as they grew up. It was a really interesting tool to let the reader learn about the world and to see how the two minds progressed. Elliot mentions how Kai was when she was little, but it is another thing entirely to actually read it for yourself. I also just love reading letters in general, so it was really great to see so many used in a way that really benefited the story.

    Another thing that I loved is that the relationship between Elliot and Kai is not a sweeping romance. In fact, Kai - excuse me - Malaki is a real jerk to her. The romance lays in what they used to have together, not their current situation. This adds so much romantic tension I cannot even accurately describe it in words. Their relationship pissed me off, but then it would turn around make me extremely sad. I understood where both of them were coming from. I really liked how this relationship wasn't one where you could easily predict where it was going, it kept me guessing right up until the end.

    Although Elliot spends a good portion of her time pining after the boy she lost, she is a strong character that I really enjoyed learning more about. She was born and raised Luddite, but she is constantly at odds with what she has grown up to believe. Is genetically modifying one strand of wheat really so terrible if it means that everyone on her farm will last past winter? Should the Reduced really spend most of their pregnancies cooped up in a birthing center that many of them do not live to walk out of? Aren't Posts the same as Luddites now? Does the existence of Posts mean God has forgiven the Reduced and the apocalypse is over? Elliot cannot accept what someone has told her just because they know the world to be a certain way. She has to see and learn things for herself, which I really appreciated.

    Overall, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a great read. It is a touching and intriguing story of coming of age in a post-apoctalyptic world.

A Moment with Marcia Mickelson

   Please welcome Marcia Mickelson, another 2013 SARC author whom I had the pleasure of interviewing. I hope you enjoy!

---

1.) You'll be asked to describe your book a thousand times... So instead I am asking, fans of which TV show (currently playing or off-air) will enjoy your novel, The Huaca?

That’s a tough one, but maybe Roswell, Charmed, Medium, or Veronica Mars.

2.) What is currently on your nightstand?

The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith is on my nightstand. I’m always looking for a good love story.

3.) What is your writing process like? Are you a "plotter" or a "pantser"?

I am not a plotter. I tried outlining once, and after I was done, I didn’t feel like writing the book anymore. I felt like I had experienced the book while outlining it, so the magic of developing the story was gone. I don’t outline anymore. What I do, is plot out the bones of the story in my head. I write down a short list of major plot points. Then, I start writing. I don’t write from start to end. I pick which scenes I really feel like writing and then I just jum
p around until it’s done.

4.) What could be (or is) the theme song for The Huaca?

My theme song would be “Gone Too Soon” by Daughtry. In The Huaca, Ellie Cummings is suffering after the murder of her mother. Everything reminds Ellie of her mother, and the need to find out who killed her overwhelms Ellie.

5.) If you had an unlimited budget, what would be your dream swag for this novel?

My dream swag would be beautiful, hand-crafted wooden boxes like the huaca (wa’ka) depicted on the cover of my book. I would love to have one myself. Of course, they wouldn’t contain the powers of the huaca in the book!

---

About the Book

May 14, 2013
Cedar Fort, Inc.
ISBN: 1462111904

Seventeen-year-old Ellie Cummings just wants to be a regular teenager, but after her mother’s mysterious murder, she isn’t sure if she’ll ever be normal again. Her mother’s death has left Ellie and her father worlds apart. And when her best friend abandons her, Ellie has no one else to turn to—except for the strange boy who says he can help.

Gabe de la Cruz seems to know way too much about everything, and her instincts tell Ellie to stay far away. But when he claims that he can communicate with the dead through an ancient Incan artifact, Ellie can’t resist the temptation of seeing her mother again. In the hanan pacha—the Incan afterworld—Ellie’s mother sends a message to help Ellie understand what happened the night of the murder—a message that may be better kept a secret . . .

Is Izzy Insane?

    I'm back! No, really, I am! My postings have been scattered at best for the past couple of months, and the past three weeks have just been pitiful. But starting today I am back in action like I used to be! I will have another post on that later, but for now, please welcome debut author, Mindy Raf. To kick off my comeback I have a fun interview with Izzy, the main character in The Symptoms of My Insanity . For those of you participating in the 2013 SARC, this book counts towards your goal!

---

1. ) Hi Izzy! Everyone hates this question, myself included, but I'm going to start off with this in an attempt to make this as awkward as possible... What would you say are your three best qualities or attributes?

Ugh, I hate this question too. Thanks for making it first though to get it out of the way. Okay, let’s see. ..

1) I’m honest. (I’m not a great liar, so maybe I’m honest by default)
2) I’m dependable. (These are so boring, but um . . .oh well)
3) I’m not fake. Or in other words, I’m genuine. (I won’t have one personality with someone and then be a totally different person with another)


2.) It is no secret to people around you that you tend to self diagnose. Perhaps you've been privy to the term "hypochondriac". Was this brought on because of your mother's illness? Or have you always had this issue?

Yes, I know the term “hypochondriac.” I don’t think that’s me at all. I just think it’s really important to know about health related stuff. I wouldn’t say I have an issue or that it’s related to my mom at all. I do research because of her, but that’s just being prepared. It’s important to be prepared.

3.) Art is your oasis. Do you have a favorite artist whom you draw inspiration from?

Right now I’m really into Juliana Roriago. She does performance art mostly. I’m fascinated by how she can manipulate our perceptions of what the human body can withstand.

4.) Let's talk boys... What comes to mind when you hear Marcus? Blake? Nate?

Marcus: smart, Jenna’s brother, super nice. I don’t really hang out with Marcus a lot, but he’s always fun to be around.

Blake: gorgeous, the nicest to me out of all those guys, pretty smart too. He’s in a lot of advanced classes.

Nate: Jenna had a crush on him last year so I tried to support, but I never thought he was that much fun to be around or that interesting.

6.) You and your best friend like to make fun of Mrs. Kern's cheesy sweatshirts. If you were to design a sweatshirt for Mrs. Kern, what would it look like/say?

Oh wow. That’s a great question! My best friend Jenna is so much better at things like this so I’m letting her answer:

“Thanks Izzy! Best. Question. Ever! Okay, so I would design a sweatshirt that said, “Cameltoe” and it would be a picture of a camel’s toe hanging up at holiday party like a mistletoe. Maybe with like a red ribbon around it. Hahahaha. I would wear this for sure.”

Just for the record, I would not wear that sweatshirt.

7.) What is one goal that you have for the future?

I would love to get selected for this art scholarship to go to Italy this summer. First I have to finish my art portfolio. So one goal I have for the very near future is to finish my art portfolio.

---

About the book

April 18, 2013

Dial Books for Young Readers

ISBN: 0803732414

A laugh-out-loud, bittersweet deb
ut full of wit, wisdom, heart, and a hilarious, unforgettable heroine.

When you’re a hypochondriac, there are a million different things that could be wrong with you, but for Izzy, focusing on what could be wrong might be keeping her from dealing with what’s really wrong.

I almost raised my hand, but what would I say? “Mr. Bayer, may I please be excused? I’m not totally positive, but I think I might have cancer.” No way. Then everyone at school would know, and they would treat me differently, and I would be known as “Izzy, that poor girl who diagnosed herself with breast cancer during biology.”

But Izzy’s sense of humor can only get her so far when suddenly her best friend appears to have undergone a personality transplant, her mother’s health takes a turn for the worse, and her beautiful maybe-boyfriend is going all hot and cold. Izzy thinks she’s preparing for the worst-case scenario, but when the worst-case scenario actually hits, it’s a different story altogether—and there’s no tidy list of symptoms to help her through the insanity.