Rutkoski, Marie. The Shadow Society.

Rutkoski, Marie.  The Shadow Society.     Macmillan/Farrar Strauss      2012  408p  $17.99      978-0-3740349-059       hs      Science Fiction   VG-BN

Yet another paranormal tale of love and trust, this YA novel is notches above a lot of what is out there.  Darcy has no memory of her past and has been bounced around the foster-care system and finally found a home with Marsha in Chicago, when she meets Conn.  He enjoys art and takes several classes with Darcy.  But, as time goes on, Darcy learns who and what Conn really is, and in turn learns who she is and from where she came.  She finds out about the alternate world that she was born in, and why and how she came to be in “our” Chicago. In this suspenseful and gripping tale, Conn teaches Darcy about “Shades” and how she could be the means for resolving the divide between humans and shades in this alternate world.  The rift between humans and shades provides a literary means for the author to explore issues of race relations, as well as trust and love, and she does so in an engaging manner with a well-drawn plot. Pulling together the romance between Darcy and Conn, as well as the sci-fi component of an alternate universe, the author has created a compelling read.        

Parallel universe – Fiction                                       --Lynn Fisher