Spooner,
Meagan. Skylark. (The Skylark Trilogy series) Carolroda Books see
Lerner 338p $17.95 978-0-7613-8865-4 2012 hs VG
Fantasy
Before one even opens the book, it is
evident that Skylark, with its appealing violet and indigo cover and
compound-word
title, is marketed to appeal to female readers in their teens and to suggest a
dark fantasy setting. Readers looking for any of those things will not be
disappointed by Skylark. The protagonist, Lark Ainsley, grew up
wondering if she was somehow sub-par because she is the only one of her age-mates who has not had her
Resource harvested for the good of the semi-industrial, semi-magical city. Until this ritual is performed, she is stuck between childhood and adulthood.
When Lark is finally
chosen for harvesting, it turns out that she is no ordinary girl, but something rather
extraordinary that the city will exploit for her seemingly endless supply of
the Resource until she is little more than a husk. Her only option is to flee the supposed safety of the city and take
her chances in the poisonous post-war wasteland beyond the walls, where few can
survive for more than a day or two. Once
again,
Lark proves to be extraordinary as she manages to survive in the wilderness with the
help of some intriguing and unlikely companions. Meanwhile she is driven to seek an answer to the question of why
she is the way she is and what happened to her brother, who vanished into the
wilderness years earlier. The bestial Shadow People represent a particularly
dangerous mystery that Lark uncovers, and she may be the only person capable of solving it. Magic, betrayal, and
the very nature of humanity are key components of this novel, which forces its
protagonist to learn about sacrifice and responsibility in the hardest way
possible. Some of the rules for
technology and magic in Skylark’s universe lack definition, which makes it
difficult to classify this novel as steampunk or fantasy, and the pacing is
sometimes rushed, but teen readers will find Lark a relatable character and her
story a compelling read that will leave them grumbling about the length of time until the
sequel is released.
Survival–Fiction, Magic–Fiction --Bethany Geleskie
