Tarnished are the Stars by Rosiee Thor - ESSENTIAL

Tarnished are the Stars by Rosiee Thor, 384 pages. Scholastic Press, OCT 2019.  $19.

Language: PG (11 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG (minor fighting)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE, HS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Anna has been risking her life and all of those in her hidden village for the last three years by sneaking into the market at the Settlement of Earth Adjacent to offer hope to those who need the forbidden, life-saving Tech that Anna could supply. This time however, something goes wrong and she unwittingly gives a clue to Nathaniel, the son of the Commissioner, who made the anti-Tech rules in the first place.  Nathaniel is desperate to prove himself to his authoritarian father and bringing him the Technician, the Settlement’s biggest outlaw.  Eliza, an Orbital living in space high above Earth Adjacent is one of the Queen’s Eyes and her biggest challenge of all is coming. Now she must head to Earth Adjacent to take up her public role as Nathaniel’s fiancée and her secret role to find evidence of the Commissioner’s betrayal. Earth Adjacent was supposed to ready for the Orbitals to finally come down from space to finish their flight from Earth, but the Commissioner keeps delaying the final descent.  While the three may at first think that they are each other’s enemy, it is only together that they will be able to untangle the lies, thwart the danger, and forge new futures for everyone.

So many great layers of misunderstandings, betrayals and action. While not everything makes total sense (I’m not going to go into details), it will still attract an audience. And I think this is one of those rare books in current YA fantasy – a stand alone!  At least that’s how it reads – a complete whole, with no mention of or reference to circumstances involving a sequel!  Love that!  The mature content is the mention of LGBT attraction and discussion of aromantic or asexual feelings – all very tastefully done.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS