Saturday, November 12, 2022

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard - ADVISABLE

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard, 304 pages. Tor Teen, 2022. $17 

Language: PG-13 (16 swears, ‘0 f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (Underage drinking, mentions marijuana); Violence: PG-13 (Dead, ripped apart bodies, beheading) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Luminaries are hunters of nightmares. Winnie, 16yo, is about to start the trials that lead to becoming a hunter. After her father was exposed as a spy, their family lost everything, including him. She is excited to become a hunter and draws every creature she sees with her wonderful artistic skills. When she accidentally witnesses a banshee killing then carries the head to the hunters, she's celebrated for her first hunt. Winnie asks Jay to train her because she feels extremely behind since she hasn’t had access to teaching or coaching for the last four years; Jay agrees, but Winnie has difficulty reading him because he's aloof, strong and oblivious to the attention and flirting of Winnie's peers. As Winnie builds her skills, she discovers a coded message from her father and the book ends with the shocking deciphered note he left for her.

My favorite quote comes from Grandpa Frank: “That’s why we’re called the Luminaries, Winnie, we are lanterns the forest can never snuff out”. I enjoyed the mystery of the Whisperer and the discovery of another mystery that leads into a sequel. I also enjoyed the writing and that Winnie is an artist. I like the character Jay and the mystery surrounding his life. The characters seem to be of a variety of races, but none particularly stood out or played a part in the action. One of the minor characters is LGBT. 

LynnDell Watson, Delta High School Librarian

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