March 1, 2022
Grades 5-8 Twelve-year-old Octavia wakes up every morning to the ringing of the town's bells, which signal to the people of Vittoria that it is safe to venture outside its walls and they're safe from the monsters lurking in the forest. The bells ring again at twilight, calling them to return before the gates close for the evening. Vittoria and its people are the sole survivors of a war fought 50 years ago, as are the monsters--or so Octavia believes, until she is caught outside the walls one night. When she is saved by a strange girl from far beyond Vittoria, Octavia begins to question everything she knows about the outside world. Wallace's latest middle-grade book (after City of Islands, 2018) takes readers on a fantastical adventure through a world of magic and monsters. It also explores the consequences of a community that locks out the larger world due to fear and suspicion. A strong pick for fans of another hard-to-put-down fantasy about discovering truth, Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon (2016).
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May 2, 2022
The gates of Vittoria, purportedly the last town in the world following the conclusion of a deadly war 50 years prior, must never be opened after dark. The walls keep out predatory Ferox, animal-like weapons made of “all manner of materials, held together and animated by magic.” The only people allowed beyond the gates after dark are Hunters, who protect Vittoria from Ferox. When cued-white 12-year-old Octavia, who longs to be a Hunter like her retired mother and late sister, sneaks out to train, she meets brown-skinned, black-haired Sima. She claims to hail from the seaside town of Iberne, a place that shouldn’t exist, and Octavia learns, contrary to what she’s been taught, that the world beyond the gates has flourished. After sneaking Sima into Vittoria, she’s immediately under suspicion for being an outsider and taken prisoner. Octavia helps Sima escape and, determined to see the world for herself, embarks on a treacherous journey beyond the walls. Though the climax fumbles, Wallace’s (City of Islands) fast-paced narrative is intense. Richly detailed magical lore, gripping action, and frightening fantastical creatures are grounded by well-rounded characters and the girls’ blossoming friendship. Ages 10–up. Agent: Adriann Ranta Zurhellen, Folio Literary.
Starred review from February 1, 2022
A girl takes on the power structures of her world after discovering what's been hidden. Twelve-year-old Octavia, who is coded as White, lives in Vittoria, the sole town to survive a magical war that decimated the rest of the world 50 years ago. Vittoria is bustling and happy, with bakeries and markets, even if nothing has come from outside their borders since the war. Surrounded by forests filled with magical creatures that are designed to kill, Vittoria has strict rules for its residents: No one stays out past nightfall, and if they do, the gates will not be opened until the next morning. Octavia longs to be a Hunter like her late, beloved sister, and she sneaks out to practice--but when she is caught out after the gates close, she discovers brown-skinned Sima, a strange girl her own age, and learns that the world is more complicated--and less empty--than she thought. What follows is a journey of world- and self-discovery. Reminiscent in feel to Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon, this lovely fantasy introduces a complicated, brave, and believable heroine navigating grief, friendship, and the possible first stirrings of a (same-sex) crush while asking hard questions about power and community. This quiet fantasy gem renews and refreshes an old chestnut of a premise. An absolute delight. (map) (Fantasy. 10-14)
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