Arclight

Gr 8 Up—In this dystopian thriller, the Arclight is the only safe place. Outside the perimeter of light there is nothing but darkness and the alienlike creatures that reside there. The Fade, a parasitic race that has almost completely taken over mankind, make any humans they come in contact with part of their own species. Those within the security of the Arc fight to keep the Fade at bay, because, except for Marina, no one has been known to survive an encounter with one of these dark and terrifying creatures. Marina is unable to remember anything about her past after being rescued by a team sent from within the Arc, and she is disliked by almost everyone because of the nine lives sacrificed during the mission. As she struggles to find out who she is and where she fits in, Tobin, whose father was one of the nine, reaches out to her despite his own feelings of loss, and together, they discover secrets about the Arc that have been buried for years. While told in the present tense, flashbacks from Marina's past help fill in missing pieces as the story progresses. Marina's previous life is somewhat slow to unfold, but readers will most likely enjoy the suspense and mystery of this futuristic tale.—Erienne Jones, Guilford County Schools, Greensboro, NC