Winterkill

Gr 8 Up—Emmaline lives with her father in a walled settlement that is locked at night to protect people from a mysterious evil that wiped out many of their ancestors, and may still be lurking in the nearby woods. Survival is difficult in a village that lacks modern conveniences and a land that suffers brutal winters. The Councilmen in charge of this repressed society are dominating and quick to punish any sign of Waywardness. Emmaline bears the guilt of her Wayward grandmother, who was exiled years ago. When she turns 16, one of the leaders asks to marry her, offering an opportunity to salvage the family's reputation. But not only is Emmaline attracted to another man, she also cannot help but be Wayward herself. She dreams of the Lost People who once lived there, and often escapes into the forbidden woods where she uncovers a dangerous secret. Emmaline's narrative reinforces her mistrust of the Councilmen, her feelings of unworthiness, and the superstitious nature of her people. Boorman sustains an atmosphere of oppression, and her characters are well drawn, but one can't help but feel that this plot has been done before. Purchase where books about Puritanical dystopian societies are in demand.—Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT