Olivia Cunning Vk

[Janne Desir]

Reviewedby: A Conspiracy of Stars by Olivia A. Cole Melanie Kirkwood Cole, Olivia A. A Conspiracy of Stars. Tegen/HarperCollins,

2018 [432p]

Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-06-264421-3 $17.99

E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-06-264423-7 $8.99

Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 8-12 Three generations after escapees from Earth landed on the fiercely hot planet of Faloiv, sixteen-year-old Octavia Afua English is destined to follow in the footsteps of her parents as a whitecoat scientist of the Mammalian Compound there. Octavia is smart and cunning, focused and at the top of her class of greencoats, until she begins to realize that her brain has the capacity to commune with animals and the Faloiv natives, all warning her of impending war and doom. Octavia, alongside her linguistically inclined friend Alma and her love interest Rondo, tries to make sense of her telepathy, uncovering in the process a mysterious corruption in their society that only Octavia can resolve. Heart rates of readers will rise as Cole methodically weaves answers into the story, all the while throwing more questions into the mix as the unfolding history of Earth (known as the "Origin Planet") complicates the characters' understanding. At the root of everything is the breaking of the humans' agreement with the Faloii to respect and preserve all life forms. With the help of her friends and a secret connection with her mother, Octavia sets out to save the [End Page 197] planet of Faloiv from war and destruction, but is she willing to pay the high cost of intergalactic peace? MK

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