Review: For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

For Darkness Shows the Stars
Author: Diana Peterfreund
Release Date: June 12, 2012
Published by: Balzer + Bray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While Peterfreund’s story has touches of Austen’s Persuasion, which was the statement that first attracted me to this novel, I have to say For Darkness Shows the Stars is a uniquely imaginative story all on its own.

Setting: It takes place in a dystopian world that has, in many ways, gone back in time when it comes to technology due to the Reduction which led to the rise of a caste system. The Luddites are the nobility of this world; they basically own Reduced humans and their newer-generation offspring, the Posts (post-reductionists). The story takes place on the North estate which is struggling financially due to irresponsible ownership.

Characters: Elliot is the only North who seems to care about keeping up the estate, but the cruelty of her father, his desire to have his own way and his refusal to acknowledge that times are changing create friction and conflict within Elliot’s world.

Kai is the Post-Reductionist boy Elliot loves. They were extremely close throughout her childhood and her early teenage years, but when he decides to escape the estate and his life of servitude and strike out on his own, Elliot chooses not to go with him, creating a rift between them.

Plot: The story begins four years after Kai leaves the estate. Elliot rents land to the Cloud Fleet to bring in money, but when they arrive Malakai Wentforth (clever last name!) is with them. It is really Kai, whose anger and feelings of betrayal have left him bitter towards Elliot and the North estate.

The twist: The Posts of the Cloud Fleet have some big secrets. Times are changing and the Luddite way isn’t the only way to live anymore. Elliot must make some hard decisions in order to secure a future for herself and her love and her family estate.

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