Hush

June 1, 2020

Gr 7-10-Farrow offers an intriguing female-driven dystopian fantasy for the same audience who loved the "Hunger Games" series. In Montane, where words and storytelling are literally magic, the Bards hold all the cards. They can "write" disasters and dreams, with the ability to condemn residences with a blight, or bless them with good fortune. Seventeen-year-old Shae has always been in awe of the Bards, but is also afraid of the Blot, which killed her younger brother. She has also lost her mother, and the murder weapon was a golden dagger, forever associated with the Bards. Determined to find answers, Shae travels to the castle known as the High House and, with her own gifts for the "Telling," trains as a Bard. What she discovers there, and what she does with that information, not only brings her peace but saves the land of Montane. The themes of quarantine and deadly disease in the context of current events are poignant; Farrow deftly demonstrates the power of language and education in the hands of the elite as a means for controlling others through propaganda. VERDICT Farrow presents a notable debut for the YA fantasy genre with vast potential for future titles.-Linsey Milillo, Lane P.L., Fairfield, OH

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

A stubborn small-town girl uncovers earth-shattering secrets as she tries to solve a murder. Following her brother Kieran's death from the Indigo Death, aka the Blot, an ink-borne plague, 17-year-old Shae and her Ma have lived as outcasts outside dusty, dying Aster. In Montane, only the black-robed, warrior Bards--tax-collectors, magic-users, executioners--from High House may read or write, and stories about or icons of the mythical kingdom of Gondal are forbidden. When a visit from three Bards ends in death, disaster, and a coverup, Shae abandons her only real friend, Fiona, and rejected suitor, Mads, to sneak into the Bards' stronghold and training academy. Predictability follows, as Shae proves magically powerful, one of the few females with the gift of Telling, and both pawn and pariah. Also unsurprisingly, Shae's small, personal quest threatens the whole system. Farrow's first foray into young adult literature has a message, but its foundations are underdeveloped: Lacking specificity and context, Montane is a generic Western pre-industrial setting; the shifts in genre and tone (from pastoral to police procedural to political revolution) are abrupt; the pacing is rushed; and the resolution awaits a sequel. Most characters are white; only a minor villain is explicitly identified as having dark skin. A standard fantasy with substandard development. (Fantasy. 12-18)

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August 1, 2020
Grades 8-12 In a culture and a time where the use of ink (for writing of any kind) can bring on a deadly plague, Shae's sudden, violent loss of her family results in a journey to seek help. She approaches the High Bards, supernaturally talented and trained individuals who police Montane, ridding villages of the Indigo Death and collecting tithes for High House and Lord Cathal. Once at High House, she discovers her own special talents and begins bard training, only to unearth dark truths about power and corruption in the process. Short action-driven chapters and Shae's first-person narration move this above-average fantasy romance detective story along at a good clip. There are a few moments of sentimental overtelling, but readers will breeze right through them to see what new danger their heroine will face next. Incorporating commentary on propaganda, censorship, and female empowerment, Farrow's debut reveals her activist roots. Try this with fans of Natalie Mae's The Kinder Poison (2020), or, for a disease-driven plot, try Margaret Owen's Merciful Crow series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

September 7, 2020
Activist Farrow illustrates truth’s revolutionary nature in this duology-opening fantasy debut. Due to an inkborne plague dubbed the Indigo Death, or Blot, reading and writing are prohibited in Montane for everyone but Bards—tithe-collecting magicians who manipulate reality using language. When freckle-skinned Shae, 17, develops strange symptoms, she seeks out a trio of traveling Bards and begs one to cure her; her brother succumbed to Blot five years prior, and Shae can’t bear to cause her mother more pain. He refuses, however, and the next day, Shae comes home to find a Bard’s dagger through her mother’s heart. The constable won’t investigate, so Shae heads for High House, the Bards’ castle, seeking answers. Upon arrival, she discovers that she isn’t sick—she’s a fledgling Bard manifesting magical abilities. Despite her suspicions, she agrees to remain at High House and train; where better to ferret out her mother’s killer than from within? Shae’s determination inspires, but her naivete strains credulity, particularly as the story progresses. Nebulous worldbuilding, particularly regarding Bards’ magic, and a shoehorned romance also disappoint, though the epilogue hints at action and intrigue to come. Ages 14–up. Agents: Emma Parry, Janklow & Nesbit, and Stephen Barbara, Inkwell Management, on behalf of Glasstown Entertainment.