One hundred and fifty years ago, a child learned to sip its own shadow, which resulted in an ecstatic high better than any other drug. The addiction quickly spread, as crowds of young people gathered to take others' shadows, from both the old and young. Eventually, towns, cities, and governments fell apart, and those who wished to survive went to live in domed metropolises protected from natural light and natural shadows. Others, both sippers and survivors, lived outside, foraging for what they could in a hard, wild world. Mira lives in rural Texas, chasing mouthfuls of shadows for her addict mother. Her friend Murk is also addicted, slowly drinking his shadow away. Ex-domer Bale joins them on their quest to find a possible cure for shadow sickness, the rumors of which have been passed down in myth and song. But the trio must complete their mission before Halley's Comet returns—in less than seven days.
VERDICT Fans of postapocalyptic fiction will find it difficult to put down Carr's haunting debut, which richly details its world's harsh history while leaving readers enough hope for the future. The title also has excellent YA crossover potential.
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