Ms. Hen reviews Hunting by Stars

 

Hunting by Stars

Cherie Dimaline

Amulet Books

2021

Ms. Hen decided to read this, because she read the first book, THE MARROW THIEVES, and she loved it. This is the type of book she adores: YA Dystopian fiction, but this is about Native Americans, so this has a unique twist.

The novel enters with Frenchie captured in a school, where the Recruiters take Natives to extract the marrow from their bones in order to steal their dreams, because dreams don't exist anymore for non-Natives. Frenchie meets his long lost brother Mitch, and Mitch tries to convince Frenchie to join their ranks kidnapping Native people, and ruining their lives. Frenchie does not want to do this, but he thinks it might be his only way out of the school, and back to his family.

Rose, Frenchie's girlfriend, and Derrick, a guy from the camp where they were staying, go after Frenchie, but become involved in a house full of vampires. Frenchie's adopted family, the people with whom he traveled in the woods, attempt to save Frenchie. 

Ms. Hen thinks this is a beautiful book. The writing is exquisite, and the tension is just enough. She thinks this book is better than the first one, because more happens, and more is at stake. Strong women characters fill these pages, and Ms. Hen admires them.

Ms. Hen understands that the author decided to write this sequel because she received so much feedback from fans of the book, that they wanted more from these characters and this world. Not a lot of YA books about Native Americans exist, and the readers of this book were so enthralled that they begged for more.

Ms. Hen understands why. This is an important novel, and it needs to be talked about. The world could be headed to where this novel exists, and that is a terrifying thing.