A Wilderness of Stars

Gr 7 Up–Vega, 17, lives in the valley under the protection of her mother; however, one day she sees a sign in the sky and is compelled to venture out of the valley to help save mankind. An illness is spreading and people are dying. After her mother dies, she and her father leave the protection of the valley. Her father carries medicine while Vega carries the secret that she is the Last Astronomer and must find The Architect to save the world from demise as Earth is no longer safe. Ernshaw wastes no time drawing readers into the story and creating tension as the plot thickens. With an ominous tone throughout as the characters meet outlaws, scavengers, and theorists, the story moves at breakneck speed. Readers will not leave this one on the shelves. The author has created an original idea allowing readers to think about astronomy and how it relates to the Earth in an easy-to-read novel with intriguing characters. This appears to be the first book of what has the potential to be a popular series. Characters are fair-skinned and described as freckled with dark hair. Others are not described but envisioned with weathered and rugged features.