These Rebel Waves

Gr 9 Up—On Grace Loray, an island rich with botanical magic, the lives of three teens intersect in ways that will change them forever. Benat is the crown prince of Argrid, a zealously religious kingdom that vehemently declares all magic evil. Devereux is a raider who sells the island's magical plants on the black market. Seventeen-year-old Adeluna is a former child soldier of the Grace Loray revolution against the Argridian oppressors. The war against Argrid is over, but when an Argridian official is kidnapped, old hostilities are ignited. Desperate to prevent war, Adeluna enlists the help of Devereux to clear the raiders of wrongdoing. Meanwhile, Benat is drawn to magic and questions whether or not it is evil. Raasch has created an intricate world of magical flora as well as a complex political structure. Unfortunately, the protagonists who populate this world fall short. Despite fully fleshed-out histories and characterization, the characters come across as automatons in their dialogue and actions. Adeluna is a take-no-prisoners heroine who also happens to be a brilliant magical botanist. Benat is gay and in a clandestine relationship, but is hiding it because he's with someone of a lower class (same-sex relationships are completely accepted). These factors almost make up for the stilted characterizations. This, along with the well-crafted nuances of the setting, will enthrall many readers until the book's dramatic cliff-hanger ending.