Trickster's Girl (Raven Duet)
Gr 6-10–In this story set 100 years in the future, Kelsa, 15, is still reeling from the death of her father when she is approached by a strange, shape-shifting creature. He claims that he is Raven, the trickster from Native American mythology, and he needs her help to save the world. A biological plague is slowly killing all the trees on Earth, and they are unable to fight it because the leys, “underground currents of natural and magical energy running through the surface of the world,” are damaged. Due to humans' misuse of the planet, the nexus points along the leys have become sluggish and, as a result, their very existence is threatened. Since humans created the problem, they have to fix it, which is why Raven approached Kelsa. Reluctantly, she agrees to help, but not all of the mythological world wants them to succeed. Many think the situation would be improved if humans no longer existed, and several forces try to stop Kelsa and Raven on their quest. In this plot (with its Avatar undercurrents), there are times when the magic performed by Raven seems to be a useful tool to progress the plot and not entirely believable within the context of the novel. However Bell adeptly explores the relationship between Kelsa and Raven. At first stormy and volatile, it slowly develops into a friendship based on trust. A satisfying conclusion is reached when what began as a journey to heal the Earth ends as a healing journey for Kelsa and her family.–Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn, NY. (c) Copyright 2010.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.