Libyrinth

In this complex and rewarding novel set on a decaying, far-future colonial world that barely remembers Earth, Haly is an apprentice Libyrarian, dedicated to protecting the countless books housed in the enormous and decrepit maze known as the Libyrinth. Opposed to her order are the Eradicants, a powerful civilization that defines books as evil. When Haly—who has the ability to hear the contents of books, letters and other pieces of writing without reading them—learns that the Eradicants have discovered the location of the near-mythical tome, The Book of the Night , which “held the secrets of the Ancients, all of their machines and miracles,” she sets off to recover it and save her society. Among this novel's pleasures are the many anonymous quotations scattered throughout, snatches of prose that Haly hears as she goes about her chores, from such sources as Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl , Charlotte's Web and Fahrenheit 451 , all of which are carefully identified at the end. The complex moral issues posed by this thoughtful and exciting tale are just as fascinating. Ages 13–up. (July)