In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Reviewed by:
  • The Astrologer’s Daughter by Rebecca Lim
  • Kate Quealy-Gainer
Lim, Rebecca The Astrologer’s Daughter. Text Publishing, 2015 321p
Paper ed. ISBN 978-1-922182-00-5 $11.95 R Gr. 9-12

Avicenna’s mother, Joanne, has always talked about her “eventuality,” the twist of fate that would inevitably lead to her absence from Avicenna’s life. Nonetheless, when Joanne, a popular astrologer among the disenfranchised in Melbourne, Australia, goes missing, Avicenna—the titular astrologer’s daughter—is stunned. The police try to help, but only Avi can interpret Joanne’s most recent star charts, and she must reluctantly use the gift she inherited from her mother to determine a set of possible suspects. Joined by Simon Thorn, the supposed golden boy at school and a surprising ally in Avicenna’s search, Avicenna is thrown headlong into the mystery of a decades-old brutal murder. This is a taut, expertly crafted thriller, but it is also a devastating examination of grief, both the initial, acute pain of loss and the well-worn paths of years of sorrow. Avicenna’s narration is lacerating in its despair, conveying a girl who is shocked not only by the loss of her mother but also by the terrible rawness of her own emotions. Her pairing with Simon, who is the major player in his own unique tragedy, isn’t romantic so much as it is necessary for both of them to simply get through the day. The emotion does not dampen the tension; though an added layer of horrific criminal activity threatens to overshadow the central plot, the mystery of Joanne’s disappearance and the unsolved murder compels readers forward. This is a haunting read that will likely leave readers searching the stars for their own fates.

...

pdf

Share