The Mark (review)

Since she was little, Cassie Renfield has always attributed the hazy glow that she sometimes sees emanating from people to a mere trick of the light, or, in the worst-case scenario, a trick of her mind. That changes once she realizes that the radiance is often followed by the person's death; when her beloved grandmother and sole guardian succumbs to a stroke after awaking awash in the glow, Cassie's suspicion that she can see the mark of death is confirmed. Months short of turning seventeen and gaining legal emancipation, Cassie is forced to move to Kansas to live with her only remaining relative, where she struggles to deal with her grief and her feelings of failure for not saving her grandmother from her foreseen fate. The premise is an intriguing one, and Nadol poses powerful questions regarding fate and personal responsibility with Cassie's dilemma. Unfortunately, the development of such profound explorations is forced into the plot, especially after Cassie enrolls in a college philosophy course and conveniently begins dating the teacher's assistant, making for some excruciatingly repetitive conversations involving Aristotle, Sartre, and vague generalizations. There is a far more moving story here, however, underneath the mostly expository dialogue, and that's the one of Cassie's transformation from girl to young woman as she sorts out her relationship with an older man, her identity in a new place, and her grief for, and then anger at, her grandmother. Though the ultimate revelation of the mythological origins of her gifts feels contrived, the choice about what to do with her ability remains hers. Despite its lack of subtlety, the story certainly presents some great topics for a book club, and it might act as an effective springboard toward more philosophical discussions.