TRISTA OF ALACAR

A superpowered teenage girl may be the person who’s prophesized to save the near-future world in Carr’s YA novel.

It’s 2036, and Trista and her older friend and mentor, Charlie, narrowly escape New York City subway tunnels flooded by a hurricane. The 14-year-old had dreamt about that catastrophic storm, but was too afraid to warn others, believing that they’d think she was “weird.” Precognition is just one of her developing abilities, which also include extraordinary running speed and the power to jump impressively high. She’s lived in the tunnels for years with Charlie, who saved her life when she was a baby; he feels that they’re in the safest place on climate-change-ravaged Earth. One day, Trista, who occasionally goes aboveground to forage or peruse library books, learns about Alacar, a “school for the gifted and psychic.” Enigmatic Professor Huckstable invites her there, where she meets teens with abilities like hers. This may also be the location of the mysterious Sky Gems and the Pedestal of Light, both tied to a prophecy of an “emerald-eyed girl” (Trista, perhaps?) stopping “darkness” from overtaking the world. Carr tells a tale with an appealing young protagonist who’s smart and compassionate and treats Charlie like an adored father. There are plenty of powers on display, including clairvoyance, telekinesis, and other abilities that Trista gains as the narrative progresses. Still, she doesn’t solely rely on such powers, as she pieces together details about the Gems and other topics with research and conveniently timed eavesdropping. In the same vein, many of her problems at Alacar are grounded in reality, including threats from bullies; worry over potential ridicule for having only one outfit; and teachers who may not be trustworthy. Although this novel is lengthy, the author maintains unwavering momentum in this well-rounded standalone story. It’s further enhanced by intermittent chapters that zero in on a 17th-century shaman whose vision quest involves a girl with “glowing green eyes.”

A diverting fantasy tale with a delightful hero.