The Consequence Girl - Alastair Chisholm

 

Thirteen year old Cora lives in the middle of nowhere with Seleen, who has been her carer since the death of her parents.  Their cabin is on a mountain, kilometres away from anyone else and from the cities of Recon, Sheen and Base which, together make up the world of Colony.  They survive alone with Seleen only venturing to Recon every few months to get supplies.  It is whilst Seleen is away during one of these trips that Cora encounters Kai, who falls out of a tree near the cabin.  Afraid, Cora runs away (she'd allowed him to see her, the one thing Seleen insists she must never do); however, the snow and cold mean that Cora returns the next day and, realising that Kai is seriously injured, she takes him to the cellar in the cabin, ties him up so she feels safe, and nurses him back to health again.  When Seleen returns a few days later, she is furious at Cora for having taken Kai in, and even more annoyed when she discovers that Cora has revealed her ability to fix the past. Declaring that they can't trust anyone and fearing that, if anyone finds out about Cora's powers, they will use her, she throws Kai out.  When their cabin is invaded the following evening, Seleen and Cora are forced to flee and head to the places Seleen has kept Cora from for the past thirteen years.  On the run, how will Cora cope, can she discover who she really is and can her powers help to fix Colony?

Once again, Alastair has masterfully built a dystopian world that is vivid and imaginative; set in the future, it feels current and futuristic at the same time.  The world of Colony has been in dire straits since the loss of the Glories (humans with technological advances) and is now run by a government who are determined to control everything.  Lead by Thorsen with Sisal as the head of protection, Colony is not a safe place for Cora to be.

I loved meeting and getting to know Cora who is a wonderful character.  Having spent her entire life hidden away and knowing nobody but Seleen, she is thrust into a world where danger lies round every corner for her.  If her powers are revealed, she has no idea what will happen to her.  Kai is clearly the crux of the story as his arrival from the tree marks a major change in her life; through him, she begins to learn how to form friendships and has to decide whether she can trust him or not (you'll have to read the book to find out whether she can/does).  Her ability brings so much responsibility for her and the pressure of whether she should use this ability to fix things.  There is an inner strength that emerges in her as the book progresses as she faces some very difficult decisions.  

The idea of being able to fix the past is a powerful topic to broach and one that I know will provoke much discussion in school when children read it.  As the book shows, it's not just the immediate fix but the ripple effects and consequences that this has on everything else.

The Consequence Girl is another gripping sci-fi from Alastair Chisholm and a book that will leave you thinking.  With themes of friendship, secrets, trust and consequences, this is another guaranteed hit and I can't wait to share it at school after half-term.  Alastair has quickly become one of those authors whose books I get excited about before they arrive and then need to devour as soon as they arrive - I can't wait to see what's next.