cover image The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf

The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf

Ambelin Kwaymullina. Candlewick, $17.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-7636-6988-1

Kwaymullina’s first American publication combines elements of Peter Pan, A Clockwork Orange, and the X-Men in an eco–fairy tale about children with “abilities” who run away to the Firstwood and live as the Tribe, in harmony with the trees and animals. They’re hunted by corrupt and rule-obsessed adults from the cities, who lock the children up and torture them with the goal of stamping out their abilities and bringing all humanity into the Balance, an ideology born out of ecological apocalypse. Sixteen-year-old Ashala, leader of the Tribe, is one such captive, betrayed by Conner, the beautiful boy she fell in love with, who becomes her jailer. Something called “the machine” is used to rip memories from Ashala’s mind and force her to betray the Tribe. Much of the story is told in these memory flashbacks, which are often evocative, realistic vignettes. It‘s only the larger moral setup that disappoints: the novel operates within a framework of rigid absolutism, with adult figures morally compromised or unequivocally evil, or both, while only children have the legitimacy of a genuine connection to the Earth. Ages 12–up. Agent: Tara Wynne, Curtis Brown Australia. (Apr.)