Title: The Book of Blood and Shadow
Pub: Random House Children’s Books
Pub Date: April 10, 2012
ISBN: 9780375868764
Author: Robin Wasserman
I leaned closer, hating myself for noticing the smell, cloyingly sweet and ripe. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”
“Your. The. One.” He punctuated each word with a fist against the blanket. “Your blood.” And then those nonsense words again that seemed to mean so much. “Lay da chee!” pg 96
Nora Kane is not your typical high school student. Her ability to read and translate Latin manuscripts places her as a research assistant to a senile professor at Chapman Prep. She is given the responsibility to translate sixteenth-century letters written by Elizabeth Weston in hopes that she will discover hidden clues to the whereabouts of the Lumen Dei, an ancient religious artifact.
Nora realizes early on that her involvement with this project has put her life in danger, along with the lives of her friends Chris, Max, and Adrienne. Her fears are confirmed when her professor suddenly falls ill and one of her best friends is murdered. She runs for her life, ending up in Prague, the birthplace of Elizabeth Weston. Every letter Nora translates answers one more piece to the puzzle, and as Nora learns century- old secrets, blood is spilled and friends die. The question is… who is responsible, and is the Lumen Dei meant only for God, and not for man?
I LOVED THIS BOOK. The mysteries within its pages are complicated and unpredictable, and as I read, I felt like I was in an Indiana Jones movie- sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time. Wasserman writes with such descriptive detail, it feels as if you are in the adventure with the characters. This book also poses serious ethical questions, making you think about the possibilities [and consequences] of man possessing something that is not meant for humanity. Thanks to the unpredictable plotline and the exciting search for century-old treasure, I give this book my highest rating: A+. One warning though: once you start reading, you will not be able to put it down!
