Fantasy- Banished

Banished

By- Sophie Littlefield

Modern Fantasy

No awards. Highly Recommend by an 8th grader I tutor :)

This story Banished is about 16 yr. old named Hailey. She is a social outcast who lives with her grandmother Alice, their dog Rascal, and a 4 yr. old foster child named Chub, in the small town of Gypsum, Missouri. She never knew her mother who died when Haily was very young. So the only family she thinks she has is her drug-dealing grandmother who only cares about herself and her television. Hailey looks forward to getting out of Gypsum and taking Chub with her when she turns 18. She dreams of starting a life somewhere far away.

One day Hailey finds out she is one of the Banished, a group of people with special gifts. Hailey's power is that she can heal people. She is from a line of Healers and she may be one of the last ones left. Hailey’s world can be violent and terrifying, but there is always a speck of hope, just waiting to be discovered. When Hailey’s Aunt Prairie comes to claim her, more secrets are revealed, and an even bigger threat is looming. Someone wants to use her gift for a horrible end. It is a race against time to stop a evil plan. 

I actually enjoyed this book. There is plenty of action to keep you glued to the pages, and hints of possible romance along with an intriguing mystery to add depth to the story. I was kept interested in what was going to happen Hailey from beginning to end. I would recommend this book on an individual basis, not so much age. It has a few kind of creepy moments but depending on the student it may not even bother them.

I would use these simple lines from the book to jacket to reel students in::::

Hailey is drawn to those in pain, those who need to be healed. And when her dog Rascal is hit by a car, Hailey’s gift is revealed. Not only can she heal, she can bring the suffering back to life. And Hailey will soon find out, this power to heal is just the beginning . . .