Feathered

Laura Kasischke's novel Feathered tells the story of two best friends who travel to Cancun for Spring Break. After an auspicious start, the unexpected happens, and their dream vacation turns into a nightmare which they can't simply escape by waking - which, perhaps, they cannot escape at all.

Feathered wonderfully captures that feeling of freedom one gets while far from home, when it's possible (easier?) to be uncharacteristically impulsive. Fueled by the toxic intensity of perfect strangers, fast friends, and foreign cultures, the girls find themselves in an extremely dangerous situation, and, in the blink of an eye, everything changes.

Every high school student who is planning a big-deal trip for Spring Break (or for any break) needs to read this book - and so do their parents, teachers, and chaperones. Lest you think Feathered a run-of-the-mill cautionary tale, it's not. This book does not promote anxiety or xenophobia, but simple, basic caution. I hope - rather, I know that at least one person is going to walk away from this book with a cautious nature and later save herself or himself from getting into a bad situation. Trust your instincts. Trust your gut. When that little voice (or that loud siren) in your head goes off, listen to it.

Feathered is told in alternating points of view, with Anne telling her story in 1st person past tense in one chapter, then Michelle's story is described 3rd person present tense the next. Each voice is very distinct. Kasischke's lyrical writing shines, especially in Michelle's chapters.

Feathered is on my list of Best Books of 2008 (So Far).

Feathered by Laura Kasischke is a startling tale of a spring break gone horribly awry. More frightening than graphic blockbuster horror films, Feathered will send chills up you as you recognize bits and pieces of yourself in the two protagonists. Anne and Michelle are just two ordinary teen girls, hoping to have a fun time in Cancun for spring break. Sure, they know it will be wild and crazy, but they are confident that they can take care of themselves. After all those years of overbearing mothers, they will finally be independent and free to do whatever they should wish.

The Hotel del Sol is exactly what they expected, a typical resort overrun by barely clothed teens with raging hormones. Straight out of a Spring Break Girls Gone Wild video. While Terri quickly adapts to this new environment, Anne and Michelle are wary of the colorful alcoholic drinks and horny boys. Maybe hooking up and getting drunk isnt the way they want to spend their spring break after all. So when the girls meet Ander, a nice man working at the hotel, and he offers to take them to Chichen Itza, the Mayan holy city, the girls agree. Ander has two teenage daughters himself, and Chichen Itza sounds much more interesting than the hotel party scene.

At the temples and ruins of Chichen Itza, Ander happily gives the girls a tour of the area. He explains Mayan myths, including the ritual of sacrificing virgins at the top of El Castillo, the majestic step pyramid that dominates the landscape. While Anne is becoming increasingly uncomfortable with Anders stories of sacrifice and bloodshed, Michelle laps up every word. Anne isnt sure why Ander is giving her the creeps, but she is dreading riding back in his jeep.

The two girls will have to make an important decision about who to trust, a decision with unforeseeable consequences. Michelle must worry not only about her safety in this world, but also of her strange, deep connection to the Mayan culture of the past. Kasischke blends past and present beautifully in this haunting portrait of two girls fighting for their lives.

It is obvious that Kasischke has a background in poetry, her writing sweet and melodious, very unique as teen novels go. The story alternates from Anne to Michelles point of view, and an abrupt twist of fate will keep readers at the edge of their seats.