ASHES, ASHES

Cassandra Campbell draws out the combination of innocence and wariness that characterizes 16-year-old Lucy. Lucy has survived the plague that killed her parents and great numbers of others, destroying the world as she knew it. After living on her own for many months, she meets Aidan, who helps save her from the Sweepers. She decides to leave her solitary refuge in Central Park and seek out Aidan’s small community—which consists of a few adults, a handful of teenagers, and a number of small children. Campbell maintains an underlying tone of hope even when things look bleak. She excels, in particular, at expressing the sweetness between Lucy and Aidan that is an oasis in their postapocalyptic world. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2011]