Leelo is a compelling character, who cares deeply for her family and community, but it is her love for these that also drives her to question the things that they tell her must happen. Their cruelty is born of fear and pain, passed down through generations. Other actions appear as Leelo increases her own skepticism about what is happening. To keep their security, they cast out children who do not have magic, marry people they don't care for to keep the population growing, destroy anyone from the outside before they can speak to them, and perform rituals and animal sacrifices to give their blood to the woods. The Endlans have traveled to this community to escape the violence that followed them, and fear of outsiders drives them to the present. What I loved: This was a haunting read that deals with generational trauma and the permeating fear that leads to unthinkable actions. As Leelo goes against everything she was raised to believe in order to help him, her life will change forever. Not long after he is sent away, an outside appears, in need of help. Leelo cannot imagine her life without him, and her sorrow grows as the time for her brother's exile draws near. As an incantu, at 12 years of age, he will be sent across the lake, never to return. Leelo is nearly 18 years of age, and she is struggling with her commitment to their way of life, in no small part because her younger brother, Tate, does not seem to have magic. They serve the forest with magic and blood and receive protection in return. They had fled hatred and violence to escape across the poisonous lake to be with the enchanted forest. Leelo has grown up in Endla, where the townspeople have been isolated away from the Outsiders, who they are taught are a dangerous threat.

THE POISON SEASON is an enchanting YA fantasy about love, trauma, and isolation. But in a moment that will change everything, Leelo betrays her family, her best friend, and Endla by making an unthinkable choice.ĭiscovery could lead to devastating consequences for both Leelo and the outsider, Jaren, but as they grow closer, Leelo realizes that not all danger comes from beyond the lake-and they can only survive if Leelo is willing to question the very fabric of her society, her people, and herself. When Leelo sees a young outsider on the verge of drowning in the lake, she knows exactly what she’s supposed to do. But as much as Leelo cares for her community, she struggles to accept that her younger brother will be exiled by his next birthday, unless he gains the magic of enchanted song so vital to Endla. Leelo has spent her entire life on Endla, coexisting with the bloodthirsty Forest and respecting the poisonous lake that protects her island from outsiders who seek to destroy it. Either way, they’re never heard from again. Outsiders are always given a choice: the Forest or the lake.

Mara rutherford the poison season