Piper lives in a world where most of the people barely eke out an existence by being scrappers, scavengers who dig through the remains after the monthly meteor showers, hoping to find treasures. Piper herself is a tinkerer who repairs some of the treasures people find. Her father died of lung disease from working in the factories, and Piper's mother died long before Piper was old enough to remember her. So when Piper rescues a mysterious girl after a meteor shower and discovers the girl bears the mark of the dragonfly, a special tattoo given only to the king's favored, she hopes she can return to the girl to her home and earn a reward that would pull her out of poverty. Will Piper be able to outrun the man who is seeking the girl and return her to her home? And will this girl ever remember why she has the mark of the dragonfly or what makes her so important?
This book started out a bit slowly and lacked in world-building that would have helped it along, but once I had read a few chapters, I was hooked. This wasn't a book I could pick up and read for fifteen minutes at a time; I needed extensive time to sit and focus on the world Piper lives in to truly enjoy the story. And I did enjoy it. I think my students would enjoy it, too - with the fantasy, mystery, and adventure elements, this book has something for every reader.
Recommended for: tweens, middle grade
Red Flags: violence - the girls are kidnapped and almost sold to slavers and several other times face what movie raters would call "mild peril"
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purposes of review.
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