A wilderness of stars
(Book)

An illness cursing the land forces seventeen-year-old Vega, the Last Astronomer, to venture across the wilderness to discover the stars message that will save her people.

Vega is forbidden by her mother from leaving the safety of the valley: unknown threats await in the wilds beyond. But after her mother dies, and Vega sees the fabled twin stars in the sky, it's an omen she can no longer ignore. Leaving the valley turns out to be much more terrifying than Vega could have imagined: people lose their eyesight and their hearing, just before they lose their lives. When locals spot the tattoo on Vega's neck in the shape of a constellation-- the mark of an astronomer-- chaos erupts. Vera is the last Astronomer, carrying the knowledge of the stars-- knowledge that could hold the key to the cure. She meets a girl named Cricket, and Noah, a boy marked by his own tattoos. The three set out across the plains in search of the cure the stars speak of. -- adapted from jacket

Ages 14 up.,Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Grades 10-12.,Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

880L,Lexile