Body of Stars: A Novel

by Laura Maylene Walter

Genres: Feminist; Literary Fiction; Dystopian

Synopsis

“An incredibly strong debut.... It’s well worth your time.”—New York Journal of Books
 
In a world where female bodies hold the map to the future, one young woman must fight to change her family’s fate.
 
Celeste Morton has eagerly awaited her passage to adulthood. Like every girl, she was born with a set of childhood markings—the freckles, moles, and birthmarks on her body that foretell her future and that of those around her—and with puberty will come a new set of predictions that will solidify her fate. The possibilities are tantalizing enough to outweigh her worry that the future she dreams of won’t be the one she’s fated to experience.

Celeste’s beloved brother, Miles, who is training to be a fortune-teller, is equally anticipating what Celeste’s transformation will reveal. But when Celeste matures into her adult markings, she discovers a devastating omen about Miles’s future. Desperate to protect her family from the truth, Celeste’s once charmed life unravels, forcing her to question everything she’s ever known about fate and female agency, and face the perils of knowing what’s to come too soon.

Release date: March 16, 2021

Publisher: Dutton

Print pages: 359