Devils Unto Dust

Gr 9 Up—This debut novel is set in an alternate history of the American West. People live in fear of "shakes," who become infected after getting sick and then feed on other humans and spread the infection. Sixteen-year-old Daisy "Willie" Wilcox and her family live in the relative safety of Glory, TX, where she cares for her three younger siblings after her mother dies. Glory, a fenced-in town, is ruled by The Judge—a much-feared figure who doesn't care that his people are struggling to pay the monthly fee for his protection. When Willie's drunk father steals money and flees, it becomes her responsibility to get the money back. This sets her off on an adventure with the Garrett brothers, shake hunters who also act as guides to track down her father. Hunters aren't known to be trustworthy, often killing the very people they were paid to protect. Dark and gritty, this dystopian novel doesn't shy away from death or danger. Berquist wonderfully balances the pace of the plot. The main characters are realistic and avoid pitfalls of instant love and abrupt personality changes; even when learning to trust one another, the protagonists stay true to themselves. Full of surprising twists and turns, this is a story of determination and perseverance as well as survival in hard times.