From the Stacks: "The Walls Around Us' is dark tale of friendship, guilt and justice

"The Walls Around Us" by Nova Ren Suma
"The Walls Around Us" by Nova Ren Suma

Julliard-bound Violet is an exceptionally talented dancer. Her life revolves around ballet, and this is her last summer in town before she heads off to college. Everything is lining up quite nicely for her, but she is still haunted by the spectre of a series of events that occurred a few years prior.

Amber is a prisoner of the Aurora Hills Juvenile Detention Facility. She has never met Violet. Amber has been locked up for a long time. She can't even fathom a life outside of the facility.

Orianna is the link between Violet and Amber. The events that haunt Violet have landed Orianna in Aurora Hills, where Orianna is assigned to room with Amber. Orianna is also an exceptionally talented dancer. She and Violet have been best friends since their childhood ballet lessons. Orianna's dancing ability is effortless, and her future is bright. Violet has to work twice as hard just to be anywhere near Orianna's level. Their differences don't end there. Where Violet is prickly and withdrawn, Orianna is charismatic and friendly. Prison ends Orianna's promising future, but it can't prevent others from seeing the beauty and grace, both internal and external, that she exudes.

Shortly after Orianna is incarcerated, all of the girls in the prison, including both Amber and Orianna, die of a mysterious poisoning. The prison is closed, and Violet tries desperately to forget everything that happened. Now, in her final summer in town, Violet decides to seek closure and maybe forgiveness. She cajoles some acquaintances into travelling up to the shuttered facility. Violet has no idea what has compelled her to go up there; everyone who was once incarcerated there is long gone. Once she's inside, however, she is confronted with ghosts both real and metaphorical. It's almost as though the prison recognizes her. Is Violet guilty of more than abandoning her friend?

"The Walls Around Us," by author Nova Ren Suma, is a dark and lyrical tale of friendship, guilt and justice. The alternating narratives of Amber and Violet deepen the mystery and ramp up the tension as they shed light on two very different versions of a tragic series of events. Violet is not the most likeable character, but her motivations, while selfish, are not unrealistic. Amber seems, on the surface, to have little to do with the story until Orianna enters the prison. Orianna has no narrative of her own; her story is revealed as she gets to know Amber. Amber intimately understands the nature of guilt and she firmly believes Orianna is the most innocent person within the walls of Aurora Hills.

When Violet finally visits the prison, past and present collide in an unexpected manner. Orianna and Violet's story twists and turns in a dreamlike fashion before building up to its surprising ending. This is not a book for every reader, but for those who like their mysteries a little off-beat and infused with a hint of magic realism, this book will captivate.

Courtney Waters is teen services librarian at Missouri River Regional Library.