Shadows Cast by Stars (Book Review)

Soooo, I read a really good book recently. Yesterday, all I did after school as sit and read for three and a half hours, a break for dinner, then back to reading until seven! Anyways, so I went to the library on Monday and got a couple books. One of them, Shadows Cast by Stars by Catherine Knutsson, I've had my eye on for a while, but I wasn't sure if my mom would let me read it since the main character is sixteen and she likes main charries who are close to my age. Finally, that day, I asked her about and she let me read after a close examination of the cover and inside flap. 

I'm glad she did. It was seriously amazing. 
Two hundred years from now, blood has become the most valuable commodity on the planet— especially the blood of aboriginal peoples, for it contains antibodies that protect them from the Plague ravaging the rest of the world.
Sixteen-year-old Cassandra Mercredi might be immune to Plague, but that doesn't mean she's safe— government forces are searching for those of aboriginal heritage to harvest their blood. When a search threatens Cassandra and her family, they flee to the Island: a mysterious and idyllic territory protected by the Band, a group of guerrilla warriors— and by an enigmatic energy barrier that keeps outsiders out and the spirit world in. And though the village healer has taken her under her wing, and the tribal leader's son into his heart, the creatures of the spirit world are angry, and they have chosen Cassandra to be their voice and instrument. . . 
(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6931234-shadows-cast-by-stars)
What I loved was the incorporation of myths and legend, stories and tales, the magic of healing and the rich history of the Others and the development of the marvelous plot. I loved the family Cassandra, Paul and their father made, even after her mother's death kind of broke them. How they clung to each other. I loved all the characters and the relationships of them. 
And I can say I've fell off my chair laughing and had my sister ask what's wrong because I'm crying so hard while reading this book.
It's good. I would recommend it to all of yous. Or, well, the older ones. I don't really think anyone below twelve should read it, because it deals with some really YA stuff.
So, that having been said, this is getting very long, but there are some things I gotta add.
*spoilers!!!*
First, I absolutely loved Bran. It's rare that you get a gentle, caring, adorable guy like that who isn't too perfect or doesn't act totally like a girl. But here he is. Plus, him and Cass are so adorable together, it made me go all fangirl mode. The fact that he is so amazing, but still, you can see little faults about him: the whiskey problem, his crazy mother, the fact that his father is missing, how he can't protect Cass even if he tries, and how you can see he's been hurt so much. They make him so lovable.
Second, Paul. The way his character is built, it's amazing. But that's also one of my complaints about the book. I wish we got to know him more. He's so detached, so away from Cass the whole time that we get the overview of him, get a glimpse of the deepness of his personality, but never get to go farther and really get to know him. It upsets me greatly. Away, but he was fantastic.
Next, Helene. Oh Helene, Helene, Helene. What a girl. In beginning, I loved her. I loved her because she had obviously gone through some kind of ordeal and come out hurt, but she was still able to try to stand up for the 'new girl'. Then, when I found she had been raped when she was eleven, well . . . I loved her even more.
And the spirits. Cassandra's connection to the spirit world was amazing. The way the author described the trips she took and everything inside that world was so vivid, it felt so real. Also, the Island and the Corridor were so amazingly described.
*no more spoilers*
I'm going to stop now because dinner is ready and this post is getting very long, but there is still so much I want to say about this book. I guess it's all not going to quite come out. Maybe I'll write another post about it. I dunno. Anyways, go read it.