2021: #38 – Foretold (Violet Lumani)

Foretold by Violet Lumani
Series: The Scryers #01
Published by Uproar Books LLC on July 20, 2021
Genres: young adult, y/a fantasy
Pages: 416

Cassandra sees death and devastation all around her. In vivid detail.
 
It’s the price of living with her OCD and extreme anxiety. In every situation, Cass imagines the worst possible fate for everyone in her life. Her dad in a pool of blood after a break-in. Her beloved older neighbor, homeless. A splinter in her finger turned to gangrene.
 
But this time, it’s not her imagination. The boy next door, Colin, is destined to die. Cass has foretold a real death before; she knows this is a true vision.
Desperate to save Colin's life, Cass immerses herself in a secret organization of soothsayers that promises to teach her how to change the future she foresees. But as she descends into their hidden world of divinatory magic and predictive technology, she discovers there's always a price to pay for unraveling fate's strands. And cheating death will cost her everything.

Foretold is the story of Cassandra, a 17 year old with OCD who is plagued by catastrophic thoughts and visions. Most of the time these visions are just visions, her anxious imagination working overtime — except for that time she saw her mom die. Now she’s seen a vision of a teen boy dying in front of her, and when she gets home and discovers he’s her new neighbor, she realizes it must be true. Can she save him? Is it even possible?

I liked Cass and Lumani’s portrayal of anxiety and OCD. She felt like a real character, whether it was the way she picked at her hands, or the way she daydreamed about the boy she liked. I also really liked that organization Cass becomes involved with covers a wide range of divination techniques. This wasn’t just about crystal balls, or seeing visions. There were scrying mirrors, and dream interpretation, and reading tea leaves. The folklore roots run deep. It was also interesting to conceive of how something that seems so passive, like seeing the future, can be weaponized. The supporting characters are good, and some even surprise you.

In the end, I am left with a number of unanswered questions, but that just makes me look forward to the next one!

Other reviews:

• “The fantasy aspect was really cool for any age reader, and I thought the world was quite unique. I can’t say I’ve read a book about a secret magical future-divining organization before. And I often found myself comparing it to Percy Jackson (which I adored as a kid). Where Percy’s dyslexia and ADHD were his powers, OCD is Cass’s.” — Midnight Book Blog
• “Overall, this was a very interesting concept. The different backgrounds of students all brought together gave me a Harry Potter-vibe. There is the knowledgeable one, like Regan, who knows all about the facility and basics the first day, whereas you have the clueless hero, Cassie, who has zero background yet is very skilled.  Cassie’s OCD and anxiety was well integrated into the story and I love how it fit naturally into the story.” — Chonky Books
• “Unfortunately, Foretold didn’t quite live up to my expectations, but I’m sure plenty of people will love the book. While there were some elements of the book I didn’t care for, I really love the representation of a main character with OCD in a fantasy setting.” — The Bright Intention