Body of Stars: A Stunning Debut by Laura Maylene Walter

The back cover of this dystopian novel asks this thought-provoking question: What if your body held the map to your future? In Body of Stars, published by Dutton on March 16, 2021, debut novelist Laura Maylene Walter introduces us to Celeste Morton, a young woman approaching her 16th birthday, a date that should bring the transition from her childhood physical markings to those she will carry throughout her adult life. The markings will indicate not only her future relationships, children, job prospects, and life expectancy, but will potentially impact her older brother Miles as well. But the interest Miles shows borders on obsession, tied to his burning desire to break into the all-female profession of fortune telling, which is essentially marking interpretation.

In this brilliantly imagined world, only women carry these prescient markings, and when adulthood is first attained, their senses and sexuality are heightened to the degree that not only are tastes, smells, and sounds virtually overwhelming, but men of all ages find them irresistible.

The bible in this world is called “Mapping the Future: An Interpretive Guide to Women and Girls,” and its influence is heightened by images and excerpts from the guide displayed at the beginning of each chapter. Not only does it show what markings (freckles, moles, birthmarks) mean in various locations along the female body, it also delineates the laws. The accepted (and creepy as all get out) ritual is that fathers are the first to view the adult markings of their daughters. Only two genders are acknowledged, and only male-female relationships are sanctioned. Furthermore and quite chillingly, if a young woman is kidnapped during her transition period (roughly two weeks), it is deemed her fault and her future prospects are ruined. Most are ostracized by classmates, and families, especially fathers, have difficulty accepting “ruined” daughters back into the fold.

When Celeste matures into her adult markings, she discovers a terrifying prediction about Miles’ life expectancy. This propels her to keep her markings from her family and sets off a chain reaction of events that ruins her perfect life, but ultimately, leads her to explore if and how she can exert free will and change both her future and her brother’s. Overall, this dystopian word seems so different from ours. But is it?

I’ll leave that for you to decide for yourselves!!

To learn more about the author, check out her website: lauramaylenewalter.com