Isobelle Carmody

Obernewtyn — (1987-2010) Young adult. Publisher: This first book of the Obernewtyn Chronicles introduces Elspeth Gordie, a Misfit born with enhanced mental powers. To escape a hostile holocaustic society, she manages to get herself sent to Obernewtyn, a Misfit haven where a reclusive doctor is said to be developing a cure for Misfit abilities. Thus begins Elspeth's journey to learn who she is and the destiny she must survive to fulfill.

Obernewtyn

Elspeth has dreams that come true. She can read thoughts, even the thoughts of animals, especially the strange cat Maruman. These gifts make her a Misfit, marked for death in her world.

Isobelle Carmody’s post-apocalyptic fantasy Obernewtyn, published in 1987, follows Elspeth from the “orphanage farm,” where she and her brother Jes were sent after the execution of their parents for sedition, to the strange mountain compound of Obernewtyn, a place of mystery, power and great danger.

In this world a strict government and a stricter religious order called The Herders control the population after a catastrophe, the Great White, nearly destroyed all life. It appears from the toxicity of the soil and the mention of whole sectors that are “badlands” that the event might have been thermonuclear. Anything from the Beforetimes, like books, is suspicious, and most such items are destroyed. Psychic or paranormal ability is dealt with harshly. Jes hopes to become a Herder, so when Elspeth’s abilities are uncovered, she distances herself from her brother in order to save him.

She is sent to Obernewtyn. The theory is that the director of Obernewtyn, Dr. Seraphim, is developing a treatment that can “cure” Misfits, but Elspeth becomes convinced that there is something more sinister going on. Maruman, the cat that Elspeth talks to, also has visions, and he has talked about her having a destiny. Elspeth does not find her destiny at first, though. Instead she finds that friends of hers who are sent to the doctor for treatments come back pale, sick and more and more emotionally disturbed. One friend is having terrible nightmares and seems to be possessed by someone or something. Elspeth’s own dreams tell her that something of great danger, a machine from the Beforetimes, is nearby, and that activating it could bring back the Great White.

Elspeth’s relationships with the animals are engaging, and her friends are brave and loyal. Elspeth herself suffers from doubts about her own bravery, as a handful of them plot an escape from the compound. Elspeth is not a bad role model in some ways for a young adult reader, but her powers expand exponentially without any explanation, and often too conveniently — like when she needs to unlock a door and remembers that it’s a good thing that she can open locks with her mind. The villains are Evil Overlords, lacking any real motivation. Rushton, an enigmatic character, with past and his motives for working at the compound, would actually have made a more reasonable villain that the three we have.

The book also suffers from a quirk in Carmody’s prose. Chapters and paragraphs are of uniform length (the chapters are about five pages). This sets up a stable rhythm that never varies, even near the end when the action is heating up. The sameness dampens the tension and works against suspense.

This is clearly the first book of a series, but there are a lot of unanswered questions. Specifically, it isn’t clear how or why paranormal abilities would start appearing after the Great White, and how they are connected — although they are apparently connected to the machine Elspeth finds. We don’t know how long ago the Great White happened. Instead of some of the exposition in the book, Carmody could have shared this information.

I think a younger reader might enjoy the interaction with the animals, even though at least one of them has a sad resolution, but I think this book is too dated for most middle-school readers today.
—Marion Deeds