Somehow Henley uses surrounding sounds, smells and touch to make a world as vivid as any with sight. As a reader, I got used to wandering around a world without vision.

I was expecting the book to flounder and die in a sightless world, but no. And here's the amazing thing, Henley cannot employ any visual imagery. What can be more terrifying than walking into a mob of flesh-eating monsters with no sight? Henley is a master of upping the terror, bringing us in to Fennel's haunting journey to the water hole. I was instantly jealous of the premise of this novel. The two embark on a nail-biting journey through pitch-black caves where they are tested to the core of their being. Fennel volunteers to search for the Hidden Waters supposedly buried deep within the safety of their caves. When the scourge doesn't leave after a few days as expected, Fennel's people get desperate. Fennel agonizes over the bond that grows between her and Peree.

Yet, somehow these two find an instant connection, one that worries both of them. Fennel's people and Peree's people live in an uneasy alliance. Peree is her eyes while she slips through the masses of sick ones. Then enter Peree, a tree-dwelling hunter, who has been given the task of being her keeper. For some reason the scourge do not attack the sightless, so Fennel is tapped to take an agonizing walk down to the water through the throng of fleshies everyday. The scourge are basically zombies- humans turned flesh-eaters who attack the healthy, turning them sick as well. The haunting description of Fennel, a sightless girl who must be the water bearer for her people during the time of the scourge drew me in. When I saw the cover art for The Scourge at the bottom of my own novel's“Customers who bought this item also bought.” page, I knew I wanted to read it.

The scourge ag henley