The Raintree Rebellion

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

This sequel to McNaughton’s science-fiction novel The Secret Under My
Skin (2000) begins in late August 2370, when 18-year-old Blake Raintree
relocates to Toronto to function as an aide to her adopted mother, Erica
Townsend, who has been appointed to the newly formed Justice Council.
The council has been charged by the transitional government with
creating a plan to provide closure for the technocaust’s victims.
However, the council’s members are divided over deciding between
punishing or forgiving those responsible for the atrocities committed
during the technocaust. Because Blake’s birth mother had been a
technocaust casualty, initially Blake strongly favours harsh punishment.
But later, when the secret under her skin leads to the knowledge that
her father is not only alive but apparently played a significant role in
the deaths of many who resisted the former government’s actions, Blake
finds herself reassessing her moral stance. Despite the book’s title,
Blake does not lead a rebellion, but her action in producing a victim
statement serves as a catalyst for causing one.

Young adults who favour the H.G. Wells social-criticism type of science
fiction will appreciate McNaughton’s work, which touches on numerous
contemporary concerns, and they will undoubtedly recognize the
connections between the book’s moral dilemmas and the response adopted
by South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Those who have read The Secret Under My Skin will have a deeper
understanding of aspects of the present work, but, because McNaughton
provides sufficient “catch-up” information, The Raintree Rebellion,
which introduces an almost entirely new cast of characters, can stand on
its own. Highly recommended.