The Reader by Traci Chee is an engaging, mystical, intriguing and somewhat frustrating book.  I loved the story's premise, that reading itself is outlawed, or rather not many have the ability to read.

Those that can read also have magical powers, and some can "read" others or read/see the future, including our main protagonist, Sefia.

She is joined by a wonderful cast of characters including Archer and Captain Reed.  Archer and Sefia are mostly on the run in this novel; being chased and chasing others is huge part of the plot.

The nature of stories themselves is a theme, and there is fun scene in a bar where people pretend to be other people telling stories about those people as if they had lived them.  Captain Reed insight-fully states only he can tell his story, but what is the nature of stories and reading then, this reader asked herself.

There is quite a bit of violence and death in the story, and the desire to make one's mark is part of this.  Is it our nature to make our mark violently? To be a hero/heroine?

Essentially, Sefia has a book that has been hidden, and in the beginning she isn't even aware it is a book or what a book is.  As she discovers its powers, and learns to read, she sets out to find out who killed her parents, kidnapped her aunt, harmed Archer, and ultimately who is good, or evil.

This is the first of I believe a trilogy.  I will look for the second, to hopefully clear up some frustrating and perhaps conflicting story-lines. (21)