The Lost Conspiracy by Frances Hardinge

Wow. As I picked up The Lost Conspiracy, that's the first thing that popped in my head. It's 550+ pages long and I knew that it'd have to take a special something to keep me 'in' the story. It starts off promising by introducing Hathin, the younger sister and attendant of Arilou. Arilou is a Lost -- one of a special group whose spirits can leave their bodies. The Lost are revered on the island and looked to as leaders. Hathin is worried about the tests that the Lost inspector will perform on Arilou, for she is their clan's only hope for survival. When all the Lost on the island except Arilou mysteriously die, Hathin fears for Arilou's safety. Together they must escape from those threatening them.

This is a beautifully written story, with vivid descriptions to enhance all the senses. The only thing that kept this from being an 'A' book for me happened somewhere after about the first 100 pages. Some events take a long, l-o-n-g time to set up. It's a good thing I was already invested in the characters, or I might not have continued reading. While the size might put some off, I found it worth spending time with this gem. I give it a B.