Green Sky Trilogy #1: Below the Root by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

My name is Raamo, and I don't understand why I was Chosen. I'm just an average Kindar teen, so how did I get selected to be an Ol-zhann, one of the wise rulers of Green-Sky?  Maybe it's because I haven't lost my Spirit-skills like most of the other citizens. I'm worried about my sister's health, as she seems to be withering and slowly fading away. I'll receive some training as a Healer, so maybe I'll be able to help her. However, someone has been speaking to me through our minds, but I don't know who it might be or why they're contacting me. This just adds to my confusion. I'm learning that my former classmates might have been encouraged to be deceitful during their training, and the Ol-zhann or harboring secrets. I never could have imagined the shocking truth.

It was clear early on that a conspiracy would be revealed regarding the governing of the Kindars. The setting of the story takes place among the trees in a dense forest. The characters are humanish and spread their clothing to glide between the branches. You should recognize references to technology from our culture. The forest floor is feared, as stories are told about certain death dooming anyone falling down there. The Pash-shan are almost mythical, evil creatures, because none of the Kindars have survived to report about seeing them. Things like that immediately get my mind wondering about the truth. Life in Green-Sky is all about peace and kindness to the point that a word like "killing" is treated like the greatest offense and profanity. Raamo's curiosity gets him into trouble, although the mysterious mind-speaker gets him started. The book shares deep messages about government and social differences. Should citizens be told the truth if it might upset the foundation of the society's beliefs? Leaders are supposed to look out for the welfare of the citizens, but what if the citizens are unaware of the issues in the first place? The book has a dystopian feel to it, and I think I'll probably read the sequel. If you're looking for a short book about government conspiracy, give it a shot.