Green Sky Trilogy #3: Until the Celebration by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

My name is Raamo, and the great Rejoyning has begun. A council has been formed to unite the Erdlings with Kindar, but things are not going smoothly. Fears and distrust have long festered between the two societies, and trying to merge them into one culture creates conflict. Many leaders were pleased when D'Ol Regle fled into the forest, but I was leery of his disappearance. Most of the people have renewed hope, yet I can't explain my reservations. I feel they've bestowed too much reverence upon my little sister Pomma and her Erdling friend Teera. They could become targets for the discontented rebels hiding in the forest. My visions of the future give me hope, but sacrifices will need to be made. Only time will tell if peace will prevail.

Remember the peace and serenity of book one? Well, that's gone now. The story highlights the difficulty of fostering peace when uniting different cultures. The author creates mystery and tension as the plot develops. It's clear D'Ol Regle will do something, especially with Raamo's uneasy feelings, and there have been Erdling rebels causing disturbances in books two and three. These antagonists weren't going to just disappear. Raamo is the main character, although he's not always present in the story. He was also reluctant to fully share his thoughts and feelings. These strategies by the author caused some disconnection from the book, as it's more difficult to empathize with characters who are more reserved and appear inconsistently. The author saved a couple of surprises for the plot's climax, so you'll be able to look forward to that. Overall, I liked the book, but it left me wanting something more.