Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
In
an alternate-history New England at the end of the nineteenth century,
Cate and her sisters are secretly witches. In their strictly controlled
society, ruled by a group of men called the Brotherhood, terrible things
will happen to them if they are discovered. Cate is determined not to
let that happen. I had a hard time getting into this book -- it took me
forever to read it, and I never connected with the characters. I thought
it was a little heavy-handed in some aspects, though the romance was
nicely done. I'll admit that I picked this book up because of the pretty
cover, but I'd only recommend it if you are really intrigued by the
premise.
Curse of the Thirteenth Fey by Jane Yolen
Gorse,
youngest of the Shouting Fey, nearly misses a command appearance at the
christening of the baby princess because she falls into a trap where
two other fey have been imprisoned for hundreds of years. Can she help
them escape and make it back in time for the christening? I love retold
fairy tales, and this was a good one, despite the fact that the Sleeping
Beauty story is only a minor subplot in Gorse's story. I like Yolen's
take on the fey in this book, and the setting she has created for them.
My Mixed-Up Berry Blue Summer by Jennifer Gennari
Twelve-year-old
June and her mom have always gotten along fine -- but now Eva, her
mom's girlfriend, has come to live with them, and June is not sure what
she thinks about that. The book is set in 2000, just after Vermont
passed civil union laws, and June and her family are caught in the
upheaval over that decision. It may not be the best time for June to put
herself in the spotlight by entering one of her pies in the county
fair, but it's the one thing June has her heart set on during this
tempestuous summer. This book is pretty brief, which young readers will
probably approve of, but I thought it needed a little more development
in spots.
Lulu and the Duck in the Park by Hilary McKay
Lulu,
a fervent animal lover, rescues a still-warm duck egg that rolls out of
a nest during a class field trip to the park. Her teacher has strictly
forbidden Lulu from bringing any more animals to school, but an egg is
not an animal . . . right? This book is sweet and
charming, though I didn't love it as much as McKay's Casson series (Saffy's Angel, etc.). It fits right in with other early chapter books about precocious young girls like Clementine and Marty McGuire.
(Reviewed from copies borrowed through my library system.)
Is The Thirteenth Fey an expansion of a short story?
ReplyDeleteI think I remember two short stories written with that family, one that matches overall framework of this tale.
Yes, I believe it did start out as a short story, though I hadn't read (or at least, don't remember reading) the short story before I read the book.
DeleteOur library got a copy! I've started it. :)
DeleteGreat! Enjoy.
Delete