Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.12 AVERAGE
3.12 AVERAGE
I love all of Nancy Werlin's books. This was her second forray into Fantasy. I enjoyed it almost as much as Impossible. My only negative is that the ending wasn't quite as satisfying as I would have hoped. I felt like there should have been more struggle and/or trickery.
As a result of an ancestor's bargain with the Queen of Faerie, a young girl is emotionally manipulated and seduced by faerie agents hoping to save their world and their lives. One interesting thing about this story is, I think, that Werlin used a real family/banking dynasty (the Rothschilds) and its historic circumstances to weave in with her fantasy rather than just use the "princess" trope.
Phoebe finds herself drawn to the new girl at her school; a girl who needs a friend. Years later Mallory announces she has a brother who is coming to live with her. Phoebe is inexplicably drawn to Ryland and finds herself doing things she never thought she was capable of. But Mallory and Ryland are not what they seem, they are faeries. They have come to manipulate Phoebe into paying a debt which will cost her life, but will save the faerie race. Will Phoebe give her life for another race?
Having read Werlin's previous novel, Impossible, and loved it, I jumped at the chance for a copy of this book from Penguin. Again we have a teen girl as the main character, and a situation that has more to it than she first thinks.
Phoebe Rothschild is growing up as part of a wealthy, high-achieving family, but she doesn't always feel that she lives up to what her family's standards are. When Mallory enters the scene as the new girl at school, and is different enough that she becomes a target of the popular girls, Phoebe befriends her. The two grow very close, but Mallory is not all that she seems, and when Mallory's brother Ryland enters Phoebe's life, things change again. Phoebe becomes fascinated by Ryland, and he begins to influence her in ways she doesn't always like.
Phoebe has another friend, Benjamin, who has always helped to ground her, and although she only sees him a few times a year, they have a strong friendship.
When Phoebe finds out the true nature of Mallory and Ryland and what they are asking of her, she is shocked and dismayed. As she learns the reasons behind their actions, she isn't sure whether she can do what they want or not. We see Phoebe grow and learn about her self and what she is capable of and what is important to her.
This is a story about friendship, about individuality, and about self-confidence. A great book for teen girls.
Phoebe Rothschild is growing up as part of a wealthy, high-achieving family, but she doesn't always feel that she lives up to what her family's standards are. When Mallory enters the scene as the new girl at school, and is different enough that she becomes a target of the popular girls, Phoebe befriends her. The two grow very close, but Mallory is not all that she seems, and when Mallory's brother Ryland enters Phoebe's life, things change again. Phoebe becomes fascinated by Ryland, and he begins to influence her in ways she doesn't always like.
Phoebe has another friend, Benjamin, who has always helped to ground her, and although she only sees him a few times a year, they have a strong friendship.
When Phoebe finds out the true nature of Mallory and Ryland and what they are asking of her, she is shocked and dismayed. As she learns the reasons behind their actions, she isn't sure whether she can do what they want or not. We see Phoebe grow and learn about her self and what she is capable of and what is important to her.
This is a story about friendship, about individuality, and about self-confidence. A great book for teen girls.
Meh. After reading Impossible, I was expecting this book to be along the same lines. Nope. It just really felt, hard to explain how it felt exactly, but really just bleh. The characters didn't seem as developed, there was the whole thing with Phoebe being just really, again, bleh.
And then Ryland *facepalm* really...Phoebe was just being really dumb to fall right into his trap. And there was more of the whole sex issue, which I won't even bring up, but she was being dumb with that whole thing as well.
All in all, it was really disappointing reading after Impossible. That book was so much better.
And then Ryland *facepalm* really...Phoebe was just being really dumb to fall right into his trap. And there was more of the whole sex issue, which I won't even bring up, but she was being dumb with that whole thing as well.
All in all, it was really disappointing reading after Impossible. That book was so much better.
Pretty good, but not anywhere as good as Impossible... which made it a bit of a disappointment. However, I did really love wise-beyond-his-years Benjamin, and how he was there for Phoebe (although I may be a bit biased since I tend to like the tall, skinny, nerdy guys).
I would have to agree with the other reviewer that mentioned the lack of suspense because, as the reader, we knew what was going on while Phoebe did not. It was frustrating to see Phoebe fall for Ryland when we knew what he was, what he was doing, and what a manipulator it all was. I understand that for the story to fit together and make sense structurally and continuity-wise, it was necessary, but it really made me dislike the author's writing style. On the other hand, I really loved Mallory! It caught me completely off-guard that she was the Queen's daughter. I thought, for the sake of the mother-daughter relationship that Phoebe and Catherine had, to juxtapose the Queen and Mallory as mother and daughter, it wasn't very... for lack of better diction: good. The Queen should have been her aunt or something and have named Mallory her heir. Then we wouldn't have had the internal cognitive dissonance about mother-daughter relationships that the last chapter of so too-quickly wrapped up
I would have to agree with the other reviewer that mentioned the lack of suspense because, as the reader, we knew what was going on while Phoebe did not. It was frustrating to see Phoebe fall for Ryland when we knew what he was, what he was doing, and what a manipulator it all was. I understand that for the story to fit together and make sense structurally and continuity-wise, it was necessary, but it really made me dislike the author's writing style. On the other hand, I really loved Mallory! It caught me completely off-guard that she was the Queen's daughter. I thought, for the sake of the mother-daughter relationship that Phoebe and Catherine had, to juxtapose the Queen and Mallory as mother and daughter, it wasn't very... for lack of better diction: good. The Queen should have been her aunt or something and have named Mallory her heir. Then we wouldn't have had the internal cognitive dissonance about mother-daughter relationships that the last chapter of so too-quickly wrapped up
Extraordinary is Werlin's newest book, and delves into, if such a thing were to exist, a realistic fantasy. I've heard tell that one of the new Things in YA literature has been faeries, but this has been one of the only ones I've bothered to read, and I'm very glad I did. It's rare to find a book, particularly in this day and age where every other YA book published is a "Paranormal Romance", that brings back memories of those old bedtime fairy tales, but this book captures that very essence. It was an immersive, enthralling reading experience, and refreshing to read, similar to Impossible. Two things of note: I really like that the main character's Jewish faith is important to her, and that importance is portrayed in the book without being preachy at all. (The same can be said of Alison in Are You Alone on Purpose?) The other thing that I really found meaningful was the importance of Mallory and Phoebe's friendship. While there is a romance story present, the fact that Mallory and Phoebe's story is the one that holds more importance is telling--again, it's hard to find good YA fiction nowadays, where romance is not the driving factor. Kudos to Werlin, for those things and for once again writing a fantastic novel.
Rating: 5/5
Rating: 5/5
The premise is interesting. I liked the history woven through the book. But I didn't really care that much for any of the characters. And the thing about this book is that the plot requires strong characters. I get that the whole idea was that Phoebe thought herself ordinary. But it just didn't resonate well with me. It seemed forced. Even the ending seemed a bit too good to be true. I liked the book, I like the author, but don't go into this book expecting it to be great.
This book is about Phoebe, who stops hanging out with her mean group of friends so that she can become friends with Mallory. Phoebe and Mallory become close enough friends that they feel like sisters. When Mallory's older brother Ryland enters the picture, Phoebe falls in love with him. As Phoebe and Rylan's relationship progresses, Ryland's control over the relationship causes Phoebe to negatively become dependent upon Ryland. Eventually Phoebe learns about the real Mallory and Ryland, with the help of her long time friend, Benjamin. By the end of the book, Mallory and Phoebe learn what true love and friendship is.
This is definitely a must read for high school students and young adults, espeically if you think you can use the book as a teaching tool for healthy friendships and relationships.
I was impressed by Nancy Werlin's two books, Impossible and Extraordinary. Nancy was able to create two stories that combine fairy tales with modern day life.
This is definitely a must read for high school students and young adults, espeically if you think you can use the book as a teaching tool for healthy friendships and relationships.
I was impressed by Nancy Werlin's two books, Impossible and Extraordinary. Nancy was able to create two stories that combine fairy tales with modern day life.
Good solid YA girl friendship-fairy tale mashup. Rather abrupt ending. Great characters and folklore. Will read this author again.