Extraordinary
Author: Nancy Werlin
Series: ---
Publisher: Dial Books
How Received: publisher ARC
Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange and secretive new kid in school, and the two girls become as close as sisters . . . until Mallory's magnetic older brother, Ryland, shows up during their junior year. Ryland has an immediate, exciting hold on Phoebe, but a dangerous hold, for she begins to question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, about herself. Soon she'll discover the shocking truth about Ryland and Mallory: that these two are visitors from the faerie realm who have come to collect on an age-old debt. Generations ago, the faerie queen promised Pheobe's ancestor five extraordinary sons in exchange for the sacrifice of one ordinary female heir. But in hundreds of years there hasn't been a single ordinary girl in the family, and now the faeries are dying. Could Phoebe be the first ordinary one? Could she save the faeries, or is she special enough to save herself?
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I will give Nancy Werlin one thing - girl can plot. It was, in my opinion, the saving grace of this novel. I was DYING to know what happened to Phoebe. What did the world of Faerie want with her? Who was Mallory, really? Why were they so intent on manipulating her?
But besides that, there was nothing spectacular about the book. I never connected to Phoebe - she was a dull character, easily manipulated (despite the fairy mesmer) who only redeemed herself at the very end. Mallory was interesting enough, what with being torn between the world of Fey and her friendship with Phoebe, and the rest of the characters I've already forgotten, Benjamin aside. (He's a pretty ordinary nerd.) And I'm writing this review five minutes after finishing the book.
The writing style wasn't bad. It just didn't fit what I normally enjoy. I loved the flashes into the world of Fey - that did a lot for keeping me on edge throughout the rest of it. But it was the plot, not the way the plot was written, that kept me reading. The writing itself just didn't spark or hold my attention for too long.
Overall Rating & Final Comments: 6/10. Unmemorable characters, but a plot made of epic win.
Stop by tomorrow to check out a guest post by Nancy Werlin herself!