Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Ember McWilliams is having a rough time. After dying in a car crash, her gifted little sister, Olivia, brought her back to life - but now everything that Ember touches dies. Meanwhile, their mother has never quite recovered from the accident, so Ember is trying to keep house and take care of Olivia while still passing high school. Things start to change when she meets Hayden Cromwell, who claims that her new ability is really a gift. But when she and her family are spirited away to a tiny town run by Hayden's adoptive father, she starts to question their motives, and to reevaluate her own life.

This book had some good moments, but the story felt a little stilted - the romance was a little forced and there seemed to be several things going on in the background that we never really find out about. There were also events that seemed implausible, but most of them are explained by the end of the book. However, I did like Ember and seeing her personal growth throughout the book as she learns to deal with her "gift." Overall, this was an interesting book, although it won't make my list of personal favorites. I would suggest it to fantasy fans who enjoy stories about teens with special abilities.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Summoning, Gifted: Out of Sight, Out of Mind, Immortal Beloved, or Swoon

Hidden by Marianne Curley

Ebony lives with her family on a farm in a small valley; she's happy, but dreams of bigger things. Jordan lives in the same valley, but he has been moving through a series of foster homes and dreams of a happy life, anywhere. One night they meet and the sudden, intense connection is unmistakable. Not long after, both of their lives fall apart. Jordan ends up with the mysterious Nathaneal who wants Jordan's help to convince Ebony of her true birthright. But it won't be easy for any of them...

Although the premise for this story was interesting, I didn't enjoy the book very much. The characters did not always seem realistic and many of the major plot points seemed predictable. However, it is possible that the next books in the Avena series will improve. Also, I would mention that the author is Australian, so it has some British English in it - I don't have anything against it, but it is occasionally disconcerting for readers that primarily read American books. Overall, I would not highly recommend this book; however, fantasy fans may consider this series if it sounds interesting, particularly those who enjoy paranormal romances and stories about teens who discover that they have abilities or non-human heritage.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Fairy Path, As You Wish, Wings, or How to Ditch Your Fairy

The Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking

In the first book, Switched, Wendy Everly has had a complicated life -- her mother tried to kill her on her sixth birthday, claiming that Wendy was not her child -- but now she is seventeen and has just moved to a new town with her aunt and brother. Just when she starts to think that she could settle in to an ordinary senior year of high school, she meets Finn Holmes, an odd boy who spends most of his time staring at her. Finn tells Wendy that she is actually a changeling, switched at birth, and now he's going to take her home to meet her real family.

The series continues in Torn and Ascend. Wendy learns more about her family and the world of the Trylle.

Overall, this series was engaging and a fairly quick read. It started a little slow and I found some of the love-triangle drama in the second and third books to be a bit tedious. However, the characters are well developed and the concept of changelings in the modern world is certainly an interesting twist. I would recommend this to older fantasy who enjoy stories in the real world with a bit of romance.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Wicked Lovely, Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, Me, My Elf, and I, or Radiant Darkness

The Moorchild by Eloise McGraw

Saaski is a changeling. Her adopted human parents, Anwara and Yanno love her but find her (as most of the village does) a little bit odd. Saaski's appearance is unusual, she does not act as a human child should and she has a love for the wild lands of the moor above the sleepy village; a place described by villagers as filled with "eldritch" happenings and mischief.

Tormented daily by the other village children and feeling just as "freaky-odd" as they call her, Saaski belongs neither with the human villagers or with the elves that swapped her for Anwara's true human child. As the story progresses, Saaski struggles to find some measure of peace with her human family. When a traveling tinkerer and his young ward stumble into town, Saaski begins to discover who she truly is and where she came from.

I love this book and believe all young readers should give it a try. It is one of the few books that I have had to purchase because I reread and reread this story. This is a story about a young girl who feels very alone in a world that she finds incredibly dull. I was emotionally vested in this story and even found some parts of this story hard to read as McGraw describes the terrible injustices done to Saaski through fear of the unknown. This book is at times, heartwarming and at others, heartbreaking but always enthralling. The story is heavily steeped in Irish folklore about fairies and changelings for the reader interested in European mythology.

The Moorchild was awarded the Newbery Honor in 1997.

Magic in the Mirrorstone: Tales of Fantasy edited by Steve Berman

This collection contains fifteen different fantasy stories. Many of the short stories are about high school students or characters of a similar age, although several are more 'fantastical.' A short breakdown of the stories:

• Princess Bufo marinus, Also Known As Amy by Eugie Foster - A story similar to 'the princess and the frog' but set in a modern-day high school


• Lights, Camera, Action by Cecil Castellucci - A young actress discovers that one movie can change her entire life


• Ten Thousand Waves by Ann Zeddies - Jun Ho is not proud of his Asian heritage, but he soon learns that he cannot embrace his own power without it


• Mauve's Quilt by Craig Laurance Gidney - Quentin and his father move into an old house and he finds a quilt in the attic that seems to be more than just a quilt


• Have You Ever Seen a Shoggoth by Cassandra Clare - Sometimes the 'weird' kids in high school are hiding more than it seems


• The Amulet of Winter by Lawrence M. Schoen - Aleks, a skilled thief, is sent to steal a magical amulet but finds himself trapped in a magical library


• Veronica Brown by Sean Manseau - Veronica knows there's a sea monster in Lake Champlain but she's tired of letting it ruin her summer


• The Jewel of Abandon by Nina Kiriki Hoffman - Sometimes ignorance really is bliss...


• School Spirit by Jim C. Hines - An evil wizard's curse haunts a magical school, but a new goblin student is determined to take him down once and for all


• Blackwater Baby by Tiffany Trent - Father Joseph rescues the Marsh King's daughter from unsuspecting humans but the Fey want her back...(this story is about characters from a separate fantasy series)


• Old Crimes by J. D. Everyhope - While on vacation, a girl has a chat with an ancient Toltec god


• The Fortunate Dream by Gregory Frost - A young man finds that fairy tales are sometimes more useful than they seem


• Out of Her Element by E. Sedia - Leticia, a young girl dying of consumption in England, befriends a salamander and faces a difficult choice


• Virgin by Holly Black - Jen, a runaway foster teen meets Zachary, another runaway with a secret


• Pig, Crane, Fox: Three Hearts Unfolding by Beth Bernobich - An Asian story similar to the Princess on the Glass Hill

I enjoyed this collection of short stories - some more than others, but overall, this is a collection I would recommend to fantasy fans looking for short reads with plenty of variety.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Frog Princess, Now You See It, Aurelie: A Fairie Tale, or The Wish List

Before Midnight by Cameron Dokey

Etienne de Brabant refuses to have anything to do with his daughter when her birth causes the death of his beloved wife. Instead, he leaves her to be raised by servants and brings a boy, Raoul, to grow up along side her. He says nothing about Raoul's origins and insists that he never leave his land. His daughter, called 'La Cendrillon,' and Raoul live happily as siblings, but their lives change when they turn sixteen and de Brabant's new wife and stepdaughters move into the household. When they receive an invitation to a royal ball, the stepmother's decisions will change the course of all of their lives. Finally, La Cendrillon begins to understand the meaning of family and the way to ensure a happy ending.

This was an intriguing retelling of Cinderella because it challenges many of the inherent conceptions of the story that show up in most versions. Aside from the expected resolution, parts of the plot were rather predictable. The characters are very well developed and likeable, however. Overall, I really enjoyed this book except that the ending seemed a little rushed and would have been better if it were a little longer. Despite that, I would definitely recommend this book - particularly to fantasy fans who enjoy retellings.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Two Princesses of Bamarre, Bound, or Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms