A Satisfying YA Romance Novel

Source: Author Website

Firelight (Firelight #1) by Sophie Jordan (HarperCollins, 2010, 352pp.)

Jacinda, a teenage draki, is considered special among her pride. Like other draki, she’s descended from dragons and able to take on human form to disguise herself among mankind. What sets her apart, though, is that she’s the first fire-breather born in over 400 years. Eager to breed more fire-breathers, the pride's leaders propose to have Jacinda married off at 16. This kind of medieval thinking does not sit well with Jacinda's mother at all. Desperate to save her daughter from life as a brood mare, she uproots their family from the lush mountain wilderness to the stifling desert landscape of urban Las Vegas. Moving away from the wilderness will eventually cause the family’s draki spirits to wither and perish, leaving them trapped as helpless mortals. This is a fate that terrifies Jacinda, but it’s something that her mother is willing to let happen if it gives her daughter a chance at “normal” teenage life. Then Jacinda meets and falls in love with Will, a handsome boy from her new high school whose physical proximity gives off enough nourishing power for her draki spirit to thrive. The problem with this, though, is that while Will is sweet and caring, he also comes from a family of vicious hunters, who make their living off harvesting the draki for their meat and bones. As she struggles to embrace her cumbersome new life, can Jacinda make things work out?

Sophie Jordan's Firelight takes the common dilemma of teen identity and self-discovery, interweaves it with fairy tale elements, and sets it against a high school backdrop. A strong protagonist, well-developed love interest, and realistic antagonists make this a very satisfying romance novel. Recommended for fans of Twilight and other supernatural YA romance, Ages 16-18.

Complicated, Plot-Driven Modern Fantasy

Pigments of My Imagination (Soul Painters #1) by Angela Kulig (Green Envy Press, 2013, 324pp.)

I don’t know why I inevitably compare everything to Harry Potter, but I do. This book will be no different. Pigments of My Imagination starts out a little bit like Harry Potter, if J.K. Rowling had forgone wizards and instead focused on artistic, creative types who reincarnated on a regular basis. The heroine of this tale is Lucia, a budding prodigy who arrives at Bayside Art Academy in Galveston, Texas. Before long, she meets fellow classmate Leo. Although he’s a bit stand-offish at first, she soon realizes that he has been her soulmate from the beginning of time—literally. The two of them are Soul Painters, a group of artists with magic capabilities who reincarnate through the ages. They are also at war against the Deceivers, another similarly-abled group who are, well, deceitful. Add to this mix various fantasy entities (harpies, oracles, and mysterious beings called the Fates), and you have the world of the Soul Painters series. 

Many teens will find the love-at-first-sight between Lucia and Leo appealing, but as for myself...I just felt confused from page 1. Although Lucia walks into the novel completely unaware of her past lives, her first meeting with Leo soon remedies this. She begins experiencing memories of past lives, and seems to instantly gain an understanding of the mysterious goings on. Unfortunately, as the reader, I never caught up. It always felt like the characters always knew something that I didn’t, and because of this, I had trouble connecting with them and their situation. Some readers may have this problem, others may not. In any case, what I thought was going to be a simple paint-by-numbers paranormal romance turned into a more complicated, plot-driven modern fantasy best suited for older YA readers. My suggestion? If the plot summary sounds interesting, give it a shot. Recommended for Ages 16-Up.

Very Readable and Enjoyable, But Still Needs Work

Cuspian (Cuspian Saga #1) by DC Hall (Self-Published, 2013, 348pp.)

“The destiny of the world is laid out in the stars. Each man, woman, and child’s life. The struggles, successes, the major and minute details are written out in the skies of the heavens, concealed from mankind.”

A tale told by a pair of fraternal twins, Cuspian tells the story of Kennedi and Kendal Myles, two close-knit siblings who find their lives shattered when their mother is murdered. After their father, who abandoned the family years ago, arrives to take custody of them, strange things begin happening. Kennedi can suddenly hear other people's thoughts, while her brother, Kendal, is plagued by a force that threatens to cause serious injury those around him. Then they learn that they’re Cuspians, individuals born during the period of time when one astrological sign is receding, while another moves into prominence. As one character explains it, “[Cuspians] are born on the cusp between the stars with two destinies: one of unspeakable good or unimaginable evil. ... Cuspians have abilities to help them fulfill their true destinies.” 

Cuspian, the first in a series, is ultimately engaging, and ends with a tense, cliff-hanger ending. You know, the “Oh-my-God-when-is-the-next-book-coming-out?” kind. The mystery surrounding the origin of the twins’ powers is intriguing, and although the narrative voices aren’t really that distinct from each other, the author is still able to develop the twins into two distinct personalities. However, I certainly wouldn’t call this book a finished product, just yet. It could use a lot of trimming and tightening of certain elements. More specifically, pacing is inconsistent throughout the novel, and tends to lag in between big events and important revelations. Some events that occur are confusing, and the cliffhanger ending leaves some questions unanswered that may annoy some readers.

The verdict: very readable, but not the best it could be. The story is dark, and gets pretty bloody and graphic towards the end, so I’d recommend this for fans of dark fantasy only. Recommended for Ages 16-18.

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Justice League—the High School Edition

High School Heroes (High School Heroes #1) by James Mascia (L & L Dreamspell, 2010, 298pp.)

When Goth-chick Christine starts hearing voices while at school, she fears she may be loosing her mind—until she realizes that the “voices” are actually people’s thoughts. At first, she thinks she’s the only person at Thomas Jefferson High with special powers. Wrong! Turns out that Ethan, her hunky crush and captain of the football team, is the team’s star player for a reason: he has the power of super-speed. After revealing their powers to one another, the two quickly become fast friends. Meanwhile, they discover that two other students have powers: snarky mean girl Savanah (gifted with super strength) and skateboarding loser Peter (able to shoot lightning out of his hands). Then, Ethan has an idea: why not form a super league? (Christine’s initial reaction is less than enthusiastic.) And, as happens with the formations of all impromptu super leagues, the group eventually does come to loggerheads with a villain or two—one of them at Winter Formal, no less.

Been there done that, right? Actually, there’s more to it than that! Not only does the author build up a nice plot, he also pays attention to character development. True, the characters do play off certain stereotypes (the Goth-chick, the jock, the snarky mean girl), yet each of them is distinct in his or her own way. (I can’t tell you how pleased I was when Ethan, who, when we first meet him,seems to be a typical jock, is actually a really nice, smart guy who likes to drag his friends to ComicCon.) Overall, an enjoyable read.

The adventures of Christine and her friends in High School Heroes is the foundation for Mascia’s High School Heroes series. At least three more volumes will follow. Recommended for Ages 15-Up.

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For Fans of the Parallel World Premise

Have Book – Will Travel by Kfir and Yonatan Luzzatto (Pine Ten, LLC, 2012)

(Warning: Spoilers Ahead!)

Whether it’s off to Narnia through the magic wardrobe or falling down a rabbit-hole into Wonderland, transport to parallel worlds has always been a favorite in fantasy. In Have Book – Will Travel, the method of transportation happens to be a book – specifically, one Book of Dreams found by two friends, Darla and Max, in the storage room of an old fortress. Read a line aloud, any line, and within seconds, you’re in another dimension.

Plot-wise, the novel chronicles the adventures of Darla and Max as they flit from world to world. Max and Darla only visit two unnamed parallel worlds. The first, only briefly touched on, is ruled by gentlewomen who consider men to be second-class citizens. Upon the teens’ arrival, Max is thrown immediately into prison to await execution. After a few chapters spent trying to rescue Max, the two escape into a second world, one somewhat similar to their home world except for a few tweaks in the laws of physics. To be more exact, it’s not uncommon for people to find their spirits separated from their bodies, either by fever (you literally go out of your head from sickness) or, in Max’s case, dropping from the sky and landing on some poor unfortunate below – only to realize once you’ve gotten up and dusted yourself off that you’ve somehow knocked yourself out of your body and into that of the other person (whoops!).

Personally, I found the “Book of Dreams” premise to be a neat idea, but one that is not as fully explored as I had hoped. The two alternate worlds are not equally developed, which makes the flow of the story feel somewhat unbalanced. In all, I would recommend this for younger teens interested in Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy or C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, both of which employ the “parallel world” premise.

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Keep Calm and Carry On

The Name of the Star (Shades of London #1) by Maureen Johnson (Putnam Juvenile, 2011, 384pp.)

When Rory’s family relocates to England, she finds herself being registered to attend a boarding school in the East End of London - quite a ways away from her hometown in Louisiana. But while English life appears strange at first (baked beans for breakfast?!) she adjusts quickly and soon makes friends. But all is not well in London Town. Shortly after Rory’s arrival at the boarding school, a young woman is found dead close to her school’s campus. A few weeks later, a second woman is found murdered. A rumor surfaces that the two murders were done by a copycat killer who mutilates his victims in the same fashion as Jack the Ripper, a 19th century killer. Morbidly curious, Rory and her friends decide to take a peek at the second crime scene - albeit from the distance of the yellow caution tape. Here, she spies a suspicious character in the crowd who seems to take an unhealthy interest in the gruesome spectacle - but when she points him out to her friends, she’s shocked to realize that only she can see him. Is Rory going mad? Or could this be, not the work of a copycat killer, but of the original Ripper himself, back from the dead?

What I like most about Johnson’s story is how it exposes a less than flattering side of the general public. Once the police realize that they can predict the date of the “New Ripper’s” next victim, all of London is glued to their television sets, enthralled by the titillating possibility of who could be next. As one of Rory’s school friends points out:

“Jack the Ripper never called himself Jack the Ripper. The name came from a letter sent to the Central News Agency. It was a hoax, and almost definitely written by a reporter from the Star newspaper. That was the paper that made the Ripper famous. The whole thing was kind of a media creation. ... And he’s the star of the show...” (255).

Amazon has this listed as for Ages 12 and up - but I would disagree. In a way, The Name of the Star reminds me a little of Harry Potter (boarding school, London, fantastical elements), but in a good way. And although Harry Potter has it’s mild share of fantasy adventure violence, I would hesitate before handing this book to a 13-year-old. Simply put, it’s the subject matter. The story quotes descriptions of the wounds inflicted on the Ripper’s victims, though not in excess.

For those interested in reading more books like this, you will not be disappointed. The Name of the Star is the first in a series. Volume 2, The Madness Underneath, comes out in October later this year. Recommended for Ages 15-Up.

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Fans Will Not Be Disappointed

The Fury (The Vampire Diaries #3) by L.J. Smith (1991; HarperCollins, 2010, 304pp.)

After her car runs off the road into the river, Elena is none too happy to find herself resurrected as a vampire. However, she has little time to feel sorry for herself. Evil seems to be brewing in Fell’s Church, a ghastly, mysterious force that causes pets to attack their owners, and turns close friends into sinister strangers. Now stronger as a vampire than she ever was as a human, Elena is determined to protect her home town against this nameless menace. She begs Stefan and Damon to look past their differences and work together, but getting these two rivals to trust each other may be the hardest task of all. Fans won’t be disappointed by this one. The story is brisk and engaging, and ends with a surprise twist that brings the original trilogy to a satisfying close. Recommended for Ages 15-Up.

Nothing New Here

Source: Author Website

Marked (House of Night #1) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2007, 320pp.)

“Zoey Montgomery! Night has chosen thee; thy death will be thy birth. Night calls to thee; hearken to Her sweet voice. Your destiny awaits you at the House of Night!”

Imagine a world where monsters are an accepted reality. Imagine, too, that in this world, children undergo an alarming change. No longer are they the sweet-tempered cherubs you have come to treasure, but dark, brooding creatures that wreak havoc in the lives of others and have the habit of sleeping during the day. What are they? No, not teenagers (though you’re not far from the mark if that was your guess): vampires. Welcome to the world of Zoey Redbird, a place not so different from our own: bullies pick on nerds, parents and children fail to understand each other, and the high school “in” crowd takes particular joy in excluding outsiders from social activities. The only notable difference is that the word “vampires” is spelled with a “y,” and teenagers have the nasty habit of turning into these bloodsucking creatures without warning. This “Change,” occurring only during adolescence, is caused by a confusing mix of mutant DNA and hormones. When Zoey comes down with a particularly bad case of it, her horrified family and friends turn on her. She takes refuge at the House of Night, an exclusive boarding school for vampyres, where she makes a friends, enemies, and a name for herself.

Unfortunately, her story isn’t a very remarkable one. It borrows elements from a number of successful fantasy sagas, and more or less reads like an American Harry Potter: lonely, friendless protagonist discovers that s/he has magical powers and gets to attend a school for magic where students wear elaborately designed school uniforms. To the protagonist’s surprise, s/he turns out to have an outstanding talent for magic, despite the fact that s/he has had no formal training. In addition, the protagonist acquires, upon immediate arrival, an arrogant, blond-haired nemesis with inappropriate levels of hostility towards non-magic users. To top this all off, Zoey has a “mark” on her forehead, a crescent moon-shaped tattoo indicative of the Change. So: is this just another exercise in teenage wish-fulfillment? You bet. But like the countless other offerings in the YA vampire romance genre, it serves as a sufficient mode of escapism. Why else should we read, if not to escape reality?

However, a word of warning: although this novel will doubtless appeal to the legions of readers suffering from post-bestselling-fantasy-saga syndrome, this series is more appropriate for the Ages 16-18 bracket. Aside from its frequent use of strong language and sexual references (we first meet Zoey’s chief rival, Aphrodite, in a public hallway trying to force her ex-boyfriend to accept a sexual favor), the novel’s themes will be better appreciated by those about to graduate from high school. The change of scene from the human world to the House of Night mirrors the what an average teen experiences during the transition from high school, where loneliness and uncertainties abound, to college, where most outcasts finally find their “niche.” Marked, the first book in the House of Night series, will appeal to any teen who has ever found themselves bored, friendless, or lonely, and transports them from this mundane world of ours into a land of night where good friends abound, rivals are two-dimensional and unworthy of your presence, and hot vampyre guys have eyes only for you.

Zombies vs. Unicorns! What More Could You Want?

Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (Margaret K. McElderry, 2010, 432pp.)

First, there was the strange yet intriguing debate of Pirates vs. Ninjas. Now, editors Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier present Zombies vs. Unicorns, an anthology of six zombie stories and six unicorn stories selected to answer that ages-old question: do the undead have what it takes to beat those one-horned wimps to the title of “fan favorite”? Or will the power of rainbows wipe the floor with our brain-munching friends? The anthology consists of a wide variety of interpretations on these creatures. Although some of the usual stereotypes may appear, let it be known that the unicorns won’t always be tame and sparkly (Diana Peterfreund’s “The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn”), and the zombies won’t always be mindless drones (Alaya Dawn Johnson’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart”).

There are some stories here that truly shine. The gems of this collection rely on strong characters and creative twists, instead of using the mythical creatures of choice as the main attraction. Zombie-lover authors Cassandra Clare (“Cold Hands”) and Carrie Ryan (“Bougainvillea”) deliver dark, traditional stories; Alaya Dawn Johnson serves up an intense but playful zombie love story (“Love Will Tear Us Apart”), while Maureen Johnson pokes fun at celebrity adoption and Scientology in “The Children of the Revolution,” the comedic horror story of a young woman who is hired by an Angelina Jolie-type actress to keep watch over her horde of adopted zombie children. Naomi Novik’s irreverent unicorn tribute, “Purity Test,” is nicely complemented by Meg Cabot’s “Princess Prettypants,” a sweet, earnest, and riotously funny teen romance reminiscent of The Princess Diaries. Unfortunately, this anthology proves to be a mixed bag in terms of quality. The outstanding stories are accompanied by mediocre duds that take themselves too seriously (see Scott Westerfeld’s “Inoculata,” Garth Nix’s “The Highest Justice,” and Diana Peterfreund’s “The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn”). Margo Lanagan’s “A Thousand Flowers” recounts a flat, rather two-dimensional romance between a unicorn and a princess; Kathleen Duey’s “The Third Virgin,” offers a strange but uninteresting twist on the interaction between the world’s only unicorn and the unsuspecting virgins that stumble across its path. The last piece in the anthology, Libba Bray’s “Prom Night,” depicts life in a town taken over by kids after their parents turn into zombies, and is about as full of potential as a flat tire. While you may find yourself skimming through some of the stories, most pieces are guaranteed to be entertaining (if not exactly original or thought-provoking). Recommended for Ages 16-Up for use of Language, Violence, and Suggestive Situations.

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Sequel Proves to be Major Improvement Over Predecessor

The Struggle (The Vampire Diaries #2) by L.J. Smith (1991; HarperCollins, 2010, 304pp.)

Caught in a battle of wills between two vampire brothers, willful mortal Elena struggles to support Stefan after he’s accused of murder, while at the same time fighting off the affections of Damon, Stefan’s devious and devilishly attractive older sibling. As if she doesn’t have enough trouble on her hands, rival and former friend Caroline steals her diary and plans to use its contents against her. After the slow, plodding pace of The Awakening, The Struggle proves to be a major improvement. Now that Stefan and Elena’s relationship has been established, the story is free to move forward to more interesting things--such as fleshing out the supporting cast and building character development. Elena’s devotion to Stefan is touching and brings strength to her character, while Damon’s pursuit of Elena--alternately tormenting her and wooing her--makes him both villainous and sexy. The Caroline subplot entwines nicely with the Damon/Stefan subplot, creating enough momentum to keep the story speeding forward to its cliff-hanger conclusion. Recommended for Ages 15-Up.

High Adventure and Romance in a Solid YA Fantasy

The Iron King (Iron Fey #1) by Julie Kagawa (Harlequin Teen, 2010, 368pp.)

After her baby brother is kidnapped by evil faeries, high school outcast Meghan travels deep into the heart of the Nevernever to bring him back, encountering fantastical beasts, jealous faery queens, and true love. Drawing heavily on traditional lore, Kagawa’s richly imagined fantasy world provides a lovely backdrop to the story, while delightful supporting characters flank the novel’s rather average leading lady. Although there is very little objectionable material to bar this from a younger audience, (the love story is sweet and mild-tempered, and the level of fantasy violence is to be expected), the novel’s sporadic use of strong language (the worst instance is when a faery tells someone to “F*** off!”) may act as a deterrent to sensitive readers. Non-stop action and elements of high adventure and romance make this tale of teenage heroines a solid entry in YA fantasy. Recommended for Ages 15-Up.

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Offers Nothing New to Genre, But Will Still Appeal to Vampire Romance Fans

The Awakening (The Vampire Diaries #1) by L.J. Smith (1991; HarperTeen, 2009, 272pp.)

Elena, the queen bee of her high school, is confused when the new boy, Stefan, shows no interest in her whatsoever. What she doesn’t know is that although Stefan secretly carries a torch for her, he can’t bear for her to learn his terrible secret: he’s a centuries-old vampire! When Elena eventually finds out the truth herself, the two admit their feelings for each other and try to build up a relationship. Things get dicey when Stefan’s evil brother, Damon, shows up in town, and decides to steal our heroine away for himself. Sound familiar? Despite its Twilight undertones, The Vampire Diaries actually precedes Meyer’s sparkly vampires by at least a decade. Pushed into reprint by the rising interest in vampire literature, this book unfortunately offers nothing new to the genre. To make matters worse, it’s littered with characters that are both flat and uninteresting, and contains plot twists that the reader can see coming a mile away. However, teen readers looking to sink their teeth into more vampire romance will definitely find what they’re looking for here. Recommended for Ages 15-Up.

A Sweet but Forgettable Parody

Nightlight: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon (Vintage, 2009, 160pp.)

In one of the many parodies of Twilight, Nightlight chronicles the attempts of Belle Goose, an addle-brained teenager with a thing for vampires, to woo nerdy fellow-classmate Edwart, whom she’s certain is a creature of the night (he saves her from a flying snowball! She catches him eating Twizzlers! (They look a lot like blood if you kind of glance at them from the corner of your eye.)) When she realizes that Edwart is, in fact, NOT a vampire, she quickly dumps him for a bloodsucker she meets in a graveyard. She soon finds herself missing Edwart’s nerdy charms when she realizes that dating a vampire is not all it’s cracked up to be. A silly parody with a few laughs and a surprisingly sweet ending, it unfortunately lasts a hundred pages longer than it should be. Recommended for Ages 13-Up.

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Clever but Tedious

Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody by Michael Gerber (Fireside, 2002, 176pp.)

In this satirized version of the Harry Potter series, Barry Trotter and friends try to stop Hollywood from making a film based on his life for fear that Hogwash School will be overrun by millions of rabid fans. To do so, they hatch a plan to kidnap the author of the Barry Trotter series, J.G. Rollins, who first interviewed and documented Trotter’s life adventures, and whom they assume controls the rights to the movie as well as the books. They later discover that she is being held in captivity by her bloodsucking publishers, who have her chained to a typewriter and are determined to milk their cash-cow for all she’s worth. For the most part, Barry Trotter is a clever little book that molds the real series’ phenomenal success into a story of the battle between good and evil. Harry Potter becomes—you guessed it—“Barry Trotter.” Dementors are replaced with “Marketors,” evil, soul-sucking henchmen of the publishing companies, and Voldemort’s counterpart, the insidious Valumart, turns out to be in cahoots with the publishers. But being what it is (a parody), readers who expect to be provided with more than few a comical moments will be disappointed. Although Gerber definitely knows how to cleverly distort the Potter series’ setting and plot elements to his advantage, this proves to be the sole novelty of the piece. The plot is plodding, and laughs, unfortunately, are few and far between, making this book more than a little tedious to finish. Recommended for Ages 16-Up for language and suggestive situations.

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Mary Sue Seeks Hot Vampire for Eternal, Angst-Ridden Romance (Must Be Sparkly)

Twilight (Twilight Saga #1) by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown, 2005, 544pp.)

Seventeen-year-old Bella, an Arizona native, is not looking forward to living with her father in wet, rainy Forks, Washington. Her situation improves, however, when she meets classmate Edward Cullen, a quiet, gorgeous young vampire masquerading as a mortal high school student. His family is a coven of “vegetarian” vampires, those who struggle against the natural urge of seeking humans as prey, choosing to feed on animal blood instead. But when a coven of bad vampires blows into town and selects Bella as their next victim, can Edward protect her, despite being tempted himself? Although the book makes a nice emphasis on the importance of love over lust, it is by no means flawless. One of the key problems is characterization. Bella is the epitome of the “Mary Sue” stereotype (despite being plain, clumsy, and otherwise undesirable, she still manages to attract the attention of the hottest guy in the room). The immortal Edward is all that teen girls have come to expect in the vampire paramour of their dreams: gorgeous, brooding, prone to sudden mood-swings, and god-like (though for all his physical perfection, as some may argue, he certainly isn’t very interesting). Although the novel suffers from Meyer’s amateur writing style, the story itself isn’t all that bad. Edward’s dramatic struggle to keep his mortal sweetheart safe from the baddies (and himself) is endearing, though less sentimental readers may find his declarations of eternal love little more than gag-worthy. It’s a sweet, angst-ridden tale that most mainstream females will be able to relate to. Recommended for Ages 15-Up.

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Wolf in Girl's Clothing

Source: Goodreads

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause (1997; Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2007, 264pp.)

Girl meets boy. Girl loses boy after turning into ravenous wolf monster. Girl tries to get boy back. It’s a fairly standard tune, right? At least, it is for poor Vivian. With the wilderness shrinking fast in the face of urban progress, disaster seems to follow the loup-garoux wherever they flee. Without a true home to call their own, these nomadic werewolves are forced to live among humans in secret. Befriending “meat-people” is strictly discouraged, an easy task for Vivian. She’s never fit in among anyone at the human high school she attends. But then she meets Aidan, a sweet, sensitive (non-furry) boy who is deeply interested in the occult. Is he her ticket to true happiness? Or will an innocent misunderstanding compromise the pack’s safety once again?

Although the novel boasts to be a teen romance, this proves to be more of a subplot. The true story is about a young woman learning to tell the difference between love and lust. While this in itself is an admirable undertaking, Klause falls sadly short in terms of plot and character development. Vivian is the only character that truly comes into her own, while Aidan and the members of her pack seem two-dimensional. In terms of plot, what could have been a great story turns into a regrettably mediocre treatment of an otherwise fascinating fantasy creature. But Klause doesn’t strike out completely. Vivian’s journey from the innocence and luxury of teen rebellion into the sobering reality of adulthood dispels any unrealistic attitudes some teens might have about romance, and Vivian (despite being furry) has enough teen issues and rebellion to be an attractive heroine to readers. Recommended for Ages 15-up.