Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

On the night of the full moon Jenica and her four sisters open a portal to the Other Kingdom where they dance the night away with the fey creatures in the magical realm of the Wildwood, ruled by the witch Dragula. At the Dancing Glade, the girls are able to forget about their father’s illness, which has taken him away for the long winter, and the resulting pressure for the older girls, Tati and Jenica to find husbands and produce male heirs. With their father away, the girls have been left to manage the affairs of their home; however, their cousin Cezar begins to exert control over their household and is determined to control every aspect of their lives. Power-hungry Cezar has never recovered from the drowning of his beloved older brother, which he blames on Draguta. Cezar despises the Wildwood and all the mythical creatures and is determined to destroy the forest and rid their homes of the fey forever. Jenica and her frog Gogu must come up with a way to thwart Cezar’s plan, maintain control of her family’s affairs, and save her older sister Tatiana who has fallen in love with one of the Night people.

This first teen novel by Austrailian author Marillier is a beautifully crafted blend of fantasy, supernatural, fairy tale, mystery and romance. Marillier interweaves several complex plot lines to create an interesting multi-layered story that will engage readers throughout. Jenica is a strong and independent young woman whose fierce determination will inspire many teens. A cast of well-developed and diverse characters, a strong dynamic setting and interesting plot will make this enchanting read a hit. A companion work, Cybele’s Secret has just been released in Australia and is due out in the US in September 2008.

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

As one of the few people who have “the sight,” Aislinn has lived her life by three major rules: don’t stare at invisible faeries, don’t speak to invisible faeries, and don’t attract their attention. Aislinn lives in fear that her sight will be discovered and she will be killed, as cruel faeries dislike humans with the sight. When two faeries begin to follow Aislinn around, she begins to panic. Soon, all of her safe places are no longer safe and the faeries begin to appear to her in visible human guises and speak to her. Desperate to discover what they want from her, she enlists the help of her best friend Seth and reveals her secret to him.

Keenan is the would-be Summer King who has been searching for his Queen for centuries. In order to obtain his full powers as Summer King, he must find the mortal woman who loves him enough to risk it all to find out if she is the one. With his previous love who has become the Winter Girl, he searches for the one who would be his Queen. Keenan is certain that Aislinn is the woman destined to be his Queen, he must convince her to accept what he believes is her destiny and leave her mortal life, dreams, and love behind.

Marr has created a beautiful Urban fantasy that does a wonderful job blending reality and the world of the fey. Characters are strong and likeable- though the wicked Winter Queen is slightly over the top. A complicated plot with many twists and turns will keep readers engaged and once you are hooked you won’t want to put it down. This book is perfect for older teen who enjoy Holly Black’s Modern Tales of Faeire.

The Boys Next Door by Jennifer Echols

Lori lives for the summer- the time of year when she can spend all day with the cute Vader brothers next door without anyone getting suspicious of her massive crush on older Sean. Lori, her brother, and the three Vader boys, Cameron, Sean,and Adam, work at the marina together and perform on the same wakeboard team. Lori has always been just one of the guys, but this summer she is determined to get Sean to notice her and prove that she is girlfriend material. Her three-step plan seems to be progressing well, that is until Sean steals Adams girlfriend. Sean and Adam have always been fierce rivals and Lori decides that the best way to win Sean’s heart is to make him jealous by pretending to date Adam. Pretending to date your best friend, who looks so much like your crush, can be very complicated, especially when you really enjoy kissing him.

The Simon Romantic Comedies are the perfect light-hearted quick read romances. Echols has created an intricate story that is full of humor and will keep readers engaged despite its predictability. Readers will laugh at Lori’s crazy plans to attract Sean’s attention and shake their heads as she scrambles to get out of the messes she creates for herself.

The Boyfriend League by Rachel Hawthorne

Dani has two loves in her life, baseball and boys- though not necessarily in that order. Determined to get a boyfriend this summer, Dani comes up with the perfect idea. She and her best friend will each convince their parents to host a guy from the local collegiate league team for the summer. Their houseguests will be the girls in to getting to know the team and finding their summer romances. With promises not to fall for the guy moving in, Dani convinces her parents to host a player. Unfortunately, the minute that Dani meets Jason she struggles to keep her promises. When Dani’s makeover done by her beauty queen sister, catches the eye of Mac, a catcher on the team, it looks like Dani might get her summer romance after all. Then again, it might just all blow up in her face.

The HarperTeen romances, like the Simon Romantic Comedies, are fun, light-hearted, quick reads that are pure predictable romance stories. Hawthorne’s contributions to this line are always outstanding. Her stories have twists and turns that keep the reader interested, even though they know what is eventually going to happen and her characters are fresh and engaging. The Boyfriend League is funny and engaging and perfect for teen readers looking for a light romance.

Girls that Growl by Mari Mancusi (The Blood Coven)

Rayne MacDonald has had a string of bad luck lately. She completed the extensive pre-screening process to become a vampire only to have her twin sister Sunny turned accidentally instead. Then she learns that she is the new chosen one, a vampire slayer, and she cannot refuse her destiny or she’ll die. Her first job as a vampire slayer nearly kills her and results in her being turned into a vampire. Now she is a vampire slayer who is also a vampire, only she has this weird blood virus that prevents her from having any of the cool vampire superpowers. The blood virus has also affected Rayne’s vampire boyfriend Jareth when he turned her and he loses his vampire superpowers as well. Rayne’s vampire status results in her official retirement from Slayer Inc., however, she has recently been reactivated since the new slayer is not fully trained yet and Slayer Inc believes that the high school cheerleaders may be responsible for the strange disappearance of a member of the football team. Goth-girl to the extreme Rayne now has to go deep undercover and join the cheerleading squad. And, if that wasn’t painful enough, she is forced to give up her bedroom when her mom’s boyfriend moves in.

The Blood Coven is a great vampire series that is sure to be popular with any fan of vampire fiction. The fast-paced story lines with plenty of twists keep the readers involved through out the book, the witty language makes for a lot of laughs, and the strong and engaging characters will connect with teen readers. This series will keep your Twilight fans busy while they wait for the next installment.

General Winston's Daughter by Sharon Shinn

Strong-minded, willful and independent Averie is setting sail to join her father, the General, and her fiancée, Colonel Morgan Stode, in the conquered Chiarrin where they are stationed. Averie is fascinated by Chiarrin and is desperate to explore the country and learn about its culture. She rescues Jalessa, a Chiarrizi woman, after a marketplace attack and convinces her to remain at her home as Averie’s lady’s maid. As Jalessa teaches her about Chiarrizi culture, Averie begins to question the ethics and wisdom of colonial government and finds herself drawn increasingly more to Lieutenant Ket Du’kai, an officer of non-Aerbrian descent. As rebels begin to overthrow the Aerbrian rule, Averie learns important lessons about betrayal, the will to survive, and the importance of love.

General Winston’s Daughter is an interesting blend of romance and fantasy with historical and political overtones. The stunning scene, complex characters, and a plot with twists and turns readers do not anticipate will appeal to many readers- young and old. This heart-wrenching and thought-provoking novel would make an interesting book discussion.

Bloom by Elizabeth Scott

Lauren has the perfect boyfriend that every girl in school lusts after, and yet she is not happy. Insecure and unpopular Lauren still wonders why popular, and perfect Dave chooses to be with her. So to keep him, Lauren feels like she has to be perfect as well- perfect grades, perfect attitude, perfect behavior. Lauren hides a lot of herself in order to keep everyone happy. She doesn’t discuss the mother that abandoned the family with her father, she doesn’t open up to her best friend, she hides her love of music from everyone, and she certainly doesn’t tell her celibate boyfriend that she wants to have sex with him. When Evan, the son of her father’s first live-in girlfriend, returns to town, Lauren begins to connect with him in ways she never expected and soon finds herself rebelling against the restraints she has put on herself to keep her loved ones happy.

Bloom is a great mix of coming-of-age and romance with enough angst and drama to draw a variety of teen readers. Lauren will connect with many teen girls who are struggling to find themselves and at the same time define themselves within the confines of relationships with others. Scott has created a wonderful first book that will appeal to fans of Sarah Dessen and will have readers waiting to see what she will put out next.

A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson

The Russian Revolution has turned young countess Anna Grazinsky’s life upside down. Forced to flee her beloved Russia with her mother and younger brother, the Grazinsky’s left penniless, find refuge in England. Anna is determined not to live of off her former governess who fled with the family and has taken them in, and desperately wants her brother to receive an education befitting his background. Despite her governess’s protests Anna procures a temporary position as a maid at Mersham, the home of the Earl of Westerholme. Anna strives to be the best maid she can and is determined to hide her noble birth. Anna struggles to complete her duties, which is complicated by her attraction to the Earl of Westerholme and the arrival of his vicious fiancée, who passionately believes in New Eugenics and is determined to remake Mersham to fit her ideals.

Ibbotson’s beautifully crafted historical romance has been re-packed and re-released for the teen market. Teens looking for a fairy tale romance with a historical setting will not be disappointed and will anxiously look for her other titles, especially those being re-released for teens. Anna is a strong, independent woman who despite all the hardships in her life has found a way to remain happy. She is extremely likeable and readers will be cheering as Anna finds her own happily ever after. The compelling story with interesting characters, beautifully crafted setting, and accurate historical details grabs you from the beginning and is difficult to put down.

So Inn Love by Catherine Clark

Liza is really excited about her job working the front desk at the exclusive Tides Inn in the small Rhode Island town she used to summer. Unfortunately, Liza gets off on the wrong foot with her supervisor, gets the worst room in staff housing, is snubbed by former vacation friend Caroline who ends up taking Liza's posh front desk position sending Liza to join the housekeeping crew. After Liza vacuums up and destroys a customer's designer belt and the belt to the "Hult" (the Inn's industrial vacuum cleaner), she finds herself designated the Inn's official "gopher". While Liza's summer job is not what she expected it would be, she finds romance heating up between herself and fellow employee Hayden. Another light-hearted, cute but predictable beach read that is sure to appeal to teen girl readers. While it is not the strongest HarperTeen romance, or Clark's best work, it is not the worst either. Liza is a likeable and honest narrator and her frustrations with Hayden will resonate with many teen girls.

The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison

Prince George possesses the gift of animal magic, which in the Kingdom of Kendel is extremely misunderstood and feared. People who have been seen talking to animals or believed to be in possession of animal magic are frequently burned to death. At a young age, George learns to keep his abilities a secret and after the death of his mother, he goes so far as to attempt to deny they exist until he becomes physically ill. As George gets older, he throws himself into fulfilling the duties of a Prince of Kendel, particularly as his father becomes ill. When neighboring King Helm of Sarrey, a long time enemy of Kendel, offers his only child’s hand in marriage, George accepts the betrothal to extend the uneasy truce between the two kingdoms. As Prince George prepares to travel to Sarrey to meet his betrothed, his father encourages George to marry for love, as he had, not for a sense of duty. When George meets the Princess Beatrice and her hound Marit, he wonders if he had found a kindred spirit. While Beatrice does not have animal magic, she and her hound have an unusual bond and appear to communicate. George soon discovers that there is more to Marit and Beatrice than meets the eye and soon their fate and the life of his father rests in George’s hand.

The Princess and the Hound is an interest blend of fantasy with a fairy tale feel, romance, and coming of age. The perspective of the prince as opposed to the distressed princess help the story stand out. George is a likeable character- strong and brave but at the same time sensitive to the feelings of those around him. George desperately wants to do the right thing, but he not always sure how to do that. As he grows and matures, he develops a confidence and courage to finally reveal his true self to his kingdom. Harrison has created a well-defined world with its own folklore that is incorporated into the story.
This is a tale that is sure to appeal to middle school readers, especially those looking for more than the traditional prince rescues princess tale. It is a bit disappointing that the book has been titled and packaged to gear specifically toward female readers. The male narrator, fantasy elements, and a great coming of age story would appeal to certain male readers who would be unlikely to pick up this novel packaged as such.