Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that there isn't too much to worry about in this book, except for one upsetting scene in which a child drowns in a bathtub. The girl protagonists also stop a teen girl from jumping off a balcony, and have a final showdown with an evil fairy that involves fire and blood. Also, two fairies, who are brother and sister, are in love. On the plus side, the protagonists are good friends to one another, despite their differences.
Families can talk about the appeal of science fiction and fantasy novels. What is it that allows us to get so wrapped up in these stories, even though we usually know how they're going to end (hint: with a final face-off)? Do you prefer fantasy stories that involve mystical creatures, or that are focused more on science and life in the future? If you were going to create a fantasy story, what would it entail?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Kate Pavao
This fantasy story features four fun female protagonists who are not only there for each other, but are able to work together to save the world.
There are some great moments, too, most of which come from fashion-obsessed Delia, who delivers some feisty lines, such as: "Wait a second ... Are you telling me that this whole apocalypse-y 'our lives, your fight, both worlds' thing started because of some kind of twisted fairy love triangle?"
But readers might have a hard time believing in the premise (that they got their powers from temporary tattoos), and the four characters are the typical mix (there's the brain, the feisty one, etc). The fantasy elements are complicated, and readers may lose interest before they figure out all the pieces.
In the end, fans of the fantasy genre might find enough here to like, but for everyone else, there are many better choices to help you develop interest in the genre.
From The Book
The lives of hundreds are at stake, I pictured myself saying, because an evil fairy princess who doubles as one of the three Fates is sucking out the souls of innocent people, and my friends and I have been imbued with the powers to top her, but we only have the powers for like another twelve hours, and I really need to talk to them about what we can do to save the balance of the worlds and everyone at my high school, including Alex Atkins, the bane of my existence.
I opened my mouth and then shut it again. There was no world in which me telling my mother that could end well. Biting my bottom lip to make sure I didn't actually blurt it all out, I followed her grudgingly back to the kitchen, where she loaded my plate full of bacon, eggs, and still-hot biscuits.
Plot Summary:
After four friends put on temporary tattoos they buy at a mall, they start receiving special powers: narrator Bailey can start fires, for example, while her friend Annabelle can read minds.
Slowly, they start to realize that they were given their powers for a reason: To stop an evil fairy who is killing innocent people -- and threatens to kill their friends at a school dance.
Related Books:
Smart Sci-Fi/Fantasy Choices for Tweens:
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
Among the Hidden by Margaret Haddix
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
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Sexual ContentMain character Bailey has a crush, and fantasizes about dancing with him. Two fairies, who are brother and sister, are also in love. |
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ViolenceThere is a pretty disturbing scene in which a child drowns in a bathtub. The friends save a girl from jumping off a balcony, and ultimately battle an evil fairy. |
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Social BehaviorThe girl protagonists are very different, but are very much there for one another -- in crisis or not. |
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