Kith (Good Neighbors Series #2) »

Holly Black spent her early years in a decaying Victorian mansion where her mother fed her a steady diet of ghost stories and books about faeries. Her first book, Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale, was an ALA Top Ten Book for Teens, received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, and has been translated into twelve languages. Her second teen novel, Valiant, was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a Locus Magazine Recommended Read, and a recipient of the Andre Norton Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

Rue Silver's life is not what it appears to be. Her mother is a faerie, and has been taken back to the faerie realm. As Rue goes to bring her back, she must travel deep into an inhuman world. At the same time, the faerie realm is venturing into our world too, and taking its toll on those Rue loves. When her grandfather's plans threaten Rue's city, she realizes that she's the only one who can stop him. But is Rue a human or a faerie? Where does she fit? How does she know the difference between love and enchantment?

VOYA

Once you know things, you can't unknow them. So begins the sequel to Kin (Graphix/Scholastic, 2008/VOYA February 2009), in which Rue Silver discovers that her mother is a faery, making Rue only half-human. In this second volume of the Good Neighbors series, she is still adjusting to the powers and knowledge that she now possesses. Rue is determined to bring her mother back from the faery world to live with her, but when she goes into that realm, she learns that her grandfather is planning to take over the town she lives in and cut it off from the rest of the world, making it a faery haven. She now must not only rescue her mother and a friend who has mysteriously disappeared but also prevent an entire town from being overtaken. She is uncertain whether that is really what she wants. Will the lures of the magical faery world be too strong even for a proven if reluctant heroine? This sequel delves far more into the Faery world than the first volume, making it a very different book. It is less about the teenage relationships and the mysteries that initially engaged readers and more about the underlying supernatural—even bordering on creepy. Black's fans will be more than okay with that. Naifeh's illustrations are dark and shadowy, giving the story the feel of a horror movie. The book ends on a strange note, not so much a cliff-hanger as a last minute twist that leaves the reader wanting more. Reviewer: Laura Lehner