Phoebe, a descendant of the legendary Mayer Rothschild and his banking family, is drawn to odd fellow seventh-grader Mallory and vows to befriend her. What readers already know is that Mallory has left the faerie world at the behest of her queen to settle a score, though details of what's at stake are deliciously drawn out. The story jumps six years. Now 18, Mallory is a beauty and Phoebe is not, but the balance of power seemingly stays with Phoebe, whose family has offered both kindness and money to simplify Mallory's life. As she understands the meaning of friendship, it becomes difficult for her to draw Phoebe into a web of deception. Enter Mallory's brother, Ryland, older, more cunning, and willing to do what he must to save the faerie world. Medieval Jewish history, ethical questions, faeries, modern romance. Whew! In the hands of a less-talented author, this would be a hot mess. Happily, Werlin crafts her characters so deftly and unrolls the story so cleverly that despite some rough juxtapositions (and a final meandering conversation), readers will be under the spell till the end.

Privileged Phoebe, living in the shadow of her "extraordinary" family, is drawn to strange new-girl Mallory; the two become inseparable. Interspersed "Conversation[s] with the Faerie Queen" reveal that Mallory is not what she appears, and that Phoebe is a cog in a mission to collect a debt for the faerie folk. Werlin smoothly blends contemporary realism and fantasy in this suspenseful tale.

Phoebe Rothschild—yes, of those Rothschilds—dumps her toxic friends for new girl Mallory in seventh grade. After four years of best friendship, Mallory is gorgeous and stylish—and, unbeknownst to Phoebe, she's also not human. In brief snippets between chapters, readers learn that Mallory has been sent by the faerie queene to manipulate Phoebe for some dark purpose. When Mallory fails (or refuses) to bring Phoebe into line, the faeries send Mallory's brother Ryland, who glamours Phoebe into dazed, romantic compliance. This is no typical paranormal romance: Phoebe's conviction of Ryland's shimmering worth and her belief that she is unworthy are portrayed as uncannily dreadful. This proudly Jewish fantasy offers a compelling tale of friendship and a refreshing antidote to faerie stories about that one special girl deserving of supernatural love. Beguiling as it is, though, this modern fairy tale isn't quite up to the standards of Werlin's thrillers and darker fare. Can we enjoy this while hoping future fantastic outings share the taut construction of The Killer's Cousin (1998), Double Helix (2004) and The Rules of Survival (2006)? (Fantasy. YA)

Phoebe Rothschild is a descendant of Mayer Rothschild, the 18th-century founder of a banking dynasty. In seventh grade, she befriends Mallory, and the two become close as sisters. But Mallory has a secret: she is a faerie, and her mission is to sabotage Phoebe%E2%80%99s self-worth. Mallory is unable to get the job done, so years later her handsome brother, Ryland, arrives and uses glamour to get Phoebe to fall for him. The plot rests, shakily, on backstory about a bargain Mayer Rothschild struck with the faerie queen two centuries earlier: she would give him five extraordinary sons in exchange for one ordinary female heir to be sacrificed to the faerie kingdom. The passages in which Ryland verbally attacks the stout, plain Phoebe are painful reading: %E2%80%9CThere%E2%80%99s just something really wrong with you,%E2%80%9D Ryland tells her. %E2%80%9CPhoebe had been absolutely naked when he%E2%80%99d said this.%E2%80%9D Though Werlin (Impossible) raises interesting questions about honesty, love, and what it truly means to be %E2%80%9Cextraordinary,%E2%80%9D those topics get lost amid the slow pace and dialogue that sacrifices realism for emotional heft. Ages 12%E2%80%93up. (Sept.)

Gr 8 Up&12; Phoebe Rothschild meets Mallory Tolliver when they are in seventh grade. Mallory, a pariah among the popular set, is saved by Phoebe, who rejects the clique and embraces the new girl as her best friend. Four years later, when the girls are juniors in high school, Mallory reveals the existence of her half-brother, Ryland, who is 24 and irresistible. He is one of the fey, as is Mallory, and he uses fairy glamour for diabolical ends; dialogues between the Faerie Queen and Mallory and the Faerie Queen and Ryland reveal that the fey have deadly plans for the unsuspecting Phoebe. Ryland informs the Queen that Phoebe will be easy to seduce but Phoebe, even though bound by magic, still manages to resist submitting fully. Real-world conversations and settings are distinctly rendered, as are Phoebe's glimpses of Faerie, and although the intermittent dialogues with the Faerie Queen sometimes feel stilted, they provide critical backstory. The denouement flounders ever so slightly in overexplanation, but the carefully nuanced, often sensual prose delivers a highly effective narrative. Characterizations are arresting and complex: Phoebe, thoughtful and loyal, is bravely compassionate; Mallory, divided and determined, elicits reluctant sympathy; and Ryland, controlling and manipulative, is scarily realistic. Werlin's intricately constructed plot combines fairy lore, family history, and coming of age in an engrossing, often suspenseful story that moves smoothly to its inevitable end. Phoebe's intellectual and emotional transformation from ordinary to extraordinary is of her own volition, which makes her the compelling force of this bittersweet fairy tale.&12; Janice M. Del Negro, GSLIS Dominican University, River Forest, IL