Ivy by Julie Hearn.

Ivy is an orphan being looked after by her aunt, uncle and counsins in Victorian England.  She is sent to school, but lasts less than one day.  In running from school, her life is turned upside down when she is snatched by Carroty Kate, a con artist who steals clothes right off of children’s backs.  Kate sees potential in Ivy, who catches her eye because of her startlingly red hair.  Ivy is pushed into the con-artist business and because she has nightmares is heavily dosed with laudanum to keep her quiet.  Even as a teen, returned to her relatives, she is an addict, who struggles to make money to help support their family.  Ivy is glimpsed by a young painter, who decides that she is his muse, and once again Ivy’s life takes a sharp turn into danger.

I enjoyed The Minister’s Daughter by Hearn and this second novel is equally as successful.  Here Hearn has created a real historical fiction piece that doesn’t have the fantasy elements of her first novel.  The grinding nature of poverty in Victorian England is successfully explored as is the nature of theft and conning people.  Ivy is a vivid creation of a character who even to the reader remains aloof and distant, until she is ready to reveal herself.  It creates a beguiling novel of subterfuge and intrigue that is nearly impossible to put down.

Highly recommended for readers of historical fiction.  Appropriate for readers age 14-17. 

How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier

This is a charmer of a novel by the author of the Magic and Madness trilogy.  In New Avalon, almost everyone has a fairy of their own.  The fairies are invisible and some people question whether they exist, but 14-year-old Charlie knows that hers does.  Since she was tiny, she has been able to find a perfect parking space for whatever vehicle she is riding in.  She hates it!  Not only is it awfully inconvenient to always be asked to find someone a parking space, but she smells faintly of gasoline too.  Why can’t she have a cool fairy like her friends?  A fashion fairy?  Or all-the-boys-like-you fairy?  Maybe she can…

The lightness and freshness of this novel make it read like a frothy teen novel with little substance, but that isn’t the case.  Underneath the humor there are more serious questions lingering about fairies, faith, and friendship for those who want a little more depth.  Teens can read it on several levels, which means that it will appeal to a wide range of readers.  The teen characters are interesting and always more than their fairies seem to be.  The obsessive nature of the New Avalon society is a great commentary on American culture.  A great part of the fun of the book is Larbalestier’s teen language that is unique to New Avalon but easily understood by all.  It just makes the reading all the more enjoyable.

Recommended for teens age 12-15.  Little handselling will be necessary for this one.  It will fly off the shelves on fairy wings.