Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

15-year-old Liza lives in a world that recently survived a war between the human world and the world of Faerie.  Now the things in the human world have become strange, vines and trees have a taste for blood, corn and potatoes fight back when harvested.  Liza’s father has kept the entire village safe after the war, stamping out any sign of magic in the people who live there.  When Liza’s baby sister is born with the clear hair that is a sign of magic, her father takes the baby into the wild and leaves her to die.  After the baby’s death, Liza’s mother leaves the village, her death in the forest a certainty.  Now Liza is starting to notice signs of magic in herself.  She has visions in water and mirrors.  Fearing for her life and following her visions that show her mother alive, Liza flees into the wild.  She is joined by a boy from her village who has a magical secret of his own.  Liza must now learn the truth about the War and her magic for herself.

A stunning blend of apocalyptic fiction and faerie tale fantasy, this book is unique and fascinating.  The two divergent subjects work well together, blending to form a world that is strange yet familiar.  Because it is about Faerie and the real world, the book is able to talk frankly about the horrors and aftermath of all war. 

The characters are just as intriguing as the setting itself.  Liza is a contradiction both fearing magic and being able to wield it herself.  The  supporting characters have that same blend of the familiar and the surprising. 

I found this book nearly impossible to put down, caught up in Liza’s story and in the world itself.  Recommended to readers of Melissa Marr’s and Holly Black’s books.  Appropriate for ages 13-16.