Glimmerglass (Faeriewalker, Book 1) by Jenna Black Grades 7+ 304 pages St. Martin's Griffin May 2010 Paperback     You know those books for young adults that feature a teen girl who gets into trouble despite the wise guidance of her sensible parents? Glimmerglass isn’t one of them. Dana is sixteen years old and saddled with an alcoholic mother, so it’s Dana who provides the wise guidance. Too bad her mother never listens to her. On the other hand, Dana probably wouldn’t know that she’s half Fae if her mother hadn’t spilled the beans during one of her drunken ramblings. According to Mom, that’s why they have to keep bouncing around from city to city; Dana’s dad is involved in some political intrigue back in Avalon, the land where Fae and humans coexist between the worlds of magic and the mundane, and Dana could be in danger because of him. As much as she loves her mother, Dana has had enough of the embarrassing antics and rambling lifestyle. It takes just a little research to locate her father and make contact with him. He’s thrilled to learn that he has a daughter and Dana is ready for a change, so a father-daughter reunion is quickly arranged. They have to meet in Avalon, of course, because Fae can’t exist outside the realm, and Dana is quickly on a plane and headed toward a destiny that she never could have imagined. Just minutes after her arrival, Dana discovers that the political intrigue her mother warned her about is more complicated than a little campaign backstabbing. Dana figures out right away that she can’t trust anyone in Avalon, not even her adoring dad. But why is it that every faction seems to want the support of a teenage girl who is only half Fae? Everyone in the place offers to protect her from the bad guys, but often that protection bears a striking resemblance to kidnapping. It isn’t long before Dana learns that she is considerably more valuable than she realizes, and that she is completely helpless in a strange land full of magic and evil. The first installment of Jenna Black’s Faeriewalker series is a joy to read. Complex characters and complicated plot lines propel the story smoothly across the boundaries of fiction and fantasy. Black’s youthful, chatty writing style is friendly and believable, giving readers a protagonist who could be the nice and totally real young girl next door. The Fae world and its magical properties blend seamlessly with the world on this side of the border, welcoming us into a realm that mirrors our own for ambition and cruelty yet promises something greater – if only the forces for good can survive. Glimmerglass enchants absolutely, and heralds the beginning of a series that might well topple Potter and Twilight from their pedestals.     web reviews   Deborah Adams/2010 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)