Nettle

Gr 6 Up--A fairy tale-inspired changeling story. Nettle is a sheltered girl who has lived alone with her grandmother all her life. When her grandmother gets sick, Nettle makes a deal with a cruel faery king to complete three tasks if he will save her; until then, she must live in the dangerous faery realm. There is a whisp of a love triangle for Nettle with Ellion, a "shadow faery," and Conor, a human stable hand. After completing two of her tasks, Nettle learns more of her own backstory and her relation to the faery realm. Nettle's age is not mentioned in the story, although readers will assume she is in her middle to late teens. Readers won't know if Nettle has traveled to fairyland from the modern day or some day in the recent past. Hogan attempts to create a fairy tale--inspired story for teens without the hallmarks usually used to age up the genre, such as sex, drugs, violence, and moral ambiguity. Hand to readers who are too young for Holly Black and Sarah J. Maas but who want that style of story. VERDICT An additional purchase for readers who have exhausted the back catalog of fairy-tale retellings.--Jeri Murphy

Nettle has always felt out of place in her village; when she accidentally falls into the faery realm, she must do everything she can to get back home to her grandmother. All her life, Nettle has heard Grandma's stories of the beautiful and deceptive faeries--as well as fierce warnings to stay away from the forest and ignore the bewitching voices calling to her from it. But when Grandma falls ill, Nettle pleads with the fae folk for a way to save her. Transported to the land of the faeries, Nettle discovers a glamorous world with one crimson moon and one silver and a sky filled with scarlet stars--and no apparent way home. Locryn, King of the Moorland offers her a deal: He'll help Grandma and send Nettle home if she completes three tasks for him. But a desperate Nettle quickly realizes the tasks are anything but simple. As Nettle is pulled deeper into the alluringly glamorous--and dangerous--faery world, she becomes torn between fellow human Conor, who's Irish, and the mysterious shadow faery Ellion. Nettle must determine where and with whom she truly belongs. This adventure is brimming with romance, plot twists, and delightfully horrid creatures. The strong plot and quick pace are complemented by endearing characters, including prickly Nettle, gentle Conor, and protective Ellion. Nettle and Conor present white, and Ellion has brown skin and black hair. Dark and enticing; an atmospheric, folklore-infused fantasy. (faery plants)(Fantasy. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.