Hashtag book owner problems.
Phoebe Rothschild is on the cusp of true popularity in middle school, mostly because yes, she's one of those Rothschilds. And then Mallory Tolliver arrives.
Mallory is poorly dressed and totally clueless about how life in general works, which isn't really a winning combination at any time, but especially does her no favors in middle school. Phoebe thinks it's because of Mallory's mother, who appears to be desperately mentally ill and incapable of raising Mallory.
It's actually because Mallory's a faerie.
As we learn through little chapters called "Conversations with the Faerie Queen," the realm of Faerie is losing energy every time someone uses magic, and they don't have a lot left to work with. Mallory has been sent to coerce Phoebe into fulfilling a bargain her great-great-etc-grandfather made with the queen almost two hundred years ago, when the Rothschild family began to make a name for itself.
However, Mallory actually develops genuine affection for Phoebe, Phoebe's parents, and even her "mother," who's being glamoured to believe Mallory's her long-dead daughter. So the Faerie Queen pulls out the big guns: Ryland, Mallory's brother is about to take over the operation, and he's nowhere near as nice as her.
Ryland's plan? Make Phoebe fall in love with him, have her agree to keep it a secret, and then rip her support system out from underneath her by having Mallory "find out" and accuse Phoebe of being a terrible person. When it doesn't look like Mallory's going to cooperate, Ryland has Phoebe's mother put into a coma for extra stress.
Eventually Phoebe discovers the truth about her family and what her so-called friends plan to do with her, and she intends to go along willingly if they promise to heal her mother in return. Phoebe's cooperation isn't quite enough to end the curse, though - so what's going to happen to Mallory and the rest of Faerie?
Something extraordinary.
Like I said, Extraordinary is so genuinely well-written, you guys. The villains are sympathetic but still not making the greatest choices, and the heroine is just as fallible as everyone else. It's also such a rich story, with lots of real-world history intertwined with the fantastic elements to add an edge of actual possibility.
At its heart, this book is also about female power and relationships both familial and friendly, which I looooove. Phoebe tries to draw strength and learn from her mother at every opportunity, but she's also got the classic worry about being a disappointment. Mallory's caught between her homeland and her adopted family, and there really is no right answer for her. The Faerie Queen is clever and stubborn, but when her options run out, she makes the biggest sacrifice of them all. If you want a book full of interesting women, it's right here.
As I've mentioned before, I also really love the combination of the real world and the magical in literature, and this book is one of the most realistic mixtures of the two that I've ever read. Werlin clearly did her research on both faerie lore and the Rothschild family, and it paid off. The magic in this book also doesn't turn the Rothschilds or the faeries themselves into caricatures of strength and power - there are real consequences for both parties involved, as I believe there always should be when magic of this scope is performed.
Overall, Extraordinary is just that. It feels both modern and timeless, which is no easy feat in a novel. (Just think about all those novels where the protagonists are using technology that's cutting edge for them and hopelessly outdated for us.) If you're looking for a fairy tale with a bit of a twist, it's right here. Five stars.
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