Stray

August 18, 2014
Sixteen-year-old Princess Aislynn’s magical outbursts make her unfit for marriage and “ever after,” so she’s cast out to be trained as a chaste fairy godmother. But Aislynn finds it difficult to follow the precepts of “the Path” and the strict rules of Elderwood Academy, where her heart is literally locked away, and her inability to harness her magic threatens to derail her life a second time or mark her as a shunned “stray.” The plot—which draws such references as the thorny brambles and pricking spindles of Briar Rose, and the forgotten slippers and severed toes of Cinderella—is promising, aiming to flip the princess-centric focus of classic fairy tales on its head. Unfortunately, newcomer Sussman’s storytelling is lacking in necessary exposition, asking more questions about this strange, stringent world than it answers and peppering the text with dangling subplots that fail to coalesce or conclude. Perhaps most disturbing is her treatment of Aislynn’s self-harming behavior (she discharges magic into herself, leaving large welts on her limbs), which is mentioned sparingly and too easily dismissed. Ages 13–up. Agent: Samantha Shea, Georges Borchardt Inc.

August 15, 2014
Fairy-tale tropes are turned on their heads in this exploration of class and ideology. Aislynn is a princess who has always intended to follow the Path. However, her wicked heart is often at odds with her desperation to obey the rules that state she must resist the curse of her innate magic. Despite her practice of self-mutilation to release excess magic, in a moment of heightened emotion, Aislynn uses magic and is Redirected. Now, instead of marrying, Aislynn is assigned to be fairy godmother to another princess. Purged of feeling, Aislynn's relief in her freedom from her overpowering emotions is sympathetic, as is her horror when those emotions eventually resurface. In her new life, she makes new friends who challenge her assumptions about the very foundations her life is built upon, forcing Aislynn to choose between what she's been taught and the truth. While Aislynn's blind obedience to the Path is understandable, her often willful ignorance of the obvious may bewilder readers. The creative use of the role of fairy godmother is fascinating, as is the fantasy world, but the disjointed and abrupt ending may perplex those who expected resolution.Readers who remain intrigued by Aislynn's world will have to wait for the next book. (Fantasy. 12-18)

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September 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-Sixteen-year-old princess-in-training Aislynn attends classes to hone vital skills like sewing and flirting-but her most important endeavor at the academy is to learn how to contain her "curse," magical abilities that must be squashed in order to be deemed "safe" and marry a rich male heir. Aislynn is not doing a great job in keeping her powers under wraps and gets reassigned to fairy godmother classes. A demotion of this magnitude is a fate almost as horrible as any young royal could imagine-but the worst of all would be to "stray" from the right path and leave society. She studies how to use her magic in a controlled way and care for her charge. Sweet young Linnea has lost her parents and is associated with a bad family (her maternal aunt is an infamous stray known as the Wicked Queen). Aislynn finds the young princess to be fully under the thumb of her advisor, Madame Moira. Meanwhile, Aislynn makes some new friends in carriage driver Ford, kitchen maid Brigid, and charming gardener Thackery. She learns of an underground ring of servants who help endangered "orphans" (those believed to have been kidnapped by the Wicked Queen) escape to safety. The heroine soon discovers that the world she believed in is built upon lies and manipulations designed to keep those in power at the top. This fun tale will appeal to reluctant female readers. Sussman explores some unique themes, including a LGBTQ relationship, and even a yummy recipe in this fantasy with supernatural and romantic elements.-Tara Kehoe, New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center, Trenton

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2014
Grades 7-10 When Princess Aislynn is unable to control her magica behavior in direct violation of the Path, a series of regimental rules governing her peoplepowerful Adviser Hull orders her to be redirected, and he banishes her to fairy-godmother-in-training academy. There she is assigned a princess to care for while she attends classes to hone her magical gifts. Aislynn is terrified of losing control again, but as she grows closer with new friends and discovers harmful lies at the heart of everything she has believed her whole life, she must choose her own path. Aislynn's confusion and nervousness are palpable, but watching her learn to stand up for herself is heartening. Sussman delightfully mixes dystopian tension with retold fairy tales, and the result is something wholly original. Readers waiting for a full explanation of the workings of Aislynn's world might be disappointed, since the author stretches out the reveal of pivotal details, but the enticing action culminates right at the end, which sets the stage for book two and will likely leave readers breathless for more.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)