Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie by Holly Black

Valiant is the story of seventeen-year-old Valerie who runs away to New York City from New Jersey. She moves into an abandoned subway station with three others around her age: sweet but slightly crazy Lollipop, Sketchy Dave, and Luis, Dave's one-eyed brother. Eventually, Val discovers that there is more to her new friends than meets the eye (hardy har har. Seriously, no pun intended): Luis has the Sight, which means that he can see faeries, and works for a troll named Ravus who lives nearby, delivering a potion which helps the faeries of New York to resist iron. What's more, Lolli and Dave discovered early on that if they inject that same potion into their bloodstream, it gives them a certain amount of faerie magic temporarily, as well as getting them high. As Val begins to take the potion/drug and accidentally binds herself to service for Ravus, she becomes more and more deeply entwined in the world of faeries which has been right under her nose all her life.

This book, a romantic fantasy which is often considered a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast, is one you won't be able to put down until the very end, and once you've finished it, you'll want to read it all over again. It has complex and likable characters (I thoroughly enjoyed Val's comparisons of life to video games and some of her reckless decisions, and I adored Ravus, with his gold eyes and wisdom. I even found myself liking sullen Luis, toward the end). It has faeries, swordfighting, and New York city. Best of all, it makes you think about things you've taken for granted your entire life in a whole new light, the way Ravus, with his broad perception of beauty, does. In his eyes, a gum wrapper transforms into "a mirror that never cracks," and a cigarette butt becomes "the breath of a man." The best books, in my opinion, are the ones that leave you thinking even after you're done reading them, and needless to say, Valiant is one of them. Make sure to read it before it becomes the next Twilight, though (and you know what I'm talking about. I love the Twilight books, but they're not exactly Edgar Allen Poe or anything. Plus, the fanbase is starting to scare me)--Holly Black's enticing story is being optioned as a movie, possibly to be released in 2010!

On a side note: The thing about Val's boyfriend really grossed me out. I mean, I know that stuff happens, but was it really necessary? I can think of plenty of other perfectly legitimate catalysts. I have to hand it to Holly Black, though--it really made me sympathize with Val.

Lovingly yours,
FBF