Bad Luck Girl by Sarah Zettel

Genre:  YA Historical Fantasy

The American Fairy, Book 3

Sarah Zettel's website

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Description (taken from Sarah Zettel's website):

After rescuing her parents from the Seelie king at Hearst Castle, Callie is caught up in the war between the fairies of the Midnight Throne and the Sunlit Kingdoms. By accident, she discovers that fairies aren't the only magical creatures in the world. There's also Halfers, misfits that are half fairy and half other--laced with strange magic and big-city attitude. As the war heats up, Callie's world falls apart. And even though she's the child of prophecy, she doubts she can save the Halfers, her people, her family, and Jack, let alone herself. The fairies all say Callie is the Bad Luck Girl, and she's starting to believe them.

Callie is a fourteen-year-old girl who has worked to free her parents from the Seelie king.  And now they're trying to hide while a war rages on between the Seelie and Unseelie fairies.  The only problem is Callie's conscience won't let her step aside as she watches innocent victims being dragged into the fairy kingdoms.

After finally meeting her father, the Unseelie prince who abdicated, she sees how the fairy nature affects him even though he's drunk off of the love her mother gives him.  And how he was raised and his values of the magical beings blind him to what's really happening.  Callie, a half-black-half-white girl, isn't going to let this blindness stop her.  Even Halfers deserve a fair chance at life and to be free from others.  Even though Callie wants to obey her parents, she's not going to stand aside while all magical mayhem occurs.

This book had the perfect ending.  I absolutely loved how it ended and would love to tell you all about it, but then you'd all hate me for ruining it.  While Callie's character is a little young for me, I loved watching her grow and gain confidence.  When she stood up to her father and held true to her ideals, I was cheering her on.  And the never-ending trust she had for her parents and Jack.  This book is sweet.  And I think it does a really nice job of tying societal issues into fantasy plot lines.  We get the opportunity to see what was wrong with our past (and how it affects our present) without judging (and we get a fun story of fairies to go with it).

This is a fun series that I'd recommend for tweens.  It's sweet, has character-building, and it has fairies.  And while there is a very small bit of romance, it's something that gradually builds and is not the main part of the story.  Plus, the magic is ever-changing.

Thanks goes to Random House Children's Books for providing me a review copy.

Golden Girl by Sarah Zettel

Genre:  YA Historical Fantasy

The American Fairy, Book 2

Sarah Zettel's website

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Description (taken from Sarah Zettel's website):

Callie LeRoux has put her grimy, harrowing trip from the depths of the Dust Bowl behind her. Her life is a different kind of exciting now: she works at a major motion picture studio among powerful studio executives and stylish stars. Still nothing can distract her from her true goal. With help from her friend Jack and guidance from the great singer Paul Robeson, she will find her missing mother. But as a child of prophecy and daughter of the legitimate heir to the Unseelie throne, Callie poses a huge threat to the warring fae factions who’ve attached themselves to the most powerful people in Hollywood . . . and they are all too aware that she’s within their reach.

This book dives right into where Callie's life left off with the last book.  Callie, the Unseelie Court heir, is on a mission to find her parents.  And while the fae will stop at nothing to control Callie due that pesky prophecy surrounding her, she's not going to let them stop her.

Callie and Jack have landed themselves in California trying to locate the entrance to the Seelie Court.  They have her parents, and she wants them back.  While merging into the movie star spotlight, they meet some interesting characters.  One is a girl named Ivy who is a little spoiled starlet, but all she wants is a friend.  As things are revealed and Callie finds her way into the fairy world again, she finds there's a lot more to these people than she first thought.

Again, I enjoyed the story-telling and the world building set in the 1930s.  We're in the world of old Hollywood (or early Hollywood, whatever).  And we get to see a lot of behind-the-scenes scenes that are used for those movies.  In addition, there's a lot of fairy magic involved.  Every time I think I've got the magic figured out, something new pops up and I can't quite comprehend how it works.  Regardless, it's fun to try to follow.  The only complaint I have about this book is it seems slightly childish to me, but that just means I'd recommend this one for tweens in addition to young adults.

An American Fairy series that I'd recommend for anyone looking for a good fantasy set in the past.  It's fun to follow, and before you know it, you're at the end asking for more.

Thanks goes to Random House Children's Publishing for providing me a review copy.

Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel

Genre:  YA Historical Fantasy

The American Fairy Trilogy, Book 1

Sarah Zettel's website

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Description (taken from Goodreads):

Callie LeRoux lives in Slow Run, Kansas, helping her mother run their small hotel and trying not to think about the father she’s never met. Lately all of her energy is spent battling the constant storms plaguing the Dust Bowl and their effects on her health. Callie is left alone when her mother goes missing in a dust storm. Her only hope comes from a mysterious man offering a few clues about her destiny and the path she must take to find her parents in "the golden hills of the west": California.

Along the way she meets Jack, a young hobo boy who is happy to keep her company — there are dangerous, desperate people at every turn. And there’s also an otherworldly threat to Callie. Warring fae factions, attached to the creative communities of American society, are very much aware of the role this half-mortal, half-fae teenage girl plays in their fate.

This was one of the more different reads I've ever picked up.  Definitely unique to say the least.  I mean, it's set in the Dust Bowl in the 1930s.  How many of you can say you've read something from that time period?  And fairies...  Sarah Zettel plays them out well in this book, and I truly enjoyed learning more about the magic.

This book started out fairly slow for me.  There was a lot of character building and slight explanations that take place in the beginning.  And while some plot lines left me confused, I immediately dismissed it once I was captivated with the fairy magic.  I'd love to delve into it, but that'd ruin the surprise for future readers...

There's some twists and turns.  And not everything is going to be explained.  In fact, I'm fairly certain I'll be picking up the second book as soon as possible just to see what questions get answered and where the plot picks up.  However, the major theme of the plot?  I did have that figured out as soon as things started unraveling a bit to make some sense to me.

Do I think this book is worth it?  If you like fantasy reads involving fairies and magic, then yes.  I absolutely adored A Great and Terrible Beauty.  And this one, while not even close to being the same thing, still has some good similarities.  Pick it up if its caught your attention and plow through that beginning (without asking too many questions).

Thanks goes to Random House Children's Books and Netgalley for providing me a review copy.

Challenges:  Debut Author Challenge and Young Adult Reading Challenge