Rating: 
Summary: Enchanting
Review: Ok so this story was made for teens, Well I'm past my teens and it had me lost in this fairy world. The language is a little strong for younger audience. Who couldn't fall in love with Roiben. For those who love magic and darkness along with love, this is the book to read/
Rating:
Summary: A pleasant surprise from the YA field
Review: I don't know why exactly I picked this up; I haven't read anything YA in a very long time. But something about it caught my eye, and I'm glad it did. I would also say that some of the subject matter and the way it's discussed is a little mature for many kids, but it would be OK for teenagers. The protagonist in this - and many of the people in her life - are not perfect people. Her mom is very screwed up, her friends range from somewhat to extremely screwed up, and she's not always exactly perfect herself. For instance, when her friend's BF makes a pass at her, she doesn't want to hurt her friend, but she can't deny the attraction, or at least the pleasure of being desired by someone. These are complicated characters with interesting relationships, and I hope that maybe Ms. Black will choose to develop some of them further. But I do think she and the publishers need to be careful about the age range labeling.
Rating: 
Summary: Holly really knows her stuff!
Review: This was a REALLY good book. Holly Black, the author really knows her fairie folklore. The story line was really good, and it's dark, not all sickening sweet. The characters aren't cheerful happy, and it's not your typical Young-Adult book.
I read it OVER and OVER and I couldn't put it down, and I recommend it to anyone, because it's really a wonderful book. And there will MOST LIKELY be a sequel, if anyone who likes this book wants more. Let's hope it'll be as good as this. :D
Rating: 
Summary: Gang violence, street ethics, fey style
Review: I heard so many promising things about this novel, I started off wanting to like it. The premise is interesting, even if it's similar to previous books (ie. War of the Oaks). Granted, I am not the target audience - an adult that reads esoteric speculative fiction & the occasional fantasy epic for children, however, I found it more disturbing considering the novel's target audience. The upfront, troubled adolescent lives with her neglectful & irresponsible mother who concerns herself more with partying than parenting. Kaye herself has dropped out of high school, aimless in life, with no direction besides shoplifting, drinking alcohol, smoking, hanging out and taking the occasional job. The problem is not that she participates in 'deviant' behaviour or that the characters constantly curse, but rather there is little resolution, problem solving, character development or growth throughout the novel. This fantasy book gives a disturbing message that street ethics are the way to survive without providing an alternative or the characters perceiving this as a consequence for their behaviours. Rather it glorifies violence and negativity within the realm of 'good vs. evil' and a fantasy format. Change Seelie and Unseelie to Bloods vs. Crips and it's a story that my adolescent clients know all too well. Again, I have read quite a bit of literature where the characters have unredeeming qualities and describe harrowing lifestyles and violence. I am not easily disturbed by intense literature. However, I would be concerned how an emotionally disturbed young adolescent who would be attracted to this book would absorb the messages in this book. This book is engaging (however unpolished & needs maturation) and the subject matter would attract youth who need more empowering fantasy than this. This author has much promise, but I encourage her to think about what her target audience needs within a fantasy format. I don't mean that the novels need to be overly moralistic or that the graphic nature should be downplayed. However, a hero's journey incorporates change and evolution of the character as well as more developed problem solving.
Rating:
Summary: Exellent!!!
Review: I mostly read adult Sci Fi and Fantasy. A friend suggested this book to me. It totally blew me away!!! Best urban fantasy I ever read. This book rocks!!!! I also have ADD so I don't read meny books. If a book sags for a chapter or two I loose interest and sometimes put the book down. This book ruled me! Holly Black is fantastic!! I have not enjoyed a book this much since Swordspoint or The Crystal Cave. You must read this book!!! I also checked out her web site .... it rocks!
Rating:
Summary: A Fabulous First Novel
Review: Kaye has spent most of her sixteen-year-old life picking up after her wanna-be rock star mother. From band to band and gig to gig, she packs her meager belongings, schleps equipment, and hauls her drunk mother's head out of the toilet. But when her mother is attacked by one of her abusive male friends, they return to Kaye's childhood home to stay with her grandmother. Living there as a child, Kaye was always an outsider, with her weird stories of faeries, and her invisible friends. Now, back in this place where magic is possible, she stumbles one night across a boy, irresistibly handsome, obviously dangerous, and desperately wounded by an arrow still protruding from his chest. She helps remove the arrow and incurs the debt of a powerful faerie knight, little knowing that in doing so she will be drawn into a battle between two ancient faerie kingdoms. The question is, will she survive? Holly Black's first novel is an amazing combination of edgy, modern characters, ancient faerie lore, romance and magic. Her amoral faerie folk are diabolically wicked, her heroine is complex and authentic, her storytelling is fabulous.
Rating:
Summary: Err...why?...
Review: Ok, I don't understand why everyone liked this book so much. I didn't finish it, but I had no motivation too. The book just doesn't flow. It goes from scene to another, ignoring important details. The storyline is somewhat interesting, but the author really needs to improve her writing skills, because the book is very hard to follow. It also kind of annoyed me how sleazy all of the characters are. I'm not saying they should be perfect little rolemodels, but...really. For me to say a book is immoral, it has to be pretty bad, cause I don't usually say things like that. Well since everyone seemed to like this book soo much, maybe I will finish it...=/ Maybe I'll come back and write a better review once I have...maybe not. =/
Rating:
Summary: A Changeling
Review: I just finished this book today, and I couldn't stop reading it! a huge fan of Fairies, I have read every book out there, but this one was alot different. Not only are the characters layered, but they have their own outlooks. I tell everyone who is thinking of reading this book...do it now!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book.
Review: I ordered this book on the rave reviews it had recieved. Also, I have also been so fascinated by the Seelie and the Unseelie Courts and their beliefs. Believe me Holly did an excellent job on both. For a young teen book this is also good for an adult reader like I am and I was captivated by the characters. Kaye and Robin easily became my favorite people,also Lutie-Too was also cute. If you want a excellent fairie story to read, read this book you will be glad that you did. I highly recommend it. Will Holly write a sequel?
Rating:
Summary: This is the author¿s first book and it shows
Review: Written By: Holly Black
Cover Art By: Paul Zakris
Published: 2002
Published By: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 310
Extras: None Summary:
Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother's rock band until ominous attack forces the sixteen-year-old back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms - a struggle that could very well mean her death. Cover Art Review:
I love covers that are actual drawings, not photographs. This is a great example of why I do. This cover is cool, eerily beautiful, and just a little scary. I can only identify two of the chacters on the cover, but that's alright because they are the main chacters. (Though the one underneath the silver faerie reminds me of Gollum from the animated Hobbit and Return of the King.) When I got to parts of the book where I thought, my God, this is bad, I looked at the cover and believed it would get better.
Overall: 10 (1-10) Its cool, beautiful, and scary all in one. It mirrors what the book is. Book Review:
I liked this book, I really did. It's the type of book I'd read again. If the author wrote a sequel (she clearly left an opening to do so), I'd read it. However, this is by no means a "great" book. The author tended to jump into things, that it took me awhile to figure out what was going on in some scenes. The only developed chacter was Kaye. Robien seemed a bit sizo. He went from scary knight, to flirt, to nice guy, to acting like a teenager, then right back to scary knight. Corny was just a pot device and Janet didn't need to be around really. During parts of the book, I just wanted to stop reading. Kaye is pretty hard to like at points, but that's what people are like. I thought this book would be like Gingerbread, a book I hated. I don't want or need to read books about "punk" girls who are mean or weird or "bad" for no good reason. However, Tithe surprised me. Kaye is a likeable person. She doesn't come across as fake. Even though this is a "faerie tale," it comes across as more believable than books about "normal" teens in "normal" situations do.
Overall: 8 (1-10) This is the author's first book and it shows. However, Black has shown she has a good grasp at writing people. Tithe, despite its problems, is a good book. Read it, you'll probably enjoy it. Reviewer's Note: The "F" word is pretty frequent. Don't read this book if you are uncomfortable with it.
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