Bibliography: Werlin, Nancy. (September 2010). Extraordinary. New York: Dial. ISBN: 9780803733725
Plot Summary: Ordinary Phoebe meets extraordinary Mallory in seventh grade, and they become better than best friends, inseparable. Years later when Phoebe meets Mallory’s brother, Ryland, she falls for him hard only slowly coming to realize that neither Mallory or Ryland are exactly what they seem. When she discovers what they really want, she must decide to be extraordinary to survive.
Critical Analysis: I read this book weeks ago, but I have been thinking about it ever since. In this book, even more so than the previous (Impossible) Werlin builds an amazingly intense suspenseful story focused on a small select set of of characters. Add to this the elements of fairy, friendship, family, history, loyalty, love, and self worth and you have something that is much more than another thriller and beyond another teen paranormal romance. I am in awe of Werlin’s writing and character and world building skills.
That being said, something about the construction and plot of this book leaves me feeling separate or apart from the characters and the action. But again, as I type this, I can even see the genius there. Phoebe herself and in the end Mallory as well are separate and apart from their world. Phoebe would not be Phoebe nor Mallory Mallory if they were able to turn to a supportive network of family and friends. Again Werlin has written an, for lack of a better term, adult book that deserves wide readership beyond the teen area.
Review Excerpts: “In the hands of a less talented author, this would be a hot mess. Happily, Werlin crafts her characters so deftly and unrolls the story so cleverly that … readers will be under the spell till the end”–Booklist
“Werlin smoothly blends contemporary realism and fantasy, here basing the story on the real historical figure Mayer Rothschild and spinning his family’s extraordinary success into a supernatural bargain. … Phoebe’s final reckoning with the faeries tests her own inner strength; ultimately her survival depends on it — just as in the real world.”–Hornbook
“”Beguiling . . . This proudly Jewish fantasy offers a compelling tale of friendship and a refreshing antidote to faerie stories about that one special girl deserving of supernatural love.”–Kirkus Reviews
“Werlin raises interesting questions about honesty, love, and what it truly means to be ‘extraordinary.’ ”–Publisher’s Weekly
Reviewed from publisher provided advanced copy. Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.




