Readers always know what to expect in a de Lint fantasy: supple, sinuous writing in a contemporary setting laced with fantasy neatly hardwired in place. Set in de Lint’s fictional locale of Newford, the first-person narration trades off among three protagonists: Imogene, Maxine, and Adrian. Imogene had been hoping for a fresh start at a new high school after a dangerous past that included sex, drugs, and gangs: she’s smart, funny, and knows how to work the odds. Maxine, under her overprotective mother’s thumb, follows the rules but longs for just a little freedom. She and Imogene bond right away when their school’s head cheerleader marks them for persecution. Adrian is the nerdy ghost of a dork who died at school and can’t quite leave yet. Fairies like the evil twins of the wee free men, Imogene’s not so imaginary childhood friend Pelly, and a shadow world impinging on this one conjure up satisfying elements of Buffy the Vampire Slayer—there’s even a helpful British librarian named Ms. Giles. And yes, the tattooed and pierced Imogene does turn spectacularly blue in one of the many page-turning plot points. (Fantasy. YA)
