Tattoo

January 8, 2007
Barnes's (Golden
) book about four friends who get special powers from their temporary tattoos has some fun moments, despite the far-out premise. Even 15-year-old narrator Bailey acknowledges the surreal situation when she considers explaining what's going on to her mother: "An evil fairy princess who doubles as one of the three Fates is sucking out the souls of innocent people, and my friends and I have been imbued with the powers to stop her, but we only have the powers for like another twelve hours." But readers learn enough about the protagonist to believe that she could be a descendent of the powerful Sidhe, and the girls cleverly put to use their powers (Annabelle can control minds, Zo can see the future and Bailey can start fires). The book's best moments may come from ditzy Delia, with the power of transmogrification, who turns a hotel door lock into butterscotch pudding, plus gives the girls Rollerblades when they're on the chase, including a fashionable pair for herself that look like high heels. Delia also delivers the book's best line when facing off against evil Alecca: "You think you're bad?... I'm on the cheerleading squad; I know what real
evil looks like." In the end, readers will get a few good laughs from these sassy heroines. Ages 12-up.

January 1, 2007
Gr 6 Up-Teenaged Bailey Morgan and her three best friends impulsively buy swirly shaped temporary tattoos to complement their outfits for the upcoming school dance. Suddenly, Bailey hears voices that say, "She comes. To fight, to live, she comes." Soon the girls discover that the tattoos have given them supernatural gifts: Bailey can start fires with her thoughts, Annabelle can read minds, Delia has the power to transmogrify objects, and Zo has premonitions. Bailey's dreams reveal that the voices in her head are from two ancient fairy warriors who are variations of the mythological Fates who control the thread of life of mortals and immortals. Adea and her sister Alecca both fell in love with Valgius, and when he rejected her for Adea, Alecca vowed to destroy the couple. She then began to gain power from young humans by giving them a vision of their secret desires, wrapping a web around them, and then pulling the life from their bodies. Zo's premonitions show that Alecca is planning to kill many students at the dance. Bailey discovers that she's one of a long line of humans who have been chosen to maintain the balance between both worlds. This chick-lit fantasy, similar to though not as dark as Neal Shusterman's fairy-tale retellings, is a fast-paced, fun read for "Buffy" and "Charmed" fans."Sharon Rawlins, NJ Library for the Blind and Handicapped, Trenton"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2007
Imagine the gang from the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series with magic tattoos that give them each different powers. Fashionable, boy-crazy Delia can now transmogrify objects; athletic Zo has become prescient; and brainy Annabelle reads minds and can speak through others. Narrator Bailey gets two gifts: telekinesis and telepathy, because she is also the liaison between the mysterious fairies and Fates who are fighting to gain control of our world. Barnes, a recent Yale graduate, has made great progress since her first novel, " Golden" (2006). The plot complexities are many and varied--Celtic mythology, Wiccan practices, high-school crushes, and mean-girl cliques--but easy enough to follow. Spunky, fun-loving, and sometimes cranky teen-girl friendships and realistic dialogue propel this character-driven, fast-paced read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)