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Mood: Amused ]
Charles de Lint is a Canadian author, who actually hails from my town of Ottawa (some of his books have been even set here). He has written many, many novels and won the World Fantasy Award. Recently, I picked up his 2004 novel, the Blue Girl.
Our main character, Imogene is determined to change. A new school means a new beginning, right? First step is to find a friend that is completely different from the group she used to run with. Who cares that this friend, Maxine, is an outcast with a control freak for a mother. Imogene’s grades are going up and she is learning to control her temper.
But there’s a problem.
Imogene’s new school is haunted by the ghost of a student who threw themselves off the roof years ago. He’s got a crush on Imogene and has turned to his fairy friends for help. Unfortunately the fairies involved have some problems with making the best choices. Their attempts to get Imogene to notice them bring the attentions of something far more sinister. Add to that the reappearance of Imogene’s childhood imaginary friend, who can now be seen by other people, and you have an exciting book.
Well written, this book is aimed at the teen set. There is tension, smart plotting and a real sense of what high school is like. Fans of de Lint’s Newford set (of which this book is a part)will recognize some characters as spear carriers. Imogene is a very powerful character, a real role model for troubled teens trying to straighten out.
This book will find its way into an upcoming After Harry.