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  • Wayfarer: A Tale of Beauty and Madness by Lili St. Crow
  • Kate Quealy-Gainer
St. Crow, Lili. Wayfarer: A Tale of Beauty and Madness. Razorbill, 2014. 352p. ISBN 978-1-59514-607-6 $17.99 Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 8-10.

After the death of Ellie’s father, her stepmother turns from reluctantly tolerating Ellie to outright abusing her, and she also forces the girl to charm beyond her abilities, draining Ellie’s burgeoning magic skills to make signature fashion pieces that her stepmother then sells as her own. Ellie considers taking off, but the streets of New Haven, prowled by dark creatures twisted by bad magic and shady charm dealers, are no place for an inexperienced girl. After one particularly bad night, however, Ellie flees into a nearby forest and finds what she believes to be refuge with an old woman in a cottage, until it becomes clear that “Auntie” is not what she seems and Ellie is trapped by yet another monster. The dark and magical world of this reworking of Cinderella was better established in St. Crow’s last fairy-tale revision, Nameless (BCCB 4/13), and readers unfamiliar with that title might be confused by New Haven and the threat presented by twisted magic. The realistic elements here are more successful than the fantasy ones, with Ellie’s behavior and motivations entirely believable for a child who has been so battered that she’s unable to trust anyone or see any way out of her abuse. Unfortunately, her hesitancy to act makes for an agonizingly slow first half, and her sudden ability to trust the mother of her love interest at the book’s conclusion seems more convenient than authentic. Still, the combination of dark magic, a vulnerable heroine, and a handsome hero is likely to please readers reluctant to let go of their copy of Twilight.

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