Wildefire (review)

Ashline thought she had enough trouble being the only Polynesian girl at school and having a lame boyfriend. Now, however, she’s learned that he older sister wants to kill her; more problematic still, she’s one of a group of gods and goddesses who were all drawn to this boarding school by a blind siren—who may or may not be one of the good guys. In a cool divergence from the usual Greek/Roman mythical embodiments, these teens represent Shinto, Zulu, Norse, Egyptian and, of course, Polynesian gods and goddesses, and they remain very much themselves (a culturally diverse group with typical American teen interests) while also trying on their newly revealed identities. Ash, stuck between two sisters who both think nothing of killing as a resolution to all problems, is relieved that she can rely on her hottie park-ranger boyfriend, but even he isn’t who he seems to be. There are many complex threads and clever red herrings sprinkled throughout that will keep readers guessing about who is good or bad, who represents what mythical figures, and whether Ash is doomed before she even settles into being Pele, but Knight handles it all with aplomb, keeping the focus on the not always wise but deeply amiable Ash while the world seems to keep falling apart around her. The universality and timelessness of these figures, who keep being reborn without their old memories, is intriguing, as are the tragic relationships between Ash and her sisters, who are all seemingly stuck replaying their destined roles over and over again. Pair this with Paranormalcy (BCCB 12/10) by Kiersten White for two strong heroines who can kick butt with the best of them but would very much rather deal with all of the mundane issues of ordinary teen life.