Changeling

Title: Changeling
Author: Delia Sherman
Pub: Firebird (Penguin); 2006
Pages: 292
Genre: Middle Grades, Fantasy
Etc: Sunshine State Books

Neef is a human changeling living in New York Between. She has an amazing fairy godmother, Astris, who happens to also be a white rat. Neef has lots of rules to abide by, but that's mainly to keep her safe. She knows that she's a changeling and that there is a fairy living in her place but it really makes no difference to her. She pretty much loves her life.

Except she's DYING to attend the Solstice Dance. Astris manages to use magic to keep her asleep during this bi-yearly event but this time around she's determined to stay awake and attend.

Unfortunately all those stories about curiosity killing that cat that Astris had told her proved to be true. Unknowingly, she broke a promise and must now deal with the curse. Unless she can acquire the three tokens that the Green Lady challenged her to obtain, Neef will become the food for the Wild Hunt. Using her knowledge of fairy tales, Neef journeys on this quest hoping to right the wrong.

Changeling was a pretty fun read. Neef was a likable character and although there were times when I was confused by her actions, overall the story and pacing was perfect.

I really liked that Neef meets her Changeling and together they make this journey. I thought that was an interesting twist with the changeling theme in fairy tales. Plus, using New York as the setting made it almost believable, you know. Like, the movie Toy Story...how do we know that our stuffed animals don't come alive? New York Between could quite possibly exist!