Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale

Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale (2002) Holly Black

Tithe came up multiple times as a recommended book for me on Amazon, but when I read the description and saw it was a about a sixteen year old, I thought, “No thanks. Not in the mood for teen angst.” But I finally put Tithe on my wishlist, and then received it for Christmas this year. Then it sat unread, as I continued to not want to read about ten angst.

Really, sometimes I’m stupid. I’ve read a lot of YA fiction, yet somehow I often manage to forget how much I really enjoy it. Yes, there are occasionally angsty teenage bits and books, but for the most part, YA fantasy is as good or better than what’s out there for adults.

Last night I went knelt down by the bookshelf to peruse the to-be-read pile that had migrated upstairs. (Which is different from the to-be-read pile downstairs.) I flipped to the first page of Tithe to see if it was what I was in the mood to read. Five minutes later, after my knees started to really ache, I moved to the sofa and tore through more than half the book.

Kaye lives a life that most teens would dream of–her mother plays rock and roll and doesn’t make her go to high school. So Holly works during the day, smokes all she wants, and gets to hang out at bars while waiting for her mother’s shows to finish. However, an unfortunate and unexpected even sends them back to New Jersey and Kaye’s grandmother’s house, where she is expected to go to school, and to act like a normal teenage girl.

Unfortunately for Kaye, she is soon to discover that she is anything but a normal teenage girl, and her life is soon to be turned completely inside out and upside down.

This story does so many things right I can hardly believe it. First of all, the angsty whiney teenage stuff is kept to a minimum. Second, nothing is predictable. Third, the writing is very good and sharp. Fourth, the story draws you in and keeps you. Even when Kaye is being whine and stupid, it’s still and and it’s also completely reasonable–after all, she is 16.

If you like urban fantasy, then you definitely want to check out Tithe. The story is good, and like to many YA novels, the writing is good and although there is a bit of romance, there is no boinking. I highly recommend reading the first couple pages–you should know immediately if it is a book for you or not.
Rating: 8/10

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