The Marked Girl

Gr 9 Up—Filmmaker Liv is working on a summer project when three mysterious teens dressed in nightgowns and carrying a sword suddenly appear. After her prop sword gets switched with the teens' real one, Liv tries to get rid of it by donating it to a museum, only to spot one of the teens in a museum security shirt. Her interest sparked, she follows and gets pulled into their quest to get home. Prince Cedric; his lethal fiancée, Kat; and his snarky cousin Merek fled through a portal between worlds when the Wraths took over their country, Caelum. The only way to get back is by finding lost scrolls before the Wraths, who are hunting them, do—and unbeknownst to Liv, her life history holds the key. Debut novelist Klingele balances high-stakes action, plot twists, and comedic scenes of the trio learning about modern L.A., while keeping the plot rolling at a fairly quick pace. Liv is a strong main character who uses realistic self-defense when appropriate and has 911 on speed dial when she does something potentially dangerously stupid. Her background as a foster kid influences her reactions, and Klingele shows the various sides of the foster care system. Liv's caseworker, Joe, is one of the few people whom she really trusts, but that doesn't mean she hasn't been in a variety of homes and hasn't run away before. By contrast, the romantic aspects of the book aren't as strong, and the descriptions of Caelum sound like a generic medieval fantasy setting. The ending clearly indicates a sequel, where hopefully these issues will be rectified.