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Ash

A fresh, inventive twist on the Cinderella tale plays with gender roles and romantic pairings. After her mother dies, Ash’s father remarries only to die himself, leaving Ash with a stepmother who forces her into a life of servitude. Ash first glimpses the fairies while sitting by her mother’s grave. They are dangerous—to seek them out can mean surrendering to their power and giving up human existence. But their world is also appealing, especially after Ash meets Sidhean, a male fairy who is both protective and alarmingly alluring. Ash longs for Sidhean to take her away from her miserable life, but the real romance in the story turns out to be with neither Sidhean nor the prince who is looking for a wife. From the moment Ash meets Kaisa, the King’s Huntress, she is attracted, although at first she doesn’t fully comprehend her own desire. As life with her stepmother becomes more restrictive, Ash must call on Sidhean’s magic to spend time with Kaisa, but Sidhean’s own longing for Ash forces her to strike a bargain that could take her away from Kaisa forever. Malinda Lo’s debut novel features a vividly drawn setting, complex characters, and a plot in which the emotional tension and intrigue build, making for incredibly rich and satisfying storytelling. © Cooperative Children's Book Center

CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 13 and older
Age Range: Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13) Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format: Novel
Subjects: Folk and Fairy Tales Lesbians LGBTQ+ Persons Love and Romance
Diversity subjects: Gender Nonconformity LGBTQ Character/Topic

Publisher: Little, Brown
Publish Year: 2009
Pages: 264
ISBN: 9780316040099

CCBC Location: Fiction, Lo

Ash