Tiger's Quest

Gr 7 Up—This book follows the successful self-publication of Tiger's Curse (2010) in ebook format (it was named a finalist for the Next Generation Indie Book Award in YA Fiction). Houck credits Stephenie Meyer and Chris Paolini as her inspirations, evidenced in both the florid writing and the supernatural subject matter. After successfully rescuing Ren, an immortal shape-shifting tiger, from his imprisonment in a circus, Kelsey returns to her life as a college student in Oregon. Grieving over their separation, she throws herself into dating and her studies until, to her surprise and joy, Ren appears on her doorstep and declares his devotion. Together at last, their lives seem idyllic; they read Shakespeare together, take martial-arts classes, and bake cookies. But, as they say, the course of true love doesn't run smoothly, and when an ancient sorcerer kidnaps Ren, it's up to Kelsey and the tiger's rapscallion brother to rescue him. This series will appeal to teens who grew up on fairy tales and believe wholeheartedly that the most perfectly ordinary girl will find her handsome prince, have many wonderful adventures, and live happily ever after. If only.—Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK