Shayla Witherwood: A Half-Faerie Tale Blog Tour: Book Review

Title: Shayla Witherwood: A Half-Faerie Tale
Author: Tamra Torero
Release Date: May 2012
Publisher: Cedar Fort (Twitter | Facebook)
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Received from publisher for review.

A brief moment of disappointment washed over me as I approached Jace’s lifeless body. Here I was, about to kiss a boy on the lips for the very first time, and he was completely comatose—possibly paralyzed—and would never even know or remember the experience. This was not how I’d envisioned my first kiss—me invisible, him unconscious.

Shayla Witherwood is not exactly normal. First of all, she’s spent her entire life being homeschooled, traveling in an RV around the country with her grandparents. And second, there’s the kind of inescapable fact that her mom was a genuine faerie.

But now that she’s starting a real life in a regular high school, Shayla desperately needs to stay out of trouble in both worlds because even her faerie powers might not be enough to protect her from what’s coming.

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Review

What an adorable book! It was such a relaxing read - so simple yet so cute and fun!

Although Shayla is a half-faerie, she is still just a typical teenage girl, full of insecurities and a desire to fit in. She is terrified to start public school after being home-schooled by her grandparents her whole life. She worries about making friends, and getting good grades (oh and keeping those pointy ears covered!)

Even with her fey heritage, Shayla is relatable as a teenager. She experiences the growing pains of adolescence just as we all do (or did!) I loved that she was able to laugh at herself and didn't take life too seriously. I also liked the "coming-of-age" elements as she discovered that she didn't need to be popular to be happy and that it was okay to just be herself.

I also enjoyed the minor characters in this story. Daniel and Josi and even Bingham, Stephi, and Bree all had unique personalities and made up a colorful cast of characters. I even really liked Jace, the love interest. He was sweet and normal and not overly perfect as so many young adult books depict the boyfriend as. I liked that the romantic relationship was innocent and a little awkward just as first love usually is.

Overall, I loved the easy pace, funny, light-hearted dialogue, innocent romance, and unexpected ending.

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About the Author

Tamra Torero fills her life with all things sweet--from her nine children and granson, "Mr. Twister," to her childhood sweetheart and husband, Paco. By day she creates sweet things to eat as a bakery manager, and by night she creates sweet stories (which all too often require "brain food," a.k.a. Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate.) She enjoys reading in the bathtub, watching movies in bed, and dancing in the kitchen. She is the author of seven novels for children and teens.

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