Tyger, Tyger by Kersten Hamilton

I wanted to love Tyger Tyger. I’ve got a soft spot for teenagers-in-faeryland stories, and this one gets off to a terrific start. Teagan, the heroine, is working at a Chicago zoo; she plans to pursue a related career when she grows up. I can’t praise Kersten Hamilton highly enough for giving Teagan a concrete aspiration like this. The YA paranormal field is alarmingly full of heroines who seem bland without the magic or without the male lead, and have no idea what they want to do with their lives. The novel hits a snag pretty quickly, though, with the introduction of Teagan’s best friend Abby. Abby is so hyper she’s exhausting to read about. She’s rather like the Tasmanian Devil masquerading as a teenage girl.

We then meet Finn MacCumhaill, an Irish Traveler cousin whom Teagan’s family takes in. When he arrives, so do the nasty goblins of the S... Read More