Tuesdays at the Castle
Bloomsbury, 2011, ISBN: 9780599906447
Celie is the youngest daughter of the King and Queen. They live in a wonderfully accepting Castle, that helps (or hinders) people according to how well it likes them or not. Thankfully, Celie's parents (and ancestors) have been good people, and the castle has currently taken quite a shine to not only Celie's parents, but to her and to her siblings (good thing too, as her brother Rolf is in line to be king).
The book begins with tragedy - parents missing, presumed dead. The Council takes over, menacing envoys from neighboring greedy kingdoms appear almost magically soon after, and before one can blink, the three siblings are in a fight for their lives, and for the continued existance of the kingdom and the Castle.
This is a super-quick read, on the juvenile level (characters have crushes, but are gently teased for it, and exhibit those crushes by being overly nice or by blushing a lot). The siblings have a delightful relationship, and they are believably stubborn and amusingly defiant in the face of overwhelming opposition.
Very good addition to the collection of modern stories told with a fairy-tale feel. I'll put this one up there with Liar's Moon, Princess Academy, and Bella at Midnight. Keep an eye out for this author - this was a delightful read.
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