Except the Queen by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder

I blogged about this book on Teaser Tuesday and finished it the other day (and have now added it to my "Want" list).  I had ordered this for our library's collection, but then had to wait to get my hands on it (seems somebody else had their eye on it and grabbed it first! )

Here's the summary, taken from the publisher:  Sisters Serena and Meteora were once proud members of the high court of the Fairy Queen- until they played a prank that angered her highness. Separated and banished to the mortal realm of Earth, they must find a way to survive in a strange world in which they have no power. But there is more to their new home than they first suspect...
             A sympathetic Meteora bonds with a troubled young girl with an ornate tattoo on her neck. Meteora recognizes it as a magic symbol that will surely bring danger down on them all. Serena, meanwhile, takes in a tortured homeless boy whose mind is plagued by dark visions. The signs point to a rising power that threatens to tear asunder both fairy and human worlds.
            And the sisters realize that perhaps the queen cast them from their homes not out of anger or spite- but because they were the only ones who could do what must be done...

What I thought:  Jane Yolen has been a favorite author of mine, ever since I was a kid and my mom gave me a copy of the book The Moon Ribbon and Other Tales.  I've always considered her a first-rate storyteller, so was excited when I heard she was writing this book with Midori Snyder.   What I didn't expect was how much I would enjoy this book.   The story is so well-crafted, and well-written, that I found I would sometimes read a passage over again, just to savor it.   By bringing the two sisters into the human world, but still allowing for a little magic, Yolen and Snyder really made the story special.   They sometimes had somewhat unconventional and creative ways of characterizing the different people in the book, and this made it an interesting read.   Definitely not your usual fairy tale --- but something really quite good, and thought-provoking.   It's not very often that I get a book from the library and upon finishing it, immediately add it to my Amazon wishlist.  However, this is one I want on my shelves at home (and maybe, just maybe, I'll buy an extra one so I can share it.....).