Another Faust

August 3, 2009
In this sibling duo's debut, an unusual urban fantasy, five 10-year-olds—overachieving Victoria, homeless writer Christian, twins Bicé and Belle, and fame-hungry poet Valentin—disappear from their homes and are adopted by the beautiful, mysterious Madame Vileroy. Their families forget them, and they emerge in New York City five years later as the rich Faust siblings, joining the exclusive Marlowe School midyear. Each of the teens has been given a unique power (stopping time, mind-reading, bewitching beauty), though not all of them know the real cost. The novel's pace can be languid, though it picks up once the school year starts and the Fausts learn about the nature of evil and who Vileroy really is. The writing is clever and stylish (“Bicé left a trail of moments like this, when people came away from her feeling better somehow—the kind of moments that were the very opposite of all those little evils that Madame Vileroy left in her wake”) and the dips in and out of reality almost conceal the characters' superficiality. It's an absorbing, imaginative read, with a tense climax. Ages 14–up.

September 1, 2009
Gr 8-10-When five siblings enroll at Marlowe, an elite prep school in Manhattan, a secret advantage allows them to edge out the competition in sports, class offices, and the hearts of the most popular students. They have allknowingly or unknowinglyexchanged their souls for supernatural gifts: mind-reading, athletic ability, great writing, control over time, and extreme beauty. However, their evil governess, Madame Vileroy, is not content with what she has already taken from her children. She gets great pleasure in pitting them against one another, regularly offering them more power or accolades in exchange for more of their essential selves. But how far does her power reach? And when is it too late to turn away from evil? With several well-timed twists and numerous allusions to Faustian bargains throughout history, this juicy story will appeal to teens who enjoy the power grabs and backstabbing of Cecily von Ziegesar's "Gossip Girls" (Little, Brown), as well as to fans of dark contemporary fantasy."Hayden Bass, Seattle Public Library, WA"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2009
Grades 8-10 The five Faust teenagers, newly arrived in New York and endowed with gifts, start second term at the prestigious Marlowe School, where they upend the established social order. Adopted as children, the 15-year-olds have spent five years in the care of their governess, Nicola Vileroy. Each teen has a weakness and a desire that Ms. Vileroy (aka the devil) exploits in exchange for their souls: Bella desires great beauty, Victoria needs to win, Valentin must write, Christian cannot be poor, and Bice wants to be alone. Vileroy grants their deepest desires but at a steep cost. References to Faust abound, though teen readers will be unlikely to recognize them. Some characters are more fully developed than others; thankfully, telling the story from alternate viewpoints keeps the action moving fast enough that this weakness will likely be overlooked.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2010
The mysterious Fausts prepare to take over their prestigious Manhattan school by using the gifts their "governess" gave them--reading minds, for example. But the governess is actually Mephistopheles, and the gifts come at a cost. It's difficult to care about the greedy teenagers and sort out the confusing story elements; readers may be unwilling to do either.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)