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Oaktown Fey #1
Pretty Peg
A Harmony Ink Press Young Adult Title
High school senior Josy Grant already had plenty on her plate before she found the magic puppet theater her murdered sister left behind. Despite Josy’s grief, the responsibility of taking care of her family falls to her, and being queer doesn’t make dealing with school any easier. Things only get worse when sexy new girl Nicky tells Josy her sister died at the hands of a mysterious figure from the Faerie Realm called the Woodcutter, and if they can’t stop him, Josy and her remaining sister will be next.
They have just days before the Woodcutter strikes again on the autumn equinox, so Josy follows Nicky into the Faerie Realm to hunt him. Along the way, she discovers Fey gifts of her own and answers to the questions that have driven the Grant family apart. Nothing comes for free when dealing with Fey, though, and those gifts and answers might come at a terrible price.
High school senior Josy Grant already had plenty on her plate before she found the magic puppet theater her murdered sister left behind. Despite Josy’s grief, the responsibility of taking care of her family falls to her, and being queer doesn’t make dealing with school any easier. Things only get worse when sexy new girl Nicky tells Josy her sister died at the hands of a mysterious figure from the Faerie Realm called the Woodcutter, and if they can’t stop him, Josy and her remaining sister will be next.
They have just days before the Woodcutter strikes again on the autumn equinox, so Josy follows Nicky into the Faerie Realm to hunt him. Along the way, she discovers Fey gifts of her own and answers to the questions that have driven the Grant family apart. Nothing comes for free when dealing with Fey, though, and those gifts and answers might come at a terrible price.
266 pages, ebook
First published June 4, 2014
About the author
Skye Allen
3 books5 followersSkye Allen wrote PRETTY PEG and THE SONGBIRD THIEF, both queer YA fantasy novels. THE SONGBIRD THIEF was a Goldie Award finalist and won a FAPA President’s Book Award. She has had stories in Cloud Lake Literary, Mythaxis, Toasted Cheese, and Of Dragons and Magic, and poetry in Insomnia and Sinister Wisdom. She is a graduate of the Viable Paradise writers workshop. She lives on Lekwungen territory in Victoria, BC, Canada. She/her.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 8, 2017
The Goosebumps type cover for this book gave me the impression this would be a light-hearted teenage mystery caper a la Nancy Drew or steer towards a younger YA audience, say thirteen or fourteen. However, within the first chapter, those preconceived notions were quickly shattered.
This is still a YA novel and there is a mystery but darker themes are introduced straight away, namely that Josy is dealing with the recent death of her older sister having been killed in Afghanistan, her father is an alcoholic, her mom is a pill popper, and her family is separated. She's got a lot on her plate but it's not all dour, either. For mature subjects, the book also touches on the topics of sex, drugs, sexual abuse and how a family can be torn apart by an internal tragedy.
A plus to this read was that it kicks off from the first few pages both in the darker set up AND the fantasy realm of the Fey. A reader certainly doesn't have to wait around before things get interesting.
For the fantasy element, there's a decent amount of world building and a lot of imagination when it comes to the fantasy characters and their environment. For the mystery, there are a few; the Fey world, the nature/intentions of Nicky, and figuring out who both a turncoat spy and possible murderer are, who could be separate people or one in the same. There are a few viable candidates in the running so it's a toss up who we guess but the reveal isn't out of the blue, either. There's a good balance in that way.
Our lead, Josy, is also a size 20, a lesbian that is out to her family and comfortable with her sexuality, and is a senior in high school. She doesn't feel completely confident about her body and she experiences some off page bullying but the plot is never about wanting to lose weight, feeling insecure about her sexuality, or hating herself. Her best friend is body positive towards her and Nicky, Josy's love interest, is attracted to her the way she is.
Josy is a strong, likable character and Neil (the best friend) is great.
I also liked that the book wraps up in a fairly satisfying way without everything being magically fixed. The book touches on some heavy subject matter and I do warn there is a sexual abuse trigger (though it's not with Josy) so it wouldn't make sense for everything to be super happy.
Though it's not absent by any means, I do wish that there was more intimacy or relationship development between Nicky and Josy before the books end and I would've liked to know more about the fantasy world than we were given. We basically get to spend time there but the laws, politics, and enchantment aren't completely explained. I was also itching for Josy to be more active in the final scenes vs more just being brave and getting caught up in the action.
I did find this to be a unique and interesting read and was pleasantly surprised. In general, the book is written well technically and story-wise. This is a kindle unlimited but whether buying or renting the book outright, I think it's worth the read.
This is still a YA novel and there is a mystery but darker themes are introduced straight away, namely that Josy is dealing with the recent death of her older sister having been killed in Afghanistan, her father is an alcoholic, her mom is a pill popper, and her family is separated. She's got a lot on her plate but it's not all dour, either. For mature subjects, the book also touches on the topics of sex, drugs, sexual abuse and how a family can be torn apart by an internal tragedy.
A plus to this read was that it kicks off from the first few pages both in the darker set up AND the fantasy realm of the Fey. A reader certainly doesn't have to wait around before things get interesting.
For the fantasy element, there's a decent amount of world building and a lot of imagination when it comes to the fantasy characters and their environment. For the mystery, there are a few; the Fey world, the nature/intentions of Nicky, and figuring out who both a turncoat spy and possible murderer are, who could be separate people or one in the same. There are a few viable candidates in the running so it's a toss up who we guess but the reveal isn't out of the blue, either. There's a good balance in that way.
Our lead, Josy, is also a size 20, a lesbian that is out to her family and comfortable with her sexuality, and is a senior in high school. She doesn't feel completely confident about her body and she experiences some off page bullying but the plot is never about wanting to lose weight, feeling insecure about her sexuality, or hating herself. Her best friend is body positive towards her and Nicky, Josy's love interest, is attracted to her the way she is.
Josy is a strong, likable character and Neil (the best friend) is great.
I also liked that the book wraps up in a fairly satisfying way without everything being magically fixed. The book touches on some heavy subject matter and I do warn there is a sexual abuse trigger (though it's not with Josy) so it wouldn't make sense for everything to be super happy.
Though it's not absent by any means, I do wish that there was more intimacy or relationship development between Nicky and Josy before the books end and I would've liked to know more about the fantasy world than we were given. We basically get to spend time there but the laws, politics, and enchantment aren't completely explained. I was also itching for Josy to be more active in the final scenes vs more just being brave and getting caught up in the action.
I did find this to be a unique and interesting read and was pleasantly surprised. In general, the book is written well technically and story-wise. This is a kindle unlimited but whether buying or renting the book outright, I think it's worth the read.
June 12, 2016
Fare Thee Well My Fairy Fey…
What a wild ride! It’s so refreshing to spend time with a queer, plus-sized Young Adult heroine, Josy Grant, at the heart of Pretty Peg, rather than the usual perky cheerleaders or depressed Goth girls. This story reminded me of everything I love about world mythology and folk tales all rolled up into one truly exciting story: dramatic, entertaining, and psychologically true. Skye Allen does a wonderful job creating a fantasy world that is completely alien and yet so familiar, classical and also original at the same time. Not an easy feat, either. Josy and sexy Nicky’s love story had me turning the pages, too. Skye Allen knows how to write realistic crushes. All the characters in the book breathe and tremble with life, even the minor ones. The universal themes in Pretty Peg are older than Stonehenge, the Pyramids, or the first humble cave paintings. Skye Allen’s contribution was to collect them all together, articulate them, and give us, her readers, a thrilling new novel.
What a wild ride! It’s so refreshing to spend time with a queer, plus-sized Young Adult heroine, Josy Grant, at the heart of Pretty Peg, rather than the usual perky cheerleaders or depressed Goth girls. This story reminded me of everything I love about world mythology and folk tales all rolled up into one truly exciting story: dramatic, entertaining, and psychologically true. Skye Allen does a wonderful job creating a fantasy world that is completely alien and yet so familiar, classical and also original at the same time. Not an easy feat, either. Josy and sexy Nicky’s love story had me turning the pages, too. Skye Allen knows how to write realistic crushes. All the characters in the book breathe and tremble with life, even the minor ones. The universal themes in Pretty Peg are older than Stonehenge, the Pyramids, or the first humble cave paintings. Skye Allen’s contribution was to collect them all together, articulate them, and give us, her readers, a thrilling new novel.
January 9, 2017
I received this book on NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't love this book but I didn't hate it either. The cover needs work. The characters and scenery are great, the idea is good, but I think the plot is a little predictable and yet unrealistic (even for a fantasy novel). The positive qualities (characters and scenery) are almost good enough to overlook the bad (plot and silent decisions), but not quite.
Thank you for letting me read this book!
I didn't love this book but I didn't hate it either. The cover needs work. The characters and scenery are great, the idea is good, but I think the plot is a little predictable and yet unrealistic (even for a fantasy novel). The positive qualities (characters and scenery) are almost good enough to overlook the bad (plot and silent decisions), but not quite.
Thank you for letting me read this book!
August 11, 2014
In this delightful and fascinating book, we have the intermingling of the fey world with the human population. Oh my goodness! Humans and fey are not only intermingling but impacting each other's world in some highly zealous and profound ways. Overall, this was thrilling. I did get a little confused on occasion, but I'm somewhat new to this combination. I would really love to learn and experience more. I recommend this story, but for newbies like me this fairly well developed fantasy world might also get a bit confusing. This did not diminish the excitement, the astounding revelations, and the touching and beautiful blossoming of young love. Amor Vincit Omnia!
Josephine Grant, Josy to most, is the youngest daughter in the Grant household, but she may be the strongest and most directed. Nevertheless, there is something very strange with the Grant family. It takes times for the pieces and segments to eventually come together and produce a partial picture. The one element that seems strong and capable of rising to the occasion is Josy. Her viscera can get seriously topsy-turvied, but she stays focused and remains quite inner-directed even with her teenage anxieties sometimes running rampant. I am going to give everyone a little hint...pay close attention to the puppet theater. Josy is convinced and I was too that this inanimate creation by her eldest sister has taken on a life of its own possibly sending notes from her departed sister. Well Josy does get quite sentimental at times. However, this puppet theater sure looked like it was displaying valid and important communications to Josy. Incredibly remarkable!
Nicky is simply priceless, and often had me in stitches, even when she was communicating some very important and world shattering information. Josy could sometimes be way too serious. She really needed to have some major Nicky infusion in her world. However, I was often thrown for a loop as these two hooked up and worked together. Additionally, I found it complicated to grasp Nicky's explanation about Margaret, *Pretty Peg* who is Josy's eldest sister, as she unfolds some of the bigger picture to Josy. The gradual to massive interweaving of the human world and the fey world sometimes put me completely off balance, but it is really the heart and soul of this book. Nicky became more than just an emissary for the fey Summer Queen to Josy. Keep your eyes, ears, and heart on whatever Nicky does and wherever Nicky is. Nearly unbelievable!
There is a mother and father in this Grant family, but they are not in the immediate picture for most of the book. There is also an elder brother, whose story seems very dark and rather scary. Finally, there is another elder sister to Josy, who apparently is a musical prodigy and potentially destined for a virtuoso piano career. Josy feels she needs to protect and care for her eldest sister after their mother bolts from their homestead because of some intensely emotional but very complicated additional reasons. These extraordinary family oddities almost get lost in the shuffle because of the mysterious, magical elements generated because of the intermingling and multi-layered shuffling back and forth from the land of the fey and human worlds. I did not want to give up on this book and I am very glad I didn't. However, I believe it may require some fortitude to not go screaming off into the night, disappearing forever. Stay the course, keep the lights on, and enjoy the ending as I most certainly did. Fantastically incredulous, but not so!
NOTE: This book was provided by Harmony Ink Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Josephine Grant, Josy to most, is the youngest daughter in the Grant household, but she may be the strongest and most directed. Nevertheless, there is something very strange with the Grant family. It takes times for the pieces and segments to eventually come together and produce a partial picture. The one element that seems strong and capable of rising to the occasion is Josy. Her viscera can get seriously topsy-turvied, but she stays focused and remains quite inner-directed even with her teenage anxieties sometimes running rampant. I am going to give everyone a little hint...pay close attention to the puppet theater. Josy is convinced and I was too that this inanimate creation by her eldest sister has taken on a life of its own possibly sending notes from her departed sister. Well Josy does get quite sentimental at times. However, this puppet theater sure looked like it was displaying valid and important communications to Josy. Incredibly remarkable!
Nicky is simply priceless, and often had me in stitches, even when she was communicating some very important and world shattering information. Josy could sometimes be way too serious. She really needed to have some major Nicky infusion in her world. However, I was often thrown for a loop as these two hooked up and worked together. Additionally, I found it complicated to grasp Nicky's explanation about Margaret, *Pretty Peg* who is Josy's eldest sister, as she unfolds some of the bigger picture to Josy. The gradual to massive interweaving of the human world and the fey world sometimes put me completely off balance, but it is really the heart and soul of this book. Nicky became more than just an emissary for the fey Summer Queen to Josy. Keep your eyes, ears, and heart on whatever Nicky does and wherever Nicky is. Nearly unbelievable!
There is a mother and father in this Grant family, but they are not in the immediate picture for most of the book. There is also an elder brother, whose story seems very dark and rather scary. Finally, there is another elder sister to Josy, who apparently is a musical prodigy and potentially destined for a virtuoso piano career. Josy feels she needs to protect and care for her eldest sister after their mother bolts from their homestead because of some intensely emotional but very complicated additional reasons. These extraordinary family oddities almost get lost in the shuffle because of the mysterious, magical elements generated because of the intermingling and multi-layered shuffling back and forth from the land of the fey and human worlds. I did not want to give up on this book and I am very glad I didn't. However, I believe it may require some fortitude to not go screaming off into the night, disappearing forever. Stay the course, keep the lights on, and enjoy the ending as I most certainly did. Fantastically incredulous, but not so!
NOTE: This book was provided by Harmony Ink Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
August 9, 2014
This book is sheer brilliance. The scene descriptions are so vividly detailed that not only do you see them playing out in your head, you taste them, touch them, hear them, and smell them. It was a smorgasbord for the senses. Just a brilliant job of wordsmithing. The main characters were so authentic and their emotional chaos was told in such a way that I thought to myself “Yeah, I know exactly how that feels.”
I didn't just read this book, I lived it. A delightfully engaging read! Skye Allen, welcome to my OMG shelf!
I didn't just read this book, I lived it. A delightfully engaging read! Skye Allen, welcome to my OMG shelf!
February 20, 2016
I loved this book from start to finish. I was drawn in to the world right away, and fell in love with Josy and Neil and Nicky immediately.
It's not often that one is gifted with a fat, queer, kick-ass heroine in a young adult novel (or any novel). Josy is all of this and more.
Skye Allen's world building is deftly done. She blends our world with that of the Fey flawlessly, and both feel real enough to touch, and taste. I wish I could have spent more time in this world.
It's not often that one is gifted with a fat, queer, kick-ass heroine in a young adult novel (or any novel). Josy is all of this and more.
Skye Allen's world building is deftly done. She blends our world with that of the Fey flawlessly, and both feel real enough to touch, and taste. I wish I could have spent more time in this world.
August 24, 2016
Skye's writing is visceral. You can literally "feel" her descriptions. Josy Grant is a great teen heroine. Finally, a real girl that real girls can relate to and look up to. I love the Bay Area setting and how the parallel Fey world ties into it. I love these characters and how the story is as much of an inward adventure as it is outward. Takes a dark reality and twists it into a fantasy young adults (and regualar adults) can escape into. Loved it!
August 9, 2014
Great read. Characters are well-drawn, especially the MC, Josy. Well written.
Want to read
August 3, 2016* e-Arc provided by Netgalley *
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews