Blessingear থেকে Zhalybory, Ivano-Frankivs'ka oblast, Ukraine
This is the edgiest young adult book I've ever read. The main character is a high school dropout whose mother is an alcoholic wannabe rockstar. I found myself worrying about the messages it was sending to young people reading it and then feeling incredibly square. Bottom line though is that it was riveting and the characters felt very three-dimensional and authentic (ok, maybe not the adult characters, but the teenagers felt real). I liked the book in spite of wondering whether or not I should. I also really liked its exploration of the darker side of the faery realm. You don't often read about faeries that are truly frightening, and that shift in tone and story structure made for a really interesting read.