Tithe (The Modern Faerie Tales, #1) by Holly Black

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I first discovered books by Holly Black after reading White Cat, which I loved. So it made sense for me to try her others. Tithe's world-building is based on faeries, the Seelie and Unseelie. I've seen this genre time and time again being a fan of fantasy, but I have to say Black didn't do too bad this time around, either.
Kaye has always felt like an outsider. When she was little she remembers playing with faeries and that they were anything but imaginary. Her mom fronts various unsuccessful bands which means that her life is often turned upside down when she's moved around in hopes that her mom can find her big break. After a bad incident, Kaye and her mom go back to her grandmother's and odd things start happening again.
For the most part I liked Kaye. There were a few moments when her quirky emo-angst was a bit annoying, but toward the end she found a lot of her own inner strength. This was a quick read and the story kept me turning the pages because Black managed to find the right balance in making the faeries inhuman, but still accessible. Her human relationships could have used a bit of work, because there were a lot of loose threads in that department.

Copy Source: Library