Black, Holly. Valiant: A Modern Tale of Fairie. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2005. Print.
ANNOTATION: Sixteen year-old Val runs away to New York City after catching her mom sleeping with her boyfriend. Picked up by a group of street kids, Val’s life takes a sharp turn--down into a dark, magic world she never believed existed.
JUSTIFICATION FOR NOMINATION: Dark, edgy and mysterious,Valiant is the ultimate urban fairy tale. Holly Black writes with a pristine hand--an amazing display of gripping suspense and beautiful imagery sweeps the reader down a rabbit hole into a world of addiction, fantasy, debauchery and charm.
Val, the young protagonist, is an ordinary girl from Jersey who runs away from one dark reality only to discover another. In the underworld of New York City, Val is confronted with magical drugs, murderous monsters and human betrayal. Black’s realistic portrayal of addiction, sexuality and despair may cause discomfort in readers, but may be a breath of fresh air to many teens; the book presents questions about parenting, friendship and identity, and what it means to courageously fight for those you love.
GENRE: Realistic/Edgy/Problem, Coming of Age
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