The Marked Girl, written by Lindsey Klingele, reviewed by Anneliese White

Summary: Liv is your average teen, making a movie with some of her best friends during the summer, when her whole life changes after a mysterious earthquake brings a group of time traveling teens here on a quest to save their land. Cedric is a prince with special warrior powers who jumps through a portal with two of his friends to save his land and royal family from a group of evil creatures called wraths. His journey only begins when he bumps into Liv, and both of them become intertwined in a whirlwind adventure full of danger, magic, foreign creatures, and more. Liv eventually ends up helping Cedric and his friends who are trying to find magical scrolls needed to reopen the portal back to his land, Caelum. A romance begins to spark between the two of them, but Cedric is engaged to his warrior friend Kat, who just happens to be one of the two friends who traveled with him to Earth. As this fantasy tale unravels, readers will be hooked on Liv and Cedric’s dangerous quest to save the land of Caelum, and following Liv’s personal journey as she discovers she has a bit of magic in her too. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: This is definitely a must pick if you’re looking to beef up your fantasy collection for young readers aged 13-18. It is appropriate for upper middle school, but it should be noted that there is profanity in the story, and reference to alcohol abuse by Liv’s foster mom. A compelling feature of the book is that Liv is in the foster system, and it explores the hardships she feels in having lost her parents and siblings, as well as the difficulties of not having a permanent home in the foster system. This would make for some great discussions with students who can identify. It is a well written crusade story that ends with a major cliffhanger, so those who enjoy this book would definitely want to get the sequel by Klingele. Not for everyone, “The Marked Girl” is a recommended purchase for those fans of magic and fantasy.