Fairy Bad Day
- Amanda Ashby
Publisher: Speak
While most students at Burtonwood Academy get to kill demons and goblins, fifteen-year-old Emma gets to rid the world of little annoying fairies with glittery wings and a hipster fashion sense. She was destined to be a dragon slayer, but cute and charming Curtis stole her spot. Then she sees a giant killer fairy - and it's invisible to everyone but her! If Emma has any chance of stopping this evil fairy, she's going to need help. Unfortunately, the only person who can help is Curtis. And now, not only has he stolen her dragon-slayer spot, but maybe her heart as well! Why does she think it's going to be a fairy bad day?
I wanted to read this ever since I saw it appearing around the blogosphere and I am so glad I won a copy from the lovely Lesley at My Keeper Shelf! This was so much fun and is the perfect beach read. (Okay, I read it by the pool, but the holiday read label still applies!)
Emma and her friends are training to be elemental slayer – each year there is only one Dragon Slayer and Emma is sure she will be chosen. Instead she is given fairies – small, annoying, mall-haunting, skittle eating fairies who don’t seem particular scary or evil. Emma is determined to prove she should be given dragons even if the current dragon slayer is kinda cute. The world Ashby’s created with the slayers and sighted is well realised – a combination of Hogwarts style learnings at school and practical on the job practise which feels realistic.
There are number of great characters – Emma’s friends are fantastic and add a lot of colour to the story - especially her horoscope obsessed and gambling addicted best friends. Her family life is something many people can relate too – with a dead mum and a father who seems to have moved on very quickly. The combination of emotional turmoil and light hearted high-jinks make a poignant story. And the stakes are raised when a killer fairy turns up on campus...
This is great fun, an amusing YA book with plenty of hilarious one-liners and situations mixed with some real warmth for characters you genuinely care about. A great holiday read!
Recommended for fans of The Iron Fey and Rachel Hawkins. 9 out of 10.
