13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison

I chose this book because I saw some students reading it, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Tanya has the ability to see fairies, and they are currently tormenting her. Her mother is fed up with her stories about them, so Tanya is sent to spend time with her grandmother, who doesn't seem to like her at all. Tanya discovers that her grandmother's best friend disappeared in some nearby woods about fifty years ago, and Tanya realizes that the fairies are involved. Despite being warned to never enter the forest, Tanya knows that she must disobey in order to solve the mystery, but does she know enough to survive?

The book reminds me a bit of the Fablehaven series (type the keyword into the search box above), which I recommend. There aren't many friendly creatures in this story; there are good fairies and bad fairies that take turns ruling, and the bad ones seem to be in charge now. The plot has a mystery to solve, and characters, especially the adults, seem to be keeping secrets. The climax to the plot was surprising, so that's something to look forward to. I think the plot could have moved more quickly, so I couldn't give the book a rating of five. 13  Curses is the sequel to this book.