So traditional YA fantasy is a genre of books that I've been seriously struggling with this year. I find myself bored and feel like I'm just rereading the same stories with the same characters (just with different names). Now I don't think anyone would argue that this book strays from the tried and true structure of YA fantasies...nor that the characters were anything unique but I for some reason INHALED this book. Maybe I really jived with the writing? It was good enough that even when the main character made some astoundingly stupid decisions that a blind grandmother could see coming...I still enjoyed the book. I've thrown books at the wall for doing that stuff but not this one! I enjoyed the whole thing!