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Extraordinary

by Nancy Werlin (Goodreads Author)

3.23 of 5 stars 3.23 · rating details · 2,334 ratings · 534 reviews

Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange and secretive new kid in school, and the two girls become as close as sisters . . . until Mallory's magnetic older brother, Ryland, shows up during their junior year. Ryland has an immediate, exciting hold on Phoebe-but a dangerous hold, for she begins to question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, about hersel...more

Hardcover, 393 pages

Published September 7th 2010 by Dial

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Oct 23, 2010 Cara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Cara by: Ash

Shelves: 2010, fantasy, awesome-covers

What would it be like if you were constantly cut down? Would you cave in to the taunts? Would you hold your ground? Well Phoebe will be presented with this problem. The story starts out with her meeting an odd new girl. They both have just entered the seventh grade, but Phoebe is up for a change from her old friends. If that's what you can call them. Phoebe befriends the odd girl named Mallory. Unbeknowst to Phoebe that decesion will change the entire course of her future. Fast forward four year...more

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Oct 18, 2010 Tatiana rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: maybe fans of "Impossible"

Shelves: 2010, fairy-tales, ya

Extraordinary is Nancy Werlin's second foray into the genre of fairy tale/magical realism. Unfortunately, I can't say it is as successful as her first - Impossible.

The basic premise here is that Phoebe Rothschild, a beloved daughter in a rich Jewish family, is befriended by two faeries (Mallory and Ryland) who try to manipulate her into doing something that will serve the interests of the Faerie Kingdom. The story revolves around the faeries' schemes and Phoebe's role in them.

I have many good th...more

23 likes · like · see review

Aug 18, 2010 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, ya, paranormal

The fey are mean little bastards. No, really. They are! Or so I learned while reading Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin. Phoebe is a member of an extraordinary family. You may have heard of them. The Rothchilds, is that ringing any bells? One of the richest families ever. So, Phoebe has a pretty great family, but she battles some personal inadequacy issues. Phoebe is also a kind-hearted individual, so she decides to make friends with the weird girl in class. What do you know, the weird girl is a FEY...more

5 likes · like · see review

Dec 13, 2010 Elisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-paranormal, fairytales, young-adult-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 01, 2010 Valerie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Here we have a girl who is rich and nice. And for some reason Faeries want to force this girl, Phoebe, into saying that she is ordinary. You figure out why pretty quick but just in case you don't I won't say anything. They use all means necessary to push her down. The plot was unique and Werlin's take on faeries is different from what I've heard before. I liked the part of the book that took place in the faerie world. That is the world of the faeries not really the faeries themselves. I don't li...more

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Apr 16, 2011 Ruth rated it 1 of 5 stars

Just to clarify, naming a book Extraordinary will NOT immediately raise it to EXTRAORDINARY status. And by the time I finished this book, there was no way on any account that I could even think of what this author had been smoking.

It's disgusting to see the normal high school girl falling for that aloof-couldn't-care-less tall, dark, stranger. But it's absoultely revolting to KNOW that the tall, dark, stranger is using the girl for something, and that he probably doesn't even look human! I went...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Janus Vielle (The Blair Book Project) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-paperback

After reading Nancy Werlin’s book Impossible, I was immediately enthralled by her writing. She writes in this really magical way that feels like you’re being hypnotized or something. And since faeries are one of my favorite topics, I was so eager to read Extraordinary.

The premise of this book was simple and yet so mysterious, but I liked that about Extraordinary. I also like the way Werlin envisioned her faeries to be as actual “faeries”; meaning conniving, cruel, mischievous creatures that they...more After reading Nancy Werlin’s book Impossible, I was immediately enthralled by her writing. She writes in this really magical way that feels like you’re being hypnotized or something. And since faeries are one of my favorite topics, I was so eager to read Extraordinary.

The premise of this book was simple and yet so mysterious, but I liked that about Extraordinary. I also like the way Werlin envisioned her faeries to be as actual “faeries”; meaning conniving, cruel, mischievous creatures that they’re known to be. Not the ones who go all “head-over-heels in love and defy the whole faerie law for a human” kind. Not that I don’t like those kinds of stories, it’s just that I like the new intake of a different side of it.

But what I don’t like about this book is the highlight of it all, the Climax. Oh dear! All the manipulation and effort to get Phoebe to do what they want her to do just wasn’t what I expected. After all the mystery building up on each chapter it was kind of underwhelming.

I specifically remember my reaction over it. I was reading the part where they revealed what she had to do and so when I found out, I went like… “Wait…that was it?”

Of course I know there’s a deeper meaning to what the faeries wanted her to do but, really? It just threw away all the beauty of the other parts of the book.

The near ending also bothered me, faeries are known for their cleverness and I really didn’t appreciate the fact that there was another option they could use to save their kin and yet their queen only figured it out at the last second. I mean c’mon! Didn’t they think that it would’ve saved them all the trouble they went through if they just thought of that in the beginning? I just wish they would’ve at least gave it some thought as another option if the first option didn’t work, you know like forming a plan B when plan A is thought off to fail at some point. Sheesh!

Overall I think Extraordinary wasn’t so bad but not exactly an outstanding book. I’m just really bothered by climax but all the other parts were good and sweet. It also teaches teens to see the light in who they are. If they feel that they’re plain and just ordinary, there are people in their lives that see them as something more than how they perceive themselves, genuine and beautiful and most of all…loved.

For more of my reviews, please visit my blog:
The Blair Book Project @ www.theblairbookproject.blogspot.com (less)

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Sep 11, 2010 Missie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

http://www.theunreadreader.com/2010/0...

This has to be the oddest book I've read all year. Not only were the characters and setting strange, the writing style was also odd. What was with all the incomplete sentences and the repeating of words and phrases?! It was both not enough and too much at the same time, which as perplexing as it may sound, just left me unsure about my opinion regarding this book.

The story opens with Phoebe and Mallory in seventh grade. Mallory, the new girl, has worn a che...more http://www.theunreadreader.com/2010/0...

This has to be the oddest book I've read all year. Not only were the characters and setting strange, the writing style was also odd. What was with all the incomplete sentences and the repeating of words and phrases?! It was both not enough and too much at the same time, which as perplexing as it may sound, just left me unsure about my opinion regarding this book.

The story opens with Phoebe and Mallory in seventh grade. Mallory, the new girl, has worn a cheap fairy Halloween custom to school with nothing underneath, and her classmates make fun of her. Naturally, Phoebe, a girl from a very privileged background, examines Mallory and sees an opportunity to leave her superficial friends behind by befriending the strangely dressed new girl.

Four years later, the girls are inseparable. Phoebe and her parents have done a lot for Mallory and her mentally unstable mother. All seems to be going well until Mallory reveals that she has a brother, Ryland, who is coming to live with her and her mother. Phoebe is shocked. In all the time they have been friends, Mallory has never mentioned a brother. Soon after he arrives, Phoebe finds herself attracted to him and wanting to please him.

From there, the story takes a very expected turn when Phoebe discovers that Mallory and Ryland are faeries, and have been sent to convince Phoebe that she is not extraordinary in any way because the Faerie realm is dying, and they need a sacrifice. They want Phoebe to be that sacrifice. But can Phoebe give up her ordinary life to save a whole race?

I know the story was supposed to be about Phoebe and her finding her own way to be special, but that is not what kept me interested in the story. I was more interested in Mallory. She was an awkward character, but it worked in her favor because she was not human, but she was living as one. So I found myself feeling hopeful for her and wondering if she would find a place to fit in.

The story wasn't at all confusing, but I did feel like I was in a fog while reading it. The sections titled, Conversation with the Faerie Queen, which weren't exactly story chapters, but small exerts thrust into the story in between chapters, were completely annoying and totally unnecessary. They reveled the whole plot and left with nothing to guess at. Needless to say, it created an unstimulating reading experience.

Unfortunately, Extraordinary fails to be an extraordinary novel. Nothing you need to own, but probably an okay library find. I wish I could say more, but I'm at a loss.
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Aug 24, 2010 Madelyne rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Maybe

Shelves: skimmed-for-plot, arc

I would imagine it is extremely difficult for an author to write a book following great success from their previous work. The attempt to live up to the hype can only be a daunting task to undertake. As a reader it is hard to set the previous book(s) aside and only form opinions of the new rather than focus on comparing the old and new.
I found myself doing just that with Extraordinary, comparing it to Nancy Werlin’s previous work of greatness, Impossible. For a good deal of the book I didn’t li...more I would imagine it is extremely difficult for an author to write a book following great success from their previous work. The attempt to live up to the hype can only be a daunting task to undertake. As a reader it is hard to set the previous book(s) aside and only form opinions of the new rather than focus on comparing the old and new.
I found myself doing just that with Extraordinary, comparing it to Nancy Werlin’s previous work of greatness, Impossible. For a good deal of the book I didn’t like Extraordinary. I kept whining mentally, “Oh I want it to be like Impossible! Why can’t it be great like that was?” I know it was unfair of me. I finally, midway through, had to tell myself to shut up and look for the good in it, let it stand on its own. Lucky for me it did grow to be better than I first let it be. Although I felt, certain portions of the book should have been more entertaining.
On Phoebe’s first day of seventh grade she decides to leave behind her friends (snobby and mean) for the strange and intriguing (a.k.a. social outcast) Mallory. Fast forward a few years and Mallory and Phoebe are as close as sisters. Then Mallory’s brother comes back and strange things start to come to light about who and what Mallory and her brother are doing there.
Phoebe’s relationship with Mallory was odd to me at various times. I wasn’t sure of the undertones I was picking up throughout. At times it was hard to believe certain character’s behavior, Phoebe and her parents especially. It was fairly gag worthy to read how Phoebe abandoned herself to Mallory’s brother, but on the other hand Werlin did a good job writing these scenes, very convincing.
In the end you come to realize that you have to make hard choices and sacrifices for the people you love. Phoebe grows up by the end of the book and really learns what it is to be truly extraordinary even when everyone is telling you aren’t and can’t be.
The last half of the book was definitely worth sticking with it.(less)

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Oct 10, 2010 Enna Isilee (Squeaky Books) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, reviewed-on-blog

http://www.squeakybooks.com/2010/08/e...

1.5 stars.

I was really, really, really, REALLY liking this book. But it turned horribly bad. After I finished it I felt mad for HOURS.

FULL REVIEW (Posted on www.SqueakyBooks.com 8/09/10)

Extraordinary started out AWESOME! I found the idea so, so interesting: a faerie sent to befriend a human girl. However, the goal of the faerie was to make the girl (Pheobe) say that she was ordinary. Is Pheobe ordinary? Who knows? What I know is that she was sweet and kind...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jun 07, 2013 Kristina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own-a-copy

I don't quite know how to feel about this one. Sure, it had plenty of fairy tale dust to make it seem more interesting and one heck of a plot, but that doesn't cancel out how difficult it was for me to get into. The characters seemed a little bland and forced, and the beginning really dragged on. It took me so many tries just to get to a part that caught my interest, that it's spanned a few days.
I read Impossible and enjoyed it a lot more than this one.

The author definitely knows how to plot tho...more I don't quite know how to feel about this one. Sure, it had plenty of fairy tale dust to make it seem more interesting and one heck of a plot, but that doesn't cancel out how difficult it was for me to get into. The characters seemed a little bland and forced, and the beginning really dragged on. It took me so many tries just to get to a part that caught my interest, that it's spanned a few days.
I read Impossible and enjoyed it a lot more than this one.

The author definitely knows how to plot though. It was finely tuned and ended up being pretty fascinating, but sadly other things diminished this book's value for me. It wasn't the writing, because that was pretty spot on, but perhaps the pacing that slowed me down. Plus, I believe that it was the characters and subject matter that just weren't working in my mind.

Character-wise, we don't really see anything extraordinary. Ha. To me, they all seemed extremely bland and just overall forgettable. Our lead female Phoebe, never seemed to do much. When she wasn't being charmed by the fey, she was just boring. Actually, even when she was being charmed, she was hardly interesting. Mallory was a decent character, but still forgettable. She too didn't seem to do very much.
It was only towards the end that I actually saw anything interesting in any of them, and by that point the book was over.

Maybe that's what bothered me most about this book. Besides not having any characters to root for, this book seems to be going nowhere for so long. It's only after about 150-200 pages that it actually gets interesting and the plot begins to develop. Now that I think about it, that was probably my main frustration. It took too much time to get to something interesting.

Overall, Extraordinary was a decent read. The characters were bland and the overall story appeared to be going nowhere. However, it's the intricate plot that really keeps this book going.

☆☆☆/5
Recommend?: If the subject matter interests you.
Or, if you've read another work by the author.

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Feb 28, 2013 Claudia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-book-challenge-150, sci-fi-fantasy

"The history of our family and our people affects who we are in the present." Phoebe thinks she's explaining to her new friend how her family, an old, important family, still impacts her life. What she doesn't know,is she's explaining the twisted relationship of her family and Mallory's family...Mallory is immediately caught in the web of irony, but it takes Phoebe and us much longer to see the awful truth.

Werlin can do it all...gritty realistic fiction and this menacing magic realism. Just this...more "The history of our family and our people affects who we are in the present." Phoebe thinks she's explaining to her new friend how her family, an old, important family, still impacts her life. What she doesn't know,is she's explaining the twisted relationship of her family and Mallory's family...Mallory is immediately caught in the web of irony, but it takes Phoebe and us much longer to see the awful truth.

Werlin can do it all...gritty realistic fiction and this menacing magic realism. Just this week, two girls in the same class, talked to me about two of her books.

Extraordinary. What a lovely word, but what does it really mean? What does it mean to be extraordinary? Is it being brave enough to reach out to the new girl at school, a girl who already has a target on her back, ripe for the school bullies? Is it being loyal to your friends and family? Is it sacrificing yourself for others? Is it being a world leader? An individualist? Werlin explores all these ideas in this book about the Fey world and an ancient bargain that is now coming due.

I see several story elements I've come to expect from Werlin's work: menace...menace in the beautiful face of a loved one, or a compelling man...but menace to the bone. Suspense...suspense that builds with the character as he or she agonizes with a decision...a task...a moment that will change everything. Strong young people who don't know how strong they are...and friends.

Phoebe's and Mallory's friendship over the years is interspersed with conversations with the Faerie Queen, to whom Mallory answers. Phoebe is somehow connected to this world in ways we don't understand...Mallory is charged with a task that becomes more and more distasteful, a task so hard she is willing to rebel against her Queen.

Phoebe, for all her wealth, her family, her privileges, doesn't see the extraordinary qualities, her heart, her loyalty, her courage. And now she's caught in a hideous bargain that could mean her death.

Man, I loved this book. Devoured it today in class...whipping through pages.

I'm eager to share it tomorrow.(less)

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Dec 08, 2012 Rachel Mikkay rated it 1 of 5 stars

I remember feeling enthralled by Werlin's Impossible, and I'd hoped this book would give me the same feeling.

Nope. Not even close.

I found Extraordinary to be very poorly written. There was no tension, no suspense. We knew every detail from the beginning, thanks to the "conversations with the faerie queen" that were not only unnecessary, but frustratingly rendered. The dialogue was choppy, flat, and irritating. It's not a spoiler to say, "Oh, Mallory is manipulating Phoebe!" because we're told so...more I remember feeling enthralled by Werlin's Impossible, and I'd hoped this book would give me the same feeling.

Nope. Not even close.

I found Extraordinary to be very poorly written. There was no tension, no suspense. We knew every detail from the beginning, thanks to the "conversations with the faerie queen" that were not only unnecessary, but frustratingly rendered. The dialogue was choppy, flat, and irritating. It's not a spoiler to say, "Oh, Mallory is manipulating Phoebe!" because we're told so, blatantly, on the first page. Any bit of information was wrung out in those sections. It was condescending. It made me feel stupid. It was like somebody took my hand and said, "Okay, now, this story is going to somewhat involve a faerie realm! You only know this world, the world of reality, so I'd better lead you through everything just in case you don't understand or get confused or have the slightest bit of trouble."

Werlin's depiction of seventh graders is laughable. For example, no seventh grader says, "Because, frankly?" Try "honestly" or "seriously." Phoebe's seventh-grade thoughts are incredibly self-aware. Her reasoning is that of an adult or at the very least a high schooler, not a child. However, Werlin's portrayal of adults in the novel is equally poor. Phoebe is supposed to have a huge revelation over her mother's love for her. Yet, she spends the entire novel calling her mother by her first name, Catherine, for no apparent reason. That is, when adults are even present in the story, which only happens when it's convenient for Phoebe.

Whoever wrote the summary clearly tried to give this book a Twilight-esque appeal, with a dangerous, forbidden, supernatural love. In actuality, Ryland's manipulation is boring, not thrilling. I mean, it's not supposed to be thrilling. It's supposed to be wrong and awful, but when we know he's manipulating her, that wrongness is flattened, made meaningless. We don't feel outrage or even pity--feelings that give us a righteous thrill, that make us and keep us invested. We just don't care. I didn't really care about Phoebe--I couldn't reconcile the inconsistencies in her character enough to make her thought process seem reasonable. But again, as is all too common these days, we can blame that on the *SUPERNATURAL.* All poor character development is forgiven because there was magic involved. Of course.

And in the end, when I learned Werlin took her inspiration from Maguire's Wicked and, more importantly, from the song "For Good"? I was astonished, and then angry--coming from those two sources of inspiration, this story could have been really good. But because Werlin had made it REALLY CLEAR from the get-go that Mallory wasn't being a genuine friend, all of that possibility was lost. It was as though Werlin thought she didn't actually have to build a relationship between Mallory and Phoebe. She didn't leave any room for true conflict or forgiveness or friendship. Saying (paraphrased), "Mallory was the sister Phoebe never had" doesn't make it their friendship automatically close or even real. It just makes it empty, something Phoebe wanted but ultimately never really earned. At least, not within the pages of this book.

There's a nice sentiment in saying, "Everyone has the capability to be extraordinary." It's true. But it's a pity we had to sort through a mess of a novel to get there.(less)

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Nov 25, 2012 Nithya Garg rated it 1 of 5 stars

.I honestly have been thinking for months whether or not I should review this book or not, just because if makes me really uncomfortable even thinking of going back to thinking about this book. I have absolutely no idea why this book made my sqwerm in disgust, but theres something wrong about this book. I can really pin point what it is, but I seriously would avoid even reading the first page. The problem with this book I felt was, for one, the only reason I finished this book was so I didn't fe...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Shonna Froebel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Having read Werlin's previous novel, Impossible, and loved it, I jumped at the chance for a copy of this book from Penguin. Again we have a teen girl as the main character, and a situation that has more to it than she first thinks.
Phoebe Rothschild is growing up as part of a wealthy, high-achieving family, but she doesn't always feel that she lives up to what her family's standards are. When Mallory enters the scene as the new girl at school, and is different enough that she becomes a target of...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Rafe rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-books, mythologies, theoretical-kids

I really wanted to love this book. I enjoyed Werlin's Impossible, although I thought the dialogue was kind of stilted... Werlin does interesting things with the YA girl-and-faerie genre, which I appreciated. I love the genre, but I really liked what she did with the different tropes - her protagonist was stronger, and the antagonist more actually BAD, not ambiguous or troubled. So that was nice. Anyway. This one... I found this one more confusing and more difficult to digest. For one thing, I fe...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Victoria Strauss rated it 4 of 5 stars

A bargain between the faerie and human worlds has gone wrong, wreaking havoc among the faeries. Mallory and Ryland, a fey brother and sister, are dispatched by the faerie queen to the human world in a last-ditch effort to salvage the situation. Their mission: to masquerade as humans in order to manipulate Phoebe, a descendant of the original human bargain-maker, into fulfilling the the terms of the pact.

There are familiar paranormal elements here (faeries--yeah, OK), and familiar romance element...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Pam :) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Nancy Werlin's book, "Extraordinary," is one of my all-time favorite Fantasy-Fiction books. A mystical land of faeries overlapping our world is a crazy thought. Nancy Werlin creates a suspenseful, intense atmosphere with this idea. In the story, a young girl named Phoebe Rothschild finds herself pulled away from her social clique, and befriends Mallory, the strange new girl in her class. Into their middle and high school years, Phoebe and Mallory become as close as sisters. But, when Mallory's b...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Jessica RiffeKincaid rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, young-adult, young-adult-paranormal, young-adult-romance, young-adult-suspense

Having a friendship with someone that you consider you BEST FRIEND, is something that Phoebe had planned for Mallory, when she watched as the other girls in their 7th grade class room made fun of her for being out of place and unusual. As the years go by Mallory's older brother, Ryland comes into the picture and Phoebe is finding herself becoming more and more interested in him and begins to think of him as a possible romantic relationship. All the while, a world exsits that involves the real tr...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Jeanbooknerd rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

Extraordinary is Nancy Werlin’s YA faerie fantasy about a young girl, Phoebe, and her best friend Mallory. The two become inseparable when Phoebe’s mother provided daily care for Mallory’s ailing mother. When Mallory’s brother, Ryland, visits, Phoebe can’t help but feel his magnetism. Being enigmatically attracted to him, Phoebe knows that it would hurt Mallory if she ever knew. When Phoebe follows Ryland to his room, she discovers something that is beyond belief.

Readers are once again taken int...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Star (The Bibliophilic Book Blog) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Phoebe hung out with all the 'right' people and because she's a Rothschild, doors open wherever she goes. Until she meets Mallory - then she ditches the 'right' people and becomes Mallory's best friend, a true confidant, which she never had before. What Phoebe doesn't know is that Mallory has a hidden agenda and it just may cost her life when she finds out what it is. When Ryland, Mallory's brother, shows up Phoebe is head-over-heels in love and will admit something she's feared for her entire l...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Michelle rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 20, 2011 Amy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Let me just start by saying that when I picked this up I had no idea where it was going. The synopsis doesn’t say a lot, and I was only really reading it because I enjoyed Impossible, also by Nancy Werlin.

This book was way different. I’m not going to say much because I don’t want to give away anything, but basically the story is about Phoebe, who feels ordinary in her family of extraordinary people, and this leads to entanglement with the mysterious siblings.

Phoebe was rather annoying when she...more

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Jun 17, 2011 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Four years ago Phoebe Rothschild knew she wanted Mallory Tolliver as a friend–as her best friend. She was not sure why but she knew that Mallory with her tawdry, unsuitable clothes and her strange behavior would be a good friend to have, much better certainly than the friends Phoebe had previously found.

And Phoebe was right. For those four years at least.

Mallory always knew she needed to befriend the Rothschild girl. She knew what was required and expected of her by the Faerie Queen and the rest...more Four years ago Phoebe Rothschild knew she wanted Mallory Tolliver as a friend–as her best friend. She was not sure why but she knew that Mallory with her tawdry, unsuitable clothes and her strange behavior would be a good friend to have, much better certainly than the friends Phoebe had previously found.

And Phoebe was right. For those four years at least.

Mallory always knew she needed to befriend the Rothschild girl. She knew what was required and expected of her by the Faerie Queen and the rest of her people. But still, for just a little while, she wanted what Phoebe had; she wanted the chance to be a normal teenaged girl.

Which is exactly what Mallory got. For those four years at least.

But time is running out: A debt must be repaid by an ordinary girl, a dangerously magnetic man will draw Phoebe to a perilous choice, and a friendship will be tested in Extraordinary (2010) by Nancy Werlin.

Extraordinary is quite impressive. Well-written, clever, and compelling this story will leave readers enchanted. Werlin’s looping prose and melodic tone are masterful and work wonderfully with this fairy tale styled story. The book combines a delightful plot with very arresting characters and, as the title might suggest, also offers an interesting commentary on what it really means to be ordinary (or extraordinary).

Phoebe is a really unique narrator. She has asthma and comes from a prominent Jewish family–both of which are important elements of the story. But the great thing is neither of those things are the main event in the story, they are just facets of Phoebe’s complex character. Phoebe also spends a lot of the story being beguiled or out and out tricked by other characters. The interesting thing about Werlin’s writing is that she conveys that while simultaneously evoking Phoebe’s own (often confusing) emotions.

This story is also unique in that, at its center, readers will find two friends instead of the romantic threads that are becoming so prevalent in fantasy books (and of course also spawned their own genre called “paranormal romance”).

There is definitely nothing ordinary about this book. In short, Extraordinary is a remarkable story about the transformative power of friendship.

Possible Pairings: White Cat by Holly Black, The War for the Oaks by Emma Bull, The Blue Girl by Charles De Lint, Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly, Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey, Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones, The Demon Trapper’s Daughter by Jana Oliver, The Last of the High Kings by Kate Thompson, The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff(less)

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Jun 16, 2011 Mirandahannah rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think this book has many great stories to teach many people in different positions.

Extraordinary is the main theme throughout the book as the heroine, Phoebe, learns the true definition of the word extraordinary and that it doesn't necessarily mean you have many gifts or are well known but that you do your best to make yourself important. You can be normal and be extraordinary because everyone has the power to do that within themselves.

The plot is very intricate in the way things work out in...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: coming-of-age, young-adult-literature

"Phoebe dug deeper and, miraculously, found an answer. 'Well, that's the thing. Maybe life teaches the baby - not a baby anymore - that he or she isn't extraordinary. But because of all that love right from the start, deep inside, he or she can never really believe it completely. He or she is secretly convinced of his specialness. That's what early parental love give to you. It's primal. It's probably why the human race survives.'"

Phoebe Rothschild, a daughter of enormous lineage and privilege,...more

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May 28, 2011 Aimee (Coffee Table Reviews) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

I really wanted to like this one. The premise on the book jacket really grabbed me and went in with some high expectations. I was a little disappointed at first, and then found myself not feeling anything as I read. No sympathy for Phoebe, the fairies, Mallory.

Even though I didn't particularly care for this book, I still liked the premise. I just wish it had been written a little better. I was hoping that Phoebe would have been stronger, like everyone had been saying she was. There were two big...more

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Apr 19, 2011 Hilary rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: grades-7-8, contemporary-fiction, fantasy, supernatural-fiction, teen

Pheobe Rothschild is descended from a long line of extraordinary people, dating back to her distant ancestor, Mayer Rothschild. She is wealthy, smart and destined to follow in the footsteps of her powerful mother, Catherine. Life seems to be going according to plan until her best friend Mallory announces the return of her brother, Ryland, whom she has not seen in 4 years. Pheobe is shocked that Mallory has never even mentioned having a brother and finds it a little strange, but upon meeting him...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Brooke T rated it 4 of 5 stars

At first I didn't really have high expectations for this book because many other people didn't seem to like it, but I disagree with them. Nancy Werlin has amazed me once again. This book didn't top Werlin's other best seller, Impossible, but it came somewhat close. This book mainly focuses on the friendship between Phoebe and Mallory. There are so many deep meanings within this book I don't even know where to begin. The title itself has everything to do with the story. I think that everyone is o...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Beth Dailey Kenneth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: vsba2010, ya-fic

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Young Adult

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Fantasy

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Fantasy > Paranormal

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Paranormal > Fairies

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Young Adult > Teen

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Romance

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Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

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Contemporary

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Fantasy > Supernatural

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About Nancy Werlin

Nancy Werlin writes young adult fiction: New York Times–bestselling fantasy, Edgar-award winning suspense, and National Book Award-honored realistic novels.

Nancy's fantasy, UNTHINKABLE, the sequel to IMPOSSIBLE, is out on Sept 12, 2013. Visit www.nancywerlin.com and click on CONTACT to find out how to get an early copy of UNTHINKABLE to read!

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Quotes from Extraordinary

“Nothing that had happened in the past could be taken away. This was an amazing gift. The past was done and over and settled; you couldn't get it back, but still, whatever good you had gotten from it, spiritually, emotionally, would be yours for your lifetime.” — 20 people liked it

“You can be special without being extraordinary.” — 10 people liked it

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