It’s not always that you get a strong female protagonist in sci-fi fantasy novels. Isobelle Carmody wrote Obernewtyn Chronicles with just that and few other strong characters.
Elspeth Gordie, the main protagonist in the series, knew that she is a part of something bigger when she was startled by a cat that cussed in her head. Apparently she has the ability to communicate telepathically with animals and also to other humans (provided they, too, have the ability). Not only that, she has other powers as well, such as mind-control and...killing someone.
But she doesn’t want to uncover that. We are often told that women have more empathy than men, as well as being one that’s more nurturing than the other. Well, that's a stereotype and Elspeth is none of that. However, she does her best to be more understanding of her friends.
Along with the others that have super mind powers, she goes on a quest to destroy the machines that could make another devastating nuclear war. The current world she lives in is the aftermath of the Great White (they called it), and there’s barely enough for everyone to survive.
This series is as great as Jodi Lynn Anderson’s May Bird Trilogy, and recommended for girls who want to look up to strong girls in fiction.