Nancy Greene-Kara leads a strange life, dancing her way between her father’s rooftop dwelling and her mother’s basement apartment, finding a middle ground on the streets of Brooklyn. The child of two distinct and disparate heritages (her father a child of Anansi, the African-Jamaican spider trickster figure, her mother a descendant of Scottish orb weaver spiders such as inspired Robert the Bruce), Nancy is balanced between the two, though as of yet, displaying characteristics of neither. But that’s all about to change, as Nancy stands poised on the edge of something rich and special. But will she understand what’s happening to her body and her heart in time to harness the power and take charge of her life? And just how does the strange young man, Dion, who’s been following her, tie in to it all? As if that wasn’t enough, Nancy’s family is hiding mysteries left and right, and there’s the matter of the Angel of Brooklyn, the unseen figure who stops muggings and other crimes by dropping things off rooftops. But it’s all part of growing up when you’re part of the hidden magic of the world, and Nancy’s time of self-discovery, though it comes at some cost, will open the door to a wider existence.
Imagine if Charles de Lint and Francesca Lia Block got together for a jam session, and the result was a coming-of-age romance set on the rooftops of Brooklyn. The blending of the everyday world and the hidden magic is seamless, the text weaving its spell like a patient spider of its own. Karen Romano Young really manages to bring out the lure of the urban environment, infusing it with a rare love and sense of mystique. This was one of those books I just couldn’t put down until I was finished. She’s a worthy and welcome addition to the urban fantasy genre, and I hope we see more of her soon.