Seventeen-year-old Miguel’s life is thrown into upheaval when he meets Lainey, a mysterious, gorgeous red-haired Australian girl whose family, newly arrived in town, hides a number of secrets. Unfortunately, their mutual attraction is threatened by various factors, including the curse which could claim Lainey at any time, thanks to a wayward ancestor. Miguel and an old enemy of his are drawn into a series of bizarre, magical events as they try to unravel the mysteries surrounding Lainey and her family. As always, de Lint weaves the mundane and the magical together with his traditionally elegant style, focusing on the upbeat and the positive and the magic within us all. If anything, this book is too short, as there’s plenty of room to further explore the characters and the setting, but I’m rarely disappointed by de Lint and this is certainly no exception.