The Exchange
Caz and her best friend, Lucy, think that doing the creepy thing—breaking into elderly people’s homes as they are sleeping, just to see if they can do it—is an exciting rush. Then they creep into the house of Mrs. Tranter, who catches Caz as she touches her bedcovers and snaps a bracelet onto her arm. Although Caz tries everything, she is unable to remove the bracelet, which gradually fades from an object into a strange tattoo. When the local tattoo artist can’t remove the inked image, Caz finds herself back at Mrs. Tranter’s house, doing chores in exchange for more information about the strange bracelet. In the meantime, Caz slowly realizes that she has powers, including the ability to see what others are thinking, a skill she ultimately decides to use to help others. Joyce has crafted a bizarre, magically realistic tale of a young woman who grows into maturity despite terrifying complications. It’s a wild ride with subtly moralistic undertones and a surprisingly happy ending that will stay with readers. Grades 7-10. --Frances Bradburn