Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri

Five children disappear one night, but no one really remembers.  Five  years later, five extraordinary teenagers begin attending the Marlow School, one of the most prestigious schools in New York.  All of them are gifted with amazing, but dark gifts.  Who are these five and where did their gifts come from?  And how does their governess, Madame Vileroy, fit?

She had arrived at the party with her pack of five teenagers - all striking and strange.  When they stood at the entrance, every conversation had halted, replaced by craning necks and fascinated whispers.  p.25

Most people are familiar with the Faust story in one way or another.  It is a common theme, the desire to do or be something great and in exchange, the selling of your soul to the devil.  Another Faust takes this to the YA level with the story of five teenagers, most of whom have sold their soul for something they desire: beauty, success, control.  I enjoyed this book and was anxious throughout about how it would all turn out.  The ending was satisfying even if it is was a little sad, but it was appropriate as what happened to the children.  It is a very much character-driven book.  There is very little action and most of it comes from the manipulations of Madame Vileroy.  I can't say that I liked any of the characters that much except maybe Bicé, the most sympathetic of the teenagers.  I did feel sorry for her.  But the rest were horrible as befitted the story.  Still I didn't mind since that was sort of the point of the whole book.


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