(1) 4-6 Werlin's new novel is cause for celebration--for its sleek, sharp prose; intelligent ideas; and precise characterization, to name but a few of its attributes. Set in 1531 France, this is the tale of Sylvie, an untaught telepathic healer, who, after the death of her grand-mère, mistakenly removes much of her mother's memory while trying to ease her grief. In the company of clever, rambunctious young neighbor Martin, Sylvie leaves her tiny hamlet in quest of a mentor to teach her how to use her powers safely; the two travel to Lyon with the caravan of an enterprising trader to find the renowned magic-user Madame du Bois. But both Madame du Bois and the trader turn out to be something of a surprise--and will Lyon's new inquisitor prove to be a help to Sylvie, or a danger? Every sentence here pushes character and plot forward, so there's plenty of momentum and suspense; but what is more unusual is the way Werlin prods characters (and readers) to think through ideas of faith and reason in making their own choices. The story has its articulate and challenging "lessons" (for instance, even after you discover who it is you're meant to be, "you must work hard every day to become that person"). Just as much, it invites questions and rigorous reasoning, refusing to bow to romantic sentiment ("But men owned their wives," Sylvie thinks, considering the legal realities of marriage). A refreshingly honest and elegantly written work of historical fantasy.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) YA Zoe Rosenthal is a rule follower and a planner, attached to her bullet journal (whose pages are interspersed). She's a devoted girlfriend, hoping to attend the same college as her boyfriend. And she's a fan of the sci-fi TV show Bleeders, a women-led vehicle about a virus that turns each victim, briefly and graphically, into "a bleeding sack of skin." Such a fan, in fact, that in an out-of-character move, she secretly flies from Boston to Atlanta to attend a comics ­convention that is screening the season two premiere. When it appears that the future of Bleeders is in jeopardy, Zoe's new "Bloodygit" friends agree to keep attending cons to promote the show and try to save it. And Zoe continues to lie to her parents and boyfriend in order to join in. The novel highlights the unique atmosphere of the con--a ­community in which "anybody belonged who wanted to be here"--and brings its ­attendees, in all their passionate, cosplaying glory, to life, including Zoe's friends: Sebastian, who's on the autism spectrum and who (hilariously for plot purposes) faints at the sight of blood; Cam and Liv, affable twins who are gay and nonbinary, ­respectively; and Meldel, an enthusiastic fanfic author and reformed bully. Their influence helps Zoe to discover her ­spontaneous side and imagine a different, less-scripted future for herself, in this joyful story of fandom, friendship, and finding common purpose.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) YA Five students survive a building collapse, but one dies shortly afterward in an accident. The remaining students come to a startling conclusion: their parents are involved in a conspiracy to murder them. Werlin simultaneously deepens characterization and unfolds the plot in alternating narrative voices from two of the teens. The plot taps into teen paranoia that adults are out to get them.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2017

(2) YA Fenella Scarborough can win her mortality by completing three acts of destruction--against her own family. Re-entering the human world, Fenella is embraced by "many-times-great-granddaughter" Lucy's family (Impossible), who has no idea she has come to destroy the safety Lucy fought for. Werlin, a deft storyteller and creative world-builder, weaves a strand of faerie magic through the human realm, smoldering with romance and danger.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2013

(2) YA Privileged Phoebe, living in the shadow of her "extraordinary" family, is drawn to strange new-girl Mallory; the two become inseparable. Interspersed "Conversation[s] with the Faerie Queen" reveal that Mallory is not what she appears, and that Phoebe is a cog in a mission to collect a debt for the faerie folk. Werlin smoothly blends contemporary realism and fantasy in this suspenseful tale.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2010

(2) YA A generations-old family curse renders seventeen-year-old Lucy pregnant (the result of a supernaturally orchestrated rape at prom) and destined for insanity unless she completes three seemingly impossible tasks. The delicious conceit of inflicting a fairy-tale conundrum on a modern-day high schooler means that Lucy employs Google and eBay, along with old-fashioned true love, in her suspenseful battle to break the curse.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2008

(2) YA Seventeen-year-old Matt writes an extended letter to his youngest sister, Emmy, recalling their childhood with Nikki, their sadistic and mentally disturbed mother. When Nikki, just out of jail, kidnaps Emmy, Matt finds out exactly how far he will go to ensure his sister's safety. Werlin delivers another suspense-filled thriller sure to spark discussion.

Reviewer: Timothy Capehart | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2006

(2) YA Eli Samuels is not yet ready to undergo genetic testing to determine if he's inherited Huntington's disease from his mother. Aware that his family has a mysterious connection with the scientist who operates Wyatt Transgenics, Eli lands a job in the company's research laboratory and discovers a secret sub-basement in this tense medical thriller.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2004

(2) YA Daniel's suicide has shaken his sister's world. As Frances is drawn deeper into the sinister happenings on campus, she begins to question whether Daniel's drug overdose was self-inflicted. Werlin accomplishes the difficult task of weaving a mystery that ties together neatly at the end while deftly balancing clues and red herrings--so that even readers who think they have it all figured out will still find surprises at the end.

Reviewer: Anne St. John | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2001

(4) YA The orphaned daughter of a singer-philosopher, sixteen-year-old Marnie feels isolated at boarding school and finds solace playing an Internet game against an opponent called the Elf. When Marnie is kidnapped by a deranged woman, the Elf (coincidentally a student at a nearby school) tracks her down. The plot strains credibility somewhat, but Marnie's journey from alienation to reaching out to others is effectively charted.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(2) YA Recently acquitted of the murder of his girlfriend, seventeen-year-old David moves in with his aunt and uncle to attend school in Boston. His eleven-year-old cousin, Lily, begins to exhibit malicious behavior toward him, and the thriller unfolds tantalizingly slowly as David learns additional details about Lily's sister's death four years ago. Young adults will eat this one up.

Reviewer: Anne St. John | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 1999