Plain Kate by Erin Bow

Erin Bow's Plain Kate easily sweeps its way to one of my all out favorite books and places itself as my favorite book of this school year, along with another by Juliet Mariller. Not only is its plot fascinating and gripping, it's well written too, giving one the feeling that one could reach out and touch Plain Kate's wooden stand, feel the fur on Taggle's side. The characters are beautifully explored, shaming the dreaded Mary Sue.

Plain Kate is the story of a girl, Katerina, who becomes an orphan quickly in the book. Her carvings hold power in the mind - they show people the truth, which is why they call her a witch. In order to escape the village blaming her for the plague, Plain Kate sells her shadow to a witch-man, Linay, and receives and unexpected gift along with escape.

At this point, you could see the plot - Linay is plotting something dastardly, Kate bravely stops him, saves the world, and is a hero in her village. But! This is not so - Plain Kate's storyline traverses the beauties of a catty friend, an injured witch, a wrongfully drowned healer, a strange fog, a strange and terrible power, loneliness, responsibility, and love. If you are looking for a book to permanently change the way you think about things, no matter how small the change, Plain Kate is a masterpiece that can be counted on to warm you up any time of the year.