Mackie is allergic to iron and slowly losing his battle against the toxic environment in the small, depressed steel town where he’s grown up. Now a teenager, it’s amazing Mackie’s lived as long as he has. Even more amazing is that everyone ignores the obvious: Mackie’s a changeling. To ensure prosperity, his town struck a bargain with the faerie world decades before and every seven years a human baby is exchanged for a faerie one. Usually, the changeling dies in infancy. But Mackie didn’t die. He’s an outsider at school but loved by his family, especially his sister, and has a few good friends. He draws on that love and support when he decides to challenge the power of the faerie world and complacency of his town—which has long ago faded from prosperity. Mackie doesn’t think he can save himself, but the seven-year cycle has begun again. Another baby has been taken, and Mackie is determined to save her. An inventive fantasy grounded in reality offers intriguing forays into the world of dark faerie. Mackie’s quest to overthrow the status quo features a satisfying romance, several chilling scenes, and above all an appealing and sympathetic protagonist surrounded by a host of wonderful secondary characters. (Age 13 and older)