While not very thought provoking, Holly Black's writing is engaging and lures in the readers. Some thing that was really unexpected for me was the time and setting. From the summary, I thought it was in some small peasant town in a medieval type setting. However, it is based in a small modern day town equipped with public school and a coffee shop. It was an pleasant surprise. 
 Then there is the fae themselves. As any fantasy lover knows, the fae change so much from author to author and series to series. Black's version was beautifully crafted in the originally conceived fae. Some are captivating in their beauty while others are dangerous and creepy looking. They are dark and sinister, cunning and manipulative. No glamorizing (pardon the pun) them from the author. 
 There is also some coming of age to the story for Hazel mostly. She has a secret she is keeping from everyone in the hopes of protecting her family and friends and their feelings. She has a strong character that matures over the course of the book. 
 Let's just say this is really worth the read.