Now this is what a young adult novel should be! What a treat, to have a well-developed storyline with original characters, all contained within a book that is a single volume, and not the dreaded "first in a series". "Extraordinary," by Nancy Werlin, is a contemporary tale of teen friendship and love, spiced with fairy intrigue and with a surprising note of Jewish history thrown into the mix as well. Main character Phoebe is a descendant of the wealthy and powerful Rothschilds. As she befriends the mysterious Mallory, Phoebe's life changes in many ways until, after four years, the girls are inseparable. But Mallory and her brother Ryland have their own agenda, and Phoebe's world will be turned upside down. Along the way, Phoebe must try to puzzle out what makes a person special -- extraordinary. This is a well written, fast moving story, quite hard to put down. As in Werlin's previous novel, "Impossible", the mix of modern teen drama and fairy tale is enchanting.