East, by Edith Pattou

age group: 12 and up

rating (out of 10): 8.5

I loved this one. It's a fantasy book, based on an old fairy-tale about a girl named Rose who joins an enchanted talking bear in exchange for her sister's health and means for her poverty-stricken family. The writing is easy to understand and the format is unique. Each chapter is titled with the name of the character narrating it. The main character, Rose, is intrepid and charismatic.

I rated it 8.5 because it is a rather thick book (which is by no means a bad thing, but not all people prefer them), and the story can sometimes get a bit slow.