Lirael: Daughter of the Clayr (The Abhorsen Trilogy)

The second book in the Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix. I actually liked this one a lot better than Sabriel, which I liked a lot. The book centers around two young people who feel like they don't fit in and are struggling with the roles that they are supposed to fill. One of them desperately wants to fill the role seemingly destined for her, the other desperately doesn't. I think that appeals to most teenagers -- that desire for belonging, the shame of feeling inadequate, the longing to be successful and important -- and I certainly understood it. Best, though, I think I liked the character of Lirael. She was a librarian who was independent and spent most of her time writing notes to people instead of talking to them. She read a lot, did a lot of work on her own, and struggled with her own emotions. I also enjoyed this book because of the plot. Maybe it's because I read it on audiobook, maybe because the plot is extending more clearly into Abhorsen but I have a better grasp of who the bad guy is, why he's the bad guy, and what he's trying to accomplish. Sort of. But I struggled to follow the bad guy in Sabriel. Anyhow, now I've moved on to Abhorsen and I'm looking forward to the conclusion of the series.