Stork by Wendy Delsol

Candlewick, 2010. ISBN 9780763648442.
(Age: 12+) 16 year old Katla Leblanc has moved from Los Angeles to the wilds of Minnesota with her mother after her parents got divorced. Fashion is all important to her, but being trendy brings stares from the locals and horrors of horrors, she finds that she is a Stork, a member of an ancient group of women who decide which mothers are worthy of babies. Then there is Wade, who she had a bad date with before school starts, and Jack the editor of the school newspaper, who thinks she should know him and seems to hate her. As Kat learns more about her powers and the near fatal experience she had as a young child, she must face up to what she really is.
Drawing on Norse mythology, Delsol has created a different background for her story. I was intrigued by the idea of a group of Storks making decisions about which mother would be the best for a potential infant. It was interesting to see Kat taking on her role as Stork and deciding that she had to make mature decisions, and not just ones that could give her revenge on a popular girl or help out her friend. Jack too has a background that is steeped in Norse mythology. He doesn't feel the cold and strange things happen around him. The school is producing The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen and references to this story also add depth.
Delsol scatters humourous one liners throughout the book, which kept a smile on my face. Kat is mad about fashion, and teens who enjoy clothes will enjoy the many references, often funny, to clothes. They will also have fun with the makeovers.
This was a quick easy read with Kat's dilemmas and witty repartee keeping my interest for the whole book. Girls who like romance, high school angst and paranormal events should appreciate the unusual Norse folklore background. There is a sequel, Frost.
Pat Pledger