Review of "Another Faust"

“I’m looking for an unattainable soul…a soul that’s not for sale.”

     From Daniel and Dina Naveri comes a new kind of fairy tale: Another Faust, a cautionary story about the consequences of giving into our darkest desires. Victoria, Christian, Belle, and Valentin were only children when Madam Vileroy offered to sweep them away to another life. Now they are teenagers—and ready to cash in on their deal. At Marlowe, an elite preparatory school in Manhattan, they will be surrounded by the smartest, most talented youth in the state, along with countless opportunities to prove their superiority. Whether they desire power, beauty, sports prowess, or a good laugh, Madam Vileroy is more than willing to accommodate their wishes...for a price. When Belle’s sister begins to ask probing questions about Vileroy’s deals, the governess decides it’s time to step up the game. Bicé is the only one who hasn't sold her soul for her powers--and while this makes her a target, she could also be the key to their salvation.

     The relative obscurity of the Faustian Deal legend makes this an intriguing premise. Though it’s obvious from the start that Madam Vileroy is wicked to the core, her “adopted” children choose to overlook that fact. For Victoria, the most important thing in the world is political and academic success, and she’ll sacrifice anything to get it. In return for a few far-from-harmless practical jokes and whatever else her governess desires, she is given the gift of Cheating, which allows her to read minds and stay ahead of her opponents. Valentin cares more for flexibility in life, and uses his ability to Lie to skip back in time and change the immediate future, often many times over. For Belle, nothing is worth more than beauty, even if it comes from pain or means the love she receives is merely an illusion. Christian, on the other hand, has grown to hate his ability to Steal the life force of others, preferring to win sports games without supernatural assistance.

     Then there’s Bicé, Belle’s formerly-identical twin. Bicé has been given the art of language, but unlike her so-called siblings she uses it to brighten everyone’s day. As the plot continues and the other Faust children Cheat, Lie, and glamour their way to success, she Hides in infinite folds of time, spending countless days learning different tongues. All this changes when she sees the black spot on Christian’s chest--the same spot Belle has, right over her heart. Only Bicé’s skin is clear of the stain, while Christian’s is on its way out. The minute they begin investigating why, their enemy makes her move. Meanwhile, Belle, Valentin, and Victoria fight ever harder to reach the pinnacle of glory in their respective circles. If Bicé and Christian defeat Vileroy, the other’s will finally be free of her dark magic. The only problem is that they might not want to be freed.

     Unfortunately, despite the drama and trickery that each teen faces, something is missing from the writing. This may be an unfortunate side effect of the narrative style, or it could be that the overarching plot is lacking in coherence. So much time is spent on the individual struggles of the Faust children that the importance of the greater conflict is often lost or diminished, leaving Bicé’s mission to free herself and her family unfairly dry. The voice used in relating the adventures of these young people is also somewhat passive, lessening the effect of the more major plot points.

     Despite the subject matter, there isn’t much questionable content within the Nayeris’ novel. Belle’s Faustian Deal grants her beauty at the cost of self-inflicted pain, and she uses it to snag the most popular boy in school. Unfortunately, her ability also leaves her with a disgusting scent that keeps him from kissing her. Meanwhile, Valentin uses his ability to Lie to toy with a girl who is quickly falling in love with him. This results in a single kiss for amusement's sake. He also briefly mistreats another girl to discover what she finds attractive. Christian’s aptitude for Stealing is at constant odds with his kind spirit, and rarely results in someone getting hurt. Madam Vileroy tries to change him by providing a live training dummy, but he refuses to Steal from it. Victoria, on the other hand, has no problem brawling another student to get what she wants, though the fight is not graphic. While rare, moderately vulgar language is occasionally exchanged between enemies.

     I would recommend this book to teens looking for an engaging story where the heroes have to decide what kind of people they want to be. There’s just enough of a connection to the old legend of the Faustian Deal to count this as a fairy tale, yet the modern setting and relative obscurity of the original make this version mysterious and compelling. Even though the writing style detracts somewhat from the plot, each character’s internal arc is intriguing enough to hold a reader’s attention on its own. Together, they weave a tapestry of love, hate, twisted desires, and damaged moral compasses. Daniel and Dina Nayeri did a great job with Another Faust, earning it four stars.