Tattoo [Paperback]

Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 9, 2007

Bailey Morgan isn't the type of girl who shows a lot of skin, but somehow, she ends up in a dressing room at the mall with her friend Delia applying a temporary tattoo to her lower back. Never one to suffer fashion doubt, trendsetter Delia knows exactly where she wants her own tattoo: on her stomach, right where her shirt ends—can you say "midriff"? Annabelle, the quiet one, chooses the back of her neck, and tomboy Zo plasters hers on the top of her foot. The tattoos will last for three days, and Delia's sure that with them, the four friends will absolutely kill at the school dance.

Unfortunately, killing is just what someone has in mind, and Bailey, Delia, Annabelle, and Zo are in for the battle of their lives. Along with her tattoo, each girl receives a gift—a supernatural power to help them in their fight. As Bailey's increasingly frightening dreams reveal the nature of their enemy, it becomes clear to the girls that it's up to them to save the world. And if they can get Delia to stop using her newfound power to turn gum wrappers into Prada pumps, they might actually stand a chance.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Barnes's (Golden) book about four friends who get special powers from their temporary tattoos has some fun moments, despite the far-out premise. Even 15-year-old narrator Bailey acknowledges the surreal situation when she considers explaining what's going on to her mother: "An evil fairy princess who doubles as one of the three Fates is sucking out the souls of innocent people, and my friends and I have been imbued with the powers to stop her, but we only have the powers for like another twelve hours." But readers learn enough about the protagonist to believe that she could be a descendent of the powerful Sidhe, and the girls cleverly put to use their powers (Annabelle can control minds, Zo can see the future and Bailey can start fires). The book's best moments may come from ditzy Delia, with the power of transmogrification, who turns a hotel door lock into butterscotch pudding, plus gives the girls Rollerblades when they're on the chase, including a fashionable pair for herself that look like high heels. Delia also delivers the book's best line when facing off against evil Alecca: "You think you're bad?... I'm on the cheerleading squad; I know what real evil looks like." In the end, readers will get a few good laughs from these sassy heroines. Ages 12-up. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6 Up—Teenaged Bailey Morgan and her three best friends impulsively buy swirly shaped temporary tattoos to complement their outfits for the upcoming school dance. Suddenly, Bailey hears voices that say, "She comes. To fight, to live, she comes." Soon the girls discover that the tattoos have given them supernatural gifts: Bailey can start fires with her thoughts, Annabelle can read minds, Delia has the power to transmogrify objects, and Zo has premonitions. Bailey's dreams reveal that the voices in her head are from two ancient fairy warriors who are variations of the mythological Fates who control the thread of life of mortals and immortals. Adea and her sister Alecca both fell in love with Valgius, and when he rejected her for Adea, Alecca vowed to destroy the couple. She then began to gain power from young humans by giving them a vision of their secret desires, wrapping a web around them, and then pulling the life from their bodies. Zo's premonitions show that Alecca is planning to kill many students at the dance. Bailey discovers that she's one of a long line of humans who have been chosen to maintain the balance between both worlds. This chick-lit fantasy, similar to though not as dark as Neal Shusterman's fairy-tale retellings, is a fast-paced, fun read for Buffy and Charmed fans.—Sharon Rawlins, NJ Library for the Blind and Handicapped, Trenton
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (January 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038573347X
• ISBN-13: 978-0385733472
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #946,333 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a Jennifer who goes mostly by Jen, an Oklahoma girl who's also lived in Connecticut and England, and a writer who has a not-so-secret double life as a cognitive scientist. I love pop culture, mythology, science, superheroes, Joss Whedon, guacamole, television targeted at teenagers, and any song that I know the lyrics to. I have no sense of direction, but can read a book and shower at the same time. As is probably obvious, I do not particularly excel at writing my own bios.

I started writing professionally when I was a teenager and completed my first four published novels while I was in college. Since then, I've split my time between various graduate programs and writing books. In May 2012, I graduated from Yale University with a PhD in Developmental Psychology, which basically means I spent a lot of time thinking about the way the mind works and designing and running experiments that probe the way that young children and non-human primates view the world. My background in the psychological sciences has a habit of working its way into the books I write, sometimes in unexpected ways.

As a reader, I love strong female characters, books that blend emotional depth with sarcasm and humor, and supernatural stories that feel real. I'm a sucker for romance and search out authors who can write action sequences and violence without pulling their punches.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A trip to the mall can really change your life. January 14, 2007

By Little Willow

Format:Paperback

"Just another Friday afternoon trip to the mall.

We totally should have known better."

When fifteen-year-old Bailey and her three closest friends hit the mall every Friday, they expect the same old routine: Delia will swoon over new cosmetics and clothes, Zo will act as if shopping is torture, but gladly visit the food court, Zo's cousin Annabelle will quietly take everything in, and maybe, just maybe, Bailey will run into her longtime crush, Kane.

On this particular Friday, everything seems normal until the girls meet a saleswoman at a booth. The mysterious woman finds the perfect accessory for three of them: a metal choker for Delia; a crystal on a chain for Zo; and a hair barrette for Annabelle. Bailey, she says, must select something for herself. As she looks through the accessories, she accidentally knocks open a drawer, spilling its contents. What looks like a piece of paper catches her eye. It turns out to be a packet of temporary tattoos, and, encouraged by Delia, that's what she buys.

A short while later, while the girls are trying on clothes and discussing the big dance on Monday, they divvy up the tattoos. As soon as Bailey's tattoo makes contact with her skin, she feels a chill, then heat, as colors swirl and voices chant in her mind. She briefly passes out.

At first, her friends seem to have no adverse reactions to the tattoos. However, it soon becomes apparent that each girl has obtained a supernatural gift which is somewhat related to her personality and the placement of her tattoo. Introspective Annabelle, with her tattoo on the back of her neck, now has the power of mind control. Emotional Bailey, marked on her lower back, can conjure and manipulate fire - also known as pyrokinesis. Sassy fashionista Delia, boldly displaying her tattoo on her midriff, can transmogrify objects, reshaping them and making them into other things. Tomboy Zo, her best (tattooed) foot forward, starts having visions of the future.

The situation quickly becomes serious. The strange voices keep repeating foreboding words in Bailey's mind, speaking of the Blood of the Sidhe. That weekend, as the girls continue to experiment with their powers and research the Sidhe, Bailey's dreams turn to nightmares. The voices warn her that She is coming. But who is She, and what does She want?

When an uninvited evil crashes the school dance on Monday night, the loyalty, intelligence, ingenuity, and strength of all four girls will be tested. The tattoos and powers may or may not be temporary, but it is their friendship that must last in order for them to survive.

Worthy of a sequel, I recommend Tattoo by Jennifer Lynn Barnes to teens and adults who like contemporary supernatural thrillers that utilize ancient myths and give ordinary teens extraordinary powers.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too January 14, 2007

By TeensReadToo

Format:Paperback

Bailey, Zo, Annabelle, and Delia were at the mall for one of their routine shopping trips when Delia decided they needed a special accessory for the big dance. Stopping at a little booth in the middle of the mall seemed like the perfect place for each girl to find the perfect item. Delia, the shopping guru, chose a choker style necklace first. Annabelle found a pretty barrette, and Zo found a beautiful crystal that could be slid onto a chain for a nice necklace. Finally, Bailey started to look for something that would catch her eye. As soon as she opened a little drawer and saw a package of temporary tattoos, she knew they were meant for her. A voice inside her head seemed to tell her to pick them up. Not realizing that this moment would change her life forever, she purchased the tattoos and the girls went about their business of finding the perfect outfit for the dance.

Once the girls started trying on outfits, Delia couldn't wait to break open the tattoos. Since there were four of them and four tattoos, she figured each of them should wear one to the dance to really drive the guys wild. Delia placed hers first; she chose a spot on her stomach that would show when she wore a top that revealed a little of her midriff. As soon as Delia put on her tattoo, the room started spinning for Bailey. She heard strange voices inside her head talking about danger that was on the way. She was still a little woozy when Delia decided Bailey needed to wear hers on her lower back, and placed it there for her. As soon as Bailey's tattoo was placed, she fainted from the force of the power that slammed into her body. When she woke up, she tried to warn Annabelle and Zo not to put theirs on, but it was too late. Annabelle had already placed hers on the back of her neck and Zo's was on the top of her foot.

It doesn't take long for the girls to realize that along with these tattoos, they each received a power. Bailey is able to create fire with her mind, Annabelle can read people's thoughts, Zo gets visions of things that will happen in the future, and Delia has the power to transmogrify things (change the appearance of objects she touches just by thinking what she wants). Along with these powers comes a great responsibility. Through the voices that Bailey keeps hearing and the dreams she has every night, she learns about the evil that is coming to destroy the world. Only the four girls can restore the balance in the universe and save the day.

I haven't met a greater group of friends since Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants / Second Summer of the Sisterhood / Girls in Pants (3 Book Set). Jennifer Lynn Barnes creates a wonderful fantasy based in a totally realistic setting. The drama is mixed with just the right amount of humor, which will cause readers to fall in love with all of the girls. TATTOO is a unique story that is sure to satisfy any reader -- fantasy lover or not.

Reviewed by: Karin Perry

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Satisfying Whether Or Not You Like Fantasy September 11, 2007

By Jade

Format:Paperback

TATTOO tells the story of four friends, Bailey, Delia, Annabelle, and Zo, who pick up temporary tattoos at the mall one afternoon. Despite the protests of tomboy Zo, the girls they put them on to show off at the big upcoming school dance, and from the moment the tattoos make contact with their skin, everything changes, and the girls are finding themselves with new and unexpected abilities: pirokinesis, transmogrification, mind control, and premonition. At first their powers seem like fun, especially to fashionista Delia, who loves the fact that she can now change the color of her nails on a whim, but it doesn't take long for the girls to realize that their newfound powers also come with new responsibilities, namely a great evil that essentially wants to destroy the world. It may seem a little cliché that at this point the girls of course realize that only they can save the day and restore the balance of the universe in time for the school dance, but it doesn't read that way. The girls are smart, sassy, and loveable, and each girl's personality is distinct and well-developed. The supernatural plotline is also done well, and the fairy world and ancient mythos is intertwined perfectly with the present day. Perhaps most impressively for a young adult novel, it's not totally predictable, and it's these fun surprises as well as the little details that Barnes writes so well that make this novel definitely worth a read.