"Tithe" by Holly Black (published 2002)
Holly Black’s “Tithe” introduces us to Kaye, a teenage girl who is living a rough and tumble – and very real – life in New Jersey. Her mother is an extremely laid-back rock-star… who drinks and smokes. It is typical for Kaye to comfort her mother… and while Kaye’s grandmother, who lives with them, is a little more freaked out about Kaye’s life – a life in which Kaye decides to drop out of school and hang around with her best friend Janet instead, her frustration doesn’t really go far. Kaye decides to apply for a job at the local gas station. And she has to figure things out. She has to understand things. Things not that many teenagers or anyone at all would ever understand… including her best friend. Honestly, this book gets complicated, and it’s totally worth it to read. The title itself should suggest that this may be a world we are unfamiliar with… “tithe”… what does it mean? It's simple definition is "payment" but the best definitions are in story form. The wo...