Since one of my new resolutions for 2011 is to read more YA fiction, I'm claiming this book as one for my "Outdoing Yourself Reading Challenge."

Can you get over how gorgeous the cover is?  Children these days are simply so beautiful, it's breathtaking.  There's something about their awareness of themselves and the world around them that makes them different than the children of my timeframe and even of my childrens' times.  (My children now being in their 30's)   I say all of this because...just look at this girl on the cover.  Those are knowing eyes!

The reference to weaving drew me in, as well.  I'm a needlewoman and have been for nearly 50 years.  I adore French tapestries.  This one featured in part on the cover is from The Unicorn Tapestries...The Unicorn in Captivity, to be exact, which is now housed in NYC at The Cloisters.  A whole discussion in and of itself.

In a nutshell,  you see the whole concept given to you just on the cover of the book.  "Warped" the term often used in tapestry work...the weave of making of the tapestry in a warp and woof.  The warp is the first part that's laid in a loom.....the strings that are stretched the length of the loom.  The "woof" which is the old expression or the "weft" which is newer...are the horizontal threadings that will be made through the warp.   The cover further reads, "Tessa's life is about to unravel."   So, the warp and the woof are not secure.

This is a book written by Maurissa Guibord who seems to be either French or of some part French heritage.  She is vastly aware of tapestries...  interestingly enough.  She's given us significant symbolic information about her book. 

Without reading the summary that will be given below.  We can pretty much surmise that poor Tessa will be stretched to the inth of her abilities to survive her coming of age experiences.  I suspect that she will meet a young man (her unicorn) who is illusive to most people, except to herself...because a unicorn can only be tamed by a young virgin, after all.  And, this young man must be pursued by those who want to hurt him or jail him for some reason.  I'm guessing....

I can't wait to read this book which I understand will be out sometime in January, 2011, just in time for my Book List!

Here's the summary I took from Goodreads:

" Tessa doesn't believe in magic. Or Fate. But there's something weird about the dusty unicorn tapestry she discovers in a box of old books. She finds the creature woven within it compelling and frightening. After the tapestry comes into her possession, Tessa experiences dreams of the past and scenes from a brutal hunt that she herself participated in. 

When she accidentally pulls a thread from the tapestry, Tessa releases a terrible centuries old secret. She also meets William de Chaucy, an irresistible 16th-century nobleman. His fate is as inextricably tied to the tapestry as Tessa's own. Together, they must correct the wrongs of the past. But then the Fates step in, making a tangled mess of Tessa's life. Now everyone she loves will be destroyed unless Tessa does their bidding and defeats a cruel and crafty ancient enemy. "

Please look on my sidebars if you'd like to check Amazon.com to pre-order or just see more about this book.

Have fun!  I can't wait to hear what  you'll be reading.  Please leave me a note.

Hope you're enjoying Christmas lights in your neighborhoods right about now!

Deb/YourBookishDame