Heidi Hauser Green (Children's Literature)
Four best friends at a mall: Bailey, Delia, Annabelle, and Zo. Shopping, primarily, for outfits to wear to the upcoming school dance, they stop at an odd little kiosk where each girl selects something unique. Delia gets a black metal choker, Annabelle a dark silver barrette, Zo a puple crystal, and Bailey a set of temporary tattoos. Soon, the girls are in a dressing room, applying the strange emblems to their skin. Very quickly, Bailey realizes these are not ordinary tattoos. She is hearing voices. She is blacking out. And did she really just start that fire? Before too long, each of the girls recognizes a special ability. Their abilities seem to have a purpose, but what is it? Bailey seems to be the key, and she does not like what she is realizing. Someone has death in mind. Someone wants them dead; someone wants to annihilate the planet. They have just three days to figure out what’s going on and stop it--or it will not matter that their tattoos are temporary, because no one will be around to see them. Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ novel is a quickly-paced blend of Heroes and Cosmopolitan. Readers will enjoy the quick repartee between these devoted friends and are sure to appreciate some clever twists at the story’s end. 2007, Delacorte Press/Random House, $7.99. Ages 13 to 18.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, December 1, 2006 (Vol. 74, No. 23))
Just like any other Friday night, close friends Bailey, Delia, Zo and Annabelle are hanging out at the mall, but when the girls apply temporary tattoos of strange symbols, the evening quickly becomes anything but ordinary. The tattoos give each teen a supernatural power, ranging from transmogrification to pyrokinesis. Although initially psyched with their powers, which they humorously put to use, the girls quickly realize, by way of Bailey’s ability to channel mysterious voices and visions, that they have become entangled in a dangerous struggle between three ancient fairies who threaten civilization. The girls slowly uncover the well-developed fairy world, which closely mirrors the myth of the Three Fates, through the Internet and the help of a linguist, adding a realistic dimension to the plot. While Bailey’s character is in a state of realistic development and flux, her three friends are tightly typecast as the brain, the flirt and the tomboy, which makes for predictable actions and dialogue. Fantastical, but with a reality check. 2007, Delacorte, 272p. Category: Fiction. Ages 13 up. © 2006 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Claire Rosser (KLIATT Review, March 2007 (Vol. 41, No. 2))
Like Barnes’s Golden, Tattoo is about seemingly normal teenagers who are part of “regular” teenage life. Bailey, Delia, Annabelle, and Zo are close friends who get temporary tattoos as part of their preparation for the upcoming school dance. Soon they possess extraordinary powers--and they are drawn into a battle that may destroy them and the world as they know it. Ancient beings converse in Bailey’s head and they are arguing among themselves (like Greek gods in mythology), seeking to increase their own powers by stealing energy from human beings. The plot is complicated; the girls seem authentic. It’s a bit strange shifting from mythic language to mall speak, but I don’t think YA readers will have a problem with that. Barnes is a recent graduate of Yale and her smart contributions to YA literature are most welcome. Category: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror. KLIATT Codes: JS--Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2007, Random House, Delacorte, 260p., $7.99. Ages 12 to 18.

April Spisak (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, March 2007 (Vol. 60, No. 7))
Bailey and her three best friends didn’t go to the mall looking specifically for tattoos, but as they search for the perfect accessories to wear at an upcoming school dance, they decide that the mysterious temporary tattoos they find at a new kiosk will attract attention. Indeed, the tattoos do have quite the impact: each girl is now endowed with a power (telekinesis, pyrokinesis, telepathy, and prophecy), and the quartet is burdened with the seemingly impossible mission of stopping the wrath-filled Alecca, who seeks untold power and vengeance and will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. Things become a bit complicated: Alecca is one of the three fates, driven by rage and heartbreak after she discovers the other two in a passionate embrace; Bailey is a centuries-old descendant of the fates, and her powers turn out to be permanent rather than controlled by the temporary tattoos; and hundreds of high-school kids will die in three days if the four friends can’t put together all of the pieces and save the day. Part mystery, part romance, and part girly adventure, the storyline is lightning paced and humorous. Unfortunately, the writing is not as engaging as the plot: overwrought dialogue, heavy exposition, and soon-to-be-dated pop-culture references weaken the overall impact. In addition, the underlying moral that perfection is not only unattainable but also undesirable is starkly incongruous with the fact that the four heroines (gorgeous, brilliant, and altruistic) are, in fact, perfect. Despite these issues, this wry novel may be an easy sell to junior-high girls who will likely admire the secure friendship of the four, sympathize with their occasional weaknesses, and cheer their impressive (if unlikely) victory. Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2007, Delacorte, 272p.; Reviewed from galleys, $11.99 and $7.99. Grades 6-8.

Sarah Squires (VOYA, April 2007 (Vol. 30, No. 1))
In yet another tale of four teenaged girls, Bailey, Zo, Annabelle, and Delia spend their time shopping at the mall, flirting with boys, and not much else. When the girls buy a set of temporary tattoos, however, something mysterious happens when they place them on their bodies. Bailey gets the gift of fire, Annabelle can suddenly read and control minds, Delia can change objects into anything she wants, and Zo has premonition. The supernatural powers are temporary, and the girls have three days to battle Alecca, the evil fairy princess who wants to destroy humans for no reason and completely kill everyone at the school dance on Monday. Because of her ancient bloodline of the Sidhe, Bailey discovers that she is descended from the Three Fates, and after Alecca is destroyed, Bailey retains her tattoo and absorbs Alecca's mystical powers. The cover will sell this book-a lifted shirt showing the title of the book tattooed on a young lady's lower back. This reviewer is unimpressed with the characterization, plot, and the stale dialogue however. The characters are difficult to know and like. There were several situations in the novel that did not integrate into the plot. This book, however, will satisfy the needs of fans of girl-power fantasies. VOYA CODES: 2Q 3P M J S (Better editing or work by the author might have warranted a 3Q; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2007, Delacorte, 272p., PLB $12.99. and $7.99 Trade pb. Ages 11 to 18.