Amy Tupper has provided a slightly different coming-of-age story in Tenderfoot. Julianna, or Jules, is starting college when she notices that her sight has changed. She can read the text in a book from across the room. She can also hear through walls and her sense of taste has gone completely wild (she can actually picture the surroundings of an animal when eating meat and diary products). If that wasn't weird enough, she can also "hear" the thoughts of others, okay not everyone but just one person . . . Nicholas "Nick" Grimm. Jules learns that Nick is a troll or faery and basically her protector. He was also her mother's protector and her grandmother's protector. Nick has been protecting the special women in her family for generations.

College is hard enough without throwing all of the faery items into the mix but add some romance and Tenderfoot raises the ante. Jules learns to handle college, even the boring aspects. Jules also must come to grips with her "romance" with Andrew, another freshman and fencer extra ordinaire. Tenderfoot realistically explores the drama and angst of college while adding first love and faery lore into the mix. Jules doesn't weave spells, she can't fly, and she doesn't have superhuman strength. She does have grit and determination and is a likable character. ( )

From the moment I started reading this book, I couldn’t put it down. It is a Young Adult book that manages to break the mold of paranormal romance, which with the number of them out there right now, is a feat all on its own.
The characters were well developed, an interesting blend of personalities that made for very amusing dialogue. The main character, Julianna, or Jules, is headstrong yet charming and manages to do more than pout and wait for men to rescue her, unlike some other YA heroines. Nick was definitely my favorite, though. Obnoxious, sarcastic and lovable, he is the kind of character that makes you turn the pages.
The story itself, has some really interesting twists that make for a fun read. I loved the mixture of Scandinavian folklore in the story; it infused an aura of the mystic more original than the vampire/werewolf mix we keep seeing ad nauseam.
What I enjoyed the most, however, was the atmosphere the author created. I loved the college campus as the background, it works wonderfully to give the sense that Jules is a bit in seclusion from the rest of the world.
This was definitely a good book, and one that I can highly recommend for teenagers and adults who like a bit of the paranormal in their pages. ( )