I just finished a fantasy with a fairy-tale quality that I would recommend to middle school, teen and adult readers. Interestingly, the copy of the book I read was actually called North Child, as it was published in the UK under a different title. After reading the book, I'd say this is a much more appropriate title than East...but the book itself is the same.
The book tells the story of Rose, who is born a "North Child," which her overly superstitious mother thinks is a bad sign meaning she will be wild and a wanderlust. The book is told in chapters that alternate between the viewpoints of Rose, her father, Neddy (her brother), the Troll Queen (the villain) and White Bear, who shows up one day at the family's doorstep and takes Rose to an enchanted castle.
It is very beautifully written and the plot really keeps you interested.
It is kind of like a combination of Beauty and the Beast and the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche...with some Norse and Inuit lore and customs mixed in.
