Jennifer Scales has more going on in her life than typical teenagers. Sure, there's the agony of daily life of high school. Her best friend Susan is sometimes jealous of her perceived popularity, Skip is pressuring her to be his date to the Halloween dance (it's the first day of school!), former friend Eddie is skulking around making dire predictions, the bully she humiliated as a freshman underwent a summer growth spurt and now towers over her and a mysterious admirer is sending her anonymous notes, begging her to go to the Halloween dance (which she's already promised to attend with Skip). Not only that, she's taking geometry this year. Add to these pressures the fact that she's the daughter of a weredragon and a beaststalker (sworn enemies), and it promises to be an unusual school year, to say the least.

Jennifer has a lot to learn about her abilities as both a weredragon (like her father) and beaststalker (like her mother). Maintaining a semi-secret identity is causing extra stress between her friends Skip (a werachnid who hasn't been through his first change) and Eddie (a beaststalker who's betrayed Jennifer but wants to be friends again). It's tough maintaining friendships when centuries of tradition demand you must kill one another, but Jennifer is willing to give it her best shot. Unfortunately, someone, or something, has a different plan in mind for Jennifer's entire family.

First, Jonathan Scales' best friend is murdered and a cryptic message left by his body. Later, during one of Jennifer's visits, her grandfather is murdered and a similar message left with him. When the leaders of the were and beaststalker worlds demand the Scales family discover what is stalking their world and get rid of it, things become a little dicey. Then it's discovered the killer left DNA at the first murder that matches Jonathan Scales, making the murderer a member of his family.

To say much more would give away a lot of surprises best left for readers to discover on their own. MaryJanice Davidson and Anthony Alongi (husband and wife in real life) have created an outstanding world blending reality with mystical in JENNIFER SCALES & THE MESSENGER OF LIGHT. Jennifer's relationship with friends and family has all the highs and lows most teens experience, and the humor that Ms. Davidson's fans have come to expect is evident throughout. I especially enjoyed the character of Susan, who has none of the supernatural abilities of her friends, but is perhaps the bravest of all. I would highly recommend reading the first book, JENNIFER SCALES & THE ANCIENT FURNACE in order to understand some of the references in this book.