I love to see books with a female hero. It's even better when she can be feminine at the same time that she's crushing bad guys. I wonder if boys would be as apt to read a book like this with society setting them up as the ones who do the saving. I've tried so hard not to indoctrinate my children, but I'm afraid they hear it at school from friends and even teachers.
This sounds like a good read.

DW Golden
Fly with Fairies in a new young adult novel : Purple Butterflies
http://www.eloquentbooks.com/PurpleButterflies.html