Across the Galaxyhttp by Heather Hildenbrand

Orphaned as a young girl, Alina Leone has spent the last few years in dusty Arizona, being raised by her guardian, Peter, and wishing for a friendship that isn’t filled with lies and deception about exactly what she really is. Just before she can begin senior year she meets someone from her past – a talking wolf from another galaxy who won’t stop calling her ‘Empress’ - and in a single moment, her future is changed forever. She becomes a fugitive, on the run from the Shadows, the same monsters who killed her parents, and flees to the safety of the planet Bardawulf for refuge. But not everyone in this magically protected fortress is what they seem.


Good Reads Summary

Alina is not the average main character.  She is from a different planet and labeled a "glow" or someone who can make her chest illuminate brighter than the sun.  She is protected by Peter, her guardian, and moved around constantly in attempts to ensure her safety.  Alina is powerful and hunted by the evil shadows.  Good things can't last forever...Alina is captured and taken to her home planet by a shadow.  This is where the novel picks up pace and Alina is forced to learn to utilize her powers and understand her past and her potential future. 
As a main character, Alina was fun to read about and kept the novel moving.  The plot itself was unusual and fun.  The dialogue was normal, nothing lacking.  The setting was phenomenal-the reader will truly feel as if he/she is in Arizona and then Alina's home planet.  Overall, this novel is recommended for young adults who enjoy fantasy.