Perhaps I misremember, but I believe this is the first McKinley I have ever read with a male protagonist.

I read this book without having so much as read the front flap and had fun, so if you'd like to do so, go now! It is good times! It's like if [author:McKinley] ate [author:Diana Wynne Jones]' tasty brains.

The book is told from the point of fifteen year-old Jake Mendoza, and at no point does McKinley sacrifice the authenticity of that voice for clarity, or pacing. This frequently results in massive digressions, and choppy exposition, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. I'm guessing some people might find it annoying, though.