YA book about a girl with multicolored hair who possesses some kind of power

Question

I'm looking for a young adult book I read sometime in the late 90s or early 2000s, probably published in the late 80s or 90s. It's about a girl with four hair colors, like red, black, silver and blonde. I don't remember her name.

She is new to the area where the book is set and is somehow being held captive or controlled by a woman who tells her that her hair is ugly. The girl is staying in a large house, possibly for orphans and the captor may be her foster mother.

The girl is a witch or possesses a power and her hair is part of this power. Her captor wants to use the power the girl has and torments her throughout the book. The captor/foster mother may have had several 'henchmen' watching the girl as well.

The only scene I remember was the girl ice skating with some children from school and her hair blowing in the wind. Someone tries to touch her hair and compliments her on it, which surprises the girl because she thinks her hair is ugly.

Answer 1

The Losing Christina or Fog, Snow, and Fire series: The Fog, The Snow, The Fire. By Caroline B. Cooney.

GoodReads describes it:

Mr. Shevvington, the handsome principal. Mrs. Shevvington, the dedicated teacher. Who better for Christina and Anya to board with while attending school on the mainland? But something evil is happening at the Shevvingtons' house.

In FOG, Anya slowly starts to lose her mind and Christina knows that the Shevvingtons are behind it. Can she stop them before they turn their attention to her?

In SNOW, the Shevvingtons bring Dolly to live with them when they realize Christina is too strong for them to control. Sweet, trusting Dolly appears to be lost in a snowstorm, but Christina knows the truth. Dolly is lost inside the house, and that's much worse.

In FIRE, the final book in the series, Christina finally finds the evidence she needs to expose the Shevvingtons. Can she do it before everything goes up in flames?

See also Fantastic Fiction.