You can't expect as much of a bond from a niece as you would have with your own child. My nephews and nieces think of me as just some loser they see a couple times a year, and I don't expect anything from them emotionally just because we're related. I just send the miserable little cretins really cheap gifts as my revenge.

It sounds like she's entering that teen age where relatives bore her to death. Maybe you could find a common interest to spend time with her though.