Gwen Williams has been hiding a strange and fantastic secret: she's a shapeshifter. Although society may tolerate vampires, centaurs, and "Others" like Gwen, there are plenty of folks in her small Washington town who don't care for her kind.
When a new werewolf pack moves into the area, tensions rise—and Others start showing up dead, including someone close to Gwen. Despite the methodical murders, the police are ignoring evidence that suggests a serial killer. In the midst of terrible loss and danger, Gwen—along with a mysterious and sexy guy who happens to be a Japanese fox spirit—risks her life to find the murderer. But Gwen is already the killer's next target . . .
Synopsis taken from goodreads.
Author: Karen Kincy
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Flux
Publication Date: September 1, 2010.
Format: Softcover
Source: Bought.
Tour: Teen Book Scene blog tour. You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner located below the review.
Look for it: Amazon, Book Depository
My rating: 4.5/5
Gwen is different from most people. She is half-pooka. Her town isn't one that accepts "Others" well, so many fantastical and supernatural beings keep their identities a secret. However, it looks like the Others are being targeted by a killer. Someone who is bent on erasing them all from the town. With Gwen's secret up in the air, she knows that she could be next on the list of targeted Others. Will she be able to find out the identity of the killer before he continues on his deadly spree, or will she end up as another notch on his growing list of kills?
Gwen is a snarky, and conflicted character. In a town full of humans, she has a hard time blending in, especially since she is half-pooka. She shouldn't be afraid to let others know her secret, however her town, and society in general are not forgiving of those who are different from them. Knowing that she is in a hard situation, it is easy to see and understand her frustrations and fears. Relationships are also difficult things to interpret, but more so even when your boyfriend doesn't know your secret. I could relate to Gwen as she chafed at the restrictions set upon her. With her boyfriend's distrust in anything Other, and strict Christian upbringing, one can commiserate with her as she worries about telling him her secret.
Another realistic and charismatic character can be found in Tavian. He is absolutely awesome and I loved his involvement in Other. He is probably one of my favourite characters, next to Gwen of course. With his Japanese flair, and intriguing ideology, as well as his artistic abilities, he draws the reader in deeper as they learn more about the different types of "Others" out there.
The whole concept of "Others" coming to light and having been out for centuries is intriguing in and of itself. I love how different beings were integrated into the story to the point that you could walk down to the corner store and see a centaur shopping for groceries.
The mystery involved added more suspense to the read as we follow Gwen's thoughts on who could be responsible for the murders. I was completely absorbed in reading Other to the point that I could not put it down. Within a few short hours I had greedily devoured it and am left wanting to read more about the world Kincy has created.
All in all, a fantastic, fast-paced, and absorbing read, Other will leave the reader pining for more. I can't wait to see what is going to happen next for Gwen and the "Others" we learned about in Other. I think a lot of readers will enjoy this one as it is a refreshing read that includes other supernatural beings, and not solely vampires or werewolves. I absolutely loved it and can't wait to read the next in the series, Bloodborn. It's definitely one of my favourite reads of the year!
1 comment:
This sounds like a great read. I've never been into vampires or werewolves, but this book could maybe just sway me to read it. :-)
thanks for sharing.
C.K. Volnek
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