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Shifting
After bouncing from foster home to foster home, Magdalene Mae is transferred to what should be her last foster home in the tiny town of Silver City, New Mexico. Now that she's eighteen and has only a year left in high school, she's determined to stay out of trouble and just be normal.
Agreeing to go to the prom with Bridger O'Connell is a good first step. Fitting in has never been her strong suit, but it's not for the reasons most people would expect-it all has to do with the deep secret that she is a shape shifter. But even in her new home danger lurks, waiting in the shadows to pounce. They are the Skinwalkers of Navajo legend, who have traded their souls to become the animal whose skin they wear-and Maggie is their next target.
Full of romance, mysticism, and intrigue, this dark take on Navajo legend will haunt readers to the final page.
Agreeing to go to the prom with Bridger O'Connell is a good first step. Fitting in has never been her strong suit, but it's not for the reasons most people would expect-it all has to do with the deep secret that she is a shape shifter. But even in her new home danger lurks, waiting in the shadows to pounce. They are the Skinwalkers of Navajo legend, who have traded their souls to become the animal whose skin they wear-and Maggie is their next target.
Full of romance, mysticism, and intrigue, this dark take on Navajo legend will haunt readers to the final page.
353 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2011
53 people are currently reading
4227 people want to read
About the author
Bethany Wiggins
7 books763 followersBethany Wiggins has always been an avid reader, but not an avid student. Seriously! She failed ninth grade English because she read novels instead of doing her homework. In high school, she sat alone at lunch and read massive hardback fantasy novels (Tad Williams and Robert Jordan anyone?). It wasn't until the end of her senior year that the other students realized she was reading fiction--not the Bible
Once upon a time, Bethany's sister dared her to start writing an hour a day until she completed a novel. Bethany wrote a seven-hundred page fantasy novel that she wisely let no one read--but it taught her how to write. Since then she has penned SHIFTING (2011), STUNG (2013), and CURED (2014).
Once upon a time, Bethany's sister dared her to start writing an hour a day until she completed a novel. Bethany wrote a seven-hundred page fantasy novel that she wisely let no one read--but it taught her how to write. Since then she has penned SHIFTING (2011), STUNG (2013), and CURED (2014).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 311 reviews
August 13, 2016
3 to 3.5 stars
I picked this up because my friend, Donita, recommended this to me. (You can see her review by clicking on her name). I was really so scared to start the story thinking this is going to be about snakes but as it turned out, this isn't and I'm boldly saying- that cover is really deceptive. Somebody, please change it.^^
Cover and fear aside, I really enjoyed the fast-paced plot (even though it's a little immature and a bit fairy-tale like) and the intriguing premise of the story which is about Maggie Mae, a foster teen who has been passed from one foster home to another because of her delinquent record of always being found at the streets in her birth suit.^^ Her secret? She shifts into an animal beyond her control during the full moon and not just one animal but any animal whose image she can conjure. Cool stuff, huh?
Despite the awkward transitions, the events are quite fascinating and the conclusion satisfying. The main character although a bit underdeveloped is still likable and amusing. She can be hilarious at times and reading the entire story in her perspective is certainly not a bore (no pun intended).^^
However, the writing at times felt a bit too theatrical especially with its references to renaissance literature like Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter and William Wordsworth's She Was A Phantom of Delight. Actually, when the male MC, Bridger used Wordsworth's poem to woo Maggie, he gave me the willies. It was worse when he was starting saying things like "I am bound to you forever."
The romance in the entire story at times made me swoon but at times made me queasy. I'm not sure what to make of it. I blame it all to Bridger. Lol. He's just simply unimpressive to me. I think it's going to be hard for heroes to impress me since I met Gray of First Comes Love series. <3
Another thing that bothered me in the story is the exaggeration of some scenes especially the bullying part where kids started spitting at Maggie and pointing and throwing things at her. It was as if Maggie was wearing some sort of kindness repellent perfume because people are too mean at her beyond belief- even the serving girl at a restaurant.
Nonetheless, it was still overall an entertaining and refreshing read. I also learned a few Navajo culture and language which added uniqueness to the story.
Recommended to anyone looking for an entertaining, easy-read, romantic paranormal fantasy. Thank you for this, Donita. <3
I picked this up because my friend, Donita, recommended this to me. (You can see her review by clicking on her name). I was really so scared to start the story thinking this is going to be about snakes but as it turned out, this isn't and I'm boldly saying- that cover is really deceptive. Somebody, please change it.^^
Cover and fear aside, I really enjoyed the fast-paced plot (even though it's a little immature and a bit fairy-tale like) and the intriguing premise of the story which is about Maggie Mae, a foster teen who has been passed from one foster home to another because of her delinquent record of always being found at the streets in her birth suit.^^ Her secret? She shifts into an animal beyond her control during the full moon and not just one animal but any animal whose image she can conjure. Cool stuff, huh?
Despite the awkward transitions, the events are quite fascinating and the conclusion satisfying. The main character although a bit underdeveloped is still likable and amusing. She can be hilarious at times and reading the entire story in her perspective is certainly not a bore (no pun intended).^^
However, the writing at times felt a bit too theatrical especially with its references to renaissance literature like Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter and William Wordsworth's She Was A Phantom of Delight. Actually, when the male MC, Bridger used Wordsworth's poem to woo Maggie, he gave me the willies. It was worse when he was starting saying things like "I am bound to you forever."
The romance in the entire story at times made me swoon but at times made me queasy. I'm not sure what to make of it. I blame it all to Bridger. Lol. He's just simply unimpressive to me. I think it's going to be hard for heroes to impress me since I met Gray of First Comes Love series. <3
Another thing that bothered me in the story is the exaggeration of some scenes especially the bullying part where kids started spitting at Maggie and pointing and throwing things at her. It was as if Maggie was wearing some sort of kindness repellent perfume because people are too mean at her beyond belief- even the serving girl at a restaurant.
Nonetheless, it was still overall an entertaining and refreshing read. I also learned a few Navajo culture and language which added uniqueness to the story.
Recommended to anyone looking for an entertaining, easy-read, romantic paranormal fantasy. Thank you for this, Donita. <3
June 29, 2013
Oh, that was painful. It started out bloody freaking awesome, but of course the love interest has to ruin everything.
Review to come soon.After I'm done raging.
Actual Review
The beginning of the book started out amazingly good; a unique setting, a cool heroine, shapeshifters, etc.
Then the love interest came in.
Maggie Mae has been to twelve different foster homes in her past life. In Silver City, New Mexico, she may have found the perfect home in an old farmhouse with a kind old woman named Mrs. Carpenter.
But being a shapeshiter makes things difficult, and it gets more difficult when strange-looking animals start hunting her and her handsome, rich 'friend' starts acting funny around her.
Who will kill her in the end? The demon Skinwalkers? Or her boyfriend Bridger?
Ah, I love YA novels. They've taught me so much, such as how to tell your boyfriend is not good for you.
Reason #58 : If your new dude confesses his love to you, and immediately puts a gun to your head and threatens you, then makes you stand in front of a hundred demon animals that want to kill you only to shoot you himself, then it might be time to ditch him....if you're still alive.
I. hated. Bridger.
He was cool at first and I actually liked him, but he turned out to be an asshole. Some of the things he said to Maggie made me want to barf, including the two times he told her to 'Shut up'. I can't explain the annoyance and irritation Bridger caused me in this book, so I'll just throw you some examples.
P. 160 He wrapped his long fingers around my upper arm and yanked me to standing, then looping his arm around my waist and literally forced me out of the restaurant.
Controlling much?
P. 165 At this point, Maggie was afraid of kissing Bridger because she didn't want to become attached, and when Bridger dropped her off at home, he said;
"And don't be afraid of me," He said, running a hand through his hair.
And she said;
"I'll try."
Um, last time I checked, being afraid of your boyfriend is not a good sign of a healthy relationship.
P. 178 Bridger ditches Maggie at graduation with no explanation.
"I'm so sorry, I know we were going to hang out tonight, but my mom's made other plans. I've got to cancel. So....I guess I'll see you around. I'll call you sometime." He smiled and then wandered away.
My jaw dropped open. "But...I...don't have a ride." Bridger never looked back.
Fucking rude.
P. 219 Before Walt could say another word, Bridger grabbed the back of my tank top and towed me out of hearing distance from the other players.
Again, controlling much?
P. 250 "He's probably hunting. The O'Connells are really big into hunting."
"Really? He's never mentioned anything about guns or hunting to me."
"He and his dad seemed to live to hunt before his dad moved. When Bridger was in elementary school, he wore camouflage clothes every day, and at recess he had the other students pretend to be wild animals and he'd pretend to shoot them. Kind of creepy if you ask me."
UGH! She's a fucking shapeshifter! She can morph into any animal of her choice, and her boyfriend is a hunter. And you know what she says in response?
"Whatever. I don't think Bridger's creepy."
JNTFGJNADGJHRB OF COURSE HE IS.
Now let's look at the manysexy douchebaggy things Bridger said to Maggie, while she blushed and fumbled.
P. 224 He leaned closer to me. "Because, Maggie, the food seems to taste better when you bring it to me." I felt myself blush.
P. 297 "But they're going to kill--"
His palm clamped down on my mouth and his arms wrapped around my waist, pulling my back against his chest. "You have to trust me. Now. Shut. Up." I nodded and his hand left my mouth.
Telling your girlfriend to shut up is NOT sexy. For fuck's sakes.
And then he does it again, not four chapters later.
P. 337 "So what does that have to do with you being bound to me?"
He pressed a finger against my lips. "If you shut up for five seconds, I'll explain."
P. 315 This is where things start to get...messy. Spoiler Alert!
"You ARE one of them, aren't you." It wasn't a question. It was a statement, a realization. Obviously my silence was answer enough, for he closed his pain-filled eyes. When he opened his eyes, they were full of repulsion. Faster than I thought any person could move, Bridger was at a gun case. He opened it and removed a weapon before I had time to wonder what he was doing. And then the cold muzzle pressed against my temple."
....
....
"Bridger, please don't kill me." I begged. "I'm not evil, I swear."
"But you are one of them!" He yelled.
....
....
His face wavered between hope and despair, and then all emotion drained from it. He grabbed my upper arm in an icy iron grip and pressed the gun hard against my spine.
"Walk!" Bridger ordered. I walked.
....
"Do not try anything, Maggie, or I WILL shoot you." Bridger warned when my hand started to rise to wipe away my tears. I let my hand fall.
.....
...
"I want to warn you, I am a perfect shot," Bridger said. "If you try to run or hurt my in any way--"
"Bridger, I will never hurt you."
He laughed, a pitiful, sarcastic sound. "It's a little too late for that."
.....
.....
....
One choice remained to me in my short life. Did I want to kill Bridger and try to escape the Skinwalkers, or would I rather be killed by him? The answer was simple. I'd take a swift bullet to the heart over killing him any day.
I sure as hell wouldn't. He's threatening you with a gun? Whip it out of his hand, and shoot him as soon as I can.
I faced Bridger, sat, and wrapped my tail around my paws.
He didn't make me wait. I heard the shot a split second after I felt the bullet pass through my golden fur and enter my flesh.
That's right folks, he shot her. With a gun.
Congratulations, Bridger O'Connell! You've won the 'WORST LOVE INTEREST EVER' award!
I did like some aspects of the book though, such as Mrs. Carpenter's farmhouse, the dogs, the 'animalistic' things like when Maggie was running from the demon animals near the end of the book, the Navajo Mexican restaurant, etc. But Bridger's assholeness, and Maggie's submissive nature ruined it for me.
Review to come soon.
Actual Review
The beginning of the book started out amazingly good; a unique setting, a cool heroine, shapeshifters, etc.
Then the love interest came in.
Maggie Mae has been to twelve different foster homes in her past life. In Silver City, New Mexico, she may have found the perfect home in an old farmhouse with a kind old woman named Mrs. Carpenter.
But being a shapeshiter makes things difficult, and it gets more difficult when strange-looking animals start hunting her and her handsome, rich 'friend' starts acting funny around her.
Who will kill her in the end? The demon Skinwalkers? Or her boyfriend Bridger?
Ah, I love YA novels. They've taught me so much, such as how to tell your boyfriend is not good for you.
Reason #58 : If your new dude confesses his love to you, and immediately puts a gun to your head and threatens you, then makes you stand in front of a hundred demon animals that want to kill you only to shoot you himself, then it might be time to ditch him....if you're still alive.
I. hated. Bridger.
He was cool at first and I actually liked him, but he turned out to be an asshole. Some of the things he said to Maggie made me want to barf, including the two times he told her to 'Shut up'. I can't explain the annoyance and irritation Bridger caused me in this book, so I'll just throw you some examples.
P. 160 He wrapped his long fingers around my upper arm and yanked me to standing, then looping his arm around my waist and literally forced me out of the restaurant.
Controlling much?
P. 165 At this point, Maggie was afraid of kissing Bridger because she didn't want to become attached, and when Bridger dropped her off at home, he said;
"And don't be afraid of me," He said, running a hand through his hair.
And she said;
"I'll try."
Um, last time I checked, being afraid of your boyfriend is not a good sign of a healthy relationship.
P. 178 Bridger ditches Maggie at graduation with no explanation.
"I'm so sorry, I know we were going to hang out tonight, but my mom's made other plans. I've got to cancel. So....I guess I'll see you around. I'll call you sometime." He smiled and then wandered away.
My jaw dropped open. "But...I...don't have a ride." Bridger never looked back.
Fucking rude.
P. 219 Before Walt could say another word, Bridger grabbed the back of my tank top and towed me out of hearing distance from the other players.
Again, controlling much?
P. 250 "He's probably hunting. The O'Connells are really big into hunting."
"Really? He's never mentioned anything about guns or hunting to me."
"He and his dad seemed to live to hunt before his dad moved. When Bridger was in elementary school, he wore camouflage clothes every day, and at recess he had the other students pretend to be wild animals and he'd pretend to shoot them. Kind of creepy if you ask me."
UGH! She's a fucking shapeshifter! She can morph into any animal of her choice, and her boyfriend is a hunter. And you know what she says in response?
"Whatever. I don't think Bridger's creepy."
JNTFGJNADGJHRB OF COURSE HE IS.
Now let's look at the many
P. 224 He leaned closer to me. "Because, Maggie, the food seems to taste better when you bring it to me." I felt myself blush.
P. 297 "But they're going to kill--"
His palm clamped down on my mouth and his arms wrapped around my waist, pulling my back against his chest. "You have to trust me. Now. Shut. Up." I nodded and his hand left my mouth.
Telling your girlfriend to shut up is NOT sexy. For fuck's sakes.
And then he does it again, not four chapters later.
P. 337 "So what does that have to do with you being bound to me?"
He pressed a finger against my lips. "If you shut up for five seconds, I'll explain."
P. 315 This is where things start to get...messy. Spoiler Alert!
"You ARE one of them, aren't you." It wasn't a question. It was a statement, a realization. Obviously my silence was answer enough, for he closed his pain-filled eyes. When he opened his eyes, they were full of repulsion. Faster than I thought any person could move, Bridger was at a gun case. He opened it and removed a weapon before I had time to wonder what he was doing. And then the cold muzzle pressed against my temple."
....
....
"Bridger, please don't kill me." I begged. "I'm not evil, I swear."
"But you are one of them!" He yelled.
....
....
His face wavered between hope and despair, and then all emotion drained from it. He grabbed my upper arm in an icy iron grip and pressed the gun hard against my spine.
"Walk!" Bridger ordered. I walked.
....
"Do not try anything, Maggie, or I WILL shoot you." Bridger warned when my hand started to rise to wipe away my tears. I let my hand fall.
.....
...
"I want to warn you, I am a perfect shot," Bridger said. "If you try to run or hurt my in any way--"
"Bridger, I will never hurt you."
He laughed, a pitiful, sarcastic sound. "It's a little too late for that."
.....
.....
....
One choice remained to me in my short life. Did I want to kill Bridger and try to escape the Skinwalkers, or would I rather be killed by him? The answer was simple. I'd take a swift bullet to the heart over killing him any day.
I sure as hell wouldn't. He's threatening you with a gun? Whip it out of his hand, and shoot him as soon as I can.
I faced Bridger, sat, and wrapped my tail around my paws.
He didn't make me wait. I heard the shot a split second after I felt the bullet pass through my golden fur and enter my flesh.
That's right folks, he shot her. With a gun.
Congratulations, Bridger O'Connell! You've won the 'WORST LOVE INTEREST EVER' award!
I did like some aspects of the book though, such as Mrs. Carpenter's farmhouse, the dogs, the 'animalistic' things like when Maggie was running from the demon animals near the end of the book, the Navajo Mexican restaurant, etc. But Bridger's assholeness, and Maggie's submissive nature ruined it for me.
December 16, 2011
*spoilers*
My only real problem can be summed up in three words: Bridger. O. Connell.
A patronising, shallow, faithless douche if ever there was one. For the greater part of the story he's either ignoring poor Maggie May or leading her on, and then, when he finally does profess his undying (ha.) love for the girl; he turns on her almost immediately.
Aaand then he shoots her. Lovely.
No no, it's okay though-he didn't shoot to kill, so you forgive him right Maggie? Right?
Oh you should, he's a keeper I can tell.
And Maggie if the flesh wound you're now sporting doesn't convince you his moving, heartfelt protestations of how selfish you are for nearly dying-I know he shot you but lets get past that already- and I don't now how many times the phrase "stuck loving you" is repeated...surely once is enough regardless.
*sigh*
Truly, parts of it weren't half bad (hence the rating) and I particularly liked the sprinklings of Navajo culture-I am a sucker for folklore. Then there's that cover. I will definitely be trying that out in the very near future-minus the snake-but I digress. Whatever my issues with thedouche love interest, if you're looking for something light in the YA paranormal romance genre, Bethany Wiggins' Shifting is not a bad choice.
My only real problem can be summed up in three words: Bridger. O. Connell.
A patronising, shallow, faithless douche if ever there was one. For the greater part of the story he's either ignoring poor Maggie May or leading her on, and then, when he finally does profess his undying (ha.) love for the girl; he turns on her almost immediately.
Aaand then he shoots her. Lovely.
No no, it's okay though-he didn't shoot to kill, so you forgive him right Maggie? Right?
Oh you should, he's a keeper I can tell.
And Maggie if the flesh wound you're now sporting doesn't convince you his moving, heartfelt protestations of how selfish you are for nearly dying-I know he shot you but lets get past that already- and I don't now how many times the phrase "stuck loving you" is repeated...surely once is enough regardless.
*sigh*
Truly, parts of it weren't half bad (hence the rating) and I particularly liked the sprinklings of Navajo culture-I am a sucker for folklore. Then there's that cover. I will definitely be trying that out in the very near future-minus the snake-but I digress. Whatever my issues with the
May 31, 2017
"'Something really important came up,' he said. 'Something so important you didn't have the decency to give me a freaking ride home? What came up?' 'I can't talk about it.'"
So. Let's talk about 'Shifting', a paranormal Young Adult Romance debut about an orphaned girl, who has been handed from one abusive foster home to the next, and who has had some collisions with the police lately because of nightly nudity and kitty fights for pieces of clothing with local prostitutes in her home town Albuquerque, New Mexico. As the title already suggests, Magdalene Mae Mortensen is a Shifter, someone who has to shift at full moons and can shift into whatever she wants whenever she wants (kind of like Sookie's bartender boss Sam). A few months before the State's responsibility ends Maggie's social worker, Mr. Petersen, made the strange last-straw-decision to hand his toughest ward cookie over to his own mother in small-townish Silver City. The change of abode comes with a change of hair color, a change of social workers and a change of schools. Now Maggie Mae is in the hands of incapable, insensitive blabbermouth Ollie Williams, surrounded by mega-bullies and supposedly hot jerks, cared for by an old, naive and superstitious lady, who is not accustomed to keeping a girl safe and fed, and hunted by someone ruthless, dangerous and unknown. Sounds great?
No. I don't think so either. So do not ask me what made me put the title on my wishlist in the first place. Certainly part of the blame goes to the cover, which is a bit fitting, actually, although Maggie's black-dyed hair is always wet or filthy and the attempt to shift into a snake went freakishly wrong. Then there was the promise of a New Mexican setting and Native American mythology. What puzzles me in hindsight is, that I somehow managed to graciously overlook the accumulation of brightly glowing jerk-inside bumper-stickers on positive and negative reviews alike. Inexplicably the praise of one single reviewer, who was even more or less unknown to me, stuck and overrode all warning signals: She gushed about the fantastically normal guy filling the love interest spot. I should have taken the time to run a check on her favorites shelf before mustering the galls to even suggest to my friend Teccc a read-along! But guess what: He chuckled evasively and didn't say yes or no, but expressed himself to be partly curious. Luckily I did not pester him again and saved myself from having to perform some apologetic groveling. For "normal" is the very last word I would select to describe rich, snobby, aloof, smarmy, horny, self-centered, impolite, irresponsible, rude, one-eighth-Navajo-blooded Daddy's boy Bridger, beloved little shit, track star and French-fiancé-owning, mysterious Crown Prince of Silver City. Even a good month later leafing through the offensive quotes I've marked makes my blood boil with disgust, and I hate the heroine for relenting and forgiving and being turned on again and again: "Who was verbally beating me to pulp this time? I was straining my ears but couldn't separate one voice out of them all. Bridger frowned and stopped dancing. He took a step away from me and said, 'I'll be back in a couple of minutes. Want some punch or cookie or anything?'" Naturally Bridger does not return all evening. He lets Maggie stand among a group of harpies who identified her - beautiful - dress as being from the Wal-Mart clearance rack and wondered loudly if he wasn't embarrassed being seen with someone "so shoddy", but he does not see a reason to apologize the next day (see quote on at beginning). Prom Night is not the only occasion Maggie Mae has to run in animal form home to Mrs. Carpenter's house in the middle of nowhere because of Bridger's sudden change of mind. Once he chivalrously picks her up and says she shouldn't consider walking alone at night after her shift in the Mexican restaurant, but spontaneously shoves her out of his car because of a mysterious phone call. The incident on graduation day tops everything - although part of the disaster is Mrs. Carpenter's fault, who should have known better about Silver City hierarchy, since she had lived all her life among her rich and poor neighbors. She gleefully flaunts the information that her foster daughter plans to celebrate the end of school with their quasi-royal son into his posh parents' sour faces and then leaves the school grounds - and Maggie Mae, who is car-less and also phone-less - without a second thought. Cue for Bridger to make the following little speech: "I'm so sorry - I know we were going to hang out tonight, but my mom's made other plans. I've got to cancel. So ... I guess I'll see you around. I'll call you sometime. Or drop by and help you with the garden." and making a quick no-looking-back-exit that ignores her feeble "But ... I don't have a ride" protest. Shortly before Maggie is almost mobbed to death he quietly tells her to be careful, because "something might be up", but doesn't do anything to prevent her getting hurt. When he takes her "as a friend" out to a five-star-restaurant, where she stands out like pus on a model's face in her tattered second-hand clothes and bewilderedly discusses the unavailability of tap water with the condescending waitress, who fawns over Bridger (Hello, Twighlight's restaurant scene), but suggests to his date to "go eat somewhere that is better suited to trailer trash", Bridger nervously watches Maggie form a frown, yanks her out of the booth before she can decide to retort (new destination: KFC) and testily asks "Are your previous brushes with the law for fighting?" without even contemplating to put the waitress in her place for being rude to a paying customer. In addition, he invites poor Maggie to stay over, although he must have known how his parents would react after detecting an undesirable girl without money or connections under their roof, and succeeds, although Maggie's only friend Yana had warned her in time about his rich fiancé and his girl-eating habits: "Well, there's a problem. France is on another continent. So when Bridger's hormones rage, he finds someone local to use as a temporary replacement. And then he tosses her aside." By the way, I am positive Bridger is something paranormal, too. Something that needs invitations into houses, something at war with the dangerous species Maggie Mae seems to belong to at the first superficial glance: Skinwalkers. I did not venture in far enough to find out, but I am almost betting my battered Kindle on it.
The second obstacle, which quickly rubbed me sore, has been the unprofessional behavior of Maggie Mae's replacement social worker Ollie, who is officially in charge of Silver City's foster children. He talks to Mr. Petersen, Mrs. Carpenter and Bridger about Maggie Mae as if she wasn't present or as if she was deaf or stupid or had no feelings at all and accepts rumors circling "in the office" about her as the unquestionable truth. "'I've come to visit with Ms. Mortensen, too,' Ollie explained, holding my file up. '[She]'s been in the fostering program since she was five,' Ollie said. I wanted to punch Ollie. Wasn't my life, contained in the file under his arm, supposed to be private? 'Oh,' Bridger said again, studying me as if we had just met." Later on Ollie shows only minimal remorse when his niece Danni, Maggie Mae's number one bully, reads aloud from said confidential file and systematically riles up the mob to shame and punish "the prostitute" in the locker room. The teachers and the principal act and react almost as bizarrely and wipe the last bit of reality out of a story that did not have much life-like to offer in the first place.
Well. I conclude with saying that I am rather surprised that I made it until 56%. In my opinion the book did not deserve the time I spent reading it. So should you have a jerk allergy as severe as mine, do yourself a favor and avoid repeating my mistake. It's not good for your health.
So. Let's talk about 'Shifting', a paranormal Young Adult Romance debut about an orphaned girl, who has been handed from one abusive foster home to the next, and who has had some collisions with the police lately because of nightly nudity and kitty fights for pieces of clothing with local prostitutes in her home town Albuquerque, New Mexico. As the title already suggests, Magdalene Mae Mortensen is a Shifter, someone who has to shift at full moons and can shift into whatever she wants whenever she wants (kind of like Sookie's bartender boss Sam). A few months before the State's responsibility ends Maggie's social worker, Mr. Petersen, made the strange last-straw-decision to hand his toughest ward cookie over to his own mother in small-townish Silver City. The change of abode comes with a change of hair color, a change of social workers and a change of schools. Now Maggie Mae is in the hands of incapable, insensitive blabbermouth Ollie Williams, surrounded by mega-bullies and supposedly hot jerks, cared for by an old, naive and superstitious lady, who is not accustomed to keeping a girl safe and fed, and hunted by someone ruthless, dangerous and unknown. Sounds great?
No. I don't think so either. So do not ask me what made me put the title on my wishlist in the first place. Certainly part of the blame goes to the cover, which is a bit fitting, actually, although Maggie's black-dyed hair is always wet or filthy and the attempt to shift into a snake went freakishly wrong. Then there was the promise of a New Mexican setting and Native American mythology. What puzzles me in hindsight is, that I somehow managed to graciously overlook the accumulation of brightly glowing jerk-inside bumper-stickers on positive and negative reviews alike. Inexplicably the praise of one single reviewer, who was even more or less unknown to me, stuck and overrode all warning signals: She gushed about the fantastically normal guy filling the love interest spot. I should have taken the time to run a check on her favorites shelf before mustering the galls to even suggest to my friend Teccc a read-along! But guess what: He chuckled evasively and didn't say yes or no, but expressed himself to be partly curious. Luckily I did not pester him again and saved myself from having to perform some apologetic groveling. For "normal" is the very last word I would select to describe rich, snobby, aloof, smarmy, horny, self-centered, impolite, irresponsible, rude, one-eighth-Navajo-blooded Daddy's boy Bridger, beloved little shit, track star and French-fiancé-owning, mysterious Crown Prince of Silver City. Even a good month later leafing through the offensive quotes I've marked makes my blood boil with disgust, and I hate the heroine for relenting and forgiving and being turned on again and again: "Who was verbally beating me to pulp this time? I was straining my ears but couldn't separate one voice out of them all. Bridger frowned and stopped dancing. He took a step away from me and said, 'I'll be back in a couple of minutes. Want some punch or cookie or anything?'" Naturally Bridger does not return all evening. He lets Maggie stand among a group of harpies who identified her - beautiful - dress as being from the Wal-Mart clearance rack and wondered loudly if he wasn't embarrassed being seen with someone "so shoddy", but he does not see a reason to apologize the next day (see quote on at beginning). Prom Night is not the only occasion Maggie Mae has to run in animal form home to Mrs. Carpenter's house in the middle of nowhere because of Bridger's sudden change of mind. Once he chivalrously picks her up and says she shouldn't consider walking alone at night after her shift in the Mexican restaurant, but spontaneously shoves her out of his car because of a mysterious phone call. The incident on graduation day tops everything - although part of the disaster is Mrs. Carpenter's fault, who should have known better about Silver City hierarchy, since she had lived all her life among her rich and poor neighbors. She gleefully flaunts the information that her foster daughter plans to celebrate the end of school with their quasi-royal son into his posh parents' sour faces and then leaves the school grounds - and Maggie Mae, who is car-less and also phone-less - without a second thought. Cue for Bridger to make the following little speech: "I'm so sorry - I know we were going to hang out tonight, but my mom's made other plans. I've got to cancel. So ... I guess I'll see you around. I'll call you sometime. Or drop by and help you with the garden." and making a quick no-looking-back-exit that ignores her feeble "But ... I don't have a ride" protest. Shortly before Maggie is almost mobbed to death he quietly tells her to be careful, because "something might be up", but doesn't do anything to prevent her getting hurt. When he takes her "as a friend" out to a five-star-restaurant, where she stands out like pus on a model's face in her tattered second-hand clothes and bewilderedly discusses the unavailability of tap water with the condescending waitress, who fawns over Bridger (Hello, Twighlight's restaurant scene), but suggests to his date to "go eat somewhere that is better suited to trailer trash", Bridger nervously watches Maggie form a frown, yanks her out of the booth before she can decide to retort (new destination: KFC) and testily asks "Are your previous brushes with the law for fighting?" without even contemplating to put the waitress in her place for being rude to a paying customer. In addition, he invites poor Maggie to stay over, although he must have known how his parents would react after detecting an undesirable girl without money or connections under their roof, and succeeds, although Maggie's only friend Yana had warned her in time about his rich fiancé and his girl-eating habits: "Well, there's a problem. France is on another continent. So when Bridger's hormones rage, he finds someone local to use as a temporary replacement. And then he tosses her aside." By the way, I am positive Bridger is something paranormal, too. Something that needs invitations into houses, something at war with the dangerous species Maggie Mae seems to belong to at the first superficial glance: Skinwalkers. I did not venture in far enough to find out, but I am almost betting my battered Kindle on it.
The second obstacle, which quickly rubbed me sore, has been the unprofessional behavior of Maggie Mae's replacement social worker Ollie, who is officially in charge of Silver City's foster children. He talks to Mr. Petersen, Mrs. Carpenter and Bridger about Maggie Mae as if she wasn't present or as if she was deaf or stupid or had no feelings at all and accepts rumors circling "in the office" about her as the unquestionable truth. "'I've come to visit with Ms. Mortensen, too,' Ollie explained, holding my file up. '[She]'s been in the fostering program since she was five,' Ollie said. I wanted to punch Ollie. Wasn't my life, contained in the file under his arm, supposed to be private? 'Oh,' Bridger said again, studying me as if we had just met." Later on Ollie shows only minimal remorse when his niece Danni, Maggie Mae's number one bully, reads aloud from said confidential file and systematically riles up the mob to shame and punish "the prostitute" in the locker room. The teachers and the principal act and react almost as bizarrely and wipe the last bit of reality out of a story that did not have much life-like to offer in the first place.
Well. I conclude with saying that I am rather surprised that I made it until 56%. In my opinion the book did not deserve the time I spent reading it. So should you have a jerk allergy as severe as mine, do yourself a favor and avoid repeating my mistake. It's not good for your health.
June 16, 2012
Why I am surprised that I liked this book so much? Because I thought I had fallen prey to the pretty cover. Yes it's so hard to resist them! But Wiggins knows how to write and hello shapeshifiting. You can never have enough of that.
Maggie Mae is an orphan. She has been moved around countless times from foster home to foster home. Lately things have been worse since she has been having run-ins with the police for indecent exposure. What no one knows is that Maggie can't help it because she is a shapeshifter. She has one last chance to not get into trouble and graduate, but then a different kind of trouble comes her way, Bridger. Bridger O'Connell comes from a rich family and everyone says he's trouble, but Maggie can't help but feel attracted to him. Maggie finally feels as though she can make things work here but then another problem arises. There is some random man after her and she has no idea why, but all too soon she'll discover that she may not be as safe as she thought she was.
One of the things I appreciated about reading this book was that it was not hard for me to get into it at all. Every time I put it down I wanted to get back to reading it. Always a good sign. I think my favorite thing was the setting. I haven't had the chance to read too many books set in the American southwest but I'm intrigued now. Loved the weaving in of folklore and feeling like I was in New Mexico. Being able to feel the dry air and cool nights makes me want to visit. Then there is Maggie. I really liked her and it's just that simple. She has this personality that doesn't seem to be trying too hard to be anything. You can tell she is vulnerable behind her facade but despite that she pulls an astounding amount of strength to do what she thinks is right. The parts where she shapeshifts are done superbly because I could sense my animal instincts kick in while Maggie was an animal too. I also easily became attached to some of the minor characters, especially Maggie's foster parent Mrs. Carpenter. What a spitfire! I'd like to be her when I grow old.
Now of course I have to talk about Bridger. You know I liked him and I didn't. As the reader you have an inkling of where the story is going and why maybe Bridger acts a tad bit off but Maggie doesn't know. I think she would have reacted a little more angrily than she did. But like I said as the reader it's easy to forgive him, but I guess I'm not convinced that Maggie would. Maggie is tough and I feel like she wouldn't take much crap from anyone. That fact aside though I loved them together. There is a realistic amount of time to build a relationship and for them to get to know each other, and by the end I was entirely invested in their story.
Though I did like it a lot I have to say there was something that bothered me, the lack of interaction that Maggie has with her friend Yana. This is not new to young adult literature. For some reason girlfriends do not get much page time and though this may be the case in real life for some people I don't believe it's that common. I'd argue that most girls grow up having friends be a big part of their lives, and I just didn't see that here.
I hope (or more like demand politely) there are plans to write a sequel. It's going be hard for me to let Maggie go and I can just see a potential for another story, but I don’t see any indication that there will be one! Oh the agony of a reader’s heart knows no bounds! Ok enough of that and onto telling you guys I think you should read this book. Really guys, it’s pretty fantastic.
Maggie Mae is an orphan. She has been moved around countless times from foster home to foster home. Lately things have been worse since she has been having run-ins with the police for indecent exposure. What no one knows is that Maggie can't help it because she is a shapeshifter. She has one last chance to not get into trouble and graduate, but then a different kind of trouble comes her way, Bridger. Bridger O'Connell comes from a rich family and everyone says he's trouble, but Maggie can't help but feel attracted to him. Maggie finally feels as though she can make things work here but then another problem arises. There is some random man after her and she has no idea why, but all too soon she'll discover that she may not be as safe as she thought she was.
One of the things I appreciated about reading this book was that it was not hard for me to get into it at all. Every time I put it down I wanted to get back to reading it. Always a good sign. I think my favorite thing was the setting. I haven't had the chance to read too many books set in the American southwest but I'm intrigued now. Loved the weaving in of folklore and feeling like I was in New Mexico. Being able to feel the dry air and cool nights makes me want to visit. Then there is Maggie. I really liked her and it's just that simple. She has this personality that doesn't seem to be trying too hard to be anything. You can tell she is vulnerable behind her facade but despite that she pulls an astounding amount of strength to do what she thinks is right. The parts where she shapeshifts are done superbly because I could sense my animal instincts kick in while Maggie was an animal too. I also easily became attached to some of the minor characters, especially Maggie's foster parent Mrs. Carpenter. What a spitfire! I'd like to be her when I grow old.
Now of course I have to talk about Bridger. You know I liked him and I didn't. As the reader you have an inkling of where the story is going and why maybe Bridger acts a tad bit off but Maggie doesn't know. I think she would have reacted a little more angrily than she did. But like I said as the reader it's easy to forgive him, but I guess I'm not convinced that Maggie would. Maggie is tough and I feel like she wouldn't take much crap from anyone. That fact aside though I loved them together. There is a realistic amount of time to build a relationship and for them to get to know each other, and by the end I was entirely invested in their story.
Though I did like it a lot I have to say there was something that bothered me, the lack of interaction that Maggie has with her friend Yana. This is not new to young adult literature. For some reason girlfriends do not get much page time and though this may be the case in real life for some people I don't believe it's that common. I'd argue that most girls grow up having friends be a big part of their lives, and I just didn't see that here.
I hope (or more like demand politely) there are plans to write a sequel. It's going be hard for me to let Maggie go and I can just see a potential for another story, but I don’t see any indication that there will be one! Oh the agony of a reader’s heart knows no bounds! Ok enough of that and onto telling you guys I think you should read this book. Really guys, it’s pretty fantastic.
October 12, 2011
Shifting has an alluring blend of Native American lore, sizzling romance and a beautiful New Mexico setting that made it hard for me to put this captivating story down. Bethany is a brilliant story teller. She mesmerized with her ability to create and bring her story to life through a vivid setting and richly detailed mythology. She intertwines the two together flawlessly. She not only engaged me with her story line, but she had me connecting with her characters from the get go.
The story itself centers on seventeen, soon to be eighteen year old Maggie Mae who's grown up getting the short end of the stick. She been an orphan since she was a young child and has bounced around from foster home to foster for years. She's dwelt with her fair share of abuse, abandonment, and bullying. It wasn't hard for me to become emotionally involved with this in-depth, beautifully layered character who's emotions really poured off the pages for me. I understood her fears, her anger, her frustrations and her wanting to just blend in, and I admired her strength, her persistence, and the fact that there's something about her that makes her relatable to everyone. Her feelings and desires are ones that we've all experienced or are experiencing. She's had a crappy upbringing and yet she tries to make the most of it, despite the fact the most of the trouble she's been is has all been from misunderstandings.
It's Maggie Mae's secret gift for shape shifting that's landed her with a police record and has her moving from one part of New Mexico to the other. It's here in the quiet desert town of Silver City that Maggie will finally get everything she's needed throughout her life, stability, love, compassion, and she'll realize she's not the only one with a secret for shape shifting. That also comes at a price and it's here that Maggie's life is threatened, supernatural things start happening and she endures a horrific bullying incident, which really surprised me with how emotionally involved it made me feel with this story. The way Bethany created this scene was so raw, and believable. I admire the fact that she created such an amazing heroine who's had to deal with so much.
Maggie Mae doesn't go through this story without some reward, which is comes in the form of Bridger, the fabulously written, swoon worthy love interest. I was absolutely smitten with this romance and the way it was developed. These two are so much alike, but appearance wise couldn't be any different. I loved the "rich boy, poor girl" theme and the fact that these two didn't have an insta love. What Bridger and Maggie had was such a credible, sizzling chemistry and connection that made their relationship real and completely believable. There's some about Bridger that's intriguing and little by little his secrets are unraveled as the story continues, and I liked that air of mystery that surrounded him.
Aside from Bridger, there is a cast of great characters who are apart of Maggie's story and I loved the Native American lore that ties Bridger and Maggie together. I was really blown away by the richly detailed Native American mythology that Bethany has in her story, and it's what made me want to pick this book up in the first place. The element of shifters, skin walkers, protection circles, Bridger's family ties to Silver City and the Navajo beliefs were beyond fascinating to me. There's such a shortage of YA books who's stories are rooted in Native American lore, and I love that Bethany has written a really refreshing, unique story that will stand out among the recent YA release.
This is an incredibly enticing story that I completely fell in love with. With it's flawed, believable characters, it's solid story line, riveting lore and incredible storytelling, Bethany Wiggins's Shifting is one book I highly recommend picking up. I'm looking forward to reading more of Bethany's future books.
The story itself centers on seventeen, soon to be eighteen year old Maggie Mae who's grown up getting the short end of the stick. She been an orphan since she was a young child and has bounced around from foster home to foster for years. She's dwelt with her fair share of abuse, abandonment, and bullying. It wasn't hard for me to become emotionally involved with this in-depth, beautifully layered character who's emotions really poured off the pages for me. I understood her fears, her anger, her frustrations and her wanting to just blend in, and I admired her strength, her persistence, and the fact that there's something about her that makes her relatable to everyone. Her feelings and desires are ones that we've all experienced or are experiencing. She's had a crappy upbringing and yet she tries to make the most of it, despite the fact the most of the trouble she's been is has all been from misunderstandings.
It's Maggie Mae's secret gift for shape shifting that's landed her with a police record and has her moving from one part of New Mexico to the other. It's here in the quiet desert town of Silver City that Maggie will finally get everything she's needed throughout her life, stability, love, compassion, and she'll realize she's not the only one with a secret for shape shifting. That also comes at a price and it's here that Maggie's life is threatened, supernatural things start happening and she endures a horrific bullying incident, which really surprised me with how emotionally involved it made me feel with this story. The way Bethany created this scene was so raw, and believable. I admire the fact that she created such an amazing heroine who's had to deal with so much.
Maggie Mae doesn't go through this story without some reward, which is comes in the form of Bridger, the fabulously written, swoon worthy love interest. I was absolutely smitten with this romance and the way it was developed. These two are so much alike, but appearance wise couldn't be any different. I loved the "rich boy, poor girl" theme and the fact that these two didn't have an insta love. What Bridger and Maggie had was such a credible, sizzling chemistry and connection that made their relationship real and completely believable. There's some about Bridger that's intriguing and little by little his secrets are unraveled as the story continues, and I liked that air of mystery that surrounded him.
Aside from Bridger, there is a cast of great characters who are apart of Maggie's story and I loved the Native American lore that ties Bridger and Maggie together. I was really blown away by the richly detailed Native American mythology that Bethany has in her story, and it's what made me want to pick this book up in the first place. The element of shifters, skin walkers, protection circles, Bridger's family ties to Silver City and the Navajo beliefs were beyond fascinating to me. There's such a shortage of YA books who's stories are rooted in Native American lore, and I love that Bethany has written a really refreshing, unique story that will stand out among the recent YA release.
This is an incredibly enticing story that I completely fell in love with. With it's flawed, believable characters, it's solid story line, riveting lore and incredible storytelling, Bethany Wiggins's Shifting is one book I highly recommend picking up. I'm looking forward to reading more of Bethany's future books.
March 15, 2011
Read this in its earlier stage and knew right away it would be published! This book is phenomenal.
April 26, 2015
This book has been on my To-Read shelf for a long time now. I wasn't really expecting too much when I started reading it out of boredom, and boy did it surprised me. I find it really hard to put down this book as I am always wanting for more action and revelations!
Summary:
Magdalene Mae or Maggie mae, why can't her nickname be Maggie?, anyway, she's an orphan girl that has been to 12 different foster home since she was 5, and as if life wasn't hard enough as it is, the girl discovered that she's actually a shapeshifter. For me it was pretty cool! I mean, imagine how amazing it can be to be able to shift to an animal to your liking? Wicked Sick! Except, Maggie Mae's shifting ability actually has a limitation.
Another downside of shape shifting is that, her dresses don't just magically removed and reappeared before and after changing. It gets ripped if she don't removed them herself before shifting. That was why she keeps getting picked up for indecent exposure.
Anyway, Mrs. Carpenter is actually the last foster parent she's been assigned to so she can finished her last year at high school, and since it will be the last, she atleast wanted to fit in even until the graduation day only, although, fitting in has never been easy for her being a shifter and an orphan and all. She always got picked on. So..
However, it seems that bully schoolmates should be the least of her problems, for there are creatures far more dangerous and deadly that exists in Silver City - Skinwalkers. Now that's creepy.
That was the main difference between the two. Skincrawlers steal the skin of an animal to become that animal, it's limitless. It was actually pretty cool, being able to become any animal to your liking if not for the stealing of skin thing, Gross. On the other hand, Shifters are born with the ability to shift a specific animal. Both has its own downside and both are made to contradict the existence of the other, like if there is good there must be evil, light and dark etc.
Now let us talk about the characters..
It's usually the characters that can make or break a YA book for me. I mean, I don't really care if the main character is not that powerful or special or anything, I just hope that she isn't some stupid damsel in distress that's always waiting for someone to save her. Save that for character who isn't actually paranormal.
Magdalene Mae I really really liked Maggie Mae, she's one of those realistic characters. She can be innocent and clueless but has a very short temper that can be blamed for all the trouble she's had. She's kind of
obsessed
with Bridger, I mean, not really, it's just, she has fallen in love, hard and it was kind of believable which was a plus.
Bridger I can read a lot of hate he's receiving, and I can't blame them. At some point, I hated him big time, I am not sure if I even like him now. I struggled to keep my temper in check when I read some of Bridger's stupidity throughout the book, I don't even know where to begin. The ditching in the prom, I can't even explain how angry I was for Maggie Mae,shooting issue, because I still can't really make excuses to defend him yet!
In this case, the boy needs to sort out his priorities.
The only good thing I liked that Bridger has done was falling in love with Maggie Mae.
Mrs. Carpenter She was the best mother figure Maggie Mae could have hope for.
There are a lot of characters that was really commendable in this story and I know that it will take time if I am to enumerate them one by one. You just have to read the book for yourself to meet them yourself..
The story or plot itself of Shifting isn't unique. Shifters, are quite popular in paranormal YA books nowadays, but this is seriously one of the best book I've ever read, too bad I only just read it now.
What are you waiting for? You definitely have to get your hands on this book! Its a must read for everyone who loves YA paranormal book!
Summary:
Magdalene Mae or Maggie mae, why can't her nickname be Maggie?, anyway, she's an orphan girl that has been to 12 different foster home since she was 5, and as if life wasn't hard enough as it is, the girl discovered that she's actually a shapeshifter. For me it was pretty cool! I mean, imagine how amazing it can be to be able to shift to an animal to your liking? Wicked Sick! Except, Maggie Mae's shifting ability actually has a limitation.
"Ever since I started changing, I always looked like Mrs. Montgomery's big orange tabby,my foster mother's pet.Maybe I turn into whatever animal I'm closest to."Well that's a little bit inconvenient. The girl got to be thankful she didn't turn into a Horny Toad. Say what?! I did a double take too, fortunately it wasn't what I and Maggie Mae was thinking.
I tilted my head to the side and studied her. Did she really just say that?"A what toad?"Thank you very much for elaborating Mrs. Carpenter.
Mrs. Carpenter chuckled harder and the reptile scurried away. "They're Horned lizards but we always called them horny toads." She explained. "It doesn't mean they're horny. Just covered with horns"
Another downside of shape shifting is that, her dresses don't just magically removed and reappeared before and after changing. It gets ripped if she don't removed them herself before shifting. That was why she keeps getting picked up for indecent exposure.
"Well, I knew you weren't up to no good when they found you naked in the streets. My gut told me you were a decent girl, and my gut has never been wrong. And Ollie thinks you're a Prostitute!"I mean, seriously? Even Prostitutes wear clothes, as skimpy as it is, they still wear clothes, they don't stroll the streets naked.If I were to see a naked girl on the streets, I would think she's a little cracked up, or she has just been sexually molested, but not a prostitute.
Anyway, Mrs. Carpenter is actually the last foster parent she's been assigned to so she can finished her last year at high school, and since it will be the last, she atleast wanted to fit in even until the graduation day only, although, fitting in has never been easy for her being a shifter and an orphan and all. She always got picked on. So..
"I learned to run fast and hit hard"That's my girl!
However, it seems that bully schoolmates should be the least of her problems, for there are creatures far more dangerous and deadly that exists in Silver City - Skinwalkers. Now that's creepy.
"The Navajo call them witches. They steal the skin of an animal and become that animal. They are skinwalkers"I was like..
That was the main difference between the two. Skincrawlers steal the skin of an animal to become that animal, it's limitless. It was actually pretty cool, being able to become any animal to your liking if not for the stealing of skin thing, Gross. On the other hand, Shifters are born with the ability to shift a specific animal. Both has its own downside and both are made to contradict the existence of the other, like if there is good there must be evil, light and dark etc.
Now let us talk about the characters..
It's usually the characters that can make or break a YA book for me. I mean, I don't really care if the main character is not that powerful or special or anything, I just hope that she isn't some stupid damsel in distress that's always waiting for someone to save her. Save that for character who isn't actually paranormal.
"I have been through enough crap to know I don't want some rich boy to try and save me."Yeah right!
Magdalene Mae I really really liked Maggie Mae, she's one of those realistic characters. She can be innocent and clueless but has a very short temper that can be blamed for all the trouble she's had. She's kind of
"It was like I'd been eating bread and water my whole life, and then one day someone gave me chocolate cake. And I liked how it tasted so well, I never wanted to go back to bread and water. But bread and water was safe. Chocolate cake? Totally dangerous."She's aware of the painful danger of getting attached to someone. I mean, the girl has been alone her whole life, and so far so good, but all of a sudden, this stupid rich bad boy barged in her life and slowly destroyed all the walls she had built around her for years, the first ever boy at that, so can you really blame the girl? Atleast Maggie Mae's bravery is something I would like to commend too.
"The will to survive is one of the strongest instincts a person has. Stronger, I found out, than the desire to die of a broken heart."Atleast the girl knows how to sort out her priorities. She's not like those hateful, whiny heroine I get to read on most YA paranormal books. I can make a long list of reasons why I liked Maggie Mae, but this should have been enough to convince you that Maggie Mae, may not be perfect, but atleast she's one of the characters that most teenage girls would relate to, and would definitely root for her.
Bridger I can read a lot of hate he's receiving, and I can't blame them. At some point, I hated him big time, I am not sure if I even like him now. I struggled to keep my temper in check when I read some of Bridger's stupidity throughout the book, I don't even know where to begin. The ditching in the prom, I can't even explain how angry I was for Maggie Mae,
"Yeah. And sorry I ditched you."Dude, seriously, you didn't just ditched her, but ditched her in the middle of the dance floor of the prom night for everyone to see! How unfair can that be? The boy got a responsibility resting on his shoulder so if you look it on his Point of View, you can kind of understand his side too. Let us just not talk about the
In this case, the boy needs to sort out his priorities.
The only good thing I liked that Bridger has done was falling in love with Maggie Mae.
"It has to do with everything! Once I fall in love, I can't fall out of love unless you die or I die. I am bound. To you."That totally sounds really lame, but I wanted to throw party for Maggie Mae, atleast, for all the shitty things that has happened in her life, something good has finally happened!
Mrs. Carpenter She was the best mother figure Maggie Mae could have hope for.
"I hand't been held this way-like I was loved-since my last family member had been killed. Not only loved, but loved by someone who felt nearly like a mother."
There are a lot of characters that was really commendable in this story and I know that it will take time if I am to enumerate them one by one. You just have to read the book for yourself to meet them yourself..
The story or plot itself of Shifting isn't unique. Shifters, are quite popular in paranormal YA books nowadays, but this is seriously one of the best book I've ever read, too bad I only just read it now.
What are you waiting for? You definitely have to get your hands on this book! Its a must read for everyone who loves YA paranormal book!
October 8, 2011
I was drawn to this book because of the Native American mythology - you don't get much of that in books these days. I wasn't sure what to expect, but this novel really blew me away. The last sentence of the blurb is totally true: it is full of romance, mysticism, and intrigue, and it did haunt me to the final page!
Let me start with the romance, because really, I felt that was one of the most important aspects of it. There is no insta-love to be found here. The relationship between Bridger and Maggie Mae is slow progressing and sweet; they become friends first, and even though she's attracted to him, she doesn't try to jump his bones at every turn. And their relationship was based less on lust and more on actually respecting the other person. *gasp* I know. I was shocked, too.
I really loved Bridger. He didn't fall into any sort of male protag stereotype. He wasn't the bad boy or the sweet boy next door or the brooding type. He wasn't the token minority or the usual blond and beautiful. He was just...Bridger. And for that, I loved him. He was just as interesting of a character as Maggie Mae, with a huge secret that I didn't figure out until near the end, and he's the perfect mixture of sweet yet tantalizingly aloof. He's also part Navajo, so he comes from a really interesting cultural background. I loved that he was always nice to Maggie Mae but made it clear upfront that they couldn't date. It made for some serious relationship tension and drama that propelled the romance to the very last page.
Maggie Mae herself was a great MC! Again, I couldn't put her in any sort of stereotype. She was so original. She's poor and a foster child, but I never felt any bitterness from her or anger. Her main motivator is fear, but she's not weak. She wasn't the kick-butt vampire slayer or the cowering mouse; she was somewhere in between, where - let's be honest - most of us would fall. I loved that! And I also loved listening to her honest narrative. She's excited about getting new clothes from Wal-Mart, but she's also keenly aware that she doesn't dress the way the other kids in her school do. She's really attracted to Bridger, but she's afraid to get attached to anyone. She just had so many layers!
Also, Bethany Wiggins doesn't shy away from hurting her characters. Poor Maggie Mae goes through so much heartache that I often want to just reach into the book and give her a hug. Her only family was murdered (in front of her eyes, no less), she has this giant secret that haunts her every day, she's been picked up by the cops for "indecent exposure" multiple times, she was abused by one of her foster fathers, and she has zero self-confidence. Then there's the issue of the intense bullying that she experiences at school. I couldn't believe how vicious the kids were! But I was glad that Wiggins included it. It really helped with Maggie Mae's character arc, I think.
The actual mythology of the book is so wrapped up in the setting that it's hard to separate the two, I think. There's a lot of build-up and suspense that I was afraid wouldn't deliver in the end. But, oh how wrong I was! There was something inherently creepy about the animals that follow Maggie Mae around, and there's an ominous feel about all the Navajo protection that people try to give her. From the beginning, you know that someone's after Maggie, but you don't find out until the end how that plays into her shape-shifting ability, which looms over her the entire novel, a constant reminder that she isn't like other people. The setting of Silver City also adds a lot to the feel of the book. You've got the Navajo and Mexican culture mixing, and how Maggie Mae gets caught up in all of it.
Seriously, if you like mythology, paranormal romance, the supernatural, or just a good book, read this one! I feel like it hasn't gotten much buzz around it, but it deserves it! This is one of my favorite reads of 2011. So. Good.
And it had better be a series! Please, Bethany Wiggins. Please.
Let me start with the romance, because really, I felt that was one of the most important aspects of it. There is no insta-love to be found here. The relationship between Bridger and Maggie Mae is slow progressing and sweet; they become friends first, and even though she's attracted to him, she doesn't try to jump his bones at every turn. And their relationship was based less on lust and more on actually respecting the other person. *gasp* I know. I was shocked, too.
I really loved Bridger. He didn't fall into any sort of male protag stereotype. He wasn't the bad boy or the sweet boy next door or the brooding type. He wasn't the token minority or the usual blond and beautiful. He was just...Bridger. And for that, I loved him. He was just as interesting of a character as Maggie Mae, with a huge secret that I didn't figure out until near the end, and he's the perfect mixture of sweet yet tantalizingly aloof. He's also part Navajo, so he comes from a really interesting cultural background. I loved that he was always nice to Maggie Mae but made it clear upfront that they couldn't date. It made for some serious relationship tension and drama that propelled the romance to the very last page.
Maggie Mae herself was a great MC! Again, I couldn't put her in any sort of stereotype. She was so original. She's poor and a foster child, but I never felt any bitterness from her or anger. Her main motivator is fear, but she's not weak. She wasn't the kick-butt vampire slayer or the cowering mouse; she was somewhere in between, where - let's be honest - most of us would fall. I loved that! And I also loved listening to her honest narrative. She's excited about getting new clothes from Wal-Mart, but she's also keenly aware that she doesn't dress the way the other kids in her school do. She's really attracted to Bridger, but she's afraid to get attached to anyone. She just had so many layers!
Also, Bethany Wiggins doesn't shy away from hurting her characters. Poor Maggie Mae goes through so much heartache that I often want to just reach into the book and give her a hug. Her only family was murdered (in front of her eyes, no less), she has this giant secret that haunts her every day, she's been picked up by the cops for "indecent exposure" multiple times, she was abused by one of her foster fathers, and she has zero self-confidence. Then there's the issue of the intense bullying that she experiences at school. I couldn't believe how vicious the kids were! But I was glad that Wiggins included it. It really helped with Maggie Mae's character arc, I think.
The actual mythology of the book is so wrapped up in the setting that it's hard to separate the two, I think. There's a lot of build-up and suspense that I was afraid wouldn't deliver in the end. But, oh how wrong I was! There was something inherently creepy about the animals that follow Maggie Mae around, and there's an ominous feel about all the Navajo protection that people try to give her. From the beginning, you know that someone's after Maggie, but you don't find out until the end how that plays into her shape-shifting ability, which looms over her the entire novel, a constant reminder that she isn't like other people. The setting of Silver City also adds a lot to the feel of the book. You've got the Navajo and Mexican culture mixing, and how Maggie Mae gets caught up in all of it.
Seriously, if you like mythology, paranormal romance, the supernatural, or just a good book, read this one! I feel like it hasn't gotten much buzz around it, but it deserves it! This is one of my favorite reads of 2011. So. Good.
And it had better be a series! Please, Bethany Wiggins. Please.
September 27, 2011
Can you imagine this girl waking up in a dark alley naked?
She's in amazing shape, has been arrested for indecent exposure almost a dozen times, and has the biggest roundest . . . eyes you have ever seen. And like most YA characters I've read about lately, she is strong and fast and has the ability to change into something not-quite-human. But unlike these same characters, she doesn't magically keep her clothes on like some G rated, ultra-cleaned up, Disney version of a werewolf/pixie/shapeshifter. This was, in fact, what kept me reading at the beginning when Maggie Mae's story read so much like teen book déjà vu.
Characters with no parents . . . check.
Vulnerable protagonist with mysterious ability . . .check.
Good looking rich dark-eyed boy (Bridger) with a secret . . . check.
Who likes her for no apparent reason . . . check.
Even when she treats him like crap at the same time she ogles and ogles and ogles him . . . check, check, check.
In fairness, the girl has abandonment issues. Huge, monstrous abandonment issues. And after she is viciously targeted by bullies in chapter eleven, she gets some pretty bad advice from her foster mother, Mrs. Carpenter, who tells Maggie that if she changes schools she'll be letting the bullies win.
I can just see how that kind of logic would pan out if we extended it to its natural conclusion. The awkward fourteen-year-old girl I used to be would stay in class for an entire year with the boy who sexually harassed and bullied her rather than change classes.
Okay, so maybe that actually happened, but things only got worse, not better. And I came to see that the reason I stayed had less to do with being strong and more to do with pride. It wasn't worth it.
I digress.
The author makes up for this misguided philosophy when she turns the tables on the reader later, showing how Bridger's true nature is hidden under Maggie Mae's need to project her prejudices and insecurities onto him.
So you think Bridger's a one-dimensional stuck-up rich kid, do you? A cardboard character derived of nothing but cliches? Well, humph. Is it possible that you are the stuck-up cliche, but have projected your personality onto him?
My whole mindset changed.
Bethany did something with the voice of Maggie Mae that Stephenie Meyer couldn't do with Bella's voice in four massive volumes. She put Maggie through a paradigm shift in her thinking and took me with her. It was fabulous. Just fabulous. And I'm not even going to talk about the gripping, edge of your seat feeling I had through most of this book, or the very cool Navajo Skin Walker folklore, or the unbelievable twist at the end that made my stomach plummet. This isn't your typical young adult shapeshifter book. It makes you think. It sits with you. And it's aptly named because it truly shifted my perspective.
She's in amazing shape, has been arrested for indecent exposure almost a dozen times, and has the biggest roundest . . . eyes you have ever seen. And like most YA characters I've read about lately, she is strong and fast and has the ability to change into something not-quite-human. But unlike these same characters, she doesn't magically keep her clothes on like some G rated, ultra-cleaned up, Disney version of a werewolf/pixie/shapeshifter. This was, in fact, what kept me reading at the beginning when Maggie Mae's story read so much like teen book déjà vu.
Characters with no parents . . . check.
Vulnerable protagonist with mysterious ability . . .check.
Good looking rich dark-eyed boy (Bridger) with a secret . . . check.
Who likes her for no apparent reason . . . check.
Even when she treats him like crap at the same time she ogles and ogles and ogles him . . . check, check, check.
In fairness, the girl has abandonment issues. Huge, monstrous abandonment issues. And after she is viciously targeted by bullies in chapter eleven, she gets some pretty bad advice from her foster mother, Mrs. Carpenter, who tells Maggie that if she changes schools she'll be letting the bullies win.
I can just see how that kind of logic would pan out if we extended it to its natural conclusion. The awkward fourteen-year-old girl I used to be would stay in class for an entire year with the boy who sexually harassed and bullied her rather than change classes.
Okay, so maybe that actually happened, but things only got worse, not better. And I came to see that the reason I stayed had less to do with being strong and more to do with pride. It wasn't worth it.
I digress.
The author makes up for this misguided philosophy when she turns the tables on the reader later, showing how Bridger's true nature is hidden under Maggie Mae's need to project her prejudices and insecurities onto him.
So you think Bridger's a one-dimensional stuck-up rich kid, do you? A cardboard character derived of nothing but cliches? Well, humph. Is it possible that you are the stuck-up cliche, but have projected your personality onto him?
My whole mindset changed.
Bethany did something with the voice of Maggie Mae that Stephenie Meyer couldn't do with Bella's voice in four massive volumes. She put Maggie through a paradigm shift in her thinking and took me with her. It was fabulous. Just fabulous. And I'm not even going to talk about the gripping, edge of your seat feeling I had through most of this book, or the very cool Navajo Skin Walker folklore, or the unbelievable twist at the end that made my stomach plummet. This isn't your typical young adult shapeshifter book. It makes you think. It sits with you. And it's aptly named because it truly shifted my perspective.
October 7, 2011
I’ve been looking forward to reading Shifting by Bethany Wiggins ever since first hearing of it. I love Native American folklore! Also, the synopsis mentions skinwalkers, which of course makes me think of the awesome Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series. So basically, I knew this was definitely the book for me. Turns out I was right! I absolutely loved almost everything about it.
In my opinion, one of the biggest mistakes a paranormal/fantasy author can make is sacrificing characterization for the sake of developing the supernatural plotline. Oftentimes, authors make the characters the second priority and the book suffers for it. Bethany Wiggins definitely knew better – I established an emotional connection with Maggie Mae almost from the get-go. She is finally about to graduate high school and grow out of the foster system she has been a part of almost her whole life. When the book starts, she is being shuttled to yet another new place, in order to finish her education.
Almost nothing gets to me as fast as seeing a kid get treated badly when they don’t deserve it. Misunderstandings have plagued Maggie her whole life and she has definitely not had an easy life. Things don’t get a lot better for her in Silver City, New Mexico (at least not at first). There is a scene where she is surrounded by other kids getting bullied that literally had me crying before I even realized – I was so deep into the story that it took me a few minutes to realize how much it was affecting me! It was a truly horrific scene, freakin’ bullies.
The love interest, Bridger, is also one heck of a complex dude. For the majority of the book, I couldn’t figure out how I felt about him! His involvement in the climax of the plot also gave me pause – things got a little weird, y’all. I’m actually a teeny bit disappointed in the end, things worked out a little bit too easily considering all the suspense and build-up. Still – it was engaging to the last, so I’m being pretty forgiving.
Overall, I loved Maggie and Bridger’s story and I highly recommend it to everyone. I loved seeing the characters be the top priority while still balancing an extremely interesting shifter/skinwalker plotline. Definitely a book worth reading!
In my opinion, one of the biggest mistakes a paranormal/fantasy author can make is sacrificing characterization for the sake of developing the supernatural plotline. Oftentimes, authors make the characters the second priority and the book suffers for it. Bethany Wiggins definitely knew better – I established an emotional connection with Maggie Mae almost from the get-go. She is finally about to graduate high school and grow out of the foster system she has been a part of almost her whole life. When the book starts, she is being shuttled to yet another new place, in order to finish her education.
Almost nothing gets to me as fast as seeing a kid get treated badly when they don’t deserve it. Misunderstandings have plagued Maggie her whole life and she has definitely not had an easy life. Things don’t get a lot better for her in Silver City, New Mexico (at least not at first). There is a scene where she is surrounded by other kids getting bullied that literally had me crying before I even realized – I was so deep into the story that it took me a few minutes to realize how much it was affecting me! It was a truly horrific scene, freakin’ bullies.
The love interest, Bridger, is also one heck of a complex dude. For the majority of the book, I couldn’t figure out how I felt about him! His involvement in the climax of the plot also gave me pause – things got a little weird, y’all. I’m actually a teeny bit disappointed in the end, things worked out a little bit too easily considering all the suspense and build-up. Still – it was engaging to the last, so I’m being pretty forgiving.
Overall, I loved Maggie and Bridger’s story and I highly recommend it to everyone. I loved seeing the characters be the top priority while still balancing an extremely interesting shifter/skinwalker plotline. Definitely a book worth reading!
March 17, 2012
1.5 stars - some spoilers
The main problem I have with this book is Bridger. He was an awful hero.. he treated Maggie Mae like crap. He ignores her, then chases her, then dumps her and then acts hot and cold with her..he then breaks Maggie's heart by getting smexy with his french girlfriend all over town..but all is forgiven when Bridger says he loves her and wants to be with her..his declaration of love was hard to believe when he was all over his girlfriend the day before and to top it of . If that's not bad enough he then .
The other problem with the book is Maggie Mae happily taking all of Bridger's crap. The book was written fairly well but Bridger was such a douchey and awful love interest that I couldn't appreciate it. If there were to be a sequel, I would consider reading it if:- 1) Maggie Mae found a more worthy love interest. 2)Bridger looked on forlornly as Maggie Mae fell for a real man. 3) Maggie Mae rides off into the sunset with her man but not before shooting Bridger in the face as payback.
The main problem I have with this book is Bridger. He was an awful hero.. he treated Maggie Mae like crap. He ignores her, then chases her, then dumps her and then acts hot and cold with her..he then breaks Maggie's heart by getting smexy with his french girlfriend all over town..but all is forgiven when Bridger says he loves her and wants to be with her..his declaration of love was hard to believe when he was all over his girlfriend the day before and to top it of . If that's not bad enough he then .
The other problem with the book is Maggie Mae happily taking all of Bridger's crap. The book was written fairly well but Bridger was such a douchey and awful love interest that I couldn't appreciate it. If there were to be a sequel, I would consider reading it if:- 1) Maggie Mae found a more worthy love interest. 2)Bridger looked on forlornly as Maggie Mae fell for a real man. 3) Maggie Mae rides off into the sunset with her man but not before shooting Bridger in the face as payback.
August 3, 2011
I’m quite shocked at how much I enjoyed Shifting. After attempting to read numerous books and failing to really get into any of them, I picked up Shifting and expected to put it back down, just like all the others. But I couldn’t, because from the first chapter, I was drawn in.
I loved the characters. Maggie was interesting, although a bit too forgiving, and Bridger was engaging, if a bit arrogant. But flawed characters are believable characters. Their relationship had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end, and the ending was…..expectedly unexpected. I saw some sort of twist coming but I kept changing my mind about what exactly that twist may have been. I like that it kept me guessing.
This isn’t the cover that is on the ARC I read, and I’m hoping the cover on the ARC is the official. (Although I’m pretty sure THIS is the official cover) It makes a lot more sense to me than the snake does. Don’t get me wrong, I love this cover, but the ARC cover seems more appropriate.
Shifting is one of those—dare I say—Twilighty, feel good books. (I am not going to elaborate, or say which I prefer…heh) There’s a touch of paranormal, and a romance that you can’t help but see through to the end. And in the end, you just think “aww”.
To my knowledge, there is no sequel in the works, which is okay because this book came to a satisfying conclusion. I would not, however, be the least bit upset to see more of Maggie and Bridger in the future.
I loved the characters. Maggie was interesting, although a bit too forgiving, and Bridger was engaging, if a bit arrogant. But flawed characters are believable characters. Their relationship had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end, and the ending was…..expectedly unexpected. I saw some sort of twist coming but I kept changing my mind about what exactly that twist may have been. I like that it kept me guessing.
This isn’t the cover that is on the ARC I read, and I’m hoping the cover on the ARC is the official. (Although I’m pretty sure THIS is the official cover) It makes a lot more sense to me than the snake does. Don’t get me wrong, I love this cover, but the ARC cover seems more appropriate.
Shifting is one of those—dare I say—Twilighty, feel good books. (I am not going to elaborate, or say which I prefer…heh) There’s a touch of paranormal, and a romance that you can’t help but see through to the end. And in the end, you just think “aww”.
To my knowledge, there is no sequel in the works, which is okay because this book came to a satisfying conclusion. I would not, however, be the least bit upset to see more of Maggie and Bridger in the future.
December 2, 2011
Review to come.
December 20, 2011
The ARC cover for this novel is so flipping fantastic. WHY did they change it? Why? Because let me tell you, I was sure (based on the cover) that this was a Medusa book. It's not. Mag can't even fully shift into a snake so I don't know what the cover story is. Nice braids though. I like them.
You know how there are guilty little pleasures that you wouldn't really tell anyone about without expecting an eye roll (this happens a lot in my circles, I'm tell you the English lit students can be such literary snobs) (I happen to like reading YA), I think Shifting would be it. Magdalene is a strong protagonist and I actually like her. A lot. She's strong, she's cynical, she's a survivor. It is only when you add the love interest to the mix that things get wonky.
I really like the mythology too. Wiggins utilizes First Nations mythology and weaves it together to create a shifting/shifter legend that works very well. The prejudice and discrimination Mag faces in school, the bullying, all these things if handled correctly would have given this book a whole lot more substance. The thing is...the love interest.
I'm all for hot guys. Really, I'm a huge proponent of hot guys who litter the pages of YA novels these days but Bridger... Superficially, he is awesome. Hot, (very important), thoughtful and totally seemingly in love with Mag. However, some important characters in the novel keep warning Mag off the guy. I still don't know. I mean, if he is one of the good guys, why warn him off? I guess maybe we'll find out in the next book.
Bridger is kinda creepy. No, seriously, I'm not even joking. Let's see. How shall I word this.
Bridger, with his vastly superior resources of the financial kind, is placed in a position of power relative to Mag. The disparity in their social positions is further reaffirmed by the fact that the restaurant in which Mag waitresses considers Bridger to be a valued customer. Therefore, every time he is in the establishment, he requests that Mag be his server which again places her as his subordinate and not his equal. This theme is expanded by Mag being in love with Bridger while the man himself is able to control his feelings regarding her.
I did not like that. Really.
Also, and this is a spoiler so But the biggest reason Bridger and I will never get along is .
That said, however, I still thought the book was entertaining. A little too much on the romantic front but on the whole, quite readable.
You know how there are guilty little pleasures that you wouldn't really tell anyone about without expecting an eye roll (this happens a lot in my circles, I'm tell you the English lit students can be such literary snobs) (I happen to like reading YA), I think Shifting would be it. Magdalene is a strong protagonist and I actually like her. A lot. She's strong, she's cynical, she's a survivor. It is only when you add the love interest to the mix that things get wonky.
I really like the mythology too. Wiggins utilizes First Nations mythology and weaves it together to create a shifting/shifter legend that works very well. The prejudice and discrimination Mag faces in school, the bullying, all these things if handled correctly would have given this book a whole lot more substance. The thing is...the love interest.
I'm all for hot guys. Really, I'm a huge proponent of hot guys who litter the pages of YA novels these days but Bridger... Superficially, he is awesome. Hot, (very important), thoughtful and totally seemingly in love with Mag. However, some important characters in the novel keep warning Mag off the guy. I still don't know. I mean, if he is one of the good guys, why warn him off? I guess maybe we'll find out in the next book.
Bridger is kinda creepy. No, seriously, I'm not even joking. Let's see. How shall I word this.
Bridger, with his vastly superior resources of the financial kind, is placed in a position of power relative to Mag. The disparity in their social positions is further reaffirmed by the fact that the restaurant in which Mag waitresses considers Bridger to be a valued customer. Therefore, every time he is in the establishment, he requests that Mag be his server which again places her as his subordinate and not his equal. This theme is expanded by Mag being in love with Bridger while the man himself is able to control his feelings regarding her.
I did not like that. Really.
Also, and this is a spoiler so But the biggest reason Bridger and I will never get along is .
That said, however, I still thought the book was entertaining. A little too much on the romantic front but on the whole, quite readable.
February 8, 2012
In the aftermath of reading Bethany Wiggins "Shifting," it makes me wish that there were far more offerings in YA literature that would derive from different cultural groups, because the product of such would make for not only fascinating stories that spark the imagination, but also incorporate examinations/spotlights of characters of variant backgrounds. I love a good shapeshifter story, and I appreciated the fact that Wiggins uses touches of Navajo legend to create the backdrop of this novel. It's a story that kept me eagerly reading through it, though noted with a few qualms in consideration.
Maggie May is a young woman who's lived in her fair share of foster homes and seems to have a troubled past based on her record of suspected prostitution. Yet when she moves to Arizona to be under the wing of her new foster family, she's struck with the label of being the "new girl" of an underprivileged background. In these considerations, Maggie vows not to allow herself to get too attached to the people/environment surrounding her.
Maggie May makes a firm impression among the student body at her school after beating the school record time in her gym class, besting popular hottie Bridger O'Connell's record as well as his father's. This doesn't earn her friends considering Bridger is one of the most popular guys at school, but it earns her enough attention for Bridger to ask her out to prom. What occurs from there is the gradual unveiling of Maggie's abilities, and the fact that there are forces pursuing her on behalf of those abilities as well as a past that she's never known.
Maggie's a character I definitely rooted for in the beginning of the book, with her fiesty attitude and willingness to fight in the face of adversity. She doesn't let people walk over her, and when the mean girls of the school bring out their claws, she bites back - hard. There are some tough moments for Maggie in terms of fitting into her school environment, and those moments made me feel for her more considering she's caught in the crossfire of things. It was also good that Maggie and her guardian are given center stage in their steadily developing relationship, even as Maggie's abilities come to light.
But at the same time, I think some of that fight scales back in the second part of the novel where the romantic elements take center stage, and I wasn't sure how I felt about Bridger after some conflicting events came to pass. I won't mention them for account of spoilers, but I would say it centers on one of the novel's turning points, and when a secret of Bridger's reveals that Maggie and him are a bit more alike than they see themselves. What he does to Maggie in one spectrum before that point made me raise my brows - not for pleasant reasons.
Also, there's a power/status differential between Bridger and Maggie that complicates their relationship - I could understand that being an issue on one level, but I don't know if it should've been revisited as many times as it was.
Still, I have to say that the elements of the novel dealing with the shapeshifting, legend and action dynamic were nice, and the novel, as a whole - is engaging. I would certainly read more from Wiggins in the future.
Overall score: 3/5
Maggie May is a young woman who's lived in her fair share of foster homes and seems to have a troubled past based on her record of suspected prostitution. Yet when she moves to Arizona to be under the wing of her new foster family, she's struck with the label of being the "new girl" of an underprivileged background. In these considerations, Maggie vows not to allow herself to get too attached to the people/environment surrounding her.
Maggie May makes a firm impression among the student body at her school after beating the school record time in her gym class, besting popular hottie Bridger O'Connell's record as well as his father's. This doesn't earn her friends considering Bridger is one of the most popular guys at school, but it earns her enough attention for Bridger to ask her out to prom. What occurs from there is the gradual unveiling of Maggie's abilities, and the fact that there are forces pursuing her on behalf of those abilities as well as a past that she's never known.
Maggie's a character I definitely rooted for in the beginning of the book, with her fiesty attitude and willingness to fight in the face of adversity. She doesn't let people walk over her, and when the mean girls of the school bring out their claws, she bites back - hard. There are some tough moments for Maggie in terms of fitting into her school environment, and those moments made me feel for her more considering she's caught in the crossfire of things. It was also good that Maggie and her guardian are given center stage in their steadily developing relationship, even as Maggie's abilities come to light.
But at the same time, I think some of that fight scales back in the second part of the novel where the romantic elements take center stage, and I wasn't sure how I felt about Bridger after some conflicting events came to pass. I won't mention them for account of spoilers, but I would say it centers on one of the novel's turning points, and when a secret of Bridger's reveals that Maggie and him are a bit more alike than they see themselves. What he does to Maggie in one spectrum before that point made me raise my brows - not for pleasant reasons.
Also, there's a power/status differential between Bridger and Maggie that complicates their relationship - I could understand that being an issue on one level, but I don't know if it should've been revisited as many times as it was.
Still, I have to say that the elements of the novel dealing with the shapeshifting, legend and action dynamic were nice, and the novel, as a whole - is engaging. I would certainly read more from Wiggins in the future.
Overall score: 3/5
April 29, 2012
The most exciting part of this book for me was the suspense- a rare quality in the young-adult genre. Wiggins did a phenomenal job building up the suspense throughout the ENTIRE book- I didn't see the ending coming until it happened (although I had a few vague expectations). Better yet, the ending didn't disappoint. The plot builds the reader up, while still keeping the middle of the book interesting enough to captivate our attention.
I really appreciated the heroine- unlike many of her counterparts she was strong, unique, and honest with herself and others about her weaknesses. Furthermore, her supernatural abilities are individual compared to any other book I've read. It was exciting to discover the extent and the meaning behind her abilities along with the heroine- it was new and confusing to us both! Furthermore, I appreciated her love-interest, in that he was FAR from perfect. He had a shroud of mystery, that isn't revealed until the end. Although he is endearing, you also feel our heroines valid doubts and cautions. Finally, I think she did a good job with the supporting characters, from Kat to Mrs. C, to the bullies at school (although the bullying was a bit extreme in my mind at parts- I certainly hope that wasn't realistic!)
I will definitely read the sequels. Overall, it was a fun and refreshing read- but not quite up to the level of one of my all-time favorites. I would still recommend it for anyone who likes the genre.
I really appreciated the heroine- unlike many of her counterparts she was strong, unique, and honest with herself and others about her weaknesses. Furthermore, her supernatural abilities are individual compared to any other book I've read. It was exciting to discover the extent and the meaning behind her abilities along with the heroine- it was new and confusing to us both! Furthermore, I appreciated her love-interest, in that he was FAR from perfect. He had a shroud of mystery, that isn't revealed until the end. Although he is endearing, you also feel our heroines valid doubts and cautions. Finally, I think she did a good job with the supporting characters, from Kat to Mrs. C, to the bullies at school (although the bullying was a bit extreme in my mind at parts- I certainly hope that wasn't realistic!)
I will definitely read the sequels. Overall, it was a fun and refreshing read- but not quite up to the level of one of my all-time favorites. I would still recommend it for anyone who likes the genre.
July 22, 2012
Oh mah goodness gracious, this was unexpectedly enjoyable! I've been so wary of YA books over time because most tend to drag, and be stuffed full of tiresome tropes, but this little gem was SO FRESH, and had some near-flawless storytelling! I literally read this in two sittings in one day (because after first sitting, I had to go to work, boo!), and found myself thinking about it, and even missing it, after I was finished.
I agree with another reviewer on GR that Wiggins did an EXCELLENT job of "building up" the story... It was just laid out beautifully, I was constantly in a state of enthrallment reading this, there were no "laggy" moments of wondering how many more pages I had to get through, because I was thoroughly enjoying it the entire time; that is SO RARE! And such a fantastic sign of a great storyteller!
I felt very invested in the characters and the story; the fantastic elements of shape-shifting were exciting and fun to read about (the scene of Maggie as a cheetah escaping the tigers in the mine field left me breathless!)
But yes, overall this read was entirely satisfying, and what I completely relish in a good read! :) I can't wait for Wiggin's upcoming novel Stung :)
I agree with another reviewer on GR that Wiggins did an EXCELLENT job of "building up" the story... It was just laid out beautifully, I was constantly in a state of enthrallment reading this, there were no "laggy" moments of wondering how many more pages I had to get through, because I was thoroughly enjoying it the entire time; that is SO RARE! And such a fantastic sign of a great storyteller!
I felt very invested in the characters and the story; the fantastic elements of shape-shifting were exciting and fun to read about (the scene of Maggie as a cheetah escaping the tigers in the mine field left me breathless!)
But yes, overall this read was entirely satisfying, and what I completely relish in a good read! :) I can't wait for Wiggin's upcoming novel Stung :)
February 29, 2012
Wow. I LOVED this book. I had to go to three different bookstores to get my hands on this book because it was sold out at the first two! It was worth the time and gas. I totally connected with the main character. There was one scene where I had tears running down my face. The romance in it was fantastic. I loved Bridger. Sigh. I started this book last night and finished it this morning. I really hope there is a sequel. I highly recommend this book!
April 11, 2013
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.
Quick & Dirty: One word: angst. This book is full of it. The romance tears at your heart, the mythology is unusual and exciting and the minor characters are unusually helpful!
Opening Sentence: I woke to the sun setting behind mountains and peeled my forehead from the car window.
The Review:
Love this book. Just saying.
Maggie has finally come to the last foster home before she turns 18, but it’s not everything its cracked up to be. Sure her current family is just her agent’s mom who’s strict yet understanding. Sure she’s going to prom with possibly the cutest guy in town. Sure she’s got the track coach under her thumb. But there is someone out there on the hunt for her, following her tracks and eventually sniffing around her work. Even worse: she’s not sure why animals keep attacking her. As in trying to kill her. Is it just coincidence or is it because Maggie has a special gift – or curse – the ability to shape-shift into almost any animal by just thinking about it. Just when her life starts taking a turn for the better, the attacks start getting worse and the only person she feels safe with abandons her. And Maggie thought that this new start is just the next step before freedom…
This book. Agh. It was some of the most angst filled books I’ve read in a while. And I LOVED it. From the torn and broken characters to the Navajo mythology, I loved every second of this book (except the beginning. It was boring. But once Wiggins introduces Bridger O’Connell, there is no going back.) Wiggins’ writing can be so intense at times, but there are the light, fun times that give the reader a breath before the next intense scene comes and destroys your heart. AH! It’s an emotional roller-coaster ride.
So you know how whenever a minor character isn’t the least bit helpful or friendly, they usually end up dying? (No? Maybe I’ve just read too many dystopian stories lately.) Well, I kept expecting somebody to die, but I kept reading and nothing. Nobody dies. (This is a misleading sentence, nobody nice dies.) And I appreciate this. It’s refreshing when you expect a character you really like to die, and they don’t. This is just one of the many positives about this book. (I feel like this last sentence is a cliche in a school essay…and since this isn’t an essay I’m keeping it. Take THAT English teachers!)
Maggie is such a lovable character. She’s been though multiple arrests for indecent exposure, shifts into an animal on a full moon, and has jumped around from family to family without really getting know people for fear that she’ll just leave anyway. She just wants to get through senior year and move on with her life. I love when a main character is already broken, yet they keep on persevering though the hard times. Maggie has obstacle after obstacle fall in her path, yet she comes back with more determination the next time. Although her own emotional roller-coaster is easier with her best friend at her side.
Bridger O’Connell. In the beginning he’s just a jock and cold shoulder supreme until he finally breaks down and gets to know Maggie. (Cliche, right?) But despite the predictable relationship that develops, Bridger is still one of my favorite YA boys. He has his own personal responsibilities that he has to keep secret from Maggie and yet he still tries to get to know her. He’s banned from dating “local girls” (one of the reasons this makes the book so angsty) yet he still wants to befriend Maggie. I love him for his bravery and determination to still care for Maggie, despite his parents’ wishes. It’s both endearing and sweet.
Overall, there’s not much I didn’t like about the book. The character arcs were pretty predictable, but it’s the how’s that kept me reading. This could have been such a great series, but the book had a satisfying ending. My suggestion: READ IT. You won’t regret it.
Notable Scene:
“I’ve really missed you,” I whispered, looking into my empty mug.
He let out a long breath of air. “Believe me, I know.”
I look at him.
“Maggie, I don’t know what’s wrong with me–I feel everything you feel. Even when you aren’t beside me. Even when I’m asleep.” For the first time I noticed how tired he looked–how miserable. Black half-moons darkened the skin beneath his eyes and his cheeks were almost gaunt and covered with black stubble. “I took Angelene all the way to Deming for dinner, hoping to get you out of my head, but no. All that evening, all I could feel was miserable anguish. Your miserable anguish! And this morning at Wal-Mart, it was all I could do not to fall to the floor and cry, your emotions were so strong.” He reached his hand across the table and took mine. His eyes turned haunted. “And the night you were at the mine…” A shiver racked his body. “What happened? Why were you there?”
“You were there, too,” I accused.
“Of course I was there! Your fear–it was just like tonight! I thought you were going to be killed!”
FTC Advisory: Walker Childrens/Bloomsbury provided me with a copy of Shifting. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: One word: angst. This book is full of it. The romance tears at your heart, the mythology is unusual and exciting and the minor characters are unusually helpful!
Opening Sentence: I woke to the sun setting behind mountains and peeled my forehead from the car window.
The Review:
Love this book. Just saying.
Maggie has finally come to the last foster home before she turns 18, but it’s not everything its cracked up to be. Sure her current family is just her agent’s mom who’s strict yet understanding. Sure she’s going to prom with possibly the cutest guy in town. Sure she’s got the track coach under her thumb. But there is someone out there on the hunt for her, following her tracks and eventually sniffing around her work. Even worse: she’s not sure why animals keep attacking her. As in trying to kill her. Is it just coincidence or is it because Maggie has a special gift – or curse – the ability to shape-shift into almost any animal by just thinking about it. Just when her life starts taking a turn for the better, the attacks start getting worse and the only person she feels safe with abandons her. And Maggie thought that this new start is just the next step before freedom…
This book. Agh. It was some of the most angst filled books I’ve read in a while. And I LOVED it. From the torn and broken characters to the Navajo mythology, I loved every second of this book (except the beginning. It was boring. But once Wiggins introduces Bridger O’Connell, there is no going back.) Wiggins’ writing can be so intense at times, but there are the light, fun times that give the reader a breath before the next intense scene comes and destroys your heart. AH! It’s an emotional roller-coaster ride.
So you know how whenever a minor character isn’t the least bit helpful or friendly, they usually end up dying? (No? Maybe I’ve just read too many dystopian stories lately.) Well, I kept expecting somebody to die, but I kept reading and nothing. Nobody dies. (This is a misleading sentence, nobody nice dies.) And I appreciate this. It’s refreshing when you expect a character you really like to die, and they don’t. This is just one of the many positives about this book. (I feel like this last sentence is a cliche in a school essay…and since this isn’t an essay I’m keeping it. Take THAT English teachers!)
Maggie is such a lovable character. She’s been though multiple arrests for indecent exposure, shifts into an animal on a full moon, and has jumped around from family to family without really getting know people for fear that she’ll just leave anyway. She just wants to get through senior year and move on with her life. I love when a main character is already broken, yet they keep on persevering though the hard times. Maggie has obstacle after obstacle fall in her path, yet she comes back with more determination the next time. Although her own emotional roller-coaster is easier with her best friend at her side.
Bridger O’Connell. In the beginning he’s just a jock and cold shoulder supreme until he finally breaks down and gets to know Maggie. (Cliche, right?) But despite the predictable relationship that develops, Bridger is still one of my favorite YA boys. He has his own personal responsibilities that he has to keep secret from Maggie and yet he still tries to get to know her. He’s banned from dating “local girls” (one of the reasons this makes the book so angsty) yet he still wants to befriend Maggie. I love him for his bravery and determination to still care for Maggie, despite his parents’ wishes. It’s both endearing and sweet.
Overall, there’s not much I didn’t like about the book. The character arcs were pretty predictable, but it’s the how’s that kept me reading. This could have been such a great series, but the book had a satisfying ending. My suggestion: READ IT. You won’t regret it.
Notable Scene:
“I’ve really missed you,” I whispered, looking into my empty mug.
He let out a long breath of air. “Believe me, I know.”
I look at him.
“Maggie, I don’t know what’s wrong with me–I feel everything you feel. Even when you aren’t beside me. Even when I’m asleep.” For the first time I noticed how tired he looked–how miserable. Black half-moons darkened the skin beneath his eyes and his cheeks were almost gaunt and covered with black stubble. “I took Angelene all the way to Deming for dinner, hoping to get you out of my head, but no. All that evening, all I could feel was miserable anguish. Your miserable anguish! And this morning at Wal-Mart, it was all I could do not to fall to the floor and cry, your emotions were so strong.” He reached his hand across the table and took mine. His eyes turned haunted. “And the night you were at the mine…” A shiver racked his body. “What happened? Why were you there?”
“You were there, too,” I accused.
“Of course I was there! Your fear–it was just like tonight! I thought you were going to be killed!”
FTC Advisory: Walker Childrens/Bloomsbury provided me with a copy of Shifting. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
September 25, 2011
*happy sigh*
That's actually what I wrote to the author in the ending margin of the ARC that will be finding its way back to her through many eager hands after mine.
It continues to amaze me how some authors can craft a tale that makes readers suspect but not quite know. The balance of mystery and logical hints leading up to a revelation is an art I've not grasped as a writer, so I marvel when it's done... well, artfully.
Bethany Wiggins is artful in her modern rendering of this old Navajo legend. I first heard of Skinwalkers when I worked in a desert wilderness therapy program in my early twenties, but none of the more experienced guides would tell me the story behind it - just that it was so scary, I'd wet my wiggy (sleeping bag) if they told me. Needless to say, when I found out Bethany was publishing a YA novel drawing from this legend, I got excited! Finally, I'd get a glimpse of the legend. Bonus: it would be wrapped up in a YA romance.
I am beyond pleased with the results.
Yes, Skinwalkers are wicked scary (I did not wet my wiggy after reading this book). But fortunately, the first half of the book focuses on the main character's paranormal ability and how her strangeness affects her as a trying-to-be-normal high school senior.
From the beginning, I felt both sorry for and proud of the protagonist Maggie Mae. Sorry, because the adults around her spoke about her as if she wasn't even in the room, an occupational hazard of being a foster child, I guess. Proud, because she didn't let people pity her. She saw that she was being ostracized, and embraced the loner flag, always rising above the teasing, bullying, and trickstering of her peers.
There's a HUGE character growth arc in this story. Maggie Mae begins with very real, devastating problems on a contemporary fiction level (bullying, not fitting in, being dirt poor and only having one pair of jeans), and in the end she is dealing with very real, devastating problems on a fantastic, good-vs.-evil level (creatures attacking her whenever she's alone in the dark, people finding out her deepest secret: that she's a shapeshifter).
And from the 17-year-old girl in the beginning to the 18-year-old woman at the end, the growth is striking and satisfying. The change is slow and subtle, but profound, like the romance between her and a certain track star. (Mmm, Bridger.)
I loved that not one element can be said to be the whole story. It's a romance, but it's not just a romance. It's fantasy, but it's not only the fantasy that drives the story. First and foremost, it's about Maggie Mae the character. She's a strong enough protagonist to make any story interesting. It just so happens that she's also a foster child/shapeshifter/girl with trust issues/hunted creature/bully target.
Warning: I cried at least twice in the first half of this story alone. I had trouble putting it down to do things like sleep and (ahem) use the bathroom. And I got weird looks from my husband for laughing randomly.
There were many sighs throughout. But in the end, there was only one:
*happy sigh*
I hope you find this book on your shelf in the near future. (And I hope, hope, hope there's a sequel in the works because I just got a taste of this incredible world and would love to see more.)
p.s. There's an inspiring interview with this debut author at Operation Awesome, plus a review by Michelle McLean. http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com...
You can comment on this review at Afterglow Book Reviews: http://afterglowbookreviews.blogspot....
That's actually what I wrote to the author in the ending margin of the ARC that will be finding its way back to her through many eager hands after mine.
It continues to amaze me how some authors can craft a tale that makes readers suspect but not quite know. The balance of mystery and logical hints leading up to a revelation is an art I've not grasped as a writer, so I marvel when it's done... well, artfully.
Bethany Wiggins is artful in her modern rendering of this old Navajo legend. I first heard of Skinwalkers when I worked in a desert wilderness therapy program in my early twenties, but none of the more experienced guides would tell me the story behind it - just that it was so scary, I'd wet my wiggy (sleeping bag) if they told me. Needless to say, when I found out Bethany was publishing a YA novel drawing from this legend, I got excited! Finally, I'd get a glimpse of the legend. Bonus: it would be wrapped up in a YA romance.
I am beyond pleased with the results.
Yes, Skinwalkers are wicked scary (I did not wet my wiggy after reading this book). But fortunately, the first half of the book focuses on the main character's paranormal ability and how her strangeness affects her as a trying-to-be-normal high school senior.
From the beginning, I felt both sorry for and proud of the protagonist Maggie Mae. Sorry, because the adults around her spoke about her as if she wasn't even in the room, an occupational hazard of being a foster child, I guess. Proud, because she didn't let people pity her. She saw that she was being ostracized, and embraced the loner flag, always rising above the teasing, bullying, and trickstering of her peers.
There's a HUGE character growth arc in this story. Maggie Mae begins with very real, devastating problems on a contemporary fiction level (bullying, not fitting in, being dirt poor and only having one pair of jeans), and in the end she is dealing with very real, devastating problems on a fantastic, good-vs.-evil level (creatures attacking her whenever she's alone in the dark, people finding out her deepest secret: that she's a shapeshifter).
And from the 17-year-old girl in the beginning to the 18-year-old woman at the end, the growth is striking and satisfying. The change is slow and subtle, but profound, like the romance between her and a certain track star. (Mmm, Bridger.)
I loved that not one element can be said to be the whole story. It's a romance, but it's not just a romance. It's fantasy, but it's not only the fantasy that drives the story. First and foremost, it's about Maggie Mae the character. She's a strong enough protagonist to make any story interesting. It just so happens that she's also a foster child/shapeshifter/girl with trust issues/hunted creature/bully target.
Warning: I cried at least twice in the first half of this story alone. I had trouble putting it down to do things like sleep and (ahem) use the bathroom. And I got weird looks from my husband for laughing randomly.
There were many sighs throughout. But in the end, there was only one:
*happy sigh*
I hope you find this book on your shelf in the near future. (And I hope, hope, hope there's a sequel in the works because I just got a taste of this incredible world and would love to see more.)
p.s. There's an inspiring interview with this debut author at Operation Awesome, plus a review by Michelle McLean. http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com...
You can comment on this review at Afterglow Book Reviews: http://afterglowbookreviews.blogspot....
August 7, 2015
See full review on DarkFaerieTales.com.
Love this book. Just saying.
Maggie has finally come to the last foster home before she turns 18, but it's not everything its cracked up to be. Sure her current family is just her agent's mom who's strict yet understanding. Sure she's going to prom with possibly the cutest guy in town. Sure she's got the track coach under her thumb. But there is someone out there on the hunt for her, following her tracks and eventually sniffing around her work. Even worse: she's not sure why animals keep attacking her. As in trying to kill her. Is it just coincidence or is it because Maggie has a special gift–or curse–the ability to shape-shift into almost any animal by just thinking about it. Just when her life starts taking a turn for the better, the attacks start getting worse and the only person she feels safe with abandons her. And Maggie thought that this new start is just the next step before freedom…
This book. Agh. It was some of the most angst filled books I've read in a while. And I LOVED it. From the torn and broken characters to the Navajo mythology I loved every second of this book (except the beginning. It was boring. But once Wiggins introduces Bridger O'Connell, there is no going back.) Wiggins' writing can be so intense at times, but there are the light, fun times that give the reader a breath before the next intense scene comes and destroys your heart. AH! It's an emotional roller-coaster ride.
So you know how whenever a minor character is in the least bit helpful or friendly, they usually end up dying? (No? Maybe I've just read too many dystopian stories lately.) Well, I kept expecting somebody to die, but I kept reading and nothing. Nobody dies. (This is a misleading sentence, nobody nice dies.) And I appreciate this. It's refreshing when you expect a character you really like to die, and they don't. This is just one of the many positives about this book. (I feel like this last sentence is a cliche in a school essay…and since this isn't an essay I'm keeping it. Take THAT english teachers!)
Maggie is such a lovable character. She's been though multiple arrests for indecent exposure, shifts into an animal on a full moon, and has jumped around from family to family without really getting know people for fear that she'll just leave anyway. She just wants to get through senior year and move on with her life. I love when a main character is already broken, yet they keep on persevering though the hard times. Maggie has obstacle after obstacle fall in her path, yet she comes back with more determination the next time. Although her own emotional roller-coaster is easier with her best friend at her side.
Bridger O'Connell. In the beginning jock and cold shoulder supreme until her finally breaks down and gets to know Maggie. (Cliche, right?) But despite the predictable relationship that develops, Bridger is still one of my favorite YA boys. He has his own personal responsibilities that he has to keep secret from Maggie and yet he still tries to get to know her. He's banned from dating "local girls" (one of the reasons this makes the book so angsty) yet he still wants to befriend Maggie. I love him for his bravery and determination to still care for Maggie, despite his parents' wishes. It's both endearing and sweet.
Overall there's not much I didn't like about the book. The character arcs were pretty predictable, but it's the how's that kept me reading. This could have been such a great series, but the book had a satisfying ending. My suggestion: READ IT. You won't regret it.
Love this book. Just saying.
Maggie has finally come to the last foster home before she turns 18, but it's not everything its cracked up to be. Sure her current family is just her agent's mom who's strict yet understanding. Sure she's going to prom with possibly the cutest guy in town. Sure she's got the track coach under her thumb. But there is someone out there on the hunt for her, following her tracks and eventually sniffing around her work. Even worse: she's not sure why animals keep attacking her. As in trying to kill her. Is it just coincidence or is it because Maggie has a special gift–or curse–the ability to shape-shift into almost any animal by just thinking about it. Just when her life starts taking a turn for the better, the attacks start getting worse and the only person she feels safe with abandons her. And Maggie thought that this new start is just the next step before freedom…
This book. Agh. It was some of the most angst filled books I've read in a while. And I LOVED it. From the torn and broken characters to the Navajo mythology I loved every second of this book (except the beginning. It was boring. But once Wiggins introduces Bridger O'Connell, there is no going back.) Wiggins' writing can be so intense at times, but there are the light, fun times that give the reader a breath before the next intense scene comes and destroys your heart. AH! It's an emotional roller-coaster ride.
So you know how whenever a minor character is in the least bit helpful or friendly, they usually end up dying? (No? Maybe I've just read too many dystopian stories lately.) Well, I kept expecting somebody to die, but I kept reading and nothing. Nobody dies. (This is a misleading sentence, nobody nice dies.) And I appreciate this. It's refreshing when you expect a character you really like to die, and they don't. This is just one of the many positives about this book. (I feel like this last sentence is a cliche in a school essay…and since this isn't an essay I'm keeping it. Take THAT english teachers!)
Maggie is such a lovable character. She's been though multiple arrests for indecent exposure, shifts into an animal on a full moon, and has jumped around from family to family without really getting know people for fear that she'll just leave anyway. She just wants to get through senior year and move on with her life. I love when a main character is already broken, yet they keep on persevering though the hard times. Maggie has obstacle after obstacle fall in her path, yet she comes back with more determination the next time. Although her own emotional roller-coaster is easier with her best friend at her side.
Bridger O'Connell. In the beginning jock and cold shoulder supreme until her finally breaks down and gets to know Maggie. (Cliche, right?) But despite the predictable relationship that develops, Bridger is still one of my favorite YA boys. He has his own personal responsibilities that he has to keep secret from Maggie and yet he still tries to get to know her. He's banned from dating "local girls" (one of the reasons this makes the book so angsty) yet he still wants to befriend Maggie. I love him for his bravery and determination to still care for Maggie, despite his parents' wishes. It's both endearing and sweet.
Overall there's not much I didn't like about the book. The character arcs were pretty predictable, but it's the how's that kept me reading. This could have been such a great series, but the book had a satisfying ending. My suggestion: READ IT. You won't regret it.
December 3, 2011
This novel was a non-stop, action packed, never-ending ride of paranormal awesome!
Maggie Mae has to be one of the most enduring characters I have read about in a very long time. I couldn’t help but feel for her, and at times, I almost felt as much pain as she did. She had been through so much, but she was still very strong and level-headed. She had a life that she could have cried and moaned about, but she didn’t. She was strong, brave, and never gave up. Bethany Wiggins really brought Maggie Mae to life, and gave her a voice worth listening to. I wish there were more heroines like Maggie Mae out there in the YA world, because everyone knows we need them!
That being said, I loved most of the characters, but my favorite had to be her foster mother, Mrs. Carpenter. She added this kind of fiery-spice to the book that made Maggie’s home life so much better, and really made me love her as a character. She was very hands-on in her care of Maggie Mae, as a foster mother should be, and I loved that. Nothing can ruin a story faster for me than parents/guardians who are talked about, but never seen. I am happy to say that is not the case here.
This story read easily and beautifully and by the end of the first few chapters, I was hooked. Every chapter is exciting and always leaves you with one more thing left thinking about, and always leaves with a bigger and better build up to the next chapter than the last.
The only thing that I wasn’t crazy about was the relationship between Bridger and Maggie Mae. I didn’t feel a ‘connection’ when they were together. Maybe it was because Maggie Mae was so willing to believe that no one could feel for her romantically, or because this was also one of those relationships that started pretty much from the beginning of the story.
Most of the time, I felt the reader was hearing more about the romance between Maggie and Bridger than we were seeing it. I wish that their relationship was better build and developed than just the usual boy-meets-girl, boy-falls-for-girl, they’re together before the end of chapter 3. It was too fast, too soon. But nevertheless, that didn’t stop me from enjoying the story.
Shifting is a story that, where it is focused around the concept of shape-shifting (shape-shifters), there is actually a lot more to it than just that. Bethany Wiggins gave us brief—but in-depth—background on her take of shape-shifters. It was interesting reading about how shifters came to be, and the back story behind just how different from her kind Maggie Mae really is.
If you’re looking for a new take on the paranormal phenomenon that is shape-shifters, I would pick up Shifting by Bethany Wiggins. Action, romance, adventure, and a bit of mystery—Shifting is not a book you will easily forget. Shifting is YA Paranormal done right; Bethany Wiggins is a wonderful storyteller and an author to look out for. I can’t wait to see what she has for us readers next.
Maggie Mae has to be one of the most enduring characters I have read about in a very long time. I couldn’t help but feel for her, and at times, I almost felt as much pain as she did. She had been through so much, but she was still very strong and level-headed. She had a life that she could have cried and moaned about, but she didn’t. She was strong, brave, and never gave up. Bethany Wiggins really brought Maggie Mae to life, and gave her a voice worth listening to. I wish there were more heroines like Maggie Mae out there in the YA world, because everyone knows we need them!
That being said, I loved most of the characters, but my favorite had to be her foster mother, Mrs. Carpenter. She added this kind of fiery-spice to the book that made Maggie’s home life so much better, and really made me love her as a character. She was very hands-on in her care of Maggie Mae, as a foster mother should be, and I loved that. Nothing can ruin a story faster for me than parents/guardians who are talked about, but never seen. I am happy to say that is not the case here.
This story read easily and beautifully and by the end of the first few chapters, I was hooked. Every chapter is exciting and always leaves you with one more thing left thinking about, and always leaves with a bigger and better build up to the next chapter than the last.
The only thing that I wasn’t crazy about was the relationship between Bridger and Maggie Mae. I didn’t feel a ‘connection’ when they were together. Maybe it was because Maggie Mae was so willing to believe that no one could feel for her romantically, or because this was also one of those relationships that started pretty much from the beginning of the story.
Most of the time, I felt the reader was hearing more about the romance between Maggie and Bridger than we were seeing it. I wish that their relationship was better build and developed than just the usual boy-meets-girl, boy-falls-for-girl, they’re together before the end of chapter 3. It was too fast, too soon. But nevertheless, that didn’t stop me from enjoying the story.
Shifting is a story that, where it is focused around the concept of shape-shifting (shape-shifters), there is actually a lot more to it than just that. Bethany Wiggins gave us brief—but in-depth—background on her take of shape-shifters. It was interesting reading about how shifters came to be, and the back story behind just how different from her kind Maggie Mae really is.
If you’re looking for a new take on the paranormal phenomenon that is shape-shifters, I would pick up Shifting by Bethany Wiggins. Action, romance, adventure, and a bit of mystery—Shifting is not a book you will easily forget. Shifting is YA Paranormal done right; Bethany Wiggins is a wonderful storyteller and an author to look out for. I can’t wait to see what she has for us readers next.
July 30, 2017
Maggie Mae lost her family when she was six, and has been moved through dozens of foster homes, never lasting longer than a year at any place. Within a month of high school graduation, she's being forced to move yet again, with her only possessions in a single duffel bag, a few hand-me-down clothes.
But the kid's got spunk. At her first day of school, she meets Bridger - gorgeous, well-dressed, obviously rich - and he hesitates when asked to show her around the school. As she compares herself to him, she thinks:
The book tempts you to think Maggie is going to experience a Cinderalla-like reversal in fortune. Her latest foster-mother, Mrs Carpenter, is eccentric but wonderfully kind and supportive. She even manages to accept Maggie's shapeshifting abilities without freaking out.
And the girl can shift into a cheetah! - how cool is that? In fact, the cover for the ARC I got to borrow had a picture of a girl facing off with a cheetah, and I was a little sad to see it didn't make the final cut. The snake on the final cover is a bit misleading, I think - makes me think "Medusa" and Maggie is nothing like that at all.
The requisite hawt guy, Bridger, left a sour first impression, but then he switched gears. The thing I loved about this book is its twists and turns are always unexpected and it's always switching gears. This is no Cinderella story. Maggie's got a tough road to follow and no fairy godmother to help her (though there is a brief, hilarious fairy scene in the story. I wiiiiiiissssssshhhhh I could give you more details).
Bridger is both Irish and Navajo (neat!) and he takes his turn playing a rich snob, a scoundrel, a player, and a friend. Sometimes you want to kill him but he and Maggie definitely keep you flipping through a pages at record speed to find out what's going on - between her secrets, and his.
Another great thing about this story are the Navajo friends Maggie makes at school and at the restaurant she works with. The references to Navajo culture add an interesting touch to this story. The story also involves an old abandoned mine that will truly send chills up your spine. Shifting definitely has some deliciously scary horror elements to it and one of the most horrifying high school scenes I've EVER read.
But the kid's got spunk. At her first day of school, she meets Bridger - gorgeous, well-dressed, obviously rich - and he hesitates when asked to show her around the school. As she compares herself to him, she thinks:
I wouldn't want to be seen with me either. "I don't need any help, Mrs Carpenter. I can show myself around," I said not taking my eyes from Bridger's.
"I don't mind," Bridger said halfheartedly, running a hand through his hair.
"I don't want to be seen with you. It might tarnish my image," I replied, tucking my hair behind my ears. It was easier to go to school when everyone thought you were a loner because you chose to be, not because you were dirt poor and dressed all wrong.
The book tempts you to think Maggie is going to experience a Cinderalla-like reversal in fortune. Her latest foster-mother, Mrs Carpenter, is eccentric but wonderfully kind and supportive. She even manages to accept Maggie's shapeshifting abilities without freaking out.
And the girl can shift into a cheetah! - how cool is that? In fact, the cover for the ARC I got to borrow had a picture of a girl facing off with a cheetah, and I was a little sad to see it didn't make the final cut. The snake on the final cover is a bit misleading, I think - makes me think "Medusa" and Maggie is nothing like that at all.
The requisite hawt guy, Bridger, left a sour first impression, but then he switched gears. The thing I loved about this book is its twists and turns are always unexpected and it's always switching gears. This is no Cinderella story. Maggie's got a tough road to follow and no fairy godmother to help her (though there is a brief, hilarious fairy scene in the story. I wiiiiiiissssssshhhhh I could give you more details).
Bridger is both Irish and Navajo (neat!) and he takes his turn playing a rich snob, a scoundrel, a player, and a friend. Sometimes you want to kill him but he and Maggie definitely keep you flipping through a pages at record speed to find out what's going on - between her secrets, and his.
Another great thing about this story are the Navajo friends Maggie makes at school and at the restaurant she works with. The references to Navajo culture add an interesting touch to this story. The story also involves an old abandoned mine that will truly send chills up your spine. Shifting definitely has some deliciously scary horror elements to it and one of the most horrifying high school scenes I've EVER read.
November 19, 2011
My Thoughts: When I first heard of this book, I thought it sounded good. But would it be good enough to hold my interest? It seems like there are a bunch of books that sound like other books and just don't really interest me as much as they used too.
I dove into Shifting with an open mind. I told myself if I didn't like it within the first 100 pages, I would just stop it. I had read bad and good reviews for it so I would stop if it didn't appeal to me.
Once I started, I couldn't stop. Before I knew it, I was 150 pages in. It sucked me right in.
We are introduced to Maggie who has jumped around from foster homes. She never stays in one for very long. Her parents died when she was young and so did her other family. She's been bounced around more times than I can count on both hands. She's almost 18, and she can't wait so she can be out of the system. She has a record a mile long, most of the counts being indecent exposure.
Things don't come easy for her there either. She instantly makes an enemy and is labeled the new poor girl. She doesn't wear designer labels like everyone else. She's lucky she can shop at Wal-mart.
Her newest foster home is in Silver City, New Mexico with Mrs. Carpenter.
She does make one friend from the start who suggests she get a job at the restaurant she currently works at, so Maggie figures at least she can get a job and earn a little spending money and have something to do after school. She gets the job and becomes very close to all the staff. She enjoys working there.
She also meets a boy on the first day of school, Bridger. He's rich, and doesn't date local girls. No way could he ever be interested in her anyway, she figures. But of course they become friends.
Bridger and Maggie's relationship was very sweet. They connected with each other but I always knew deep down there must have been more to their story and they had to be more alike than we are lead to believe.
People come after Maggie, wanting to hurt her, Maggie hides a lot of secrets, she's always had too with nobody to really turn too. Want to know what Maggie's secrets are? Want to know what becomes of Bridger? Read the book to find out.
Overall: Surprisingly, I really enjoyed reading this one. I did get sucked in, and wanted to finish the story. Yes, there is a paranormal element to it like a lot of books these days, but it was interesting, and I really liked Maggie's personality. I liked learning about her. I liked being along for the ride with her.
Cover: The cover is okay. Not my favorite ever but still okay. The snake aspect is interesting.
What I'd Give It: 4/5 Cupcakes
____________________________
Review Based On Hardcover Edition
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
I dove into Shifting with an open mind. I told myself if I didn't like it within the first 100 pages, I would just stop it. I had read bad and good reviews for it so I would stop if it didn't appeal to me.
Once I started, I couldn't stop. Before I knew it, I was 150 pages in. It sucked me right in.
We are introduced to Maggie who has jumped around from foster homes. She never stays in one for very long. Her parents died when she was young and so did her other family. She's been bounced around more times than I can count on both hands. She's almost 18, and she can't wait so she can be out of the system. She has a record a mile long, most of the counts being indecent exposure.
Things don't come easy for her there either. She instantly makes an enemy and is labeled the new poor girl. She doesn't wear designer labels like everyone else. She's lucky she can shop at Wal-mart.
Her newest foster home is in Silver City, New Mexico with Mrs. Carpenter.
She does make one friend from the start who suggests she get a job at the restaurant she currently works at, so Maggie figures at least she can get a job and earn a little spending money and have something to do after school. She gets the job and becomes very close to all the staff. She enjoys working there.
She also meets a boy on the first day of school, Bridger. He's rich, and doesn't date local girls. No way could he ever be interested in her anyway, she figures. But of course they become friends.
Bridger and Maggie's relationship was very sweet. They connected with each other but I always knew deep down there must have been more to their story and they had to be more alike than we are lead to believe.
People come after Maggie, wanting to hurt her, Maggie hides a lot of secrets, she's always had too with nobody to really turn too. Want to know what Maggie's secrets are? Want to know what becomes of Bridger? Read the book to find out.
Overall: Surprisingly, I really enjoyed reading this one. I did get sucked in, and wanted to finish the story. Yes, there is a paranormal element to it like a lot of books these days, but it was interesting, and I really liked Maggie's personality. I liked learning about her. I liked being along for the ride with her.
Cover: The cover is okay. Not my favorite ever but still okay. The snake aspect is interesting.
What I'd Give It: 4/5 Cupcakes
____________________________
Review Based On Hardcover Edition
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
October 10, 2011
Ok, first of all, how absolutely STUNNING is that cover? Seriously, I can't stop staring at the girl and the snake. Even when it started to freak me out. I have this really big urge to draw the cover now.
Anyways. I had second thoughts about reading this book. For a while, I've not been having a great time reading books because not a lot of the ones I read recently truly captivated me. And Shifting didn't sound like a book that would be any different. But I still decided to give it a chance. You never know what book may suddenly surprise you.
I began enjoying the story right away-it was a little different from other novels with a unique main character and a great setting. It moved a little slow for me, concerning the mystery behind Maggie Mae's identity. The story focused more on her and Bridger's relationship rather than the mystery of who/what was following Maggie Mae around. Don't get me wrong, I liked the romance, but I barely got any answers as to what was going on. Everything was just suddenly revealed at the end. I dislike it when authors do this, string us along a story just to keep us reading and then dump the truth on us at the end. And the truth wasn't even all that surprising. Sure, there was that one part that made me gasp out loud but after I took some time and thought, I had an idea of what was going on. But I was hoping what I was thinking wasn't true, because then the book would be the same as the many other YA books I've read. So was I disappointed in the end? Hmm, no, not really. Although it wasn't anything huge, the end turned out to be better than I thought.
Maggie Mae was an AWESOME character (I love her name-I keep pronouncing it in a country accent for some reason), I love everything about her including her past. She was very different than the usual female leads in YA. I especially liked how she was so straightforward. I found myself relating to her many times, from the bullying to the awkward romantic moments. She was a great character. Bridger just made me swoon. I was always highly suspicious of him and was mad many times at him, especially when Maggie Mae would just forgive him easily, but I can't help but admit that he was smokin' hot. I also really liked Mrs. Carpenter, who I at first expected to be a mean grouch, but she was a total sweetheart. As for Danni, man, I'm not up for violence, but she deserved every injury she got.
Overall, I though Shifting was an OK read. Not one of the best, but definitely unique. If interested, I say try it out.
Anyways. I had second thoughts about reading this book. For a while, I've not been having a great time reading books because not a lot of the ones I read recently truly captivated me. And Shifting didn't sound like a book that would be any different. But I still decided to give it a chance. You never know what book may suddenly surprise you.
I began enjoying the story right away-it was a little different from other novels with a unique main character and a great setting. It moved a little slow for me, concerning the mystery behind Maggie Mae's identity. The story focused more on her and Bridger's relationship rather than the mystery of who/what was following Maggie Mae around. Don't get me wrong, I liked the romance, but I barely got any answers as to what was going on. Everything was just suddenly revealed at the end. I dislike it when authors do this, string us along a story just to keep us reading and then dump the truth on us at the end. And the truth wasn't even all that surprising. Sure, there was that one part that made me gasp out loud but after I took some time and thought, I had an idea of what was going on. But I was hoping what I was thinking wasn't true, because then the book would be the same as the many other YA books I've read. So was I disappointed in the end? Hmm, no, not really. Although it wasn't anything huge, the end turned out to be better than I thought.
Maggie Mae was an AWESOME character (I love her name-I keep pronouncing it in a country accent for some reason), I love everything about her including her past. She was very different than the usual female leads in YA. I especially liked how she was so straightforward. I found myself relating to her many times, from the bullying to the awkward romantic moments. She was a great character. Bridger just made me swoon. I was always highly suspicious of him and was mad many times at him, especially when Maggie Mae would just forgive him easily, but I can't help but admit that he was smokin' hot. I also really liked Mrs. Carpenter, who I at first expected to be a mean grouch, but she was a total sweetheart. As for Danni, man, I'm not up for violence, but she deserved every injury she got.
Overall, I though Shifting was an OK read. Not one of the best, but definitely unique. If interested, I say try it out.
Read
September 20, 2011Just as a side note, this is actually the third cover I've seen for this book. The first was a girl facing a cheetah head on. The second was a shot of a girl from the back with the braid morphing into a snake. And then this one. And I must say, I like this one best. It suits Maggie's personality well. Her eyes really say it all, revealing the depth of sorrow within her as well as her fierce determination.
Which brings me to my first point. One of the greatest qualities of SHIFTING is that it isn't afraid to go there. In SHIFTING, we see a foster child who has faced abuse and real hardship. And through it all, her reactions to her life feel real. She's not artificially wise, capable of adult-level introspection . When she buys a pretty outfit--from Wal-Mart--she feels glamorous because it's new. And she's not ashamed of wearing charity clothes. You know what they say--it's not until Eve was made to feel ashamed that she was aware of her nudity. And her foster mother, as kind as she is, isn't made of money either. SHIFTING bypasses the old cliché of the poor kid getting taken in by the rich family and given a new lease on life. At times I cringed, wanting so much to give this girl a hug. She's really suffered, and yet, she's really strong regardless.
And that's not even getting into the paranormal aspect of the story. If you read the summary, or...eh hmm...the title, you know Maggie's a shapeshifter. But not just any shapeshifter. SHIFTING has a clever new spin on the whole concept, incorporating the Navajo legend of the skinwalkers--also given a clever twist. What's more, Maggie's reactions to the shapeshifting ability feel truly genuine. It made for some pretty humorous scenes. There were some sad ones, too, as well as a bit of youthful drama that you would expect in YA, all of it adding richness to the story and making Maggie feel like more of a 3D character.
Did I mention the romance? Because there's that, too. But that doesn't come any more easily to Maggie than the shapeshifting. Bridger's got his own secrets, which adds to the tension, and as the summary says, the intrigue. There's a great mystery and a certain level of darkness that stems from her difficult past, her troubled present and unknown future in love and shapeshifting. You can't help but feel pulled in. SHIFTING is a fairly quick, enjoyable read with surprising twists and a clever new spin on old ideas.
Which brings me to my first point. One of the greatest qualities of SHIFTING is that it isn't afraid to go there. In SHIFTING, we see a foster child who has faced abuse and real hardship. And through it all, her reactions to her life feel real. She's not artificially wise, capable of adult-level introspection . When she buys a pretty outfit--from Wal-Mart--she feels glamorous because it's new. And she's not ashamed of wearing charity clothes. You know what they say--it's not until Eve was made to feel ashamed that she was aware of her nudity. And her foster mother, as kind as she is, isn't made of money either. SHIFTING bypasses the old cliché of the poor kid getting taken in by the rich family and given a new lease on life. At times I cringed, wanting so much to give this girl a hug. She's really suffered, and yet, she's really strong regardless.
And that's not even getting into the paranormal aspect of the story. If you read the summary, or...eh hmm...the title, you know Maggie's a shapeshifter. But not just any shapeshifter. SHIFTING has a clever new spin on the whole concept, incorporating the Navajo legend of the skinwalkers--also given a clever twist. What's more, Maggie's reactions to the shapeshifting ability feel truly genuine. It made for some pretty humorous scenes. There were some sad ones, too, as well as a bit of youthful drama that you would expect in YA, all of it adding richness to the story and making Maggie feel like more of a 3D character.
Did I mention the romance? Because there's that, too. But that doesn't come any more easily to Maggie than the shapeshifting. Bridger's got his own secrets, which adds to the tension, and as the summary says, the intrigue. There's a great mystery and a certain level of darkness that stems from her difficult past, her troubled present and unknown future in love and shapeshifting. You can't help but feel pulled in. SHIFTING is a fairly quick, enjoyable read with surprising twists and a clever new spin on old ideas.
Read
October 3, 2011Shifting, by Bethany Wiggins, is one of those books that I’m not entirely sure why I wanted to read it. Looking at it now nothing about the description (or the cover of the ARC) seems as if it would be appealing to me, personally.
I liked that Shifting worked in Navajo legends. Or, at least, I assume it did because it claims to. I don’t actually know anything about Navajo so, I cannot corroborate anything on that front. Either way, it’s something I don’t see too much of in young adult fiction.
I always find placing orphans with crap foster parents or something similar is a trope used to often in ALL storytelling mediums, not just young adult, and while that has happened in Maggie Mae’s past, at the beginning of this story, she is placed with a nice lady who genuinely cares for her. And that pattern is pretty much used throughout the story. Wiggins does a good job of including a lot of tropes but changing them so they feel like a part of the story.
Though, I will say, I do think the “mean-girl” trope in this one was taken a little far. That never would’ve happened at my high school. Maybe I’m wrong though, and over-estimating people. Other high school’s might’ve been worse than mine.
And then there’s Bridger. I loved that Bridger and Maggie Mae had conversations, and hung out, and had a real relationship. Bridger was still the mysterious, gorgeous guy so common in young adult, but at least he had a real relationship with the female lead. And he had his own problems. His whole life wasn’t perfect. I liked that as well.
There isn’t much of a mystery in the book so much as there’s an looming threat throughout. And that was done very well. The threatening experiences got more and more intense as the story progressed.
All in all, it was a fun story with some fun characters and a fun idea behind everything. I assume there’s going to be sequels, or a series or something as the ending left some things hanging, but thankfully was not a cliffhanger in any way. Which I always appreciate. If you’re looking for fun read with some tense moments, a good relationship, and a different feel then a lot of other books out there, I recommend giving Shifting a try.
Reviewed at WhatchYAreading on October 3rd, 2011.
I liked that Shifting worked in Navajo legends. Or, at least, I assume it did because it claims to. I don’t actually know anything about Navajo so, I cannot corroborate anything on that front. Either way, it’s something I don’t see too much of in young adult fiction.
I always find placing orphans with crap foster parents or something similar is a trope used to often in ALL storytelling mediums, not just young adult, and while that has happened in Maggie Mae’s past, at the beginning of this story, she is placed with a nice lady who genuinely cares for her. And that pattern is pretty much used throughout the story. Wiggins does a good job of including a lot of tropes but changing them so they feel like a part of the story.
Though, I will say, I do think the “mean-girl” trope in this one was taken a little far. That never would’ve happened at my high school. Maybe I’m wrong though, and over-estimating people. Other high school’s might’ve been worse than mine.
And then there’s Bridger. I loved that Bridger and Maggie Mae had conversations, and hung out, and had a real relationship. Bridger was still the mysterious, gorgeous guy so common in young adult, but at least he had a real relationship with the female lead. And he had his own problems. His whole life wasn’t perfect. I liked that as well.
There isn’t much of a mystery in the book so much as there’s an looming threat throughout. And that was done very well. The threatening experiences got more and more intense as the story progressed.
All in all, it was a fun story with some fun characters and a fun idea behind everything. I assume there’s going to be sequels, or a series or something as the ending left some things hanging, but thankfully was not a cliffhanger in any way. Which I always appreciate. If you’re looking for fun read with some tense moments, a good relationship, and a different feel then a lot of other books out there, I recommend giving Shifting a try.
Reviewed at WhatchYAreading on October 3rd, 2011.
September 21, 2011
SHIFTING is a riveting and magical novel that had me glued to the pages for hours! The Navajo legends that are included in the story were fresh and something I haven't seen done in the YA genre before. However, the one thing that irked me was the romance between the two characters. Frustrating and cliched, it is your typical girl meets boy, girl falls for boy, girl denies that she is falling for boy, and boy leads her on romance. While really irritating, the mythology and plot line make up for it.
Maggie Mae has been dealt a bad portion of life. She has been in foster homes since she was 5, and has had numerous run-ins with the law that she can't help. Indecent exposure takes on a whole new meaning with shapeshifters! Maggie was very easy to relate to, and I loved how strong she was despite the challenges she faced in life. I did get annoyed by how much she constantly looked down on herself due to the fact that she was poor and didn't dress right. Accept the fact and move on!
Bridger is the typical guy who everyone in school loves, is rich, and has the looks of a model. I really did like him at first, despite the fact that I wasn't so happy with how unoriginal he was. While he was cold and aloof at first, he eventually warmed up and stood up for Maggie when no one would. But then things started going downhill. He played with Maggie's feelings, acted like he wanted a relationship with her, but when his parents come back in town, he tells her that they can only be friends. This really irritated me and I lost what little respect I had for him
Despite my complaints, I actually enjoyed myself while reading the book. There is a little mystery and the shape shifting was fun to read about. I would definitely love it if I could shape shift! The Navajo legends were fascinating and I gobbled up all the information! And then there was Mrs. Carpenter, Maggie's new foster mom and my favorite character. She was so awesome and I cannot brag enough about her!
Overall, SHIFTING is a fast and well-paced read that a majority of readers will enjoy. I look forward to more novels from Wiggins.
Maggie Mae has been dealt a bad portion of life. She has been in foster homes since she was 5, and has had numerous run-ins with the law that she can't help. Indecent exposure takes on a whole new meaning with shapeshifters! Maggie was very easy to relate to, and I loved how strong she was despite the challenges she faced in life. I did get annoyed by how much she constantly looked down on herself due to the fact that she was poor and didn't dress right. Accept the fact and move on!
Bridger is the typical guy who everyone in school loves, is rich, and has the looks of a model. I really did like him at first, despite the fact that I wasn't so happy with how unoriginal he was. While he was cold and aloof at first, he eventually warmed up and stood up for Maggie when no one would. But then things started going downhill. He played with Maggie's feelings, acted like he wanted a relationship with her, but when his parents come back in town, he tells her that they can only be friends. This really irritated me and I lost what little respect I had for him
Despite my complaints, I actually enjoyed myself while reading the book. There is a little mystery and the shape shifting was fun to read about. I would definitely love it if I could shape shift! The Navajo legends were fascinating and I gobbled up all the information! And then there was Mrs. Carpenter, Maggie's new foster mom and my favorite character. She was so awesome and I cannot brag enough about her!
Overall, SHIFTING is a fast and well-paced read that a majority of readers will enjoy. I look forward to more novels from Wiggins.
October 8, 2011
I really enjoyed this story I was quickly whisked away by it. I love the shift changing concept, and Maggie's ability is a little unique compared to similar stories I have read. Sometimes they were down right hilarious. Maggie has had a rough life she was orphaned really young and sent into the wonderful world of foster care. This her last home with Mrs. Carpenter, is a good home and offers her hope and safety. Well kind of safety. Someone/something is after her but who/or what is it and why.
On the first day of school Maggie runs into Bridger she spots him right away and feels a rightness about him, but pushes it aside. She has no desire to be emotionally involved with any one right now she has things to work through, plus who would understand her. From here we have the unfolding of the story which I will let you the reader enjoy. I really liked Maggie and Bridger's relationship, they start out as friends and moves in a natural way forward, for the most part. They each have their secrets and their flaws which makes them endearing. They both have so many issues to work through. Bridger's family or I should say parent drove me a little crazy with their "she is from the wrong side of town and social class." The ending had me shaking my head, I did not see that coming.
Such a simply pretty cover.
Mild language
clean romance some naked issues, because of her abilities. Few other minor moments, no details.
On the first day of school Maggie runs into Bridger she spots him right away and feels a rightness about him, but pushes it aside. She has no desire to be emotionally involved with any one right now she has things to work through, plus who would understand her. From here we have the unfolding of the story which I will let you the reader enjoy. I really liked Maggie and Bridger's relationship, they start out as friends and moves in a natural way forward, for the most part. They each have their secrets and their flaws which makes them endearing. They both have so many issues to work through. Bridger's family or I should say parent drove me a little crazy with their "she is from the wrong side of town and social class." The ending had me shaking my head, I did not see that coming.
Such a simply pretty cover.
Mild language
clean romance some naked issues, because of her abilities. Few other minor moments, no details.
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