What do you think?
Rate this book
The Shapeshifter's Secret #1
The Shapeshifter's Secret
Like any sixteen-year-old, Julia’s used to dealing with problems. From her overprotective father to her absent mother to a teacher who definitely has it in for her. But everything changes when Julia’s reactions become oddly vicious and angry―more animal than human. This action-packed adventure has it all: humor, romance, and a plot that’ll keep you guessing to the very last page.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 12, 2012
14 people are currently reading
1421 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
March 11, 2012
Yes, I did give my novel 5 stars. As the author I'm allowed to do that, right? But honestly, thank you so much for your interest in The Shapeshifter's Secret. I really hope you enjoy it!
May 17, 2012
This review is also available on my blog, Qwerty
This e-ARC was provided to me by NetGalley and Cedar Fort Publishing.
I hate bashing a book by a debut author, but dear Heather Ostler, my feeling after I finished your book is identical to the feeling I got after I had been Rickrolled.
Oh, that famous ankle-dancing simply melts my heart
Like, if I were to pull a prank on an innocent victim, I'd tell that person to read this book because;
This fast-paced action-adventure story is packed with humor, romance, and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing to the very last page. Get lost in a world of hidden royalty, shifting alliances, and dangerous vendettas, but don’t ever forget: nothing is what it seems.
Remember that? It's from the blurb. And I got almost nothing of those.
I'VE BEEN TROLLED BY THE BLURB!!!
It was bit unfortunate because I read this right after I finished with Daughter of Bone and Smoke, so it was like one of those moments when you just ate a banquet from a top restaurant, you come home and someone offers you a plate or yesterday's microwaved lasagne.
To add salt to the wound, I was forced to read this on my laptop, in pdf format because somehow I couldn't copy it into my tablet (and I don't have a kindle account to ask for the kindle format).
I had several moments where I was so tempted to pile this in my DNF shelf but unlike Wilde's Fire, I kept telling myself to move on because for the first 280 pages out of 330, there was technically nothing going on! How am I supposed to write a review if I had nothing to review on?
This is so frustrating because look at the cover! It is beyond gorgeous!!!
*Tries to calm herself by singing soft kitty*
I'm sorry to say but the opening can't get anymore cliche than that. Set in a US high school, Julia and Sierra are two besties. One day, a new boy, Caleb enrol in the school and he seems to know a lot about Julia and Julia is instantaneously drawn to him.
Usually I'd be grateful when I know that
The story did pick up afterwards. The home raid and the escape whereby Caleb saved Julia's life was surprisingly well-written. Now that I thought about it, it seems like someone else was writing those parts.
What happens next reminded me a lot of Hex Hall...
...and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret.
Tom Riddle Julia is a descendent of Salazar Slytherin Siron, therefore she's the only one who can open the chamber portal...
Sophie Julia's grandmother mother tries to kill her...
The idea of a school forwizards shapeshifters and water people (yes, that phase is used by the book), the invisibility cloak rock, the bitter Prof Snape Mr Knightley yada yada.
No, simply no.
It's puzzling me that this is a stand-alone book because lots of background information was thrown in the book, some of them are not relevant at all and at the end, .
And last time I checked, this book is tagged as Young Adult not Juvenile or Middle Grade but the writing is very basic and simple. And if I have a middle-grader sister, I would still ask her to avoid this book because I hardly found any inspiring characters or valuable lessons out of it.
God...what's with the teenage angst and deserting your friend because he didn't tell you he has a girlfriend?
And these dialogues...
I imagined them coming out of this girl
Yup, the infamous annoying facebook girl
So...I should expect that this book has many twists and turns?
The only twist I got was at the end, and it wasn't even remotely surprising because I long had expected it to be an inside-job.
Sorry, but I'm off to grab an aspirin.
This e-ARC was provided to me by NetGalley and Cedar Fort Publishing.
I hate bashing a book by a debut author, but dear Heather Ostler, my feeling after I finished your book is identical to the feeling I got after I had been Rickrolled.
Oh, that famous ankle-dancing simply melts my heart
Like, if I were to pull a prank on an innocent victim, I'd tell that person to read this book because;
This fast-paced action-adventure story is packed with humor, romance, and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing to the very last page. Get lost in a world of hidden royalty, shifting alliances, and dangerous vendettas, but don’t ever forget: nothing is what it seems.
Remember that? It's from the blurb. And I got almost nothing of those.
I'VE BEEN TROLLED BY THE BLURB!!!
It was bit unfortunate because I read this right after I finished with Daughter of Bone and Smoke, so it was like one of those moments when you just ate a banquet from a top restaurant, you come home and someone offers you a plate or yesterday's microwaved lasagne.
To add salt to the wound, I was forced to read this on my laptop, in pdf format because somehow I couldn't copy it into my tablet (and I don't have a kindle account to ask for the kindle format).
I had several moments where I was so tempted to pile this in my DNF shelf but unlike Wilde's Fire, I kept telling myself to move on because for the first 280 pages out of 330, there was technically nothing going on! How am I supposed to write a review if I had nothing to review on?
This is so frustrating because look at the cover! It is beyond gorgeous!!!
*Tries to calm herself by singing soft kitty*
I'm sorry to say but the opening can't get anymore cliche than that. Set in a US high school, Julia and Sierra are two besties. One day, a new boy, Caleb enrol in the school and he seems to know a lot about Julia and Julia is instantaneously drawn to him.
Usually I'd be grateful when I know that
The story did pick up afterwards. The home raid and the escape whereby Caleb saved Julia's life was surprisingly well-written. Now that I thought about it, it seems like someone else was writing those parts.
What happens next reminded me a lot of Hex Hall...
...and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret.
The idea of a school for
No, simply no.
It's puzzling me that this is a stand-alone book because lots of background information was thrown in the book, some of them are not relevant at all and at the end, .
And last time I checked, this book is tagged as Young Adult not Juvenile or Middle Grade but the writing is very basic and simple. And if I have a middle-grader sister, I would still ask her to avoid this book because I hardly found any inspiring characters or valuable lessons out of it.
God...what's with the teenage angst and deserting your friend because he didn't tell you he has a girlfriend?
And these dialogues...
I imagined them coming out of this girl
Yup, the infamous annoying facebook girl
So...I should expect that this book has many twists and turns?
The only twist I got was at the end, and it wasn't even remotely surprising because I long had expected it to be an inside-job.
Sorry, but I'm off to grab an aspirin.
May 13, 2012
You can find this review here: Ja čitam, a ti?
What Glass thought about it...
This is sweet story in which will enjoy younger readers. Magic, Hogwarts-like boarding school, nymphs, castles and secret royalty. I'd be honest with you guys. The Shapeshifter's Secret has its ups and downs. Some parts left me frustrated and some made me swoon. Beginning is little bit too fast and there are lot of things left hanging loose. I wasn't really "convinced" by love story between Julia and Terrence but I'm guessing that that's all part of Heather's "evil" master plan to make us addicted to this series. Swoon part of the book is Caleb - boy who introduces Julia to the secrets of her tru nature and Ossai history. You'll see why! Probablly the strongest thing about The Shapshifter's Secret is the story about friendship and girl power. I believe that many of you will find this novel as ideal start of your summer reading list.
What Tanychy thought about it...
Yes, I agree with you Glass. Young YA paranormal readers will find this book quite interesting. While I, like you , have read a lot of paranormal things so we see things differently. Basically the whole idea about shapeshifting in this story is interesting and positive. Only I couldn't find myself lost in story or I couldn't relate with characters and to be honest the whole book is a little bit forgettable. All in all, this book is really readable, you'll read it in few hours. If you're about to meet whole paranormal world and you're looking for something light and interesting to read then I recommend you this book.
What Glass thought about it...
This is sweet story in which will enjoy younger readers. Magic, Hogwarts-like boarding school, nymphs, castles and secret royalty. I'd be honest with you guys. The Shapeshifter's Secret has its ups and downs. Some parts left me frustrated and some made me swoon. Beginning is little bit too fast and there are lot of things left hanging loose. I wasn't really "convinced" by love story between Julia and Terrence but I'm guessing that that's all part of Heather's "evil" master plan to make us addicted to this series. Swoon part of the book is Caleb - boy who introduces Julia to the secrets of her tru nature and Ossai history. You'll see why! Probablly the strongest thing about The Shapshifter's Secret is the story about friendship and girl power. I believe that many of you will find this novel as ideal start of your summer reading list.
What Tanychy thought about it...
Yes, I agree with you Glass. Young YA paranormal readers will find this book quite interesting. While I, like you , have read a lot of paranormal things so we see things differently. Basically the whole idea about shapeshifting in this story is interesting and positive. Only I couldn't find myself lost in story or I couldn't relate with characters and to be honest the whole book is a little bit forgettable. All in all, this book is really readable, you'll read it in few hours. If you're about to meet whole paranormal world and you're looking for something light and interesting to read then I recommend you this book.
May 19, 2012
Three and a half stars: A new series featuring an exciting creature: Werecats!
Julia is a typical sixteen year old except that she is under the constant, careful watch of her father. An inconvenience she has learned to live with, until a handsome new boy at school, Caleb, comes along and alerts her dad that she is sneaking out of her room. She comes home to bars on her window. Great! Her life is getting more confusing by the minute. Julia is constantly butting heads with her awful English teacher. She tries to keep her head down and survive another class but when her horrendous teacher singles her out and gives her an inappropriate grade, she loses it. Her anger surges up inside of her, building until she feels like she is losing control. She attacks a fellow student and tosses a desk across the room. Terrified, she runs out of the school and heads to the park behind her house. She lays on the ground, trembling, overcome by her emotions, and then a voice calls out to her. It is Caleb....then blackness and she remembers no more. When she wakes she is in her room. How did she get here? What happened? She confronts her father and learns he has been hiding a big secret from her. Julia is not a normal girl. She is in fact a shapeshifter, a werecat. Not only is she a werecat but she comes from a different world. One that can only be reached by portals. Suddenly, the house is under attack and Julia is forced to flee with Caleb. The pair head to Ossai, the world of the werecats and Julia's birthplace. This is just the beginning. Soon Julia learns that she has been hidden away for her protection. There is a deadly rift in the Ossai government and the leader of the opposing guild is out to get Julia. Who or what is hunting Julia?
What I Liked:
*I am always on the hunt for a new paranormal entity. Ms. Ostler provided me with a novel creature, the werecat. While shapeshifter's are nothing new, I enjoyed this new take. An entire world and species of people able to shift into giant cats, from panthers to tigers and everything in between. If you are looking for a book with something different, give The Shapeshifter's Secret a try.
*I liked that this blended several ideas, shapeshifter's, hidden world, sirens and nymphs, magic and a magical castle that serves as a type of boarding school. There are many fun elements in this book as well as a mystery to unravel.
*I appreciated that this book has a relatively neat resolution, yet the author plants ideas for the sequel. Any book that avoids the cliffhanger is worth the read in my book.
*I enjoyed learning about the werecats, their abilities and how they shift from human to werecat. This was one of my favorite aspects of the book. I really had fun reading the chapter that takes place during the Transformation Class as it describes a shape shifting duel.
And The Not So Much:
*This book moves along at a quick clip, which is usually not a problem, but for me the story flowed too quickly. The fast pace didn't allow for much exploration and development. I wished that some aspects were slowed down and explained better. The rushed narrative is straightforward and lacks the details and beautiful writing that I love.
*The romance between Terrence and Julia is sudden. They meet, he catches her eye, they go on a walk about the school grounds and then he is called away to do his duties as a soldier. The pair exchange letters and then they are saying I love you. I realize that this often how teenage romance plays out but I would have preferred a bit more development.
*The world building needs more augmentation. There is so little information about the world of Ossai. I wanted to know more about what the landscape looked like? how big is it? who are all the inhabitants? and so forth. This is another area that I feel the hurried pace glosses over the details.
*There are hints throughout the book that a possible love triangle is on the horizon, it didn't come to fruition in this book, and I truly hope that it doesn't go that way in the future.
*One puzzling thing to me was that Julia received a gift, a ring that is a lie detector. I was excited to see how the ring would be used to sniff out trouble, but it was never mentioned again, a big let down. I wanted to know more about this magical ring.
The Shapeshifter's Secret is the beginning of a new series that features werecat shapeshifters. I enjoyed learning about this new paranormal species and their world. This book has action and mystery and a few surprises. It moves at a fast pace and really picks up at the midway point, heading to an exciting finish. Overall, it is a solid read despite a few flaws. If you are in the mood for something different, give this one a try.
Favorite Quotations:
“She was losing control of her sight and couldn’t see anything but a swirl of shadows in front of her.”
“All of the furniture was a glossy wood and there were portraits of sunny lakes and glowing mountains coating the walls.”
“November fluttered through rather quickly and lightly, compared to the first couple of weeks of school.”
“Together they walked into the ballroom, a sea of masked faces swirling around them.”
Thank you to Cedar Fort Publishing for kindly providing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review. ”
Posted at http://rainydayramblings.typepad.com/
Julia is a typical sixteen year old except that she is under the constant, careful watch of her father. An inconvenience she has learned to live with, until a handsome new boy at school, Caleb, comes along and alerts her dad that she is sneaking out of her room. She comes home to bars on her window. Great! Her life is getting more confusing by the minute. Julia is constantly butting heads with her awful English teacher. She tries to keep her head down and survive another class but when her horrendous teacher singles her out and gives her an inappropriate grade, she loses it. Her anger surges up inside of her, building until she feels like she is losing control. She attacks a fellow student and tosses a desk across the room. Terrified, she runs out of the school and heads to the park behind her house. She lays on the ground, trembling, overcome by her emotions, and then a voice calls out to her. It is Caleb....then blackness and she remembers no more. When she wakes she is in her room. How did she get here? What happened? She confronts her father and learns he has been hiding a big secret from her. Julia is not a normal girl. She is in fact a shapeshifter, a werecat. Not only is she a werecat but she comes from a different world. One that can only be reached by portals. Suddenly, the house is under attack and Julia is forced to flee with Caleb. The pair head to Ossai, the world of the werecats and Julia's birthplace. This is just the beginning. Soon Julia learns that she has been hidden away for her protection. There is a deadly rift in the Ossai government and the leader of the opposing guild is out to get Julia. Who or what is hunting Julia?
What I Liked:
*I am always on the hunt for a new paranormal entity. Ms. Ostler provided me with a novel creature, the werecat. While shapeshifter's are nothing new, I enjoyed this new take. An entire world and species of people able to shift into giant cats, from panthers to tigers and everything in between. If you are looking for a book with something different, give The Shapeshifter's Secret a try.
*I liked that this blended several ideas, shapeshifter's, hidden world, sirens and nymphs, magic and a magical castle that serves as a type of boarding school. There are many fun elements in this book as well as a mystery to unravel.
*I appreciated that this book has a relatively neat resolution, yet the author plants ideas for the sequel. Any book that avoids the cliffhanger is worth the read in my book.
*I enjoyed learning about the werecats, their abilities and how they shift from human to werecat. This was one of my favorite aspects of the book. I really had fun reading the chapter that takes place during the Transformation Class as it describes a shape shifting duel.
And The Not So Much:
*This book moves along at a quick clip, which is usually not a problem, but for me the story flowed too quickly. The fast pace didn't allow for much exploration and development. I wished that some aspects were slowed down and explained better. The rushed narrative is straightforward and lacks the details and beautiful writing that I love.
*The romance between Terrence and Julia is sudden. They meet, he catches her eye, they go on a walk about the school grounds and then he is called away to do his duties as a soldier. The pair exchange letters and then they are saying I love you. I realize that this often how teenage romance plays out but I would have preferred a bit more development.
*The world building needs more augmentation. There is so little information about the world of Ossai. I wanted to know more about what the landscape looked like? how big is it? who are all the inhabitants? and so forth. This is another area that I feel the hurried pace glosses over the details.
*There are hints throughout the book that a possible love triangle is on the horizon, it didn't come to fruition in this book, and I truly hope that it doesn't go that way in the future.
*One puzzling thing to me was that Julia received a gift, a ring that is a lie detector. I was excited to see how the ring would be used to sniff out trouble, but it was never mentioned again, a big let down. I wanted to know more about this magical ring.
The Shapeshifter's Secret is the beginning of a new series that features werecat shapeshifters. I enjoyed learning about this new paranormal species and their world. This book has action and mystery and a few surprises. It moves at a fast pace and really picks up at the midway point, heading to an exciting finish. Overall, it is a solid read despite a few flaws. If you are in the mood for something different, give this one a try.
Favorite Quotations:
“She was losing control of her sight and couldn’t see anything but a swirl of shadows in front of her.”
“All of the furniture was a glossy wood and there were portraits of sunny lakes and glowing mountains coating the walls.”
“November fluttered through rather quickly and lightly, compared to the first couple of weeks of school.”
“Together they walked into the ballroom, a sea of masked faces swirling around them.”
Thank you to Cedar Fort Publishing for kindly providing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review. ”
Posted at http://rainydayramblings.typepad.com/
May 2, 2012
(3.5 stars)
To be honest, I wasn't to sure about this book in the beginning. There were definitely things I liked about it and things I didn't. But when pushed comes to shove, this would have to be a guilty pleasure for me. This turned out to be a surprisingly enjoyable read.
The Shapeshifter's Secret has a lot of qualites I like in my reads. Secrets and suspense, a royal bloodline and a hidden world, mystery, intrigue, an entangled enemy and a charming romance, but what I loved the most was the setting. Ossai and the Soldier Union is an impressive world. There was a touch of politics but it wasn't overly done so it was easy to keep up with and I really loved the idea of Lockham Castle. I loved reading about Transformation class, the training, the castles hidden secrets and the other paranormal characters. Other then wolves, I've never read anything about other shapeshifters before, so reading about Werecats was pretty fascinating. I also loved the fight scenes. They were action-packed, heart pounding and vividly written. This also has a touch of magic mixed in which is always a good thing in my book.
Heather Ostler's writing is well done. It has a lot of edge and skilled with imagination but I think the dialog could have been stronger. I had a few issues with some of the characters but I still liked them enough to care about what was happening.
Julia had never heard anything about the world she was born into but I think she took the news realistically and eventually proves what she's made of. I liked what Sierra and Gabe brought into the story, you need good friends by your side. I had a slight issue with Lancer at first, but as the story moves on I understood him better. Liam is very cool. Calab is a huge question mark at this point and most of the time I wanted to shake him but he had some decent moments that can't be ignored. Terrence is smooth, charming and sincere and is the perfect love interest for our protag.
But I think it's the romance that is the most touchiest part in the story. I didn't find this to be a bad thing, but it may be for other readers. Terrence and Julia have one of those too perfect relationships complete with 'I love you'. It feels a bit rushed, but it's also pretty dame sweet that the sap in me doesn't seem to care about how quickly it developed.
It's really Calab and Julia that I find conflicting. Funny enough there isn't a love triangle in this one...per say. I say funny, cause it reads like an unspoken triangle waiting to happen, but at the same time it feels so unlikely.
It sounds confusing, but Calab and Julia have a very perplexing friendship. They argue and disagree more then anything else and they didn't seem to have any sort of 'romantic connection' before hand, and yet Julia is spinning with irrational jealousy and while we don't know what Calab is thinking, it looks like he's acting the same way. Every time these two have a scene together it feel strained and intense. It's lacking in a pretty big way but it's also big enough that it makes the situation one of the most captivating ingredients in the book.
But it's the lack of screen time with both these guys that may make it hard for readers to take any of the romance seriously. To sum it up? I think this is just one of those cases that you have to really want to see it, to actually care. As for me? I'm the biggest sap you'll ever meet, so even though I wanted to roll my eyes at these three throughout the entire book, they still made me smile which is where it counts in the end.
Bottom line, I had a really great time with this one. Sure, it may have it's flaws here and there, but it's exciting and fun and entertaining. It has a really sharp story-line, likable characters that I got easily attached with and strong paranormal elements that satisfies the junkie in me.
Really hoping that we're getting more. I want to know what Calab 'saw' in the end of the book, but sadly we never got far and it's making me mighty curious! I'm looking forward to coming back to this world again!
(Arc provided by Netgalley and Cedar Fort)
To be honest, I wasn't to sure about this book in the beginning. There were definitely things I liked about it and things I didn't. But when pushed comes to shove, this would have to be a guilty pleasure for me. This turned out to be a surprisingly enjoyable read.
The Shapeshifter's Secret has a lot of qualites I like in my reads. Secrets and suspense, a royal bloodline and a hidden world, mystery, intrigue, an entangled enemy and a charming romance, but what I loved the most was the setting. Ossai and the Soldier Union is an impressive world. There was a touch of politics but it wasn't overly done so it was easy to keep up with and I really loved the idea of Lockham Castle. I loved reading about Transformation class, the training, the castles hidden secrets and the other paranormal characters. Other then wolves, I've never read anything about other shapeshifters before, so reading about Werecats was pretty fascinating. I also loved the fight scenes. They were action-packed, heart pounding and vividly written. This also has a touch of magic mixed in which is always a good thing in my book.
Heather Ostler's writing is well done. It has a lot of edge and skilled with imagination but I think the dialog could have been stronger. I had a few issues with some of the characters but I still liked them enough to care about what was happening.
Julia had never heard anything about the world she was born into but I think she took the news realistically and eventually proves what she's made of. I liked what Sierra and Gabe brought into the story, you need good friends by your side. I had a slight issue with Lancer at first, but as the story moves on I understood him better. Liam is very cool. Calab is a huge question mark at this point and most of the time I wanted to shake him but he had some decent moments that can't be ignored. Terrence is smooth, charming and sincere and is the perfect love interest for our protag.
But I think it's the romance that is the most touchiest part in the story. I didn't find this to be a bad thing, but it may be for other readers. Terrence and Julia have one of those too perfect relationships complete with 'I love you'. It feels a bit rushed, but it's also pretty dame sweet that the sap in me doesn't seem to care about how quickly it developed.
It's really Calab and Julia that I find conflicting. Funny enough there isn't a love triangle in this one...per say. I say funny, cause it reads like an unspoken triangle waiting to happen, but at the same time it feels so unlikely.
It sounds confusing, but Calab and Julia have a very perplexing friendship. They argue and disagree more then anything else and they didn't seem to have any sort of 'romantic connection' before hand, and yet Julia is spinning with irrational jealousy and while we don't know what Calab is thinking, it looks like he's acting the same way. Every time these two have a scene together it feel strained and intense. It's lacking in a pretty big way but it's also big enough that it makes the situation one of the most captivating ingredients in the book.
But it's the lack of screen time with both these guys that may make it hard for readers to take any of the romance seriously. To sum it up? I think this is just one of those cases that you have to really want to see it, to actually care. As for me? I'm the biggest sap you'll ever meet, so even though I wanted to roll my eyes at these three throughout the entire book, they still made me smile which is where it counts in the end.
Bottom line, I had a really great time with this one. Sure, it may have it's flaws here and there, but it's exciting and fun and entertaining. It has a really sharp story-line, likable characters that I got easily attached with and strong paranormal elements that satisfies the junkie in me.
Really hoping that we're getting more. I want to know what Calab 'saw' in the end of the book, but sadly we never got far and it's making me mighty curious! I'm looking forward to coming back to this world again!
(Arc provided by Netgalley and Cedar Fort)
May 27, 2012
Can I just say that was an excellent read. I really, really enjoyed it. I love shapeshifter stories and I would put this one at the top of my list of favorite ones. The story was interesting as well as the characters. The writing was great, I appreciated Mrs. Ostlers attention to detail, as well as the dialogue between her characters. To me this is what really made the book so enjoyable all the great dialogue. I really like this cover to it is very alluring, made me want to find out what was on the inside of it's pages after looking at it and reading the synopsis.
With that said, this is more than just a pretty cover. The story is full of mystery, suspense, and romance. Julia is from New York, and is about to get her whole world rocked, when she discovers her true identity. She is a shapeshifter from another realm, and someone wants her. I really liked Julia she is very down to earth, stubborn, strong willed, good friend, and courageous. Oh my there were several twist and turns in this story, as we try to find out what is going on. I don't want to say to much and ruin the story, so I will be very vague. I really liked that a majority of the story takes place at a special academy. Julia makes some pretty amazing friends that really round out this story and make it so awesome. I really liked Sierra her best friend ,she was Julia's conscience trying to help her make smart choices, she was also really sweet, funny, and competitive her love interest was pretty cool too. Gabe was another he was ultra smart, witty, and had social awkward moments. Caleb was great he was stubborn, smart, would not put up with certain peoples crap or immaturity, he is chivalrous, and stubborn oh ya I said that, sometimes though it made me want to bonk him on the head ( and yell wake up or you are going to regret it, big time!) Terrance is Chivalrous, and sweet, caring and moves fast, maybe a little to fast, but I still liked him. He has some great cat climbing moments. Lancer her dad was one of my favorites he is really strict, but just because he loves Julia and doesn't want her to get hurt. In the beginning I thought he was a little over the top, but once you see how much he loves and cares about her well being, you get it. The romance in this book is great, slow, but not slow for some of the characters. I liked the pace, I liked that there is more than one relationship going on in the story. Now for a personal rant, NO, NO, NO, I want the other guy hehehe. Great story, it just seemed to get better and better with every turn of the page. I didn't want to put it down, and when I did put it down I kept thinking about it. Now that is a mark of a good book. I really hope I do not have to wait a year for the next one please come out soon!
no language
clean, fun romance
Thanks to Netgalley and Cedar Fort Publishing
With that said, this is more than just a pretty cover. The story is full of mystery, suspense, and romance. Julia is from New York, and is about to get her whole world rocked, when she discovers her true identity. She is a shapeshifter from another realm, and someone wants her. I really liked Julia she is very down to earth, stubborn, strong willed, good friend, and courageous. Oh my there were several twist and turns in this story, as we try to find out what is going on. I don't want to say to much and ruin the story, so I will be very vague. I really liked that a majority of the story takes place at a special academy. Julia makes some pretty amazing friends that really round out this story and make it so awesome. I really liked Sierra her best friend ,she was Julia's conscience trying to help her make smart choices, she was also really sweet, funny, and competitive her love interest was pretty cool too. Gabe was another he was ultra smart, witty, and had social awkward moments. Caleb was great he was stubborn, smart, would not put up with certain peoples crap or immaturity, he is chivalrous, and stubborn oh ya I said that, sometimes though it made me want to bonk him on the head ( and yell wake up or you are going to regret it, big time!) Terrance is Chivalrous, and sweet, caring and moves fast, maybe a little to fast, but I still liked him. He has some great cat climbing moments. Lancer her dad was one of my favorites he is really strict, but just because he loves Julia and doesn't want her to get hurt. In the beginning I thought he was a little over the top, but once you see how much he loves and cares about her well being, you get it. The romance in this book is great, slow, but not slow for some of the characters. I liked the pace, I liked that there is more than one relationship going on in the story. Now for a personal rant, NO, NO, NO, I want the other guy hehehe. Great story, it just seemed to get better and better with every turn of the page. I didn't want to put it down, and when I did put it down I kept thinking about it. Now that is a mark of a good book. I really hope I do not have to wait a year for the next one please come out soon!
no language
clean, fun romance
Thanks to Netgalley and Cedar Fort Publishing
May 13, 2012
You can find this review here: Ja čitam, a ti?
What Glass thought about it...
This is sweet story in which will enjoy younger readers. Magic, Hogwarts-like boarding school, nymphs, castles and secret royalty. I'd be honest with you guys. The Shapeshifter's Secret has its ups and downs. Some parts left me frustrated and some made me swoon. Beginning is little bit too fast and there are lot of things left hanging loose. I wasn't really "convinced" by love story between Julia and Terrence but I'm guessing that that's all part of Heather's "evil" master plan to make us addicted to this series. Swoon part of the book is Caleb - boy who introduces Julia to the secrets of her tru nature and Ossai history. You'll see why! Probablly the strongest thing about The Shapshifter's Secret is the story about friendship and girl power. I believe that many of you will find this novel as ideal start of your summer reading list.
What Tanychy thought about it...
Yes, I agree with you Glass. Young YA paranormal readers will find this book quite interesting. While I, like you , have read a lot of paranormal things so we see things differently. Basically the whole idea about shapeshifting in this story is interesting and positive. Only I couldn't find myself lost in story or I couldn't relate with characters and to be honest the whole book is a little bit forgettable. All in all, this book is really readable, you'll read it in few hours. If you're about to meet whole paranormal world and you're looking for something light and interesting to read then I recommend you this book.
What Glass thought about it...
This is sweet story in which will enjoy younger readers. Magic, Hogwarts-like boarding school, nymphs, castles and secret royalty. I'd be honest with you guys. The Shapeshifter's Secret has its ups and downs. Some parts left me frustrated and some made me swoon. Beginning is little bit too fast and there are lot of things left hanging loose. I wasn't really "convinced" by love story between Julia and Terrence but I'm guessing that that's all part of Heather's "evil" master plan to make us addicted to this series. Swoon part of the book is Caleb - boy who introduces Julia to the secrets of her tru nature and Ossai history. You'll see why! Probablly the strongest thing about The Shapshifter's Secret is the story about friendship and girl power. I believe that many of you will find this novel as ideal start of your summer reading list.
What Tanychy thought about it...
Yes, I agree with you Glass. Young YA paranormal readers will find this book quite interesting. While I, like you , have read a lot of paranormal things so we see things differently. Basically the whole idea about shapeshifting in this story is interesting and positive. Only I couldn't find myself lost in story or I couldn't relate with characters and to be honest the whole book is a little bit forgettable. All in all, this book is really readable, you'll read it in few hours. If you're about to meet whole paranormal world and you're looking for something light and interesting to read then I recommend you this book.
September 24, 2012
I really wish I could've liked Heather Ostler's "The Shapeshifter's Secret" more than I did, but I was more frustrated as I read it than anything else. It had some interesting moments, I'll admit as I went along in the story, but it was clear after a certain point where the story would go. I did not like the mechanical dialogue, unidentifiable characters, and cliched progression. Seriously, how many YA paranormal novels will tackle this same troupe of a girl coming into a strange new power, being caught in a love triangle and have a jealousy streak whenever a girl is around a boy she likes, being caught in a power struggle and thus acting upon decisions that are obviously wrong and will result in bad things, and then ultimately end up as a instalove propogator which has very little character emotional intimacy? I've seen one too many of these kind of stories in the past few years that have a promising idea, but cede to the familiar and have a hard time standing out for themselves. Unless you really don't mind the cliches and can take a simple predictable story for what it is, it's difficult to like.
The story focuses on the perspective of Julia, a teenage girl who's odd experiences start with the arrival of a new boy (Caleb) at her school. When I first saw this story beginning, I thought "Oh no, I think I know where this might be going," but I decided to swallow my qualms and follow through with it. The idea of the overarching story is a promising one, about a young woman who discovers she's a shapeshifter and undergoes a series of transformations and weird experiences in the mix of that, until the people around her (notably her father) start telling her the truth about who she is. And the new boy isn't that far from being "in the know" about Julia's ability.
Julia, after it's noted her abilities are compromising her ability to live in a normal environment, is relocated to her true home, a castle school where other paranormal shapeshifters - werecats, water nymphs, etc - are located. There, it's revealed that she's of a specially considered lineage and subject to a power struggle which came between her father and her lost mother (who, I'll admit, there was an interesting story bit surrounding her that I found interesting). But when the truth about her family history is revealed, Julia realizes that she's up against more than she bargained for, and also caught between her affections for two boys who are a part of the school's environment and militant system.
Let me start off with one primary problem right off the bat - the worldbuilding in this is very, very loose. It isn't developed much beyond a boarding school type environment in a castle where the students have to learn to cope with their particular paranormal traits. This would be very interesting if Ostler had decided to develop it with a measure of intimacy, but alas, it isn't fully realized. Julia herself is considered among the descendants of an important, but controversial lineage, but it was fairly predictable as to whom the antagonists would be (with one exception, though once that player came along to a certain point, it was fairly obvious what their role would be).
That leads to another problem: the characterization. The characterization in this book is fairly lifeless and dull. I couldn't connect very well to any of the characters in this novel. Especially not Julia, whose perspective is so harried and willing to jump into obvious danger that it made me groan a fair number of times as I was reading along. I understand that there are protagonists that are unlikable and may do unlikable/out of the ordinary things, but I honestly could not understand Julia's rationale at all. Wanting to meet her mother after learning from her father that she tried to kill Julia as a child? Seriously? And how about one of the "pranks" she pulls on love interest Caleb with his "current" girlfriend? Julia actually uses the name of a boy she definitely doesn't crush on (and actually asked one of her friends out) to elicit a reaction from Caleb's current girlfriend. Julia later tries to laugh it off in front of Caleb as a joke, but it seriously wasn't funny.
And don't get me started on the romance, or lack thereof. There's barely any developed in this novel to speak of. What little there is proves fairly insufferable as the main character herself. A lot of jealousy streaks, instalove connections and a serious dearth of development among any of the love interests involved made it very hard to connect to this novel.
Don't get me wrong, I love reading YA paranormal novels, and particularly novels about shapeshifters, and I don't mind a few cliches peppered into a story as long as the story can stand alone and prove engaging in its own right with respect to characterization, plot, among other elements. But Ostler's "The Shapeshifter's Secret" holds no true secrets at all, and pretty much - from the get-go - doesn't deliver on the promise it makes in the blurb: it's not funny, it's not romantic, and it certainly doesn't have people guessing until the last page - it's fairly predictable after a certain point with bland characters and a villain who really doesn't have a solid motivation that stands out from the predictable.
Quite a disappointing read.
Overall score: 1/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Cedar Fort.
The story focuses on the perspective of Julia, a teenage girl who's odd experiences start with the arrival of a new boy (Caleb) at her school. When I first saw this story beginning, I thought "Oh no, I think I know where this might be going," but I decided to swallow my qualms and follow through with it. The idea of the overarching story is a promising one, about a young woman who discovers she's a shapeshifter and undergoes a series of transformations and weird experiences in the mix of that, until the people around her (notably her father) start telling her the truth about who she is. And the new boy isn't that far from being "in the know" about Julia's ability.
Julia, after it's noted her abilities are compromising her ability to live in a normal environment, is relocated to her true home, a castle school where other paranormal shapeshifters - werecats, water nymphs, etc - are located. There, it's revealed that she's of a specially considered lineage and subject to a power struggle which came between her father and her lost mother (who, I'll admit, there was an interesting story bit surrounding her that I found interesting). But when the truth about her family history is revealed, Julia realizes that she's up against more than she bargained for, and also caught between her affections for two boys who are a part of the school's environment and militant system.
Let me start off with one primary problem right off the bat - the worldbuilding in this is very, very loose. It isn't developed much beyond a boarding school type environment in a castle where the students have to learn to cope with their particular paranormal traits. This would be very interesting if Ostler had decided to develop it with a measure of intimacy, but alas, it isn't fully realized. Julia herself is considered among the descendants of an important, but controversial lineage, but it was fairly predictable as to whom the antagonists would be (with one exception, though once that player came along to a certain point, it was fairly obvious what their role would be).
That leads to another problem: the characterization. The characterization in this book is fairly lifeless and dull. I couldn't connect very well to any of the characters in this novel. Especially not Julia, whose perspective is so harried and willing to jump into obvious danger that it made me groan a fair number of times as I was reading along. I understand that there are protagonists that are unlikable and may do unlikable/out of the ordinary things, but I honestly could not understand Julia's rationale at all. Wanting to meet her mother after learning from her father that she tried to kill Julia as a child? Seriously? And how about one of the "pranks" she pulls on love interest Caleb with his "current" girlfriend? Julia actually uses the name of a boy she definitely doesn't crush on (and actually asked one of her friends out) to elicit a reaction from Caleb's current girlfriend. Julia later tries to laugh it off in front of Caleb as a joke, but it seriously wasn't funny.
And don't get me started on the romance, or lack thereof. There's barely any developed in this novel to speak of. What little there is proves fairly insufferable as the main character herself. A lot of jealousy streaks, instalove connections and a serious dearth of development among any of the love interests involved made it very hard to connect to this novel.
Don't get me wrong, I love reading YA paranormal novels, and particularly novels about shapeshifters, and I don't mind a few cliches peppered into a story as long as the story can stand alone and prove engaging in its own right with respect to characterization, plot, among other elements. But Ostler's "The Shapeshifter's Secret" holds no true secrets at all, and pretty much - from the get-go - doesn't deliver on the promise it makes in the blurb: it's not funny, it's not romantic, and it certainly doesn't have people guessing until the last page - it's fairly predictable after a certain point with bland characters and a villain who really doesn't have a solid motivation that stands out from the predictable.
Quite a disappointing read.
Overall score: 1/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Cedar Fort.
dnf
September 17, 2021Unfortunately, my reading taste for young adult paranormal has waned. "The Shapeshifter's Secret" didn't work for me at all. I felt like it was truly written for the young reader as it should.
I received an advanced reader copy from Cedar Fort via Netgalley
I received an advanced reader copy from Cedar Fort via Netgalley
April 19, 2012
http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2011/09...
Julia was just trying to get by in high school. Her dad won't let her go anywhere. Her mother is nowhere to be found. And her teacher really really seems to hate her.
But trying to get by in high school is nothing like trying to NOT turn into a white tiger when you're ticked, which is made more difficult when you didn't even know you could do that.
Julia just found out.
She also just found out that she's descended from an old family and an old name in an old world linked to our own.
Now she must go back to that world, survive the journey, survive love, survive the school... Heck! She just has to survive.
Final thoughts:
AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!!
This is a wanna-be Harry Potter and it's horrendous.
A "chosen one" who is needed by the enemy to make the enemy stronger. Check!
A best friend and roommate. Check!
A third friend who knows the (quite literal) castle and it's secrets/rumors/history and who just happens to like the best friend. Check!
The secret passages/rooms leading to secret things and only the hero can get into them/find them (with the help of the third, knowledgeable, friend). Check!
The hero willing to jump into the line of fire to prevent others from being injured on his/her behalf. Check!
Magical castle with magical guards and magical protections. Check!
The enemy trying destroy this magical world through the government so that he/she can rule with absolute power while others form a rebellion/group against the enemy. Check!
The secrets are left by someone with the initial 'S'. Check!
Studying in the library for subjects like plants/herbology and the detailed history of this world. Check!
Portals (portkeys/floo) to travel around everywhere. Check!
Someone leaving messages that basically encourage genocide of the non-pure/non-cat (whatever!) and then making others think the hero did it. Check!
And so, so, so much more.
On top of all that, the author writes in a kind of shorthand. It's obvious that SHE knows what's going on, but she's not very good at sharing it with others. And when she does share, she OVER-shares. How the HECK did Julia fall in love with this boy when she barely knows him?? Either Ostler skipped over tons of conversations/letters that we missed OR Ostler just decided to tell us all that Julia was in love.
Awful.
AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!!
Rating: 0/5 (yes, it's that bad)
As an added note: publishers/editors/author... please take a moment and check your spelling!! Is it Solider Union or Soldier Union?!?! It kept switching back and forth. For a chapter or two it was Solider and then Soldier for a bit and then Solider. And this wasn't just once or twice; it was a CONSTANT problem throughout the book.
Julia was just trying to get by in high school. Her dad won't let her go anywhere. Her mother is nowhere to be found. And her teacher really really seems to hate her.
But trying to get by in high school is nothing like trying to NOT turn into a white tiger when you're ticked, which is made more difficult when you didn't even know you could do that.
Julia just found out.
She also just found out that she's descended from an old family and an old name in an old world linked to our own.
Now she must go back to that world, survive the journey, survive love, survive the school... Heck! She just has to survive.
Final thoughts:
AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!!
This is a wanna-be Harry Potter and it's horrendous.
A "chosen one" who is needed by the enemy to make the enemy stronger. Check!
A best friend and roommate. Check!
A third friend who knows the (quite literal) castle and it's secrets/rumors/history and who just happens to like the best friend. Check!
The secret passages/rooms leading to secret things and only the hero can get into them/find them (with the help of the third, knowledgeable, friend). Check!
The hero willing to jump into the line of fire to prevent others from being injured on his/her behalf. Check!
Magical castle with magical guards and magical protections. Check!
The enemy trying destroy this magical world through the government so that he/she can rule with absolute power while others form a rebellion/group against the enemy. Check!
The secrets are left by someone with the initial 'S'. Check!
Studying in the library for subjects like plants/herbology and the detailed history of this world. Check!
Portals (portkeys/floo) to travel around everywhere. Check!
Someone leaving messages that basically encourage genocide of the non-pure/non-cat (whatever!) and then making others think the hero did it. Check!
And so, so, so much more.
On top of all that, the author writes in a kind of shorthand. It's obvious that SHE knows what's going on, but she's not very good at sharing it with others. And when she does share, she OVER-shares. How the HECK did Julia fall in love with this boy when she barely knows him?? Either Ostler skipped over tons of conversations/letters that we missed OR Ostler just decided to tell us all that Julia was in love.
Awful.
AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!!
Rating: 0/5 (yes, it's that bad)
As an added note: publishers/editors/author... please take a moment and check your spelling!! Is it Solider Union or Soldier Union?!?! It kept switching back and forth. For a chapter or two it was Solider and then Soldier for a bit and then Solider. And this wasn't just once or twice; it was a CONSTANT problem throughout the book.
June 16, 2012
Julia has a secret history her father has worked very hard to keep her away from. She is not like us. She is a werecat from another world, hiding from an avenging mother who only wants to fulfill her evil goals by using her own daughter. Despite her fathers wishes Julia's past catches up with her and she soon finds herself in an alien world and enrolled in a new school for werecats and more fantasy creatures.
This book was not what I expected. The beggining was good, while Julia found out what she was and traveled to her home world, but after that everything went south. I was happily surprised when I found out there was a boarding school in the book, but then I couldn't help but notice all the similarities to Hogwarts. I tried really hard not to compare the two schools, because nothing can compare to Hogwarts, but after a certain Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets deja-vu I gave up.
Besides the setting, which I think was underdeveloped, whatever happened to the story was a little bit too convenient, like Julia's best friend going to the same school. Julia was very accepting about being a werecat and being lied to her whole life. She was also a hard character to like. She was overly obsessed about her mother all the while hating being anything like her. At times it felt like she didn't have an actual personality.
As for the romance, I think it was the most unrealistic part of the book. Julia and Terrence were exchanging "I love you"s after only a couple of meetings. And he was a little bit too good to be true. I never really got what they were seeing in each other and how on earth they managed to fall in love like that.
This book was not what I expected. The beggining was good, while Julia found out what she was and traveled to her home world, but after that everything went south. I was happily surprised when I found out there was a boarding school in the book, but then I couldn't help but notice all the similarities to Hogwarts. I tried really hard not to compare the two schools, because nothing can compare to Hogwarts, but after a certain Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets deja-vu I gave up.
Besides the setting, which I think was underdeveloped, whatever happened to the story was a little bit too convenient, like Julia's best friend going to the same school. Julia was very accepting about being a werecat and being lied to her whole life. She was also a hard character to like. She was overly obsessed about her mother all the while hating being anything like her. At times it felt like she didn't have an actual personality.
As for the romance, I think it was the most unrealistic part of the book. Julia and Terrence were exchanging "I love you"s after only a couple of meetings. And he was a little bit too good to be true. I never really got what they were seeing in each other and how on earth they managed to fall in love like that.
March 31, 2012
Did not finish. I tried my hardest and managed to get halfway through, but I just couldn't keep going. The characters seemed to all be stereotypes, the relationships were all a tinge off and the book didn't read very well. Just not for me!
March 13, 2012
The Shapeshifter's Secret was very good. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did, but I ended up getting really into it.
So, I'm not sure this is mentioned, but the whole shapeshifter thing is werecats. Julia is a werecat. She can turn into a white tiger. Now, this is a fairly unique concept. I don't think I've seen it used before, which gives SS a few points by itself. It's actually pretty interesting. Ostler even explained some of the mechanics of transformation.
Julia is a okay character. She's not special among YA female leads but she is a worthy heroine. What's nice is that she reacted fairly realistically to her situation. While she was understandably skeptical about the whole werecat business at first, she accepted her new reality in a sensible way. Basically, she's actually smart and truly clever. She's not weak and can hold her own in a fight (I mean, she can turn into a massive tiger).
The plot was pretty slow and steady at first. Not boring, just deliberate. Things were revealed at their own pace, no info-dumping. It isn't until the last bit that a lot actually happens. And, let me tell you, there was a twist at the end that I was not expecting. Seriously, I never saw it coming.
The reason I took off a star for this otherwise lovely book is the romance. I didn't quite get it. First, the whole issue with Caleb. It initially felt like he would be the love interest, she felt "drawn" to him. Then we find out he has a girlfriend and Julia suddenly decides to be mean to him even though he's perfectly nice to her. But throughout the book, I still got the impression that they liked each other but nothing really happened there. The actual romance is with Terrance. It didn't make sense to me. Terrance and Julia never really talked except for a couple of conversations. They wrote each other a couple of letters while Terrance, who is a soldier, was off in battle. But even so, in the second letter he writes to her, he professes his love and Julia writes him back returning the sentiment. But they had barely interacted yet! It really frustrated me. This isn't even the normal brand of insta-love. At least in the others, the two lovebirds will spend a lot of time together in the few days it takes them to fall in love. But in this instance, they talked a couple of times and spent the most of their time not interacting, yet they still fell in love. That didn't set well with me.
Besides that, this book was great. If you can find it in yourself to overlook the whole romance issue, I would definitely recommend it.
4/5
I obtained a copy of this from Netgalley
So, I'm not sure this is mentioned, but the whole shapeshifter thing is werecats. Julia is a werecat. She can turn into a white tiger. Now, this is a fairly unique concept. I don't think I've seen it used before, which gives SS a few points by itself. It's actually pretty interesting. Ostler even explained some of the mechanics of transformation.
Julia is a okay character. She's not special among YA female leads but she is a worthy heroine. What's nice is that she reacted fairly realistically to her situation. While she was understandably skeptical about the whole werecat business at first, she accepted her new reality in a sensible way. Basically, she's actually smart and truly clever. She's not weak and can hold her own in a fight (I mean, she can turn into a massive tiger).
The plot was pretty slow and steady at first. Not boring, just deliberate. Things were revealed at their own pace, no info-dumping. It isn't until the last bit that a lot actually happens. And, let me tell you, there was a twist at the end that I was not expecting. Seriously, I never saw it coming.
The reason I took off a star for this otherwise lovely book is the romance. I didn't quite get it. First, the whole issue with Caleb. It initially felt like he would be the love interest, she felt "drawn" to him. Then we find out he has a girlfriend and Julia suddenly decides to be mean to him even though he's perfectly nice to her. But throughout the book, I still got the impression that they liked each other but nothing really happened there. The actual romance is with Terrance. It didn't make sense to me. Terrance and Julia never really talked except for a couple of conversations. They wrote each other a couple of letters while Terrance, who is a soldier, was off in battle. But even so, in the second letter he writes to her, he professes his love and Julia writes him back returning the sentiment. But they had barely interacted yet! It really frustrated me. This isn't even the normal brand of insta-love. At least in the others, the two lovebirds will spend a lot of time together in the few days it takes them to fall in love. But in this instance, they talked a couple of times and spent the most of their time not interacting, yet they still fell in love. That didn't set well with me.
Besides that, this book was great. If you can find it in yourself to overlook the whole romance issue, I would definitely recommend it.
4/5
I obtained a copy of this from Netgalley
May 11, 2012
This is such a good book! The kind of book where you would do anything, ANYTHING to get your hands on the next one right then, because you can't even wait another minute to find out what happens next. I could keep gushing, but I think I will get to the actual review.
The Shapeshifter's Secret is like a mix between a paranormal and a fantasy, which is such a cool combination. I love the touches of magic too. So I don't give any spoilers, i'm going to go very general and say that Heather Ostler has some really awesome ideas and her attention detail make the story. History is also incorporated in a very nice way. (but then again, I am a history nerd so I may be biased. But this is cool history, trust me!)
Julia is strong, smart, inquisitive, and powerful. I would not want to face her in a fight, that's for sure. I loved seeing her progress throughout the story and I love seeing how much she cares for her friends and family. She is just so genuine that you can't help but love her. So naturally, the guys can't help but love her too. I am totally on team Caleb! He is everything I love my book crushes to be. Nice, loyal, a touch jealous, smart, and noble. Terrence is Julia's actual love interest in the book and he is nice and seems genuine enough but he is just not Caleb. Plain and simple, I am loyal to him.
One of the things that I both love and hate about The Shapeshifter's Secret is that I have no idea who she is going to end up with! I have no idea about a lot of the plot twists and turns until they were revealed. Normally, I am pretty good at predicting books- I mean, I read a lot. But I wasn't able to do that here and I love that so much. But, I really have no idea who she will end up with, and it's driving me a little crazy.
The book is long but the story trots along at a really good pace the whole time. There was always something happening but at time I really feel like I got to really get to know each and every one of the characters, the histories and the secrets. There is always another layer to peel back, always something still unknown in the Shapeshifter's Secret, and that is what's so awesome about it. I really hope that this turns out to be a nice long series because it is one of my favorite reads of 2012 for sure! The way the book ended KILLED me! I want, no NEED, to read the second book right now! The only thing that will tide me over till the next book would be some more Caleb. How amazing would seeing all this from his POV?? Beyond amazing- that's how much! My final advice to you, is read The Shapeshifter's Secret now. What are you waiting for? You should have started it already!
The Shapeshifter's Secret is like a mix between a paranormal and a fantasy, which is such a cool combination. I love the touches of magic too. So I don't give any spoilers, i'm going to go very general and say that Heather Ostler has some really awesome ideas and her attention detail make the story. History is also incorporated in a very nice way. (but then again, I am a history nerd so I may be biased. But this is cool history, trust me!)
Julia is strong, smart, inquisitive, and powerful. I would not want to face her in a fight, that's for sure. I loved seeing her progress throughout the story and I love seeing how much she cares for her friends and family. She is just so genuine that you can't help but love her. So naturally, the guys can't help but love her too. I am totally on team Caleb! He is everything I love my book crushes to be. Nice, loyal, a touch jealous, smart, and noble. Terrence is Julia's actual love interest in the book and he is nice and seems genuine enough but he is just not Caleb. Plain and simple, I am loyal to him.
One of the things that I both love and hate about The Shapeshifter's Secret is that I have no idea who she is going to end up with! I have no idea about a lot of the plot twists and turns until they were revealed. Normally, I am pretty good at predicting books- I mean, I read a lot. But I wasn't able to do that here and I love that so much. But, I really have no idea who she will end up with, and it's driving me a little crazy.
The book is long but the story trots along at a really good pace the whole time. There was always something happening but at time I really feel like I got to really get to know each and every one of the characters, the histories and the secrets. There is always another layer to peel back, always something still unknown in the Shapeshifter's Secret, and that is what's so awesome about it. I really hope that this turns out to be a nice long series because it is one of my favorite reads of 2012 for sure! The way the book ended KILLED me! I want, no NEED, to read the second book right now! The only thing that will tide me over till the next book would be some more Caleb. How amazing would seeing all this from his POV?? Beyond amazing- that's how much! My final advice to you, is read The Shapeshifter's Secret now. What are you waiting for? You should have started it already!
May 23, 2012
(I was given this book for free on a read-to-review basis, as part of the ‘The Shapeshifter’s secret’ blog tour.)
15-year-old Julia lives with her over-protective dad, and thinks that she is a normal teen. She’s wrong. She’s recently been having some issues with anger, and she really begins to panic when she throws a desk against the wall in her English class, and scares her class and teacher silly.
The problem isn’t anger though, the problem is that she’s Shapeshifter royalty, and as she nears her 16th birthday, her body has begun to show the changes that will occur when she finally begins to shift into her animal form – a white tiger.
When Julia finally finds out what’s really going on though, there’s little time to get used to the idea, and she ends up in a car chase, before hitching a ride through a portal to the world that she really belongs to – Ossai. From there she has to go to a special school to learn about shapeshifting, and begins to try to unravel the mystery surrounding her absent mother.
Julia has more than that to deal with though; first there’s the problem that someone wants her dead. Then there are the questions; why is she drawn to the mysterious locked ballroom? And who can she really trust?
This young adult book had a definite ‘Harry Potter’ feel to it – a school in a castle, magical powers, strange markings on walls, secret passages, the main character being known throughout the country as being special, mysteries surrounding her mother, mysterious teachers etc.
As well as the mysteries and paranormal aspects of the book there were also teen storylines concerning friends and boyfriends and such, and even having finished the book I’m not really sure which boy Julia really favoured.
There were some interesting objects to be found in Ossai – rocks that made instant fire, flying paper aeroplane candy, rings that glow red when people lie, and the characters were also varied with water nymphs as well as Shapeshifter’s.
I can’t say that I really enjoyed this book, it just didn’t hold my attention and I found myself speed-reading to get through it. I do think that other people will enjoy it though.
Overall: Read this if you loved Harry Potter.
5 out of 10.
(Book Length: 3739 kindle locations.)
15-year-old Julia lives with her over-protective dad, and thinks that she is a normal teen. She’s wrong. She’s recently been having some issues with anger, and she really begins to panic when she throws a desk against the wall in her English class, and scares her class and teacher silly.
The problem isn’t anger though, the problem is that she’s Shapeshifter royalty, and as she nears her 16th birthday, her body has begun to show the changes that will occur when she finally begins to shift into her animal form – a white tiger.
When Julia finally finds out what’s really going on though, there’s little time to get used to the idea, and she ends up in a car chase, before hitching a ride through a portal to the world that she really belongs to – Ossai. From there she has to go to a special school to learn about shapeshifting, and begins to try to unravel the mystery surrounding her absent mother.
Julia has more than that to deal with though; first there’s the problem that someone wants her dead. Then there are the questions; why is she drawn to the mysterious locked ballroom? And who can she really trust?
This young adult book had a definite ‘Harry Potter’ feel to it – a school in a castle, magical powers, strange markings on walls, secret passages, the main character being known throughout the country as being special, mysteries surrounding her mother, mysterious teachers etc.
As well as the mysteries and paranormal aspects of the book there were also teen storylines concerning friends and boyfriends and such, and even having finished the book I’m not really sure which boy Julia really favoured.
There were some interesting objects to be found in Ossai – rocks that made instant fire, flying paper aeroplane candy, rings that glow red when people lie, and the characters were also varied with water nymphs as well as Shapeshifter’s.
I can’t say that I really enjoyed this book, it just didn’t hold my attention and I found myself speed-reading to get through it. I do think that other people will enjoy it though.
Overall: Read this if you loved Harry Potter.
5 out of 10.
(Book Length: 3739 kindle locations.)
May 1, 2012
I honestly cannot think of much to say about this book. The problem that I'm having is that I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. It was just, "blah". And, I have to be frank--I HATE writing reviews like this. I hate it when I just don't fall in LOVE with a book. But, alas, it happens.
Now, I received this book courtesy of Netgalley, so it's an ARC. With that in mind, I'm not going to critique all of the MANY spelling/grammatical errors that bothered me. Because, in reality, those will be corrected before this book is for sale. One can hope.
But, there were a few inconsistencies that just didn't sit well with me. One of the characters--Camilla--has brunette hair on one page and blonde on the next. This is the most noticeable. And to be fair, this will also probably be fixed before publication.
There's also the matter of the fact that when I was reading this, I kept feeling like Julia read more like a 12-year-old than a 16-year-old. Some of her responses and choices were just INCREDIBLY immature for her age. I don't know, maybe I'm overestimating today's youth. And as for the boys in this book, I don't even know what I was supposed to like about either of them.
I just really couldn't get into the story. I have a general rule that if it takes me more than three days to finish a book, then I KNOW there's a problem. This book took me a week. I picked it up, got bored, put it down. Then, I would repeat this process every day for the next week. Until I finally finished it. Again, I want to stress that I didn't HATE it, I just couldn't find myself liking ANY of the characters.
I don't know if I'll pick up the next book in the series. Curiosity may get the best of me to find out what happens next. Because, really I will not accept that something good cannot come out of this series.
My Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
Christy @ Captivated Reading
Now, I received this book courtesy of Netgalley, so it's an ARC. With that in mind, I'm not going to critique all of the MANY spelling/grammatical errors that bothered me. Because, in reality, those will be corrected before this book is for sale. One can hope.
But, there were a few inconsistencies that just didn't sit well with me. One of the characters--Camilla--has brunette hair on one page and blonde on the next. This is the most noticeable. And to be fair, this will also probably be fixed before publication.
There's also the matter of the fact that when I was reading this, I kept feeling like Julia read more like a 12-year-old than a 16-year-old. Some of her responses and choices were just INCREDIBLY immature for her age. I don't know, maybe I'm overestimating today's youth. And as for the boys in this book, I don't even know what I was supposed to like about either of them.
I just really couldn't get into the story. I have a general rule that if it takes me more than three days to finish a book, then I KNOW there's a problem. This book took me a week. I picked it up, got bored, put it down. Then, I would repeat this process every day for the next week. Until I finally finished it. Again, I want to stress that I didn't HATE it, I just couldn't find myself liking ANY of the characters.
I don't know if I'll pick up the next book in the series. Curiosity may get the best of me to find out what happens next. Because, really I will not accept that something good cannot come out of this series.
My Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
Christy @ Captivated Reading
September 4, 2015
The Shapeshifter's Secret promised me a world unlike anything I have ever read about and it delivered. The concept is very original and the story has a way of sucking you into it. I manage to finish it in a single sitting! Julia is a very likable character, her overprotective father and his rules have limited Julia from involving herself in normal teenage activities.
The book begins with Julia thinking about the complex personality of Caleb, the new student. But her anger issues are more disturbing for her. Julia seems to be losing her temper whenever she isn't satisfied with the answers she wants. She almost feels herself turning into an unknown creature when her father, Lancer, refuses to tell her much about her mother.
Then Sierra has been acting strange lately and her father decided to put bars on her windows. Seriously? The only good thing about her life seems to be the arrival of Liam, her uncle. But then she overhears a strange conversation between her father and Lance.
Things start to get more strange for Julia when she loses her temper in class and almost attacks a student. She even shapeshifts once but Caleb saves her from trouble. Her father then finally decides to reveal what Julia really is and her lineage.
Fast-forward into Ossai which is really Julia's home and the subsequent enrollment in Lockham. Julia is also disappointed in Caleb but finds a love interest in Terence, one of the captains of the Soldier Union. There Julia also discovers the truth about her mother and the people who depend on her to make things right in Ossai. Is Julia ready to tackle with their enemy, the Guild?
The Shapeshifter's Secret is a fast-paced and action-packed book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is a spectacular new series from Heather Ostler. One I am sure the readers of paranormal genre wouldn't want to miss out on. A debut author to look out for!
The book begins with Julia thinking about the complex personality of Caleb, the new student. But her anger issues are more disturbing for her. Julia seems to be losing her temper whenever she isn't satisfied with the answers she wants. She almost feels herself turning into an unknown creature when her father, Lancer, refuses to tell her much about her mother.
Then Sierra has been acting strange lately and her father decided to put bars on her windows. Seriously? The only good thing about her life seems to be the arrival of Liam, her uncle. But then she overhears a strange conversation between her father and Lance.
Things start to get more strange for Julia when she loses her temper in class and almost attacks a student. She even shapeshifts once but Caleb saves her from trouble. Her father then finally decides to reveal what Julia really is and her lineage.
Fast-forward into Ossai which is really Julia's home and the subsequent enrollment in Lockham. Julia is also disappointed in Caleb but finds a love interest in Terence, one of the captains of the Soldier Union. There Julia also discovers the truth about her mother and the people who depend on her to make things right in Ossai. Is Julia ready to tackle with their enemy, the Guild?
The Shapeshifter's Secret is a fast-paced and action-packed book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is a spectacular new series from Heather Ostler. One I am sure the readers of paranormal genre wouldn't want to miss out on. A debut author to look out for!
May 15, 2012
Julia is sixteen and have some teen problems like a terrible teacher, over-protective father and anger management issues. But, she didn't expect to know that she was a warecat (also called a shapeshifter) and royalty in a secret city. When she finally learns her 'gifts', she was taken back to the castle, where she attends school for kids, who were all with some abilities. She also deals with some relationship issues - ah, men!
Nice plot! Have you seen "Sky High" movie? If you like that, you will like this. I felt some similarities between this novel and that movie..and those were really good ones. The author has done an amazing job thinking about this new world and new subplots.
Love the cover, huh? Well, me too! The author must have got an amazing designer to bring out Julia with her warecat abilities in the face. Great design!
My only complaint is that I cannot attach myself to any of the characters. They felt distant. If you don't have problem with those things, then probably you would give this book full 5 stars. But, connecting with characters is a much required parameter for a book, at least according to me. And then the protagonist, Julia, is not someone I adore..actually, I like her friend better than her.
With some of these problems, this book may not be liked by all. So, just think..could you just pick up with the plot and not care about connecting with characters? If yes, then just pick up the book! You will definitely love it.
For a debut, this is really such a good effort!
So, this is my rating: 3.5 STARS!
Nice plot! Have you seen "Sky High" movie? If you like that, you will like this. I felt some similarities between this novel and that movie..and those were really good ones. The author has done an amazing job thinking about this new world and new subplots.
Love the cover, huh? Well, me too! The author must have got an amazing designer to bring out Julia with her warecat abilities in the face. Great design!
My only complaint is that I cannot attach myself to any of the characters. They felt distant. If you don't have problem with those things, then probably you would give this book full 5 stars. But, connecting with characters is a much required parameter for a book, at least according to me. And then the protagonist, Julia, is not someone I adore..actually, I like her friend better than her.
With some of these problems, this book may not be liked by all. So, just think..could you just pick up with the plot and not care about connecting with characters? If yes, then just pick up the book! You will definitely love it.
For a debut, this is really such a good effort!
So, this is my rating: 3.5 STARS!
July 30, 2013
Reviewed on Clean Teen Fiction
When things went wrong at school Julia was sent to a castle boarding school to learn more about her discovered talent, her mom, and what her dad really does. The Shapeshifter's Secret is a great title because there were a lot of secrets to discover in this read.
It took reading the first 3rd of the book before I got into it. I guess I didn't connect with Julia for some reason. When I finished the book and looked back I still didn't know why I didn't feel connected. I liked Julia's character but maybe it was all the secrets I thought were going on. Even at the end there's still a certain character I don't trust, but that actually makes me want to read the next book even more. I have to find out more about this character (I won't even mention the name because I don't want to give anything away!). It seems my suspicions about him were wrong, but I don't believe it. I need to read book 2!
Julia has 2 friends, Gabe and Sierra, who really add to the story. They were great. I really enjoyed this book! If you love fantasy, especially fantasy that is discovered in the real world, then you'll love this book. I can't wait to read more!
Content Ratings:
sexual: mild
language: none
violence: mild
When things went wrong at school Julia was sent to a castle boarding school to learn more about her discovered talent, her mom, and what her dad really does. The Shapeshifter's Secret is a great title because there were a lot of secrets to discover in this read.
It took reading the first 3rd of the book before I got into it. I guess I didn't connect with Julia for some reason. When I finished the book and looked back I still didn't know why I didn't feel connected. I liked Julia's character but maybe it was all the secrets I thought were going on. Even at the end there's still a certain character I don't trust, but that actually makes me want to read the next book even more. I have to find out more about this character (I won't even mention the name because I don't want to give anything away!). It seems my suspicions about him were wrong, but I don't believe it. I need to read book 2!
Julia has 2 friends, Gabe and Sierra, who really add to the story. They were great. I really enjoyed this book! If you love fantasy, especially fantasy that is discovered in the real world, then you'll love this book. I can't wait to read more!
Content Ratings:
sexual: mild
language: none
violence: mild
March 10, 2012
I really wanted to like this book, but I spent most of the reading experience being really angry with the book. I'm not really sure how to explain it. I don't know if it was the writing or the story itself - or both.
I didn't feel this was a complete book. I'm sure this is going to be the first book in a series, but there were too many incomplete series and too many things left unanswered. First, I don't know what's the connection with the water people with this book. We see a lot of things through Julia's point of view and the school being for werecats, but what about the water people. I have yet to see what role they play in this book. And the message in the ballroom? Was that just a distraction to throw the suspicion off or is there an actual rivalry? And what is Julia's mother. I'm under the assumption she's a werecat, but I don't recall reading that she is. Also, I want to know more about her in particular. Why is she so power hungry? What IS the power? What is she after?
As far as the book itself, it was okay. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. The storyline was a little too much like your typical YA paranormal, and there wasn't much to make it stand out. And it was very predictable. I guess Ostler made her villains a little too obvious. And everything felt like it just brushed the surface. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Ostler didn't bog us down with details, but at the same time, she didn't give us much to work with either. Even that action scenes occurred really quickly, and there wasn't much to them because they were over shortly after they started.
First, I am not a fan of Julia. She's a real witch. She walks around with a chip on her shoulder, and she's really mean to people - some deserving like Celeste and Melanie as well as Camilla and Gilbert, both also people on her side like her father and Caleb. Poor Caleb. And all of these people are trying to protect her, and she just acts really dumb half of the time. I understand that she's tired of being overprotected, and she wants to know her mother. But her defiance and rebellion makes me so angry. And later on, she says she doesn't want to just stand by as people around her risk her lives, but to me, it wasn't as selfless and sacrificial as heroines written in other books. I don't know. The girl just rubs me the wrong way.
I also wasn't crazy about the male characters in this book. I think I like Caleb the most, but even then, he's not very well written. He doesn't make me swoon, and he's kind of aloof. But I do want something to happen between Julia and Caleb though, and I'm frustrated the way the book ended. I'm sure there's going to be a sequel, but their relationships ended so oddly and abruptly. I don't even care if he tells her he cares about her and leave us with a cliffhanger or whatever. But the book leaves us with unresolved and frustrated.
As far as Terrance, he's a little too smooth for my taste. I'm sure he's a great guy, but I just don't trust him. And the two said I love you WAY too fast. They've only met a few times and talked a few times. And yes, you can swoon, but it wasn't like it was love at first sight. And even if it was, I didn't feel it. So either it's fishy, or Ostler didn't do a very good job with making us feel what they felt.
And Gabe was just a bit too moody. I didn't care much for him either. And he's a horrible best friend or good friend type of character. And what IS he?
I liked it enough, but I spent way too much time being angry at the characters and frustrated that it wasn't better or more explained, so I'm giving it a wash with two stars for okay.
I didn't feel this was a complete book. I'm sure this is going to be the first book in a series, but there were too many incomplete series and too many things left unanswered. First, I don't know what's the connection with the water people with this book. We see a lot of things through Julia's point of view and the school being for werecats, but what about the water people. I have yet to see what role they play in this book. And the message in the ballroom? Was that just a distraction to throw the suspicion off or is there an actual rivalry? And what is Julia's mother. I'm under the assumption she's a werecat, but I don't recall reading that she is. Also, I want to know more about her in particular. Why is she so power hungry? What IS the power? What is she after?
As far as the book itself, it was okay. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. The storyline was a little too much like your typical YA paranormal, and there wasn't much to make it stand out. And it was very predictable. I guess Ostler made her villains a little too obvious. And everything felt like it just brushed the surface. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Ostler didn't bog us down with details, but at the same time, she didn't give us much to work with either. Even that action scenes occurred really quickly, and there wasn't much to them because they were over shortly after they started.
First, I am not a fan of Julia. She's a real witch. She walks around with a chip on her shoulder, and she's really mean to people - some deserving like Celeste and Melanie as well as Camilla and Gilbert, both also people on her side like her father and Caleb. Poor Caleb. And all of these people are trying to protect her, and she just acts really dumb half of the time. I understand that she's tired of being overprotected, and she wants to know her mother. But her defiance and rebellion makes me so angry. And later on, she says she doesn't want to just stand by as people around her risk her lives, but to me, it wasn't as selfless and sacrificial as heroines written in other books. I don't know. The girl just rubs me the wrong way.
I also wasn't crazy about the male characters in this book. I think I like Caleb the most, but even then, he's not very well written. He doesn't make me swoon, and he's kind of aloof. But I do want something to happen between Julia and Caleb though, and I'm frustrated the way the book ended. I'm sure there's going to be a sequel, but their relationships ended so oddly and abruptly. I don't even care if he tells her he cares about her and leave us with a cliffhanger or whatever. But the book leaves us with unresolved and frustrated.
As far as Terrance, he's a little too smooth for my taste. I'm sure he's a great guy, but I just don't trust him. And the two said I love you WAY too fast. They've only met a few times and talked a few times. And yes, you can swoon, but it wasn't like it was love at first sight. And even if it was, I didn't feel it. So either it's fishy, or Ostler didn't do a very good job with making us feel what they felt.
And Gabe was just a bit too moody. I didn't care much for him either. And he's a horrible best friend or good friend type of character. And what IS he?
I liked it enough, but I spent way too much time being angry at the characters and frustrated that it wasn't better or more explained, so I'm giving it a wash with two stars for okay.
May 5, 2012
The Shapeshifter's Secret
By Heather Ostler
“Julia is finally discovering WHAT – not who – SHE IS...”
Caleb Glyndor is the talk of all the girls, but to Julia he is a mystery. Somehow he is familiar to her, but she's not exactly how.
Julia's father Lancer Levesque insists on taking her to and from school every day and he doesn’t want Julia out at night.
One day Julia comes home from school to find bars across her bedroom window. She gets angrier at her father than she has ever been and she feels a growl come out of her. When her anger subsides she and her father just stare at each other. Julia knows something strange just happened to her though she has no idea what. Julia suspects Caleb of telling her father that she was planning to sneak out and go to Sierra’s house. Caleb denied it.
Julia begins having trouble controlling her anger. After an outburst at school her father, Liam, and Caleb speak to her about the secrets that have been hidden from her. She is from Ossai and she is being hunted. But before the whole truth comes out the Guild attacks her home and Caleb and Julia escape from the house while Liam and Lancer give them time to escape. But during their escape through the portal that will take them from this world to Ossai Caleb and Julia are injured.
For her protection Julia is being sent to Lockham Castle and here she might learn to control her new emerging abilities. When she arrives her father e the reason that she is in danger and why she was raised outside Ossai. Her mother was and is her greatest enemy!
When Julia meets Terrence Daniels she is drawn to him and he seems attracted to her too. When Terrence visits Lockham Castle as part of his duties he gives Julia tips on transforming. But the next day Mr. Knightly informs Julia that he saw her out walking with Terrence and he's reported it to the head of security – Mr. Azure. To her relief, Mr. Azure tells her he won't report her friendship with Terrence to her father and he tells her to just make sure that the teachers don't see her if goes for a walk with Terrence in the future.
When Julia finds an old yearbook she sees a picture of her mother Alexis Blythe, she is surprised at how much she looks like her mother. Julia tells Sierra about it and promises to show her the pictures. But the next day the yearbook is gone and all records of its existence have been removed. But the S she saw carved into the wall of one of the pictures becomes an obsession for Julia, she has to see the S that her mother stood by. So one night after curfew Julia decided to sneak down to the ballroom and crawl in through a broken window. But during her search Julia was injured. When she finds the S Julia touches it and stains it with her blood. Suddenly the ballroom is filled with a shriek and Julia makes her escape, but as she leaves she sees a dark hooded figure standing in the ballroom.
But Julia is being threatened. But who is trying to kill her and is the threat closer than anyone suspects?
Everything comes to a head at the annual masquerade ball. When Julia meets her mother their reunion is unlike anything she had hoped for!
I received a Digital copy of this title for the purpose of this review.
By Heather Ostler
“Julia is finally discovering WHAT – not who – SHE IS...”
Caleb Glyndor is the talk of all the girls, but to Julia he is a mystery. Somehow he is familiar to her, but she's not exactly how.
Julia's father Lancer Levesque insists on taking her to and from school every day and he doesn’t want Julia out at night.
One day Julia comes home from school to find bars across her bedroom window. She gets angrier at her father than she has ever been and she feels a growl come out of her. When her anger subsides she and her father just stare at each other. Julia knows something strange just happened to her though she has no idea what. Julia suspects Caleb of telling her father that she was planning to sneak out and go to Sierra’s house. Caleb denied it.
Julia begins having trouble controlling her anger. After an outburst at school her father, Liam, and Caleb speak to her about the secrets that have been hidden from her. She is from Ossai and she is being hunted. But before the whole truth comes out the Guild attacks her home and Caleb and Julia escape from the house while Liam and Lancer give them time to escape. But during their escape through the portal that will take them from this world to Ossai Caleb and Julia are injured.
For her protection Julia is being sent to Lockham Castle and here she might learn to control her new emerging abilities. When she arrives her father e the reason that she is in danger and why she was raised outside Ossai. Her mother was and is her greatest enemy!
When Julia meets Terrence Daniels she is drawn to him and he seems attracted to her too. When Terrence visits Lockham Castle as part of his duties he gives Julia tips on transforming. But the next day Mr. Knightly informs Julia that he saw her out walking with Terrence and he's reported it to the head of security – Mr. Azure. To her relief, Mr. Azure tells her he won't report her friendship with Terrence to her father and he tells her to just make sure that the teachers don't see her if goes for a walk with Terrence in the future.
When Julia finds an old yearbook she sees a picture of her mother Alexis Blythe, she is surprised at how much she looks like her mother. Julia tells Sierra about it and promises to show her the pictures. But the next day the yearbook is gone and all records of its existence have been removed. But the S she saw carved into the wall of one of the pictures becomes an obsession for Julia, she has to see the S that her mother stood by. So one night after curfew Julia decided to sneak down to the ballroom and crawl in through a broken window. But during her search Julia was injured. When she finds the S Julia touches it and stains it with her blood. Suddenly the ballroom is filled with a shriek and Julia makes her escape, but as she leaves she sees a dark hooded figure standing in the ballroom.
But Julia is being threatened. But who is trying to kill her and is the threat closer than anyone suspects?
Everything comes to a head at the annual masquerade ball. When Julia meets her mother their reunion is unlike anything she had hoped for!
I received a Digital copy of this title for the purpose of this review.
May 26, 2012
A Bookcase to Heaven™ review.
*
This review is long overdue since it took me quite a while to figure out what exactly I was feeling.
Because, you see, The Shapeshifter's Secret is a novel that grows on you. I didn't realize that until I was on the last page when suddenly, my brain processed what my heart was saying: Whatever I had disliked about the book had melted away into a pool of caramel somewhere in between the covers. I have to say, from skimming through the words initially to being grabbed by the steadiness of the story, the world of shapeshifters is one that sucks you in like a vortex and never lets you out.
How so?
In the first few chapters, everything seemed to be going along a clichéd path. There's that new good-looking boy in school, the starry-eyed best friend, the secretive parent... All these built up to the final moment of revelation. Guess what? Julia is from a royal family in a parallel world of shapeshifters.
I wasn't very impressed, to say the least. How come this sounded so eerily similar to the other books on my shelf? *sneaks a peek at Switched and The Iron King* But, I persisted with Julia as she catapulted from one action scene to the next, finally arriving in Ossai-- the world she belonged to.
And when she started with her new life in a castle-like school with lessons of rich history and ominous heritage, I got hooked. Not that I couldn't put the book down, but simply, I didn't want to any more. Because at some unknown point in the novel, The Shapeshifter's Secret developed a vibrant life of its own with the main protagonist manoeuvring the school-grounds. Julia finds out about a mother she never had. She deals with secret tunnels with even more mysterious ancestors. She learns to explore her own ability and her inner cat. And then, she falls in love.
She falls in love with Terrence. I think that is the weakest part of the entire story. I totally didn't buy their romance-- one that came too quick, expanded too fast and was sealed too soon. At the back of my mind, there was a tiny voice screaming "Caleb!" That one good-looking boy Julia first met, what about him?
Just like that, the story unfolds steadily in a comfortable pace. There are lessons, new friends, jealous enemies and cold teachers. Julia's eventful school life blankets you with its peaceful warmth. You submerge yourself in her ups and downs, better understanding Julia as more sides are revealed to you with new surprises around the corner.
When the whole tale ended with a flourish, I was satisfied. This is not a life-changing novel, or a once in a lifetime tale. This is not even a book that will make you cry or your heart ache. Ultimately, The Shapeshifter's Secret is just a novel that is wholly grounded and unbelievably real. You look through the eyes of a girl living in a strange world, and yet, she is living life just like you do.
Heather Ostler ends her novel with a worthy cliffhanger, concluding the end to a well-written journey of a girl growing up.
The whole novel is not a thrilling ride. Instead, it's one that gives you what you were seeking for-- a refreshing hour or two, spent plunging yourself in a whole new world.
*
This review is long overdue since it took me quite a while to figure out what exactly I was feeling.
Because, you see, The Shapeshifter's Secret is a novel that grows on you. I didn't realize that until I was on the last page when suddenly, my brain processed what my heart was saying: Whatever I had disliked about the book had melted away into a pool of caramel somewhere in between the covers. I have to say, from skimming through the words initially to being grabbed by the steadiness of the story, the world of shapeshifters is one that sucks you in like a vortex and never lets you out.
How so?
In the first few chapters, everything seemed to be going along a clichéd path. There's that new good-looking boy in school, the starry-eyed best friend, the secretive parent... All these built up to the final moment of revelation. Guess what? Julia is from a royal family in a parallel world of shapeshifters.
I wasn't very impressed, to say the least. How come this sounded so eerily similar to the other books on my shelf? *sneaks a peek at Switched and The Iron King* But, I persisted with Julia as she catapulted from one action scene to the next, finally arriving in Ossai-- the world she belonged to.
And when she started with her new life in a castle-like school with lessons of rich history and ominous heritage, I got hooked. Not that I couldn't put the book down, but simply, I didn't want to any more. Because at some unknown point in the novel, The Shapeshifter's Secret developed a vibrant life of its own with the main protagonist manoeuvring the school-grounds. Julia finds out about a mother she never had. She deals with secret tunnels with even more mysterious ancestors. She learns to explore her own ability and her inner cat. And then, she falls in love.
She falls in love with Terrence. I think that is the weakest part of the entire story. I totally didn't buy their romance-- one that came too quick, expanded too fast and was sealed too soon. At the back of my mind, there was a tiny voice screaming "Caleb!" That one good-looking boy Julia first met, what about him?
Just like that, the story unfolds steadily in a comfortable pace. There are lessons, new friends, jealous enemies and cold teachers. Julia's eventful school life blankets you with its peaceful warmth. You submerge yourself in her ups and downs, better understanding Julia as more sides are revealed to you with new surprises around the corner.
When the whole tale ended with a flourish, I was satisfied. This is not a life-changing novel, or a once in a lifetime tale. This is not even a book that will make you cry or your heart ache. Ultimately, The Shapeshifter's Secret is just a novel that is wholly grounded and unbelievably real. You look through the eyes of a girl living in a strange world, and yet, she is living life just like you do.
Heather Ostler ends her novel with a worthy cliffhanger, concluding the end to a well-written journey of a girl growing up.
The whole novel is not a thrilling ride. Instead, it's one that gives you what you were seeking for-- a refreshing hour or two, spent plunging yourself in a whole new world.
June 1, 2012
This is one of those books that ultimately left me confused. Not because of the plot or the premise, but because, although it had a lot going for it, and I liked it….I didn’t love it. I’ve been sitting on this review for a while, trying to gather my thoughts and make sure that I do it justice. After all, I did enjoy many aspects of the book and I see it’s potential. The problem for me is that, overall, I was left with an uneasy feeling, like I just needed a little bit more in order to really enjoy the full experience.
Let’s start at the beginning. Julia is a sixteen year old girl whose father is overprotective and mother is non-existent. As a series of events unfold for her, she discovers that she’s a shapeshifter and, as if that’s not enough, she’s in danger because of her heritage. Someone wants her dead…and the identity of that person is shocking. She and her father move to Ossai, where she was actually born so that she could learn to harness her powers and be in the relative safety of a school filled with students who are like her.
I enjoyed the description of this new world as well as the school itself. The old corridors, hidden spaces and the legends of ghost-inhabited rooms were very intriguing. There were many imaginative elements about this book as well. Interesting gadgets such as rings that indicated when someone was lying, rocks that produce instant fire, parchment that can be used for instant messaging and students who are water nymphs fueled my imagination. Another aspect that I enjoyed was the description of the actual shapeshifting process. The author did a great job of bringing that to life and I could definitely imagine how it might work.
I must admit that I was disappointed in the characters though. Not in the variety of personalities, but in their depth. I didn’t feel like I got to know any of them well. There was so much potential in characters like Caleb, the bad boy protector, Celeste and Melanie, the mean girls, and Camilla, the girlfriend of the aforementioned bad boy. But, unfortunately, their potential went untapped…the boy wasn’t mysterious enough, the girls weren’t mean enough and the girlfriend didn’t ruin enough scenes. They were there but they didn’t fulfil their duties as I imagined they should have. My biggest disappointment, however, was Terrence, the love interest. Instead of making my heart flutter, I was suspicious of him the whole time…suspicious of his intentions and motives and his instant love for Julia. And maybe that’s what the author wants me to feel but I wanted a relationship I could believe in. I didn’t get it, and it definitely impacted my enjoyment of the book.
Overall there is a lot of potential here and I’m hoping that the next installment will give the reader more character depth and the types of relationships that make you fall in love with a story. The stage has been set…hopefully the execution is good.
Let’s start at the beginning. Julia is a sixteen year old girl whose father is overprotective and mother is non-existent. As a series of events unfold for her, she discovers that she’s a shapeshifter and, as if that’s not enough, she’s in danger because of her heritage. Someone wants her dead…and the identity of that person is shocking. She and her father move to Ossai, where she was actually born so that she could learn to harness her powers and be in the relative safety of a school filled with students who are like her.
I enjoyed the description of this new world as well as the school itself. The old corridors, hidden spaces and the legends of ghost-inhabited rooms were very intriguing. There were many imaginative elements about this book as well. Interesting gadgets such as rings that indicated when someone was lying, rocks that produce instant fire, parchment that can be used for instant messaging and students who are water nymphs fueled my imagination. Another aspect that I enjoyed was the description of the actual shapeshifting process. The author did a great job of bringing that to life and I could definitely imagine how it might work.
I must admit that I was disappointed in the characters though. Not in the variety of personalities, but in their depth. I didn’t feel like I got to know any of them well. There was so much potential in characters like Caleb, the bad boy protector, Celeste and Melanie, the mean girls, and Camilla, the girlfriend of the aforementioned bad boy. But, unfortunately, their potential went untapped…the boy wasn’t mysterious enough, the girls weren’t mean enough and the girlfriend didn’t ruin enough scenes. They were there but they didn’t fulfil their duties as I imagined they should have. My biggest disappointment, however, was Terrence, the love interest. Instead of making my heart flutter, I was suspicious of him the whole time…suspicious of his intentions and motives and his instant love for Julia. And maybe that’s what the author wants me to feel but I wanted a relationship I could believe in. I didn’t get it, and it definitely impacted my enjoyment of the book.
Overall there is a lot of potential here and I’m hoping that the next installment will give the reader more character depth and the types of relationships that make you fall in love with a story. The stage has been set…hopefully the execution is good.
June 7, 2012
Strange things have been happening lately. Julia's anger has become nearly uncontrollable and she doesn't know why, he mysterious new boy at school acts deeply concerned for her without reason, and her father and uncle have been talking about obscure things that seem to be related to her. After a scary encounter with a pond (yes, a pond!) and a panther who saved her, the family secret comes to light. Julia is a werecat from a royal family in an alternate world called Ossai, and people want her dead. Now that they've found her, the only safe place for her is Lockham Castle, where other kids with abilities go to learn use of their powers. Life as Julia knew it is about to change, and she has to get ready to face her new life in Ossai. From the moment Julia stepped through that portal I was swept away by the fantasy. Heather Ostler has really created a innovative world complete with magical weapons, incredible races, political plots, and a school to rival Hogwarts!
Julia is a very stubborn and inquisitive girl with tendency to get into trouble. This leads her to uncover some pretty dark secrets about her past and the reason why she was in exile. But the closer she gets to finding out more about her past, the more danger she puts herself in. However, Julia is not about to give up! She can't keep letting others risk their lives to protect her and not do anything to protect herself. Through her journey Julia makes some great friends at school, and even finds love. I was never sure about Terrence, but he seems to be genuine. All the time I rooted for Caleb, but sadly he's already spoken for. I have to say, I so wanted that cat fight to happen! I'm still hopeful for those two though. That ending left me thinking there might be more to Caleb and Julia's relationship. And that’s the thing about Ossai and Julia's past. There are so many secrets!
The world building was fantastic. I was smiling like a kid in a candy store with all the details Ostler drew into her world, like the guardians at the castle, the stone table, and the color changing scarves! It was a fast paced and intriguing plot. Once Julia got to the castle the pages just flew by. Though I did figure out who was the bad guy from pretty early on, I was still anxiously waiting for the moment Julia faced the villain. And the moment didn't disappoint. Magic battle with magic weapons and shapeshifters and all that. I so wanted more! The ending left me very excited about a future sequel for The Shapeshifter's Secret.
*I received this book via Netgalley from the publisher for my honest review*
Julia is a very stubborn and inquisitive girl with tendency to get into trouble. This leads her to uncover some pretty dark secrets about her past and the reason why she was in exile. But the closer she gets to finding out more about her past, the more danger she puts herself in. However, Julia is not about to give up! She can't keep letting others risk their lives to protect her and not do anything to protect herself. Through her journey Julia makes some great friends at school, and even finds love. I was never sure about Terrence, but he seems to be genuine. All the time I rooted for Caleb, but sadly he's already spoken for. I have to say, I so wanted that cat fight to happen! I'm still hopeful for those two though. That ending left me thinking there might be more to Caleb and Julia's relationship. And that’s the thing about Ossai and Julia's past. There are so many secrets!
The world building was fantastic. I was smiling like a kid in a candy store with all the details Ostler drew into her world, like the guardians at the castle, the stone table, and the color changing scarves! It was a fast paced and intriguing plot. Once Julia got to the castle the pages just flew by. Though I did figure out who was the bad guy from pretty early on, I was still anxiously waiting for the moment Julia faced the villain. And the moment didn't disappoint. Magic battle with magic weapons and shapeshifters and all that. I so wanted more! The ending left me very excited about a future sequel for The Shapeshifter's Secret.
*I received this book via Netgalley from the publisher for my honest review*
May 19, 2012
Find more of my reviews on my blog, The Reader's Antidote
3.5/5
I started this review and immediately thought of the bad, so I guess I'll start with that first: I don't understand why she calls her dad Lancer. I just don't understand. It's not like he was missing for most of her life and suddenly he's back. He's been there the whole time. I think that was one of my biggest pet peeves with this one. Another issue was how the author kind of skimmed over details sometimes. I get that time was passing, but it would have been nice to at least know what Julia was feeling while time passed. Most of the characters felt flat to me. Julia was fine, her best friend was fine as well, but everyone else felt two-dimensional. And the final problem was that I didn't believe the romance between either love interest. Maybe with the guy who has protected her from the beginning (who's name totally slips my mind), but I just didn't feel invested in the characters. The only big thing though was that the writing could have been better.
And, of course, here's the good: I love the idea. I feel like not enough is written on Shapeshifters, and werecats at that! I think we may have had another problem if they werewolves. I cannot take another Twilight reference. And Julia is fierce. She's afraid like everyone else is of her own impending demise, but she's got a fire in her too. As she's growing into her powers, she becomes more of a target and more of a threat. What's weird is that she's not just trying to stay away from just any villain. It's her mother that's after her. Apparently Julia is very valuable being an ancestor of the former king of this world, and she will stop at nothing to get Julia on her side. There was definitely a lot of action in this book. There were times when all I was thinking was RUN! And there were other times where I had butterflies from the few kissing scenes. Like I said, the romance wasn't that believable, but I could feel their bond growing stronger while he was away (yes, I'm purposefully keeping his name out), and it gave Julia a chance to not be focused on the guy and actually to do some ill-advised snooping.
For an Indie book, this was well-written. I know that's not the best generalization, because I just recently read an contemporary Indie and it was amazing. But if you want to read about Shapeshifter's and intrigue and other worlds separate from our own, then you should pick this up when it comes out. Besides, have you seen the cover??
3.5/5
I started this review and immediately thought of the bad, so I guess I'll start with that first: I don't understand why she calls her dad Lancer. I just don't understand. It's not like he was missing for most of her life and suddenly he's back. He's been there the whole time. I think that was one of my biggest pet peeves with this one. Another issue was how the author kind of skimmed over details sometimes. I get that time was passing, but it would have been nice to at least know what Julia was feeling while time passed. Most of the characters felt flat to me. Julia was fine, her best friend was fine as well, but everyone else felt two-dimensional. And the final problem was that I didn't believe the romance between either love interest. Maybe with the guy who has protected her from the beginning (who's name totally slips my mind), but I just didn't feel invested in the characters. The only big thing though was that the writing could have been better.
And, of course, here's the good: I love the idea. I feel like not enough is written on Shapeshifters, and werecats at that! I think we may have had another problem if they werewolves. I cannot take another Twilight reference. And Julia is fierce. She's afraid like everyone else is of her own impending demise, but she's got a fire in her too. As she's growing into her powers, she becomes more of a target and more of a threat. What's weird is that she's not just trying to stay away from just any villain. It's her mother that's after her. Apparently Julia is very valuable being an ancestor of the former king of this world, and she will stop at nothing to get Julia on her side. There was definitely a lot of action in this book. There were times when all I was thinking was RUN! And there were other times where I had butterflies from the few kissing scenes. Like I said, the romance wasn't that believable, but I could feel their bond growing stronger while he was away (yes, I'm purposefully keeping his name out), and it gave Julia a chance to not be focused on the guy and actually to do some ill-advised snooping.
For an Indie book, this was well-written. I know that's not the best generalization, because I just recently read an contemporary Indie and it was amazing. But if you want to read about Shapeshifter's and intrigue and other worlds separate from our own, then you should pick this up when it comes out. Besides, have you seen the cover??
June 18, 2012
Like a bad Harry Potter knockoff. Frankly, I'm amazed I even managed to finish The Shapeshifter's Secret, I couldn't stand the writing at all, the characters didn't make much of an impression, the plot was entirely predictable and went nowhere fast, while the villain was the most cliched I'm just evil and power hungry character ever. Not much depth to anything at all. Trying to think of praise, and the only thing I can come up with, I guess the cover looks nice?
Like I said, writing turned me off. It's all, Julia does this, Julia thinks that, Julia wonders this, Julia feels that. It's like Ostler doesn't trust her readers to form any opinions for themselves, so she has to tell us everything. And with a nominal third person point of view, just doesn't work, really annoying to read. And her fantasy world wasn't really much better. It doesn't really stand out, besides shapeshifters, she's added a couple of other fantasy creatures, but there's really no backstory or reason for any of it. There's a castle, a couple of towns, some sort of government, a resistance, but I had a hard time caring or figuring out what the point to everything was. And now that I've finished the book, I still don't care and still can't figure out what the point to everything was.
Characters, umm, ok, what characters? Julia could've been interesting if the writing didn't drive me nearly insane, but everyone else was bland and cliched - at best. Caleb and Terrence, frankly I wouldn't care if they died any time during the story, that's how cardboard they were. Julia's father, after his explanation of his history with her mother, I felt was a total idiot. And her mother, wow, how can someone so stereotypically evil pull a fast one on all the good guys? These characters are missing so many things, motives for one, but also unique personalities, interesting traits, something, anything.
And finally, plot. Girl learns she has magical powers, goes to a school in a castle to train, has to deal with traitors and a villain who wants her dead. I know don't, I think I've seen this before. Many times. Maybe I would've liked it if the story was actually humorous, or engaging, or imaginative, or, but it's none of these things. There's sort of a cliffhanger and hints of a sequel, but I'm not sticking around. Really, I don't think anyone'll be missing much skipping this one either.
I really want to rate this zero stars, but that's not an option, so one star. Really undeserved one star.
Like I said, writing turned me off. It's all, Julia does this, Julia thinks that, Julia wonders this, Julia feels that. It's like Ostler doesn't trust her readers to form any opinions for themselves, so she has to tell us everything. And with a nominal third person point of view, just doesn't work, really annoying to read. And her fantasy world wasn't really much better. It doesn't really stand out, besides shapeshifters, she's added a couple of other fantasy creatures, but there's really no backstory or reason for any of it. There's a castle, a couple of towns, some sort of government, a resistance, but I had a hard time caring or figuring out what the point to everything was. And now that I've finished the book, I still don't care and still can't figure out what the point to everything was.
Characters, umm, ok, what characters? Julia could've been interesting if the writing didn't drive me nearly insane, but everyone else was bland and cliched - at best. Caleb and Terrence, frankly I wouldn't care if they died any time during the story, that's how cardboard they were. Julia's father, after his explanation of his history with her mother, I felt was a total idiot. And her mother, wow, how can someone so stereotypically evil pull a fast one on all the good guys? These characters are missing so many things, motives for one, but also unique personalities, interesting traits, something, anything.
And finally, plot. Girl learns she has magical powers, goes to a school in a castle to train, has to deal with traitors and a villain who wants her dead. I know don't, I think I've seen this before. Many times. Maybe I would've liked it if the story was actually humorous, or engaging, or imaginative, or, but it's none of these things. There's sort of a cliffhanger and hints of a sequel, but I'm not sticking around. Really, I don't think anyone'll be missing much skipping this one either.
I really want to rate this zero stars, but that's not an option, so one star. Really undeserved one star.
June 7, 2012
I was only able to get half way through this book before I had to call it quits. Julia has a horrible dad. What kind of person allows his daughter to think she is crazy when he full well knows what is going on. On top of that he goes and places bars on only her window and offers no justification. He is so suffocatingly restrictive of everything she does. It is hard to like the guy especially when he follows up the watchfulness with abandonment. Julia's dad isn't the only adult to react oddly. Two other adults told ghost stories around the lunchroom table at school. Adults don't tend to tell ghost stories and do things without some sort of justification. It felt unbelievable.
There are several points in the book where things are repeated. I don't mean in a let me reiterate this important point way. More like information is passed to that character and then two pages later the same information is passed to her and she acts as if she never heard it, page 17 and 19. She did hear perfectly the first time, it was a one on one conversation in a quiet moment. So how she can feel scandalized as if she had never been told? I am thinking this might have been a typo or accidental oversight in editing.
Julia herself is completely certifiable. Or rather she is normal but randomly pulls the incredible hulk out on people. I was really beginning to think her secret is that she is descended from a long line of female hulks. Though, how there got to be a long line of female hulks is beyond me. I would think they would have troubles attracting men. Wouldn't the men be afraid they would be ripped apart during a tiny bout of PMS? After a time, I can sort of see why emotions are played out so strongly, but I don't think animals are typically plagued with rage. Julia makes some really off the charts decisions. She decides the only place she feels safe is near some pond that had previously tried to kill her. Also, she is always calling her father or even referring to him in her thoughts by his given name instead of dad. I can't see any reason she would do something so odd. Her romantic plights are just lame. She vacillates through indifference, hate, love, like within pages. Plus her choice in man is just dumb. At the half way point I was wishing her dead and decided it was time to move on.
I love a good shapeshifter story but this one didn't have characters I could understand let alone like. It seemed so promising from the blurb.
There are several points in the book where things are repeated. I don't mean in a let me reiterate this important point way. More like information is passed to that character and then two pages later the same information is passed to her and she acts as if she never heard it, page 17 and 19. She did hear perfectly the first time, it was a one on one conversation in a quiet moment. So how she can feel scandalized as if she had never been told? I am thinking this might have been a typo or accidental oversight in editing.
Julia herself is completely certifiable. Or rather she is normal but randomly pulls the incredible hulk out on people. I was really beginning to think her secret is that she is descended from a long line of female hulks. Though, how there got to be a long line of female hulks is beyond me. I would think they would have troubles attracting men. Wouldn't the men be afraid they would be ripped apart during a tiny bout of PMS? After a time, I can sort of see why emotions are played out so strongly, but I don't think animals are typically plagued with rage. Julia makes some really off the charts decisions. She decides the only place she feels safe is near some pond that had previously tried to kill her. Also, she is always calling her father or even referring to him in her thoughts by his given name instead of dad. I can't see any reason she would do something so odd. Her romantic plights are just lame. She vacillates through indifference, hate, love, like within pages. Plus her choice in man is just dumb. At the half way point I was wishing her dead and decided it was time to move on.
I love a good shapeshifter story but this one didn't have characters I could understand let alone like. It seemed so promising from the blurb.
May 23, 2012
With the amount of books out now, it is really hard to find a completely "unique" book. And even though there were parts of The Shapeshifter's Secret that reminded me of other books, I found it refreshingly original. And not in an obvious way either. Though I really liked the paranormal/fantasy aspect and the whole boarding school thing, both of those elements can be found in many books. The aspect that I found so unique was the relationships developing between the characters.
Julia's relationships with the two male "heroes" were the most interesting to me because they defied the stereotypical norm. Instead of a love triangle between Julia and her "suitors" (I'm calling them Suitor #1 and Suitor #2 just so I don't give away too much), Julia and Suitor #1 hardly even interact. However, I still label him as a suitor because there is an obvious love-hate chemistry developing between them. Plus, he leaves their relationship wide open when he wants to tell her something very important . . . only to be interrupted by (who else?) Suitor #2.
On the surface, her relationship with Suitor #2 is picture-perfect. He has it all and she is head-over-heels for him. However, I get the feeling that there was something "off" about this guy, especially because Suitor #1 warns Julia to stay away from him.
Another complicated relationship is between Julia and her parents. In the beginning, her dad seems to be very strict with her, especially because she is a little bit of troublemaker (which I love about her character!) However, over the course of the novel, their relationship grows and changes as Julia learns more about her family's history. Which of course leads to Julia's relationship with her mother. I don't want to talk too much about this because it would definitely spoil the plot. However, this relationship is probably the most complicated and unique among the characters.
Another element of this book that I enjoyed was the paranormal and fantasy elements. I loved the whole shapeshifting thing mixed with magic and everything in between. I felt just as excited as Julia did discovering all the many layers to the mystical new world of Ossai. And I especially loved the animal Julia shifts to (I had "The Eye of the Tiger" playing in my mind during her fight scene!)
If you are looking for a unique take on the paranormal and a fun read full of surprising plot twists, you should definitely check out The Shapeshifter's Secret.
Julia's relationships with the two male "heroes" were the most interesting to me because they defied the stereotypical norm. Instead of a love triangle between Julia and her "suitors" (I'm calling them Suitor #1 and Suitor #2 just so I don't give away too much), Julia and Suitor #1 hardly even interact. However, I still label him as a suitor because there is an obvious love-hate chemistry developing between them. Plus, he leaves their relationship wide open when he wants to tell her something very important . . . only to be interrupted by (who else?) Suitor #2.
On the surface, her relationship with Suitor #2 is picture-perfect. He has it all and she is head-over-heels for him. However, I get the feeling that there was something "off" about this guy, especially because Suitor #1 warns Julia to stay away from him.
Another complicated relationship is between Julia and her parents. In the beginning, her dad seems to be very strict with her, especially because she is a little bit of troublemaker (which I love about her character!) However, over the course of the novel, their relationship grows and changes as Julia learns more about her family's history. Which of course leads to Julia's relationship with her mother. I don't want to talk too much about this because it would definitely spoil the plot. However, this relationship is probably the most complicated and unique among the characters.
Another element of this book that I enjoyed was the paranormal and fantasy elements. I loved the whole shapeshifting thing mixed with magic and everything in between. I felt just as excited as Julia did discovering all the many layers to the mystical new world of Ossai. And I especially loved the animal Julia shifts to (I had "The Eye of the Tiger" playing in my mind during her fight scene!)
If you are looking for a unique take on the paranormal and a fun read full of surprising plot twists, you should definitely check out The Shapeshifter's Secret.
May 7, 2012
Being sixteen can be hard enough for the average girl, but Julia soon finds herself hidden from a secret world at the edge of war. For some sixteen year olds the right of passage does not include growing furs and claws. The Shapeshifter's Secret brings itself into a whole different class with an intense plot and a fast moving storyline. Julia is our furry heroine who finds her world turned inside out when she is whisked away to another world called Ossai where her family is fighting each other and Julia could become the turning point in the altercations.
Ossai is a world accessed through portals to and from our world, only accessible to those with the fit knowledge and Ossai blood. The government is at war with itself as Ossai is divided between the Soldier Union, led by her father Lancer, and the Guild ruled by a select few and her mother Alexis too.
In a world ripe with family secrets and betrayal, Julia is struggling with her family's past while also learning who she is and her new abilities at Lockham Castle. Here among the students at the prestigious Ossai school, Julia is finding the strength in herself to help fight for her country's freedom and safety while also surviving falling in love and school. Keeping her grades up is hard, but keeping her love life secret from her father proves more challenging.
Readers will enjoy this new twist in the shapeshifting genre where there is law and order and royalty among the shifter's separate in a new world beside our own. With each chapter new secrets are revealed and a tragic past is exposed, and with a fabulous cast of characters the author has blended the story and the world building perfectly. Being a teen is complicated, but finding yourself a royal in peril is just plain tricky.
Ossai is a world accessed through portals to and from our world, only accessible to those with the fit knowledge and Ossai blood. The government is at war with itself as Ossai is divided between the Soldier Union, led by her father Lancer, and the Guild ruled by a select few and her mother Alexis too.
In a world ripe with family secrets and betrayal, Julia is struggling with her family's past while also learning who she is and her new abilities at Lockham Castle. Here among the students at the prestigious Ossai school, Julia is finding the strength in herself to help fight for her country's freedom and safety while also surviving falling in love and school. Keeping her grades up is hard, but keeping her love life secret from her father proves more challenging.
Readers will enjoy this new twist in the shapeshifting genre where there is law and order and royalty among the shifter's separate in a new world beside our own. With each chapter new secrets are revealed and a tragic past is exposed, and with a fabulous cast of characters the author has blended the story and the world building perfectly. Being a teen is complicated, but finding yourself a royal in peril is just plain tricky.
June 12, 2012
When the first sentence in the book starts with "Julia thought of how completely and utterly complicated Caleb glyndor really was", I pause and think twice about reading it. It is sad that not even through the first chapter I realize that I should have listened to my gut feeling and stopped reading right there, but alas I went as far as 21% and I can't continue any longer.
In the fist chapter we meet the insta-love (apparently it's not the case according to other reviewers, but it sure felt like it), get to read totally cliche conversations with friends, and find out about some terrible family secrets. Not to mention the whole overprotective to the point of craziness thing, without any explanation (because really, what 16 year old deserves an explanation?). I wanted to scream SLOW DOWN PLEASE!!!!
We are bombarded with things happening left and right, constant dialogue without any pauses for description in between, without any chance to process or adjust to what had just happened in the previous paragraph. Really, it is sad but the writing in The Shapeshifter's Secret reminded me of my own writing back in 8th grade when I fancied myself a writer (since then I've decided that I'd rather enjoy reading books than writing them). It is underdeveloped and amateurish (I've read fanfiction written better than this!), and extremely painful to read.
Heck, apparently I haven't even gotten to the "good" part, aka THE school, but I can't force myself to continue. I'm abandoning this book to never look at it again, and I do not recommend it to anyone.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Cedar Fort via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
In the fist chapter we meet the insta-love (apparently it's not the case according to other reviewers, but it sure felt like it), get to read totally cliche conversations with friends, and find out about some terrible family secrets. Not to mention the whole overprotective to the point of craziness thing, without any explanation (because really, what 16 year old deserves an explanation?). I wanted to scream SLOW DOWN PLEASE!!!!
We are bombarded with things happening left and right, constant dialogue without any pauses for description in between, without any chance to process or adjust to what had just happened in the previous paragraph. Really, it is sad but the writing in The Shapeshifter's Secret reminded me of my own writing back in 8th grade when I fancied myself a writer (since then I've decided that I'd rather enjoy reading books than writing them). It is underdeveloped and amateurish (I've read fanfiction written better than this!), and extremely painful to read.
Heck, apparently I haven't even gotten to the "good" part, aka THE school, but I can't force myself to continue. I'm abandoning this book to never look at it again, and I do not recommend it to anyone.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Cedar Fort via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews