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The Shapeshifter Chronicles #1
Fledgling
Set apart from other eighteen year olds, Ana Hughes knows she is different. A life threatening heart condition smothers her future and she yearns to feel normal. Her hopes are pinned on a fresh start in a remote town far from her native Colorado. Among the locker filled hallways in Clark Bend High, Ana keeps to the shadows, not wanting to draw attention to her violet tinged lips and wilted silhouette. And she almost succeeds, until she meets Chance Morgan.
Struggling to keep up appearances, she soon suspects Chance is hiding something as well. His animal-like senses, miraculous healing ability and peculiar reaction to her Thunderbird necklace compels Ana to question if there’s more to the stories about his Navajo ancestry. Without any other explanation, she fears he is playing tricks on her. But the truth may prove too much for Ana’s delicate heart…
Struggling to keep up appearances, she soon suspects Chance is hiding something as well. His animal-like senses, miraculous healing ability and peculiar reaction to her Thunderbird necklace compels Ana to question if there’s more to the stories about his Navajo ancestry. Without any other explanation, she fears he is playing tricks on her. But the truth may prove too much for Ana’s delicate heart…
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 14, 2012
1271 people are currently reading
4578 people want to read
About the author
Natasha S. Brown
26 books404 followersUSA Today bestselling author Natasha Brown's imagination has always been a distraction. The books she read in the dark past bedtime fed her excitement for fantasy worlds. Once she started writing, there was no stopping her. By day, Natasha’s an assistant teacher at an elementary school, and by night she’s a book cover designer. Her weekends are spent writing and spending time with family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 268 reviews
July 11, 2015
Twilight plot + heart defect subplot + shapeshifting/Navajo mythology - bloodsucking + meandering storyline filled with meaningless detail = Fledgling.
December 28, 2015
DNF @12%
I've been spoiled with such good books with great stories (Blood of Eden trilogy) that now I need the promise of action in a book.
DNF.
Hope you guys enjoy more than I did!
Pg 27/270 on my Kindle.
I need more enticing plots or at least more original and or more action scenes with kick butt people.
2/5 stars
I've been spoiled with such good books with great stories (Blood of Eden trilogy) that now I need the promise of action in a book.
DNF.
Hope you guys enjoy more than I did!
Pg 27/270 on my Kindle.
I need more enticing plots or at least more original and or more action scenes with kick butt people.
2/5 stars
November 5, 2019
While reading this book I was tempted to stop and see how soon after twilight this was written because the high school insta love plot was so cringey that I wanted to chuck it. I did not enjoy the few pages I read at all. Dnf @ 24%.
August 1, 2014
This book was somewhere between 2 and 3 stars for me (based on the good reads allocation of 2 it was ok, 3 I liked it). There was nothing that stands out as particularly good or bad. The romance between Ana & Chance was sweet and I liked how although the attraction was instant, they actually had plenty in common, spent lots of time together and had actual conversations before falling in love. However, I felt the story itself was very slow-paced and kind of meandered along without much happening for a long time. I also found the sudden appearance and then defeat of the bad guy somewhat abrupt and out of left field given how many chapters were devoted to Ana & Chance going for walks or looking at stars or having dinner with their respective families. I am interested enough to seek out the next instalment but it will be via the library.
October 9, 2017
UGH. You know what Fledgling needs? A hell of a lot less instalove and a hell of a lot more Native American mythology.
An author who knows how to use the past perfect* and a heroine who attended school often enough to justify her graduation and made some friends other than her boyfriend would be nice, too.
*Do any authors know how to use the past perfect these days??
An author who knows how to use the past perfect* and a heroine who attended school often enough to justify her graduation and made some friends other than her boyfriend would be nice, too.
*Do any authors know how to use the past perfect these days??
April 2, 2013
This book was Twilight. Teenage girl moves to new, very small town. She meets handsome loner boy and falls in love. She discovers handsome loner boy isn't totally human and doesn't care. An evil boy shows up who also isn't totally human and kidnaps girl. Handsome loner boy kills evil boy, then has to use his supernatural powers to save girl's life in a way that is difficult for him. Loner boy and girl survive and happily go to prom together. I didn't like Twilight. I didn't like this book, either. It's unimaginative, unoriginal, and the characters are very shallow.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2013
A comment on Maki's review: I work in the field of disabilities, and the author has the main character's reactions about wanting to hide her medical problems, no matter how life threatening, absolutely spot-on. This is especially true for teens, but just about everyone does stupid things and makes bad decisions to try and fit in rather than standing out. And, normal people are very good at isolating anyone who is different, so we have a very strong motivator to appear normal, no matter how different we actually are. An excellent book!
October 16, 2015
For more paranormal romance reads check out https://www.facebook.com/ParanormalBo...
Sexual quotient: non existent.
Soundtrack: https://youtu.be/gWSjksHySAk cran dreaming my dreams
This is a tender, sweet story, although I found most characters failed the credibility test. Too nice, too polite. No fighting, no swearing. Teenagers? I don’t think they pass for muster.
A slow story which eventually lost my interest. Too much niceness, not enough action.
Still, a nice YA read if you feel like it.
Sexual quotient: non existent.
Soundtrack: https://youtu.be/gWSjksHySAk cran dreaming my dreams
This is a tender, sweet story, although I found most characters failed the credibility test. Too nice, too polite. No fighting, no swearing. Teenagers? I don’t think they pass for muster.
A slow story which eventually lost my interest. Too much niceness, not enough action.
Still, a nice YA read if you feel like it.
April 26, 2018
Ana has a life-threatening heart condition, that makes her life very different than most teenagers. She can't exert herself much at all, a short walk can leave her out of breath, and so she's in constant danger of overdoing things and having her heart stop. This was a change from most YA books that I've read, and while sad, I enjoyed learning more about a condition like hers.
Chance has a secret of his own. While I was pretty sure what it was going to be, it was interesting watching it play out and Ana learning it.
The ending was good, but very predictable. The moment a couple of things were mentioned earlier in the book I had a very strong feeling they were going to play a part in the ending...and I was correct. I still would like to continue with the series and see where things go.
Chance has a secret of his own. While I was pretty sure what it was going to be, it was interesting watching it play out and Ana learning it.
The ending was good, but very predictable. The moment a couple of things were mentioned earlier in the book I had a very strong feeling they were going to play a part in the ending...and I was correct. I still would like to continue with the series and see where things go.
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March 15, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/15/2019)! 🎁
April 3, 2013
4.5 stars
Ana Hughes has had a pretty hard life. She was born with a heart defect and later was diagnosed with a heart disease. Her mom ends up losing her job and they have to move to Idaho for her new job. Ana has never know what it's like to live a "normal" life and when she meets Chance Morgan she decides that "normal" is exactly what she needs. She knows it won't last long and eventually she will have to tell him but she just can't bare to have another person walk out of her life because of her condition. She waits until the last possible minute to tell him and just hopes that he won't walk away from her too.
Chance is drawn to Ana and instantly feels connected to her. He knows that she's special and from the moment he laid eyes on her, he just knew that he would always need and want her in his life. He feels complete with her. However, he has a secret of his own that he can't tell her nor does he really want to tell her because, just like her, he is afraid that she will walk away from him and never come back.
Due to circumstances beyond their control, their secrets come out and life as they know it has changed forever. They both know that they are soul mates and are meant to be together. They refuse to let anyone or anything that this crazy thing called life throws at them, get in their way of being together. They end up in a fight for their lives... literally!
When I came across Fledgling by Natasha Brown I automatically assumed that, because this was the 1st book in the Shapeshifter Chronicles, it was about werewolves. (I'm always on the look out for a good werewolf book that I can pass on to my niece. She loves them and at times I love to tease her about them! ;o) Hehe.) However, I was pleasantly surprised that this was actually NOT about werewolves but actual shapeshifters that can pretty much turn into any animal of their choosing. I enjoyed her twist of shapeshifters.
I have to admit that I was sucked in from the beginning and knew about half way through that I needed to grab the second book on the series because I would want to start it right away. This is definitely a series that I will be passing on to my niece! I know that she will enjoy it as much as I did! :o)
Ana Hughes has had a pretty hard life. She was born with a heart defect and later was diagnosed with a heart disease. Her mom ends up losing her job and they have to move to Idaho for her new job. Ana has never know what it's like to live a "normal" life and when she meets Chance Morgan she decides that "normal" is exactly what she needs. She knows it won't last long and eventually she will have to tell him but she just can't bare to have another person walk out of her life because of her condition. She waits until the last possible minute to tell him and just hopes that he won't walk away from her too.
Chance is drawn to Ana and instantly feels connected to her. He knows that she's special and from the moment he laid eyes on her, he just knew that he would always need and want her in his life. He feels complete with her. However, he has a secret of his own that he can't tell her nor does he really want to tell her because, just like her, he is afraid that she will walk away from him and never come back.
Due to circumstances beyond their control, their secrets come out and life as they know it has changed forever. They both know that they are soul mates and are meant to be together. They refuse to let anyone or anything that this crazy thing called life throws at them, get in their way of being together. They end up in a fight for their lives... literally!
When I came across Fledgling by Natasha Brown I automatically assumed that, because this was the 1st book in the Shapeshifter Chronicles, it was about werewolves. (I'm always on the look out for a good werewolf book that I can pass on to my niece. She loves them and at times I love to tease her about them! ;o) Hehe.) However, I was pleasantly surprised that this was actually NOT about werewolves but actual shapeshifters that can pretty much turn into any animal of their choosing. I enjoyed her twist of shapeshifters.
I have to admit that I was sucked in from the beginning and knew about half way through that I needed to grab the second book on the series because I would want to start it right away. This is definitely a series that I will be passing on to my niece! I know that she will enjoy it as much as I did! :o)
March 8, 2012
When I had the opportunity to read a copy of "Fledgling," I thought it was going to be a teen romance with the main character having a heart defect; I had NO idea it was a fantasy! It was fantastic, and I'm looking forward to reading future books Brown writes in the series. Having a congenital heart defect myself, I definitely identified with Ana, and everything she was going through with her heart problem. Brown definitely has a good sense of what adolescents facing such problems must go through on a daily basis.
The other half of the story, Chance, was a huge and welcome surprise. You'll have to read the book for yourself to see what I mean. But his character was incredible, and the relationship between Chance and Ana was inspiring.
The other half of the story, Chance, was a huge and welcome surprise. You'll have to read the book for yourself to see what I mean. But his character was incredible, and the relationship between Chance and Ana was inspiring.
October 30, 2022
Well I’ll be damned, that was nowhere near as bad as I thought it’d be. I would have given it a 3 stars until about halfway through. The second half was doubly dumb and incredibly anti-climactic. It didn’t feel like there were really any stakes at play.
Ana was annoying. She was supposed to be 18 and yet she acted 12 most of the time, her sister Eva was actually 12 and somehow way more mature (which was also weird because why is this child making pot roast for everyone????).
Chance was an odd character. I was fine with him for the most part, but his whole story just wasn’t written very well. No one really cares that he’s a shapeshifter. They acted like that secret was on the same level as this girl having a weak heart like?? Also, his nickname for Ana was “my love” which just felt so awkward. A simple “babe” would do, the use of “my love” just felt like the author trying to make the love story so much more romantic but it just didn’t work.
The story just fully disintegrated at one point. Now there was an enemy that had zero buildup and was the least scary person you could ever think of. Then there’s a death which had the potential to give emotional damage but it kinda just happened in the midst of about 10 other things I didn’t care about. I just didn’t care anymore, there was no longer any semblance of a working plot.
There are plenty of other things I can complain about but I don’t have all day (unlike these characters seemingly did(what happened to school? You guys just suddenly graduated and that was it? No job or college for you? Huh?)). I didn’t hate this but I did grow weary, I was counting down the pages for it to be over. Shame.
Ana was annoying. She was supposed to be 18 and yet she acted 12 most of the time, her sister Eva was actually 12 and somehow way more mature (which was also weird because why is this child making pot roast for everyone????).
Chance was an odd character. I was fine with him for the most part, but his whole story just wasn’t written very well. No one really cares that he’s a shapeshifter. They acted like that secret was on the same level as this girl having a weak heart like?? Also, his nickname for Ana was “my love” which just felt so awkward. A simple “babe” would do, the use of “my love” just felt like the author trying to make the love story so much more romantic but it just didn’t work.
The story just fully disintegrated at one point. Now there was an enemy that had zero buildup and was the least scary person you could ever think of. Then there’s a death which had the potential to give emotional damage but it kinda just happened in the midst of about 10 other things I didn’t care about. I just didn’t care anymore, there was no longer any semblance of a working plot.
There are plenty of other things I can complain about but I don’t have all day (unlike these characters seemingly did(what happened to school? You guys just suddenly graduated and that was it? No job or college for you? Huh?)). I didn’t hate this but I did grow weary, I was counting down the pages for it to be over. Shame.
November 19, 2015
Ana has a serious heart condition. She, her mother and younger sister move to a small town in ID—her grandmother’s vacant house—when her mother is laid off but able to get re-hired at a bank she worked for years ago; they have to have insurance for Ana. The eighteen year old is shy, does not want anyone new to know about her heart and takes pains to hide her surgery scar. On her first day of school, she’s paired up with Chance in two classes and a friendship begins with this good-looking Native American guy who keeps to himself and doesn’t hang around with anyone. He too is keeping a secret.
I liked the concept of the story, the characters and what’s shared of the Navajo culture. The family relationships are very strong; possibly too strong for the ages of the kids involved. Hormones and teenage angst appear to be missing.
But the story moves kind of slow with a number of repeat scenes. I’ve read over 1000 urban fantasy or paranormal books and in order for them to be believable, the non-paranormal stuff must ring true. That wasn’t always the case when it comes to the conversations and how different things are dealt with. We’re told that they love each other and show it with words and actions, but I never felt it.
Overall it’s a decent read and I could easily see younger readers enjoying the romance and family closeness angles, because boy, wouldn’t that be great to experience?
I liked the concept of the story, the characters and what’s shared of the Navajo culture. The family relationships are very strong; possibly too strong for the ages of the kids involved. Hormones and teenage angst appear to be missing.
But the story moves kind of slow with a number of repeat scenes. I’ve read over 1000 urban fantasy or paranormal books and in order for them to be believable, the non-paranormal stuff must ring true. That wasn’t always the case when it comes to the conversations and how different things are dealt with. We’re told that they love each other and show it with words and actions, but I never felt it.
Overall it’s a decent read and I could easily see younger readers enjoying the romance and family closeness angles, because boy, wouldn’t that be great to experience?
August 13, 2012
There were so many things I loved about Natasha Brown's Fledgling. The author has a true talent for prose. She included some of the most stunning descriptions of setting I've ever read in a YA novel and I read a lot of YA. I was captivated by her lovely use of language. It added so much to an already enjoyable read.
The two main characters, Chance and Ana, truly fall in love the old fashioned way. I appreciated this because it's very unique for a YA Paranormal. Their romance is sweet. At first they are so unsure of themselves, but as the story moves forward, they forge a bond that will see them through some amazing challenges. And it's believable, because the author gives the romance time to bloom and flourish.
Halfway through the book, Natasha Brown makes a smooth transition into building the action of the story. Up until this point, the paranormal aspects of the book are only hinted at. But once the action builds, the reader is taken on a roller coaster ride that thrills and excites. The shapeshifter lore that the author creates is both unique and intriguing. I'm very interested in seeing where that will lead!
Fledgling is a beautifully crafted story and a fantastic read for any age. I eagerly await the second installment in the series!
The two main characters, Chance and Ana, truly fall in love the old fashioned way. I appreciated this because it's very unique for a YA Paranormal. Their romance is sweet. At first they are so unsure of themselves, but as the story moves forward, they forge a bond that will see them through some amazing challenges. And it's believable, because the author gives the romance time to bloom and flourish.
Halfway through the book, Natasha Brown makes a smooth transition into building the action of the story. Up until this point, the paranormal aspects of the book are only hinted at. But once the action builds, the reader is taken on a roller coaster ride that thrills and excites. The shapeshifter lore that the author creates is both unique and intriguing. I'm very interested in seeing where that will lead!
Fledgling is a beautifully crafted story and a fantastic read for any age. I eagerly await the second installment in the series!
February 23, 2012
A lover of paranormal I am and while not normally a fan of Young Adult, I took a chance and read this book. I am happy to say, I am glad I took the chance.
A very solid written book with descriptions that allow you to perfectly see the scene in the writer's mind and feel the emotions of the characters as they move through their story. The characters were believable along with even the paranormal aspects. The plot was deep enough to very much satisfy my mind and kept me guessing as to exactly how it would end.
While this book runs the lines of young adult, it is more of a cross over as the characters are becoming adults and the story will continue into their future. I also enjoyed the Native American ties to this book, as I have been a lover of that history for many years.
I look forward to seeing what Ms. Brown brings to us in the next installment of the Chronicles.
A very solid written book with descriptions that allow you to perfectly see the scene in the writer's mind and feel the emotions of the characters as they move through their story. The characters were believable along with even the paranormal aspects. The plot was deep enough to very much satisfy my mind and kept me guessing as to exactly how it would end.
While this book runs the lines of young adult, it is more of a cross over as the characters are becoming adults and the story will continue into their future. I also enjoyed the Native American ties to this book, as I have been a lover of that history for many years.
I look forward to seeing what Ms. Brown brings to us in the next installment of the Chronicles.
March 15, 2012
Author Natasha Brown wrote an intriguing tale with her YA novel, Fledgling. Surviving her serious heart condition is the life Ana has ever known until her family moves to a new town and she meets Chance. Instantly drawn to his intense hazel eyes Ana easily falls under his spell, though is afraid to ruin their newfound relationship by revealing the seriousness of her heart condition. As Ana and Chance grow closer it soon becomes apparent that Chance is hiding a secret of his own, a secret that could make or break the love that has grown between them.
This first edition of the Shapeshifter Series captured the essence of young love and left you wanting for more. I'll look forward to the next edition of the Shapeshifter Series.
This first edition of the Shapeshifter Series captured the essence of young love and left you wanting for more. I'll look forward to the next edition of the Shapeshifter Series.
March 1, 2012
I usually am the one checking reviews to see how good a book is and I was amazed that not many people have reviewed such an awesome book.Fledgling is an amazing paranormal love story with sympathetic and unique characters.There is no fall in love in 5 seconds here its about two people who are different and get to know each other and slowly fall in love.Natasha Brown has created amazing characters who you will deeply care for and a unique story that you will want to read many times.This is my first review on goodreads I had to get the word out on this incredible book.
Rob
Rob
November 11, 2012
This was one of those surprises that comes along unexpectedly every now and then to make your day. Frankly, I started reading this book because it was written by a friend of mine and I thought I should.
I didn't expect to fall in love with the characters or to be unable to put it down. I read it straight through in one sitting and was a little sad when it was all over. The characters are unique and quirky, but very likable, and the plot moved along and stayed interesting enough that I was completely entranced. Thank you, Tasha! I loved it! Can't wait for book two!
I didn't expect to fall in love with the characters or to be unable to put it down. I read it straight through in one sitting and was a little sad when it was all over. The characters are unique and quirky, but very likable, and the plot moved along and stayed interesting enough that I was completely entranced. Thank you, Tasha! I loved it! Can't wait for book two!
August 10, 2015
Shifters are one of my favourite things to read about, but I think this was the first with a native theme. It was a wonderful success. This is a heart warming story I will read again and again.
August 6, 2018
Fledgling was an enjoyable read. I liked Brown’s take on the shapeshifting world. Wait a minute. Shapeshifting world, you mean werewolves? No, not werewolves and that’s exactly why I liked her story: it was not what I was expecting.
The main character, Ana, was sweet and brave despite the difficult situation she was dealing with. Brown did a wonderful job making Ana’s feelings about her health realistic. The protagonist, like any other teenager, wanted to be normal and to fit in with the other students. Chase, on the other hand, was okay. I didn’t find that there was tons of depth in his character. And the relationship… It started way, way too fast. It felt like in a week they were dating. Yeah, it happens sometimes, but for me, it would have been a little more realistic if the beginning stages were drawn out a bit longer.
As far as the writing goes… The way Brown described the settings was beautiful and detailed (although not overwhelmingly so) and made me feel as if I was in that place. I did find, though, that the first two chapters were written very neatly and elegantly, but that this articulation was lost a little in the remainder of the book.
Another thing I enjoyed, was that it was a clean read. There wasn’t any swearing and although there were a few kisses, the couple didn’t sleep together.
Lastly, and this is a rather large elephant in the room. Ready? Maybe you want to cover your ears. Twilight. I’m not going to hate on the author about this because she did have some really cool original ideas. However, I was reminded of Twilight. And I will leave it at that.
Altogether, this was a nice read and I recommend it to those who like ya paranormal romance.
The main character, Ana, was sweet and brave despite the difficult situation she was dealing with. Brown did a wonderful job making Ana’s feelings about her health realistic. The protagonist, like any other teenager, wanted to be normal and to fit in with the other students. Chase, on the other hand, was okay. I didn’t find that there was tons of depth in his character. And the relationship… It started way, way too fast. It felt like in a week they were dating. Yeah, it happens sometimes, but for me, it would have been a little more realistic if the beginning stages were drawn out a bit longer.
As far as the writing goes… The way Brown described the settings was beautiful and detailed (although not overwhelmingly so) and made me feel as if I was in that place. I did find, though, that the first two chapters were written very neatly and elegantly, but that this articulation was lost a little in the remainder of the book.
Another thing I enjoyed, was that it was a clean read. There wasn’t any swearing and although there were a few kisses, the couple didn’t sleep together.
Lastly, and this is a rather large elephant in the room. Ready? Maybe you want to cover your ears. Twilight. I’m not going to hate on the author about this because she did have some really cool original ideas. However, I was reminded of Twilight. And I will leave it at that.
Altogether, this was a nice read and I recommend it to those who like ya paranormal romance.
December 16, 2018
I just couldn't get into this one. The fact that Ana calls her mother by name instantly made me think of Twilight and put me on edge before the book really got started. And, yeah, Fledgling is pretty Twilight-y.
The writing is clumsy and unimaginative. The sentence structure isn't varied. The transitions aren't clear. It was just too much hard work to enjoy reading.
The writing is clumsy and unimaginative. The sentence structure isn't varied. The transitions aren't clear. It was just too much hard work to enjoy reading.
August 3, 2017
Another first book in a series. I don't know where I got it from, but it was definitely worth reading. I guess I have to buy the rest too.
August 8, 2019
Even if it was very twilight inspired and not at all fast paced I liked this one loads.
September 30, 2019
2,5. kind of boring... the idea seemed cool, but there was nothing remarkable in the story for me
June 11, 2023
DNF 20%
Nope. Just not for me. Bored, Ana was not interesting and just...there? Chance? Eh.
Nope. Just not for me. Bored, Ana was not interesting and just...there? Chance? Eh.
August 12, 2018
While it was interesting to read, it felt lacking in something.
Also, the author seemed to have forgotten about the protagonist’s first friend at school- Laura? Lauren? I can’t remember 😂 anyway it would have been nice to see a bit more of her seeing as we’re only told that Ana sits with them during lunch.
Also, the author seemed to have forgotten about the protagonist’s first friend at school- Laura? Lauren? I can’t remember 😂 anyway it would have been nice to see a bit more of her seeing as we’re only told that Ana sits with them during lunch.
May 8, 2015
This is the first time that I have given a one star to a book with decent grammar and an okay plot. It was just poorly executed.
It drags on and on, shows very little reason the characters are together except "I just knew you were different like me" ... and no one's mother, no matter how kind or allowing, would let their daughter run around almost every waking moment with her boyfriend--unless they are a bad mother. Maybe she's tired of not having help, but she was too fearful for fragile-hearted Ana for it to be apart of her character to allow it.
The dialogue is stiff. The description of character interactions is limited, but then the description of mundane things like what they are going to eat EVERY time they eat is taxing on the reader's soul. Then there is describing the process of shifting and mapping and oh lord, this is going to be talked about in a technical manner EVERY time it happens instead of what it was actually like to watch? Oh wait. THE BLANKET stopped that but she "loved to watch him shift"... No. What, Ana got xray vision?
The book needs to be much, much shorter. It reads like a character background for a world-building exercise gone awry instead of a novel; this is evident when the action begins and the reader physically feels relief that their efforts are rewarded with an actual story--too bad it happened about 3/4 of the way through.
This was probably done on purpose, though, as book one is free and all the others are $4ish. Here's the thing: in order for that sort of trick to work (one where the author captivates readers enough to wrangle them into buying the next book) then they certainly need to make sure the first book won't inspire readers to become snail racers instead of even considering buying the next book of the series.
It drags on and on, shows very little reason the characters are together except "I just knew you were different like me" ... and no one's mother, no matter how kind or allowing, would let their daughter run around almost every waking moment with her boyfriend--unless they are a bad mother. Maybe she's tired of not having help, but she was too fearful for fragile-hearted Ana for it to be apart of her character to allow it.
The dialogue is stiff. The description of character interactions is limited, but then the description of mundane things like what they are going to eat EVERY time they eat is taxing on the reader's soul. Then there is describing the process of shifting and mapping and oh lord, this is going to be talked about in a technical manner EVERY time it happens instead of what it was actually like to watch? Oh wait. THE BLANKET stopped that but she "loved to watch him shift"... No. What, Ana got xray vision?
The book needs to be much, much shorter. It reads like a character background for a world-building exercise gone awry instead of a novel; this is evident when the action begins and the reader physically feels relief that their efforts are rewarded with an actual story--too bad it happened about 3/4 of the way through.
This was probably done on purpose, though, as book one is free and all the others are $4ish. Here's the thing: in order for that sort of trick to work (one where the author captivates readers enough to wrangle them into buying the next book) then they certainly need to make sure the first book won't inspire readers to become snail racers instead of even considering buying the next book of the series.
August 1, 2014
About halfway through reading this book, I started to think it was a perfectly good book without any paranormal plot to it,,, then Chance's secret is revealed. The story got ten times better (even though as previously stated, I don't know how, because it was a good book already.) anyways, you learn what Chance is and the rest of the story runs quickly as Ana battles her health, Chance grows stronger and the final event of the book happens. After I finished, I set the book down and uttered one word, "wow." It is a stand alone book by itself and I think maybe someday I will continue on in the series, but there isn't a yearning for me to continue on with Chance and Ana's story, I feel perfectly fine just letting their story end as the book ended.
August 18, 2014
Upon the recommendation of my preteen daughter, who gave it rave reviews, I picked this book up today to read. It was EXCELLENT! The pace of the story was great, the characters had a good, genuine feel to them, and the story itself kept me immersed in the book until I finished it. This is a great book for readers who like fantasy, especially fantasy in a modern setting, regardless of age. I feel that I enjoyed the book as much as my daughter did. This was a great book on its own merits, and the fact that it is good for YA/teen readers, or advanced preteens, as well as for adult readers, is something that I personally enjoy. I HIGHLY recommend this for all ages!
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