Shifting

Shifting by Bethany Wiggins (will be released September 27, 2011)

Magdelene “Maggie” Mae Mortensen has never really fit in. Maybe it’s because of her criminal record, or because she’s never really stayed in one place very long. Most likely though, it’s because Maggie Mae is a shape shifter – a person who could change into the form and take on the mindset of an animal.

So when she’s placed in a new foster home in Silver City New Mexico, Maggie Mae is simply hoping to pass the year by relatively unnoticed. But when Bridger O’Connell, a local boy who’s off -limits due to his social status and family money, suddenly takes an interest in her, she find not only is she shifting, but so is her whole world.

But Bridger isn’t the only one taking an interest in her. For the past thirteen years or so, mysterious creatures have been following her. Now that they found her, and are quickly closing in on her, will she be able to protect herself and the people she loves? Will those she loves protect her?

Shifting, a novel by debut author Bethany Wiggins, is a quick read, packed with fast paced action and thriller styled adventure. Well written and realistically told,  Shifting is a rarity among Young Adult books.

Moving beyond the typical shapeshifter storylines, Wiggins doesn’t rely on the old stand by – wolves/werewolves. Instead, main character Maggie Mae is a breath of fresh air that could shift into almost … anything really.

Shifting, at its core, is a grander retelling of the Navajo folktale of Skinwalkers. Wiggins take on the tale is insightful, inviting, but most of all entertaining.What makes this book work so well is that author Wiggins keeps her chapters short and to the point, without leaving out the finer points that make Shifting what it is.

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Want to know more about Skinwalkers? Read all about them here!