May 3, 2012

Review: The Shapeshifter's Secret and Guest Post


Welcome to my stop on The Shapeshifter's Secret Blog Tour! Today I have a special guest post by the wonderful author herself, Heather Ostler, as well as a book review. On to the guest post!


The Dark Side of being a Shapeshifter 

There aren’t many werecat shapeshifters in our world, and even if you came across one, they would keep their identity secret. People view werecat shapeshifters as monsters, and why wouldn’t they? They can shapeshift in seconds from human form into a snarling, deadly werecat.
Throughout history shapeshifters have been discriminated against, burned at the stake, and often disappeared without reasoning. It’s pretty obvious why they choose to live in Ossai, their secret world. For the few werecats that do live in our world, staying hidden is their best option. It’s not that a shapeshifter couldn’t take care of themselves. With razor-sharp claws, heightened senses, and the body of a lion, tiger, or other large cat, they could easily take out their prey. However, declaring you’re a shapeshifter forces you into a life on the run, always watching your back, and never being able to trust anyone.
Werecat shapeshifters start their transformations around the age of 16. It’s hard for a young shapeshifter to keep their identity secret because any sudden feelings of anger, aggression, or fear can bring on the transformation process. In the beginning they have such little control that attacking others is quite common. As time goes on though, shapeshifters gain more control and can decided when to transform.
Chances are even if you came across a werecat shapeshifter, they wouldn’t give you a hint of what they truly are. However, that isn’t to say that if you made one angry, they wouldn’t make you sorry. So if you do know any shapeshifters—I suggest you be nice to them. There’s nothing quite as terrifying as being chased into the night by a growling werecat. 

A huge thanks to the awesome Heather Ostler for stopping by with a cool post on the dark side of shapeshifting!!



The Shapeshifter's Secret
Author: Heather Ostler
Genre: YA Paranormal
Release Date: June 12, 2012
Review Source: Cedar Fort
Format: eBook

Description (from Amazon): 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 will keep you guessing to the very last page.

Review: First things - how awesome is this cover? I love the colors that are used, the cool design in her hair and in the background, and the stripes on her skin! This book was a breath of fresh air for me in the YA paranormal reading world. There aren't many books right now that deal with shapeshifting, which in and of itself is pretty interesting. Ostler's novel has characters that were easy to relate to, especially the heroine Julia. She goes through the normal angst of teenage life and then has this huge bomb dropped on her. I thought she handled things pretty well, everything considered. Of course there was the hot guy and the romance, which I normally find too stereotypical, but was normal in this book. The plot was a great pace and the storybuilding worked really well throughout the book. I liked all the twists and turns - it kept me thinking until the last page. All in all, if you are a fan of paranormal YA, you should read this book. It's something different in a sometimes overcrowded genre.



Don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour! The complete schedule can be found here.

Connect with Heather on her website: http://www.heatherostler.com/
or on her blog: http://heatherostler.blogspot.com/

Find out more about Cedar Fort by visiting these links!

Blog: http://www.cedarfortbooks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cedarfortbooks
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/cedarfortbooks


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