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Release Date: August 22, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 388
Genre: YA Paranormal/Selkies
Source: Author
Purchase: Amazon | B&N
A young-adult paranormal novel about selkies, tasers, kissing and secrets.
To Cassandra Kelleher, trust is a dirty word.
A teenage selkie who grew up on land, all she wants is to free her family from the man who stole their sealskins long ago. With her twin brother Brennan losing hope and her window of opportunity disappearing like the beach at high tide, she’ll try anything.
Before long, however, Cassandra can’t tell whether her biggest threat is the man holding her family captive, a classmate who’s discovered her secret, or her own paranoia. Battling broken friendships and alarming romantic entanglements, Cassandra finds that trust could be the key to winning her family’s freedom … or losing her own.
Cassandra and her twin brother Brennan just recently got their sealskins back due to a deal their older brother Declan and their parents made with the mayor who stole them. Their brother and parents want them out at sea living their life but they will not give up on getting their families sealskins back. When a girl at school, Leisel, catches them slipping out of their sealskins on camera, they decide to trust her and put into place one last plan to finally get the sealskins back. Because come graduation they promised to be gone with or without their family alongside them.
I realized once I started reading this that I don't think I have read anything else with selkies. When they kept talking about the sealskins I just kept picturing like a mink coat that they somehow slipped into and became a seal. LOL When a human steals a selkies sealskin then they have control over them. The selkie becomes a slave. The mayor comes from a family line of sealskin thief's. I did wish there was a little more background on how he first got a hold of the families sealskins and whose he stole first. I know he took Cassandra & Brennan's at birth and they didn't know what they were for a very long time. But I kept wondering if he just demanded the parents hand it over or what.
When the sealskin is taken they have to do everything the thief wants. The mayor's daughter, Ashlyn, was their best friend until they got their skin and freedom. Then they realized they were doing things for her because they had to , not because they wanted to. They are so scared to lose their skins but I commended them for how they risked it to save their parents and brothers sealskins. They recruit Leisel to befriend Ashlyn and try to search for the sealskins in the mayors house. They also discover a website in which they think is an undercover selkie rescue team. Cassandra investigates the website and meets Paul.
Selkies are very fearful of being discovered or having their sealskin stolen so Cassandra meets Paul in a very humorous way. Handcuffs him to question him. LOL There is instant attraction but Cassandra lacks a lot of trust which is kind of understandable with her upbringing. It did get a little annoying the way Cassandra would go back and forth on who to trust but I could understand her reluctance to trust anyone. This is one of those books where you know a bittersweet ending is coming. Either they get their skins back and head to sea, leaving behind Leisel and Paul, or they don't get them back and are stuck on land but don't have to leave Leisel and Paul. A difficult situation but I thought the ending was great and I am really curious where the story will go next.
"And here I thought you were crushing on my brother," I joked. Still, the compliment made me feel better after Ashlyn's sneering. Then I realized Leisel looked striken.
"What?"
"Why would you say that?"
I raised a brow.
"You told him he could keep your hippo."
She winced. "God, I'm such a dork."
"Knock what off?"
Paul's gaze swept across the deck to lock with mine.
"Making me want to kiss you."
Confusion dissolved into heat; my heart beat out an increasing tempo.
"You want to kiss me?"
"You know I do."
"You didn't tell me his nickname was Handcuff Guy."
Everyone looked at Paul, who held up his hands. "At least I'm not Taser Girl."
All eyes turned to me.
"You guys must have some wild times," Ashlyn drawled.
Rating: 4/5
Excerpt
From Chapter 19, in which Cassandra is wearing a Halloween
costume in a coat closet.
“Sorry about that, I—” I broke
off; a foot away, Paul grinned at me. “What?”
“I don’t know how you pull off
looking hot in a beard, but you do.”
My jittery unease turned at once
to heat, and before I could even think twice, I stepped forward and kissed him.
Of course, I’d forgotten I was
wearing the beard and wig, so Paul got a mouthful of fluffy white cotton.
Laughing, he pulled the headpiece from my face and shed his own mask too. Then
his arms were around me. Our lips met, and I pushed him back against the
cushion of coats. His hands found their way under my robe, his electric touch
washing off the latest Murphy run-in. Who needed water when Paul was here?
But as my unease faded, my head
cleared. What was I doing? I couldn’t get close to Paul when I’d yelled at
Brennan for doing the same with Leisel. Paul, at least, was trustworthy—I
hoped—but if we succeeded in freeing my family tomorrow, he’d never see me
again. I needed to tell him the truth about that, about me, but not in a closet
when anyone could ring that stupid bell.
I tore my lips free.
“Wow,” Paul said, breathing hard.
“What?” I was a bit breathless
too.
“I’m just surprised not to be
handcuffed to anything.”
I have heard some good things about this one. I am glad you liked it.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read anything about selkies either but so glad to hear that this was a good lead into them
ReplyDeleteDammit, now you've gone and made me wish I'd accepted the review request! I loved Torched but I didn't think I'd have time for this, and honestly selkies didn't interest me. But it sounds like everything I loved about Torched is present here, PLUS selkies.
ReplyDelete