Feral Nights - Softcover

Cynthia Leitich Smith is the acclaimed and best-selling author of Tantalize, Eternal, Blessed and Diabolical, as well as the graphic novel Tantalize: Kieren's Story, illustrated by Ming Doyle. She lives in Austin, Texas. www.cynthialeitichsmith.com

Gr 8 Up—When free-spirited werecat Yoshi Kitohara sets out to find his sister, Ruby, in Texas, he walks into chaos. His sister has disappeared, the guy she was last seen with is dead, and everyone thinks she's the murderer. Angry about what happened to their prince, the werearmadillos are out for blood and will stop at nothing to kill Yoshi and Ruby. Determined to clear the Kitohara name, he recruits the help of two locals, Clyde, a crippled werepossum, and a human, Aimee. While investigating, the three get kidnapped and are taken to a remote island, where they're set to be killed in a hunt for the amusement of other supernatural creatures. The island is well-guarded by the polar bearlike Yeti, and it's almost impossible to escape. Could Ruby also be on the island? What was she involved in? Most important, how do they escape? This is the first book in a series spun off from Smith's "Tantalize" books. This fairly fast-paced novel is well written and the characters are unique and well-developed. Amy McFadden and Nick Podehl's narrative styles complement each other and transition smoothly between action scenes and dialogue. Listeners who are familiar with the first series and like mystery, adventure, and suspense will enjoy this intriguing book.—Kira Moody, Whitmore Public Library, Salt Lake City