Review: Otherkin by Nina Berry

Otherkin is the first book in the series of the same name, and even though I usually do not touch paranormal YA, I thought I would give it a try since I like the book cover. Yes, I know, I'm a visual creature.

The book cover reminds me of The Life of Pi

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Desdemona Gray doesn’t even bother with crushes on cute boys now that she’s forced to wear a hard plastic back brace all day. What guy would want to literally have to knock on a girl to be let in? So she squashes down every impossible desire until an uber-awkward brush with a boy brings out all her frustration and she changes…into a tiger. In that bewildering moment, she is captured by Ximon, the leader of a fanatical group hell-bent on wiping out the five remaining tribes of shape-shifters, known as the otherkin.

With help from a handsome, mysterious fellow captive named Caleb, she escapes and goes on the run, finding allies and learning the truth behind the legends of wizards and were-creatures. Then Ximon goes too far, and Dez must tap into all her buried desires to find her inner tiger and save herself, her new friends, and the boy she loves.

This novel is a typical YA fiction where the female lead does self-exploration and discovery about herself. Yes, she has body image issue, and love issue at that. And she tries to be a good girl. However, she didn't plan to fall into the hands on Ximon, who intends to kill her, and her kind. She embraces changes in her life, even though she was thrust into difficult situations, and she oozed of goodness that made readers like her alot, and wants to be like her.

The romance subplot is a little too fast for my liking. How could she feel something for someone that she has met for a short period of time?! But oh well, it's a YA fiction, so let's just put the blame on the "love at first sight" phenomenon that plagues teenagers.

I do recommend this book if you are in love with shapeshifter/werewolves stories, and I think it has potential for a movie adaption for this book.

P.S: Looking at her name reminds me of Othello.

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