Feral Pride

January 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-Austin, TX, is the venue for the final battle between those fighting for humanity and free-will and those plotting world domination. A creature claiming to be a weresnake has taken the state governor hostage claiming that werebeasts are the superior species and need to take their rightful place. To capitalize on the already existing fear and mistrust of werebeasts, an incriminating video depicting a werecat's transformation is made viral. A secret police force now threatens the species with a serum to control shifting and behavior. Fighting back is an unlikely group of allies consisting of a werecats, a werepossum/lion hybrid, a geek/goth human, a vampire with a soul, a guardian angel, and others working to set things right. Smith once again weaves an action-packed plotline with campy alternating narration by Clyde, Aimee, Kayla, and Yoshi, all while dealing with the complex themes of acceptance, tolerance, freedom, and self-esteem. All this is done in a nonpreachy style to which readers can easily relate. A successful conclusion to a thought-provoking series.-Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2014
A battle pitting a group of werepeople and their vampire compatriot against demons in disguise concludes this trilogy that began with Feral Nights (2013). Escaping to the same imagined alternate Austin, Texas, first created by Smith in Tantalize (2007), teen werecat Kayla lies low with her new friends after having been outed to the world, caught on video transforming into her feline form. It's not due to embarrassment but rather because her recorded shift coincides with the abduction of the state's governor by a creature claiming to be a weresnake who insists that people accept that shifters are their superiors. As in previous volumes, the wickedly funny, quickly paced style is anchored by the novel's underlying theme of the marginalization of people and its effects, both those obvious ("Our legal rights are slippery," explains Kayla) and more insidiously subtle (like the wedge driven between Clyde, a werepossum/werelion hybrid, and his human girlfriend, Aimee, because of her father's prejudice). Alternating narration among Aimee, Clyde, and werecats Kayla and Yoshi makes for an interesting blended perspective but can also be a bit confusing, particularly when combined with the intricately detailed plan that evolves to take out the demon masquerading as a weresnake with nothing other than an angel's sword. A final episode that is witty, smart and moving-sure to satisfy those who've been following the series. (Paranormal romance. 14-18)

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January 1, 2015
Grades 9-12 Story lines from Feral Nights (2013) and Feral Curse (2014) come together in this trilogy ender, along with nods to Smith's Tantalize series. The action picks up directly from the end of Curse, with Kayla, Yoshi, Clyde, and Aimee on the run from federal agents who want to detain them in relation to the kidnapping of the Texas governor. But the agents are not who they claim to be, and neither is the self-proclaimed weresnake holding the governor captive. The conspiracy at hand is more insidious than simple antishifter politics, and it references back to the events on Daemon Island in Nights. As in the previous books, the short, tight chapters alternate between the points of view of the gang, which keeps them well defined among what is by now a rather large cast of characters. Smith's ability to mix the paranormal and the divine with sexy, wisecracking humor, youthful optimism, and fast-paced action has been a hallmark of this entertaining series. Fans will not be disappointed.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Smith's fantasies have earned her an army of fans, and this trilogy-enderthat connects two series, no lesswill have high visibility.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)