Overview
Gwen Williams has been hiding a strange and fantastic secret: she's a shapeshifter. Although society may tolerate vampires, centaurs, and "Others" like Gwen, there are plenty of folks in her small Washington town who don't care for her kind.
When a new werewolf pack moves into the area, tensions rise—and Others start showing up dead, including someone close to Gwen. Despite the methodical murders, the police are ignoring evidence that suggests a serial killer. In the midst of terrible loss and danger, Gwen—along with a mysterious and sexy guy who happens to be a Japanese fox spirit—risks her life to find the murderer. But Gwen is already the killer's next target . . .
PRAISE:
"This who-done-it is an unusual blend of mystery and fantasy, starring original characters not often featured in modern urban fantasy for teens. I really enjoyed it."—Annette Curtis Klause, author of Blood and Chocolate
"Other has it all: love, shifters, pookas, and nail-biting action. What's even better, Kincy's characters are vibrant, real, and lovable. This is a debut that leaves you aching for more."—Carrie Jones, New York Times bestselling author of Need and Captivate
Synopsis
Feathers unfurl from my skin. My plummet curves into a swoop, and I tuck my talons beneath my body. From girl to great horned owl in about a second. Pretty good, huh?
Gwen Williams is like any other modern teenager with one exception: she's a shapeshifter. Never having known her Pooka-spirit father, Gwen must struggle with the wild, wonderful magic inside of her alone—and in secret. While society may tolerate vampires, centaurs, and "Others" like Gwen, there are plenty of folks in Klikamuks, Washington, who don't care for her kind.
Now there's a new werewolf pack in town, and Others are getting killed, including Gwen's dryad friend. The police are doing zilch. In the midst of terrible loss and danger, Gwen meets a cute Japanese fox spirit who's refreshingly comfortable with his Otherness. Can Gwen find the courage to embrace her true self and find the killer—before she becomes the next victim?
"This who-done-it is an unusual blend of mystery and fantasy, starring original characters not often featured in modern urban fantasy for teens. I really enjoyed it."—Annette Curtis Klause, author of Blood and Chocolate
"Other has it all; love, shifters, pookas, and nail-biting action. What's even better, Kincy's characters are vibrant, real and lovable. This is a debut that leaves you aching for more."—Carrie Jones, New York Times bestselling author of Need and Captivate
School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up—This fresh take on a modern fantasy is set in Washington State. Shape-shifters, vampires, werewolves, and the like are called "Others," and "normal humans" are well aware of their existence. Others are being murdered, and it seems that a serial killer may be on the prowl. Several deaths are too close for comfort for teenage half-pooka Gwen. She discovers a dead couple, both water sprites, and her friend, a Dryad, hanging from a tree in the forest. Gwen searches for answers, all the while unsure of whom to trust and what exactly it means to be Other. In another wrinkle, Gwen's boyfriend comes from an ultra-Christian family who feel that Others are an abomination. He doesn't know that Gwen is half-pooka until after they lose their virginity to one another. The emotional turmoil of the characters is evident and will appeal to readers who have felt misunderstood or as if they don't belong-teenagers.—Genevieve Gallagher, Charlottesville High School, VA