Review: Okay book -- interesting story but slow paced
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 22, 2014
I really wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. I applaud the inclusion of gay and "genderqueer" teenage characters and the neo-pagan lifestyle descriptions, but so much time was spent setting up how "different" Amanda was because of her pagan beliefs and interesting friends that nothing much happened for the first half of the book. Basically, she talks a lot about what her cross-dressing friends are wearing, wonders why a guy is talking to her, and gets upset about body hair and people thinking she's smelly. And there are two or three times or so that she sees one of several men she gets creeped out by. They don't really do anything to her, they just look creepy. There are other small hints that there is going to be trouble later on, but nothing ominous enough to really build a feeling of tension about Amanda's safety.At about halfway through, the meat of the story begins and the creepy guys start to attack people. She and other kids in her town are actually under threat, her friends all have secrets they are keeping, and there is a well-written and exciting battle later on. The author just used way too many words to get to where the story actually began. However, I do recommend the book for  teens who are desperate for LGBT-friendly fantasy novels and also for YA readers who don't mind a lot of setup to the story before it gets rolling.I received this book free in exchange for an honest review