Review: I NEVER give five stars, so pay attention
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 23, 2011
I'm going to do something very rare for me. I'm giving this book 5 stars. I want you to know, if you aren't familiar with my reviews, that I rarely do this.Even more surprising, this is an Indie (self-published) book. Ace, Tor, or other SF publishers missed out big time. If Ms. Conway tried for an agent and couldn't get their attention, then I'm sticking out my tongue at them and saying nyah nyah nyah.Okay, that's out of my system.I found this book browsing the You Gotta Read blogs. Not sure if it was for covers or trailers. The concept sounded very original so I squandered my hard-earned 99 cents on the book.That's a buck I'm glad I spent.Briefly, xenofreaks are people who have undergone a procedure which attaches some animal body parts to them. The animals are genetically raised to be compatible with humans. Originally, the idea was to grow organs for transplants, but the underground xenofreaks started using the bits and pieces for decoration. Why not have feathers instead of hair? How about cougar claws? A wolf's face?Sounds pretty creepy. Anyway, the book opens with a protest by a group opposed to the xenofreaks' use of animals. I'm on their side. But as the plot progresses, we find out there are more sides to the story than you might guess.Rapid pace, excellent writing, sympathetic main characters, pitch perfect POV changes.I'd definitely buy more from Melissa Conway.