Review: Orinal take on folklore
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 29, 2013
I've followed Kat Heckenbach's career since her debut book, Finding Angel, was published, and one of my favorite things about this author is that she always finds an original angle from which to view folklore. Let me emphasize original -- without jumping into hokey or bizarre (like sparkly vampires).Ordinary folk is a paranormal suspense with all the elements of; secrecy, conspiracy, and plenty of danger. I was intrigued from the beginning because Janey's husband and doctors keep trying to diagnose her with a hormonal imbalance. Can't say I've come across that in a werewolf story before. Another reviewer didn't like that it took so long for Janey to discover her true nature, but to me it made sense. If I began having rage issues and heightened senses, my immediate conclusion would not be, "I must be a werewolf." At the same time, I'd get pretty ticked if those closest to me, whom I trusted most, failed to listen to me in trying to understand what was happening to my mind and body. I felt like her reaction to the people around her was appropriate under the circumstances, and it gave me a sense of the isolation she must have felt, and why it was so important to travel back to the town where her parents died.Janey's journey to learn about her past dredges up all kinds of mystery and danger. The small town setting, where everyone knows everybody, and the interactions between characters keep you guessing: friendly neighbor or snooping villain? There are those who are sworn to do away with Janey's kind, and those who are determined to protect her. But the most intriguing and tension-filled aspect of the story is Janey's discovery of her true self.