Shifting by Bethany Wiggins
Almost eighteen and shuffled around a long line of unsuccessful foster homes, Maggie is sent to a small town in New Mexico to live with her case worker’s elderly mother. Maggie just wants to fit in, but every full moon she unwillingly turns into an animal of her choosing. And Maggie’s past soon catches up to her, and a creepy man has followed her to town with dark intentions. Maggie learns that there are others like her that can shape shift into animals, but the dangerous Skinwalkers have traded their souls to be able to shift with the help of an animal skin.
Maggie is a heart-breaking character, used to poverty and abuse. Her backstory and dealings at school are unfortunately not far from some children’s actual experiences, making it that much harder to read. Emotional and gripping, I was hooked from the start. The complicated Bridger O’Connell is Maggie’s love interest, with some secrets of his own. Though, at times he makes some stupid decisions and hurts Maggie, making me dislike him.
Shifting is a dramatic, urban fantasy with plenty of mystery, suspense and romance. Wiggins is a talented writer, creating such an emotional backdrop to a Native American myth. A coming-of-age tale with a twist, I was completely enchanted with this impressive debut.
Thank you for a lovely review!