Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Review: The Replacement

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Age Group: Young Adult
Published: September 21, 2010 by Razorbill
Format: Hardcover, 343 pgs.
Source: Purchased

Description:

Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world.

Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.



My Thoughts:

Let me just say that I LOVE this cover . . . and also this book. Brenna Yovanoff has crafted a seriously eerie book with wonderful characters. Mackie is a believable boy complete with the inability to not stare at girls and endanger his well-being for a kiss, and the best part is that he's not drop dead gorgeous. He's pale and tall and awkward (which is totally my type, but still), and I love it! 

I think my favorite character, though, is Tate. Her little sister dies (so the town is willing to believe), and everyone shuns her because she doesn't mourn the death of the thing that replaced her. Everyone turns against her, and she turns to the single weirdest kid in town to help her (and then falls for him). She's strong and quirky and stubborn as hell, and she is the reason Mackie gets involved at all . . . I said he was a real guy. 
 
The writing is superb, and the descriptions leave just enough to the imagination to make your skin crawl in places. Yovanoff has created a twisted world and filled it with strong, realistic characters (and a few creepy, intimidating ones as well) in her stunning debut novel. If you think there aren't any "boy books" out there, you're missing out on this one.

Visit the author online.
Buy the book: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

5 comments:

Pam Harris said...

I've been dying to read this book. Great review! :)

Heather said...

Thanks for the review! I've only read one bad review of this so I've got to check it out!

Magan said...

Other than this is a great review and I,too, and looking to read this book, but I think you and I need to skype chat or something sometime. It's been too long girlmance!

Unknown said...

The cover alone is enough to make me want to read it. But it sounds like a thoroughly original and engaging story as well.

Unknown said...

It went so much further than I thought it would, and the cover does a great job of hinting at things and giving the feel of the book. Love it. :)

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