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a_reader_obsessed's review
3.0
3.5 Hearts
If a thoughtful YA with a shifter theme is ringing your bell, then this might catch your interest!
Set in Australia where urban meets rural clashes with nature, what no one knows is that there’s fox shifters inhabiting the national forest whose kind (along with regular foxes) are systematically being killed due to their predatory instincts that directly go against the local farmers in the area.
Spencer’s family has moved from the city to his grandparents to help the family business of raising sheep, and he’s confronted with some well established and unsaid rules - foxes are the enemy when it comes to keeping the sheep safe and they’re free game to those who want to hunt. When Spencer spies a familiar figure from his childhood in the nearby woods, he can’t help but be intrigued by the strange teen who stirs all sorts of unknown feels within.
Conner (a Furborn) is quickly and sadly becoming a rarity amongst his own kind with very few loved ones remaining. He feels the burden of responsibility to protect who’s left and has no time for forming friendships, especially with the newest inhabitants at the Mackenzies’s. However, when Conner gets injured, his life is suddenly more complicated than ever as circumstance intertwines it with Spencer’s, and Conner has no choice but to rely on those who are basically deemed the enemy.
This has typical teen angst about the first stirrings of sexuality, the anxiety regarding coming out, and those tentative steps towards exploring lust and perhaps more. Vivid imagery with a light spiritual tone abounds, as Rowan can definitely color the atmosphere and setting. Conner is a stalwart kind of character, practical and literal and always putting others first, always doing what must be done. Spencer is simply navigating his teen life, sorting out feelings and all the amazing revelations that come with knowing Conner.
Again, circumstance forces these two together in a mutually joint effort that’s ultimately wholly necessary. Can they eventually be the much needed support that each needs when they’re confronted with their own personal crisis?
Despite an underlying melancholy to this and its chaste romantic progression, please don’t be put off by that because this does end on a hopeful wistful note. Bridging tradition and the need for some progression for improved survival, change is not necessarily a bad thing and often, it can aid survival and happiness to heal a tragic painful past.
Overall, if you don’t mind tame YA and desire a bit of a twist regarding shifters, then give this a go!
Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review
If a thoughtful YA with a shifter theme is ringing your bell, then this might catch your interest!
Set in Australia where urban meets rural clashes with nature, what no one knows is that there’s fox shifters inhabiting the national forest whose kind (along with regular foxes) are systematically being killed due to their predatory instincts that directly go against the local farmers in the area.
Spencer’s family has moved from the city to his grandparents to help the family business of raising sheep, and he’s confronted with some well established and unsaid rules - foxes are the enemy when it comes to keeping the sheep safe and they’re free game to those who want to hunt. When Spencer spies a familiar figure from his childhood in the nearby woods, he can’t help but be intrigued by the strange teen who stirs all sorts of unknown feels within.
Conner (a Furborn) is quickly and sadly becoming a rarity amongst his own kind with very few loved ones remaining. He feels the burden of responsibility to protect who’s left and has no time for forming friendships, especially with the newest inhabitants at the Mackenzies’s. However, when Conner gets injured, his life is suddenly more complicated than ever as circumstance intertwines it with Spencer’s, and Conner has no choice but to rely on those who are basically deemed the enemy.
This has typical teen angst about the first stirrings of sexuality, the anxiety regarding coming out, and those tentative steps towards exploring lust and perhaps more. Vivid imagery with a light spiritual tone abounds, as Rowan can definitely color the atmosphere and setting. Conner is a stalwart kind of character, practical and literal and always putting others first, always doing what must be done. Spencer is simply navigating his teen life, sorting out feelings and all the amazing revelations that come with knowing Conner.
Again, circumstance forces these two together in a mutually joint effort that’s ultimately wholly necessary. Can they eventually be the much needed support that each needs when they’re confronted with their own personal crisis?
Despite an underlying melancholy to this and its chaste romantic progression, please don’t be put off by that because this does end on a hopeful wistful note. Bridging tradition and the need for some progression for improved survival, change is not necessarily a bad thing and often, it can aid survival and happiness to heal a tragic painful past.
Overall, if you don’t mind tame YA and desire a bit of a twist regarding shifters, then give this a go!
Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review
ellelainey's review against another edition
4.0
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
~
Furborn, by Isabella Rowan
★★★★☆
198 Pages
POV: 3rd person, multi-POV
Content Warning: mentions of stroke, suicide attempts, self-harm, missing child, search and rescue
I loved the premise of the book, with the idea of fox-shifters and Connor potentially being the last of the furborns in the country. However, the blurb is only the tip of the iceberg. It literally describes the Prologue and little more. The story is so much more than what the blurb entails.
I hate to end on a flat or sour note, so I'm going to dip into the negatives now, that meant I couldn't give it 5 stars. Then I can end on a high note.
First off, there were some simple and small issues with the likes of grammar and punctuation. Being Scottish, I had little-to-no knowledge of the terms used. Most were well explained quickly, but a lot of things weren't (e.g. rangas, myki card, CBD, White Night and ten-pound poms) And, honestly, when I looked up the word ranga after reading, I wasn't keen on its use. Not only was it used to describe Connor throughout the book, but Spencer used it and it felt so derogatory once I knew what it meant. The way it was used between Spencer and Kelsey, I honestly thought it was a teasing word for crush or something. I wish I hadn't looked it up.
I also felt that the pace of the book suffered quite a bit. The first half was VERY slow. The chapters were short, but instead of helping, I feel like it made the book feel so much longer, which made it feel more of a slog to get through. There were a whole lot of instances where the pacing felt off and disjointed, that there was a lot of nothing happening, only for everything to happen at once. It felt like the second half of the book was stronger. I didn't feel like it was a world-building issue, either. That was nicely paced throughout the book, but it felt like the events needed to happen all at once, and that left a lot of empty space at the start.
So, I absolutely FLOVED Spencer and Connor. They were adorbs, in all kinds of ways, and even better together. Connor was gruff and resistant to outside help, thought humans nothing more than murderers and a danger to his people. In contrast, Spencer was this young, emo kid who was trying to hide from the world and unsure where his future lay. Together, they perfectly balanced each other and offered something the other person was lacking.
The POV was nicely and evenly split between Connor and Spencer, but we also got the added bonus of a fluke chapter in Emily's POV. This was so vital to the story, and adorable at the same time. Although it led to a huge plot twist, it was well orchestrated. I liked that Connor and Spencer were given equal status all the way throughout the book. They both got to tell their side of the story, without biased towards one or the other. (I still wish Spencer had taken a video of the Old Jack performance to take back to show Connor, though. That would have been a nice touch.)
The plot lagged a little at the start, but picked up pace halfway and kept that up throughout. I sometimes felt that major issues (Kelsey, and Emily) were ignored or forgotten about for large chunks of the story, to focus more on Connor's struggle. While it could be long-winded and boring at times, with Spencer doing chores and such, the spark was there whenever Connor and Spencer were on page together. That, for me, saved it and made it special.
Furborn was a super sweet YA books with a touch of realism from two grungy and mature MC's. It gave action, adventure, and romance in equal measure, while offering some interesting insight into the furborn world-building. I wouldn't be averse to reading more, perhaps of Spencer's future, or to see some of the furborn get their stories. With an outstanding, twisty ending, I couldn't help but push past the few negatives to enjoy the overall story.
~
Favourite Quotes
“Your raven has done well by you,” May said. “You were right to trust him.”
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
~
Furborn, by Isabella Rowan
★★★★☆
198 Pages
POV: 3rd person, multi-POV
Content Warning: mentions of stroke, suicide attempts, self-harm, missing child, search and rescue
I loved the premise of the book, with the idea of fox-shifters and Connor potentially being the last of the furborns in the country. However, the blurb is only the tip of the iceberg. It literally describes the Prologue and little more. The story is so much more than what the blurb entails.
I hate to end on a flat or sour note, so I'm going to dip into the negatives now, that meant I couldn't give it 5 stars. Then I can end on a high note.
First off, there were some simple and small issues with the likes of grammar and punctuation. Being Scottish, I had little-to-no knowledge of the terms used. Most were well explained quickly, but a lot of things weren't (e.g. rangas, myki card, CBD, White Night and ten-pound poms) And, honestly, when I looked up the word ranga after reading, I wasn't keen on its use. Not only was it used to describe Connor throughout the book, but Spencer used it and it felt so derogatory once I knew what it meant. The way it was used between Spencer and Kelsey, I honestly thought it was a teasing word for crush or something. I wish I hadn't looked it up.
I also felt that the pace of the book suffered quite a bit. The first half was VERY slow. The chapters were short, but instead of helping, I feel like it made the book feel so much longer, which made it feel more of a slog to get through. There were a whole lot of instances where the pacing felt off and disjointed, that there was a lot of nothing happening, only for everything to happen at once. It felt like the second half of the book was stronger. I didn't feel like it was a world-building issue, either. That was nicely paced throughout the book, but it felt like the events needed to happen all at once, and that left a lot of empty space at the start.
So, I absolutely FLOVED Spencer and Connor. They were adorbs, in all kinds of ways, and even better together. Connor was gruff and resistant to outside help, thought humans nothing more than murderers and a danger to his people. In contrast, Spencer was this young, emo kid who was trying to hide from the world and unsure where his future lay. Together, they perfectly balanced each other and offered something the other person was lacking.
The POV was nicely and evenly split between Connor and Spencer, but we also got the added bonus of a fluke chapter in Emily's POV. This was so vital to the story, and adorable at the same time. Although it led to a huge plot twist, it was well orchestrated. I liked that Connor and Spencer were given equal status all the way throughout the book. They both got to tell their side of the story, without biased towards one or the other. (I still wish Spencer had taken a video of the Old Jack performance to take back to show Connor, though. That would have been a nice touch.)
The plot lagged a little at the start, but picked up pace halfway and kept that up throughout. I sometimes felt that major issues (Kelsey, and Emily) were ignored or forgotten about for large chunks of the story, to focus more on Connor's struggle. While it could be long-winded and boring at times, with Spencer doing chores and such, the spark was there whenever Connor and Spencer were on page together. That, for me, saved it and made it special.
Furborn was a super sweet YA books with a touch of realism from two grungy and mature MC's. It gave action, adventure, and romance in equal measure, while offering some interesting insight into the furborn world-building. I wouldn't be averse to reading more, perhaps of Spencer's future, or to see some of the furborn get their stories. With an outstanding, twisty ending, I couldn't help but push past the few negatives to enjoy the overall story.
~
Favourite Quotes
“Your raven has done well by you,” May said. “You were right to trust him.”
valpyre's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
this was really lovely and light in its own way. i really liked that spencer was so connected to his family, and that there wasnt that extra teen plot of undeserved resentment towards them, even though he was going through a lot of change. also this isnt a homophobia free world, but the story also wasnt bogged down or dominated by it and that was just a breath of fresh air. the small twist/reveal at the end was a little much imo, but it was still nice.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Animal cruelty
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