A review by sionna
Feral Nights by Cynthia Leitich Smith
2.0
If a reader goes into this book, not expecting a serious book, but more of a fluffy read to fill the time, then I think they will enjoy this one.
One interesting aspect of this book is how there are so many different shifter types. This is not a common place trope, so I was excited to start reading this one. In fact, I think this is the first book I have read with a werepossum. There is also mention of vampires, demons, witches and wizards, and more. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the supernatural creatures in one book, but did wish that the world-building had not been so weak. This is the first book in a series, even if it is a spin-off, so the reader needs more background information about what is going on. We are told that humans know about shifters, but what else is going on? What is the human reaction? Where is the human aspect? Do Aimee's parents not care or do they not know she hangs out with shifters? These are some questions I would have wanted answered.
There are also multiple perspectives we read through: Aimee, Clyde, and Yoshi. This helps the reader learn about the characters and potentially connect with them more. These three were definitely distinct. The side characters are the ones I kept getting confused, especially when they ended up on the island. Even before that, though, I was mixing up the name of the sheriff with other people.
The plot is pretty thin. There is a story line and the mystery is there, but it felt really passive since things happened so easily for the main characters.
One interesting aspect of this book is how there are so many different shifter types. This is not a common place trope, so I was excited to start reading this one. In fact, I think this is the first book I have read with a werepossum. There is also mention of vampires, demons, witches and wizards, and more. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the supernatural creatures in one book, but did wish that the world-building had not been so weak. This is the first book in a series, even if it is a spin-off, so the reader needs more background information about what is going on. We are told that humans know about shifters, but what else is going on? What is the human reaction? Where is the human aspect? Do Aimee's parents not care or do they not know she hangs out with shifters? These are some questions I would have wanted answered.
There are also multiple perspectives we read through: Aimee, Clyde, and Yoshi. This helps the reader learn about the characters and potentially connect with them more. These three were definitely distinct. The side characters are the ones I kept getting confused, especially when they ended up on the island. Even before that, though, I was mixing up the name of the sheriff with other people.
The plot is pretty thin. There is a story line and the mystery is there, but it felt really passive since things happened so easily for the main characters.