Author: Cat Winters
Series: None
Pages: 368
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Date Published: September 12th, 2017
Publisher: Amulet Books
Format Read: eARC provided by the publisher (via NetGalley) for honest review
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Summary:
Trudchen grew up
hearing Odette’s stories of their monster-slaying mother and a
magician’s curse. But now that Tru’s older, she’s starting to wonder if
her older sister’s tales were just comforting lies, especially because
there’s nothing fantastic about her own life—permanently disabled and in
constant pain from childhood polio.
In 1909, after a two-year absence, Od reappears with a suitcase supposedly full of weapons and a promise to rescue Tru from the monsters on their way to attack her. But it’s Od who seems haunted by something. And when the sisters’ search for their mother leads them to a face-off with the Leeds Devil, a nightmarish beast that’s wreaking havoc in the Mid-Atlantic states, Tru discovers the peculiar possibility that she and her sister—despite their dark pasts and ordinary appearances—might, indeed, have magic after all.
In 1909, after a two-year absence, Od reappears with a suitcase supposedly full of weapons and a promise to rescue Tru from the monsters on their way to attack her. But it’s Od who seems haunted by something. And when the sisters’ search for their mother leads them to a face-off with the Leeds Devil, a nightmarish beast that’s wreaking havoc in the Mid-Atlantic states, Tru discovers the peculiar possibility that she and her sister—despite their dark pasts and ordinary appearances—might, indeed, have magic after all.
-Goodreads
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My Thoughts:
Cat Winters has done it again, blending reality and the paranormal, while making you wonder what's real and what's not. If you're familiar with Winters' work, "Odd & True" will feel both familiar and new. While the novel has all the staples of a Winters' novel, it also feels a lot darker, and like more of a fairytale than any of her previous YA novels.
"Odd & True" is the story of two sisters and the stories that they tell themselves. As the narrative unfolds the walls between what is real and what is made up start to break down. This is a historical novel that's deeply rooted in heartache and darkness, and yet there is still a lightness, and a love that fills the pages.
It's a historical fairytale in a way. Odd tells True about their life and weaves a story of mothers who are monster hunters, and castles on hills, but it's what she's hiding behind these pretty stories that makes this book so interesting. Odd's a haunted character, and the way she deals with confronting her demons is to be commended! She's such a great character.
And then we have True. True who has grown up feeling like her family isn't a mess, thanks to Odd. But she's got her own things to deal with, including a disability she got from having polio as a child. Winters' takes True from a shy character to one that's just as strong and just as interesting as her older sister, and it's great fun to watch her grow as the story unfolds.
The story comes to a head when the sisters take off to hunt down their mother, and the great Leeds Devil. Do they really come from a family of monster hunters? Is the Leeds Devil real? Will they make it out alive? And what secrets are each of the girls hiding? You're just going to have to read "Odd & True" to find out.
5 Unicorns = Get Your Hands On This NOW!
