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Thursday, July 18, 2013

Review: Autumn by Sierra Dean (7.5/10)


Review
This is a Galley review and I was completely honest when writing it.

     I was hesitant before starting Sierra Dean's first installment in the Dog Days series for a few reasons. First, I wasn't sure if the werewolf-ish theme could compare to the greats, like Andrea Cremer's books or The Wolves of Mercy Falls books by Maggie Stiefvater. Then, the summary doesn't do the book justice. It makes it sound corny and borderline childish, when in fact Autumn is thriving with depth and holds the old fashioned quality that makes for a good story. There isn't anything particularly incredible or out of the box about the plot, but the flow of Autumn and the execution really make it special. The particular voices of the main characters, Cooper, whose family is cursed in that all the males will turn into the same type of dog from a story in their past, and Lou, the new girl in Poisonfoot whose family is interesting in its own way, are very unique. I love the relationship of Lou and Cooper, from his hesitance to be with her and her determination to do just that. Despite their families' and pretty much every single person in Poisonfoot's wishes and warnings, Lou and Cooper are still drawn undeniably to each other, which makes for a certain Romeo and Juliet quality that will just capture your heart. As the mystery of the curse unravels, secrets about the small town and its history spill out. The readers follow Lou and Cooper from each point of view as they discover the secrets and discover more about themselves. I really enjoyed this journey, especially the balance between the paranormal and reality. Lou has some special gifts that are new to me, which is an impressive achievement in its own since I've read about dang near every creature or gift out there. If I had to compare Autumn to another YA book, I'd say it most closely relates to Beautiful Creatures. That said, it is very individualistic, but if you are a fan of Kami Garcia's and Margaret Stohl's series, then I think you will appreciate this book like I did. I give Autumn by Sierra Dean a 7.5/10, and right now it is only $2.99 on Kindle, so go buy it!
Summary:

     Cooper Reynolds’s life is going to the dogs… literally.

As if being a high school senior in a small Texas town wasn’t hard enough, Cooper has bigger things to worry about than who he’ll take to prom and whether or not the Poisonfoot Padres will win homecoming. He has less than a year before his eighteenth birthday, when a curse placed on his family will doom him to live in coyote form forever.

The last thing he needs to complicate his already messed-up life is a girl, but fate has other plans in mind for him when it brings Eloise “Lou” Whittaker to Poisonfoot. She’s grouchy, sarcastic and has no love for her new Texas home, but she might be exactly the right person to help Cooper break the curse.

The clock is ticking, and Cooper will have to decide if he’s willing to let Lou in on his dirty little secret before it’s too late.

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