Other by Karen Kincy

Summary (courtesy of GoodReads):  Seventeen-year-old Gwen hides a dangerous secret: she’s Other. Half-pooka, to be exact, thanks to the father she never met. Most Americans don’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for Others, especially not the small-town folks of Klikamuks, Washington. As if this isn’t bad enough, Gwen’s on the brink of revealing her true identity to her long-time boyfriend, Zack, but she’s scared he’ll lump her with the likes of bloodthirsty vampires and feral werewolves.

When a pack of werewolves chooses the national forest behind Gwen’s home as their new territory, the tensions in Klikamuks escalate-into murder. It soon becomes clear a serial killer is methodically slaying Others. The police turn a blind eye, leaving Gwen to find the killer before the killer finds her. As she hunts for clues, she uncovers more Others living nearby than she ever expected. Like Tavian, a sexy Japanese fox-spirit who rivals Zack and challenges her to embrace her Otherness. Gwen must struggle with her own conflicted identity, learn who she can trust, and-most importantly-stay alive. 

And here's what I thought:  I thought this was the perfect blend of paranormal thriller, mixed with a little bit of romance.   I liked how Kincy gave me character that I really liked, and actually would like to have as a friend (even though I would envy her shapeshifting abilities).  Gwen's sometimes a little impulsive, and sometimes a little conflicted about her Otherness, but she seemed real as a character (meaning, she wasn't flawless).  I appreciated that while she enjoyed her half-Pooka side, she also struggled with how to embrace that part of herself while at the same time, trying to fit in with the people around her.  


Supporting characters weren't bad, either.   Gwen's boyfriend, Zack, seemed at first a little too good to be true.... and then I thought he was a pill.   But, he actually seemed to get a little better towards the end of the book.   Tavian is the real gem here.  He's smart and funny, and doesn't worry about being who he is; he's comfortable with himself --- and that's very attractive.  Plus, the way Kincy writes him, he sounds pretty cute. 

There's some mystery in this book (as evidenced by the mention of murder above), and there's some real danger that Gwen encounters with some really nasty guys in town.   In the last part of the book, I found I was getting really worried for Gwen and Tavian.....     and that's all I'm saying.   You know, I try to avoid spoilers.   What I will say is that this was a fun read, but it had some depth to it.  I liked how Kincy worked things like dryads, and werewolves, into this story, and made all of the Others a realistic part of Gwen's world.  Very cool.  

Where I got this book:  Library!