Changeling by Steve Feasey

Target Audience: Kids/Teens
Genre: Thriller/Horror/Fantasy


As much as i love a paranormal romance, occasionally, i just want to read a good fantasy horror which is, well, different. This book fit that category nicely, and had a few extra intersting points to it that i wasn't expecting.

In summary, Changeling is about a teenage boy called Trey Laporte, who, after his grandmother dies ends up in a care home. Fast-forward a few years and he wakes up in his room one day with the place trashed and the door still locked, with no clue as to how it got that way. About to be punished for wrecking his room, he is saved by a man claiming to be his 'Uncle Lucien' who has come to see him, but not everything is as it seems and shortly after leaving with Lucien, the truth about himself and his family finally surfaces...

I found the paranormal side of this fascinating, the werewolf scenes were awesome and so well imagined that i could picture what was happening clearly in my mind, as if it was happening in front of me (and believe me, a 7/8 foot wolf is terrifying). The pace is non-stop and i was left breathless with what was happening in some instances. What i also loved is that it was set in London which was a change for me, since i usually read a lot of American books which are set in High School or various states, so it was brilliant to be able to imagine clearly where the events were taking place (although i don't think i'll ever go into the London Underground on my own again!)
If your a major vampire fan as well as werewolves, then you won't be diappointed, as there's plenty of them, among random other new and exciting paranormal entities to read about, my personal favourite being the Sputem Djinn (Yuck! lol)and all of the creatures/monsters in this book are given an original and refreshing make-over compared to other books i have read.

Character-wise, i absolutely loved Trey, he was funny, brave, and emotional (which made a change in a book with a male protagonist!) With regards to how he dealt with all the revelations thrown at him, i was quite impressed, because if it was me i'd have done a runner. At the same time though, it was believable as he didn't go all heroic with no panicking and make all the perfect choices, nope, Trey is a flawed hero and those are my favourite kind!
Lucian, i thought, was brilliant and the relationship that forms between him and Trey is wonderful to read about, especially when you realise how much like a father Lucian becomes to him (which pretty much sets up the whole second book!).
Alexia is the character who provides the slight bit of romance into the book, and it's clear that there are sparks between her and Trey from the start, i also love her attitude, she's fun, witty and withstands a lot of crap that's thrown at her.
Finally, my character babble wouldn't be complete without mentioning Tom, the awesome Irish guy who is simply, well, awesome!

To summarise, this book is so brilliant i believe everyone who loves a good fast-paced adventure, with some wonderful twists, heart-stopping emotions and a cliff-hanger that will leave you needing the next in the series, so give this book a read.

Fab book!