The Shapeshifter's Secret (The Shapeshifter's Secret, #1) by Heather Ostler

May 13, 2012 Glass rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Glass by: Tanja (Tanychy) St. Delphi

Shelves: 2012, arc, blog-tour

You can find this review here: Ja čitam, a ti?

What Glass thought about it...

This is sweet story in which will enjoy younger readers. Magic, Hogwarts-like boarding school, nymphs, castles and secret royalty. I'd be honest with you guys. The Shapeshifter's Secret has its ups and downs. Some parts left me frustrated and some made me swoon. Beginning is little bit too fast and there are lot of things left hanging loose. I wasn't really "convinced" by love story between Julia and Terrence but I'm gue...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Heather Ostler rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Yes, I did give my novel 5 stars. As the author I'm allowed to do that, right? But honestly, thank you so much for your interest in The Shapeshifter's Secret. I really hope you enjoy it!

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May 17, 2012 Zuleeza rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: debut-author-read-in-2012, arc, paranormal

This review is also available on my blog, Qwerty

This e-ARC was provided to me by NetGalley and Cedar Fort Publishing.

I hate bashing a book by a debut author, but dear Heather Ostler, my feeling after I finished your book is identical to the feeling I got after I had been Rickrolled.

Oh, that famous ankle-dancing simply melts my heart

Like, if I were to pull a prank on an innocent victim, I'd tell that person to read this book because;

This fast-paced action-adventure story is packed with humor, ro...more

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May 13, 2012 Tanja (Tanychy) St. Delphi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Tanja (Tanychy) by: Glass

Shelves: arc-galleys, paranormal-romance, blog-tour

You can find this review here: Ja čitam, a ti?

What Glass thought about it...

This is sweet story in which will enjoy younger readers. Magic, Hogwarts-like boarding school, nymphs, castles and secret royalty. I'd be honest with you guys. The Shapeshifter's Secret has its ups and downs. Some parts left me frustrated and some made me swoon. Beginning is little bit too fast and there are lot of things left hanging loose. I wasn't really "convinced" by love story between Julia and Terrence but I'm gu...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Lyuba rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: net-galley, did-not-finish, arc

When the first sentence in the book starts with "Julia thought of how completely and utterly complicated Caleb glyndor really was", I pause and think twice about reading it. It is sad that not even through the first chapter I realize that I should have listened to my gut feeling and stopped reading right there, but alas I went as far as 21% and I can't continue any longer.

In the fist chapter we meet the insta-love (apparently it's not the case according to other reviewers, but it sure felt like...more

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May 23, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: r2r-complete, read-2012

(I was given this book for free on a read-to-review basis, as part of the ‘The Shapeshifter’s secret’ blog tour.)
15-year-old Julia lives with her over-protective dad, and thinks that she is a normal teen. She’s wrong. She’s recently been having some issues with anger, and she really begins to panic when she throws a desk against the wall in her English class, and scares her class and teacher silly.

The problem isn’t anger though, the problem is that she’s Shapeshifter royalty, and as she nears he...more (I was given this book for free on a read-to-review basis, as part of the ‘The Shapeshifter’s secret’ blog tour.)
15-year-old Julia lives with her over-protective dad, and thinks that she is a normal teen. She’s wrong. She’s recently been having some issues with anger, and she really begins to panic when she throws a desk against the wall in her English class, and scares her class and teacher silly.

The problem isn’t anger though, the problem is that she’s Shapeshifter royalty, and as she nears her 16th birthday, her body has begun to show the changes that will occur when she finally begins to shift into her animal form – a white tiger.

When Julia finally finds out what’s really going on though, there’s little time to get used to the idea, and she ends up in a car chase, before hitching a ride through a portal to the world that she really belongs to – Ossai. From there she has to go to a special school to learn about shapeshifting, and begins to try to unravel the mystery surrounding her absent mother.

Julia has more than that to deal with though; first there’s the problem that someone wants her dead. Then there are the questions; why is she drawn to the mysterious locked ballroom? And who can she really trust?

This young adult book had a definite ‘Harry Potter’ feel to it – a school in a castle, magical powers, strange markings on walls, secret passages, the main character being known throughout the country as being special, mysteries surrounding her mother, mysterious teachers etc.

As well as the mysteries and paranormal aspects of the book there were also teen storylines concerning friends and boyfriends and such, and even having finished the book I’m not really sure which boy Julia really favoured.

There were some interesting objects to be found in Ossai – rocks that made instant fire, flying paper aeroplane candy, rings that glow red when people lie, and the characters were also varied with water nymphs as well as Shapeshifter’s.

I can’t say that I really enjoyed this book, it just didn’t hold my attention and I found myself speed-reading to get through it. I do think that other people will enjoy it though.
Overall: Read this if you loved Harry Potter.
5 out of 10.
(Book Length: 3739 kindle locations.)(less)

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Mar 10, 2012 Katy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this book, but I spent most of the reading experience being really angry with the book. I'm not really sure how to explain it. I don't know if it was the writing or the story itself - or both.

I didn't feel this was a complete book. I'm sure this is going to be the first book in a series, but there were too many incomplete series and too many things left unanswered. First, I don't know what's the connection with the water people with this book. We see a lot of things throu...more I really wanted to like this book, but I spent most of the reading experience being really angry with the book. I'm not really sure how to explain it. I don't know if it was the writing or the story itself - or both.

I didn't feel this was a complete book. I'm sure this is going to be the first book in a series, but there were too many incomplete series and too many things left unanswered. First, I don't know what's the connection with the water people with this book. We see a lot of things through Julia's point of view and the school being for werecats, but what about the water people. I have yet to see what role they play in this book. And the message in the ballroom? Was that just a distraction to throw the suspicion off or is there an actual rivalry? And what is Julia's mother. I'm under the assumption she's a werecat, but I don't recall reading that she is. Also, I want to know more about her in particular. Why is she so power hungry? What IS the power? What is she after?

As far as the book itself, it was okay. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. The storyline was a little too much like your typical YA paranormal, and there wasn't much to make it stand out. And it was very predictable. I guess Ostler made her villains a little too obvious. And everything felt like it just brushed the surface. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Ostler didn't bog us down with details, but at the same time, she didn't give us much to work with either. Even that action scenes occurred really quickly, and there wasn't much to them because they were over shortly after they started.

First, I am not a fan of Julia. She's a real witch. She walks around with a chip on her shoulder, and she's really mean to people - some deserving like Celeste and Melanie as well as Camilla and Gilbert, both also people on her side like her father and Caleb. Poor Caleb. And all of these people are trying to protect her, and she just acts really dumb half of the time. I understand that she's tired of being overprotected, and she wants to know her mother. But her defiance and rebellion makes me so angry. And later on, she says she doesn't want to just stand by as people around her risk her lives, but to me, it wasn't as selfless and sacrificial as heroines written in other books. I don't know. The girl just rubs me the wrong way.

I also wasn't crazy about the male characters in this book. I think I like Caleb the most, but even then, he's not very well written. He doesn't make me swoon, and he's kind of aloof. But I do want something to happen between Julia and Caleb though, and I'm frustrated the way the book ended. I'm sure there's going to be a sequel, but their relationships ended so oddly and abruptly. I don't even care if he tells her he cares about her and leave us with a cliffhanger or whatever. But the book leaves us with unresolved and frustrated.

As far as Terrance, he's a little too smooth for my taste. I'm sure he's a great guy, but I just don't trust him. And the two said I love you WAY too fast. They've only met a few times and talked a few times. And yes, you can swoon, but it wasn't like it was love at first sight. And even if it was, I didn't feel it. So either it's fishy, or Ostler didn't do a very good job with making us feel what they felt.

And Gabe was just a bit too moody. I didn't care much for him either. And he's a horrible best friend or good friend type of character. And what IS he?

I liked it enough, but I spent way too much time being angry at the characters and frustrated that it wasn't better or more explained, so I'm giving it a wash with two stars for okay.(less)

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Mar 31, 2012 Gretchen Hohmeyer rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, netgalley, did-not-finish-dnf

Did not finish. I tried my hardest and managed to get halfway through, but I just couldn't keep going. The characters seemed to all be stereotypes, the relationships were all a tinge off and the book didn't read very well. Just not for me!

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Mar 07, 2012 fяσzєη marked it as to-read

Shelves: covergasm, owned-ebooks, have-high-hopes-for

Yay! Thank you NetGalley & Cedar Fort for sending me this!

The cover is beautiful. <3

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Jul 26, 2012 Tahlia Newland rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, ya

This is another story about a teen with an absent parent and powers she knew nothing of until something strange starts happening. In this case, start turning into a werecat.

However, after we get over the oh-no-not-again groan, it’s quite a good addition to the young adult fantasy genre, one that crosses over from our world into a different reality. Julia discovers that not only is she a werecat, but in this other world, she’s a kind of royalty and her mother … I can’t let on, except to say that...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Leeanna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, e-book

I’m going to be blunt, because there’s no other way to say it: I did not like “The Shapeshifter’s Secret.”

When I first came across the book a few months ago, the cover caught my attention. I liked the animal markings on the girl’s face, and hoped they indicated an exciting story. I was excited to read a book about shapeshifters, as they’re not something I have read a lot of.

Julia is a normal teenager, one with an extremely overprotective father. But when she starts having rages that go beyond...more I’m going to be blunt, because there’s no other way to say it: I did not like “The Shapeshifter’s Secret.”

When I first came across the book a few months ago, the cover caught my attention. I liked the animal markings on the girl’s face, and hoped they indicated an exciting story. I was excited to read a book about shapeshifters, as they’re not something I have read a lot of.

Julia is a normal teenager, one with an extremely overprotective father. But when she starts having rages that go beyond a teen’s normal angsty anger, she learns that her father has been hiding a huge secret. She’s a shapeshifter -- a white tiger werecat, to be precise -- and she is also royalty. In the middle of her father’s explanation, their house is attacked, and the boy that has been guarding her whisks her away to Ossai, a secret land of shapeshifters.

Once in Ossai, Julia attends a school … in a castle … with magic … with a gigantic library … with rumors of secret passages … sound familiar? Unfortunately, “The Shapeshifter’s Secret” has none of the charm of Harry Potter.

The writing is one of my biggest complaints. Honestly, I’ve read fanfiction with better editing, style, and developed characters (original characters). I was never able to connect with Julia, and I didn’t really like her, either. She did one immature, stupid thing after another, never learning from her mistakes or growing as a character. She hated that everyone was putting their lives on the line to guard her, yet she continually risked herself by keeping secrets and sneaking into forbidden places. After meeting a boy twice, she was in love with him. That felt far-fetched to me, even with her youth. I never fell in love at first sight when I was 16, so I tend to be skeptical when it happens in books.

I had problems with the pacing, too. The passage of time is hard to keep track of. It seemed like Julia was studying for winter exams in one chapter and then for spring exams in the next. The actions scenes were snoozefests -- I never felt a sense of urgency or danger for the characters. Lastly, there were some awkward word choices that pulled me out of the narrative, such as itinerary for a class schedule.

The reason I’m giving this two stars instead of one is because I did like the world the author created. It had promise. The tidbits of history and evolution of werecats were interesting, and I wish there had been more of those. However, even there I had problems. Julia’s best friend is a water nymph, yet we never find out how water nymphs fit into the world of Ossai.

The book does not end on a cliffhanger, although there is plenty of room for a sequel. I doubt I will read it, if there is a next book, as I just didn’t enjoy “The Shapeshifter’s Secret.”

Disclaimer: I received this book through NetGalley, from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

My review is also posted at my website, leeanna.me.(less)

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Jun 12, 2012 Sharon Tyler rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Shapeshifter's Secret by Heather Ostler is a young adult novels scheduled for release on June 12 2012. Julia thinks that she is a fairly normal teen. At sixteen her father is overprotective and her mother is not in the picture. However, lately when Julia gets upset she starts feeling a little out of control. When secrets start to come to light, Julia and her family go on the run. She learns that she is much more than she appears; but so is her father, favorite uncle, and the new boy from sch...more The Shapeshifter's Secret by Heather Ostler is a young adult novels scheduled for release on June 12 2012. Julia thinks that she is a fairly normal teen. At sixteen her father is overprotective and her mother is not in the picture. However, lately when Julia gets upset she starts feeling a little out of control. When secrets start to come to light, Julia and her family go on the run. She learns that she is much more than she appears; but so is her father, favorite uncle, and the new boy from school. Everything Julia thought she new turns out to be a lie, and the truth is much more complicated than anyone could have imagined. Will Julia come to turns with her new reality, and will she survive discovering the whole truth?

The Shapeshifter's Secret takes a slightly new twist on the paranormal genre. Instead of a virus, viscous attacks, or mythology holding the root of people's special abilities the truth lies through a portal. Not unlike a faerie portal, the portal to the world of Ossia leads to world where people have evolved these abilities in order to survive. While the people have advances, and formed a solid civilization, they in the midst of a power struggle, with betrayal seemingly possible behind every door. When Julia enters this world, and is hustled off to a school for people originally from this world, she is faced with both the intrigue of her family situation and the perils of entering a boarding school well behind the other students. She is fortunate enough to have a friend from her old life as a roommate, and they become even closer. Along with all this, Julia needs to face the fact that her family is considered royalty, her mother just might be an evil overlord, and not everyone has her best interest at heart.

There was one thing that I just did not enjoy about The Shapeshifter's Secret. I felt like Julia's romance with the soldier Terrence was not well defined. It was rather half-hearted, and seemed like Julia just attached herself to him to anger Caleb while Terrence just might have motives that we have yet to see. The tension between Julia and Caleb is good, as is the tension between Julia and some of the other students. But I just did not feel the connection between Julia and Terrence. The action is steady, and I really liked the escalation of tension and action as the story works its way toward the conclusion. Even though the book is the start of a new series, and there is clearly more to come at the end, the story does give readers a satisfying conclusion while still leaving us eager for the next installment.

I recommend The Shapeshifter's Secret to teen and adult readers that still love paranormal fiction. There is a slightly different take on the paranormal, so even readers that have started to tire of the genre can find something redeeming in the story. Readers that really enjoy romance and the exploration of relationships might want to skip it, because while Julia's relationship with her roommate and father are well done her romantic interests are not well established.(less)

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Jun 01, 2012 BookHookup rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is one of those books that ultimately left me confused. Not because of the plot or the premise, but because, although it had a lot going for it, and I liked it….I didn’t love it. I’ve been sitting on this review for a while, trying to gather my thoughts and make sure that I do it justice. After all, I did enjoy many aspects of the book and I see it’s potential. The problem for me is that, overall, I was left with an uneasy feeling, like I just needed a little bit more in order to really enj...more This is one of those books that ultimately left me confused. Not because of the plot or the premise, but because, although it had a lot going for it, and I liked it….I didn’t love it. I’ve been sitting on this review for a while, trying to gather my thoughts and make sure that I do it justice. After all, I did enjoy many aspects of the book and I see it’s potential. The problem for me is that, overall, I was left with an uneasy feeling, like I just needed a little bit more in order to really enjoy the full experience.

Let’s start at the beginning. Julia is a sixteen year old girl whose father is overprotective and mother is non-existent. As a series of events unfold for her, she discovers that she’s a shapeshifter and, as if that’s not enough, she’s in danger because of her heritage. Someone wants her dead…and the identity of that person is shocking. She and her father move to Ossai, where she was actually born so that she could learn to harness her powers and be in the relative safety of a school filled with students who are like her.

I enjoyed the description of this new world as well as the school itself. The old corridors, hidden spaces and the legends of ghost-inhabited rooms were very intriguing. There were many imaginative elements about this book as well. Interesting gadgets such as rings that indicated when someone was lying, rocks that produce instant fire, parchment that can be used for instant messaging and students who are water nymphs fueled my imagination. Another aspect that I enjoyed was the description of the actual shapeshifting process. The author did a great job of bringing that to life and I could definitely imagine how it might work.

I must admit that I was disappointed in the characters though. Not in the variety of personalities, but in their depth. I didn’t feel like I got to know any of them well. There was so much potential in characters like Caleb, the bad boy protector, Celeste and Melanie, the mean girls, and Camilla, the girlfriend of the aforementioned bad boy. But, unfortunately, their potential went untapped…the boy wasn’t mysterious enough, the girls weren’t mean enough and the girlfriend didn’t ruin enough scenes. They were there but they didn’t fulfil their duties as I imagined they should have. My biggest disappointment, however, was Terrence, the love interest. Instead of making my heart flutter, I was suspicious of him the whole time…suspicious of his intentions and motives and his instant love for Julia. And maybe that’s what the author wants me to feel but I wanted a relationship I could believe in. I didn’t get it, and it definitely impacted my enjoyment of the book.

Overall there is a lot of potential here and I’m hoping that the next installment will give the reader more character depth and the types of relationships that make you fall in love with a story. The stage has been set…hopefully the execution is good.(less)

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May 26, 2012 Sel rated it 3 of 5 stars

A Bookcase to Heaven™ review.

*

This review is long overdue since it took me quite a while to figure out what exactly I was feeling.

Because, you see, The Shapeshifter's Secret is a novel that grows on you. I didn't realize that until I was on the last page when suddenly, my brain processed what my heart was saying: Whatever I had disliked about the book had melted away into a pool of caramel somewhere in between the covers. I have to say, from skimming through the words initially to being grabbed...more

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May 21, 2012 Cathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Julia's a normal 16 year old girl, or so she thinks. Her dad is really overprotective and that makes her do crazy things like sneaking out of her window at night to go to her friend's parties. That all changes when the new boy at school hears that she's been sneaking out. Julia thinks that he told her dad, because right away her dad installs bars on the windows of her room. Julia gets so angry at her dad, and then she feels really weird, but she's uncertain why and her dad doesn't seem to want t...more

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May 14, 2012 Stephanie Ward rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

First things - how awesome is this cover? I love the colors that are used, the cool design in her hair and in the background, and the stripes on her skin! This book was a breath of fresh air for me in the YA paranormal reading world. There aren't many books right now that deal with shapeshifting, which in and of itself is pretty interesting. Ostler's novel has characters that were easy to relate to, especially the heroine Julia. She goes through the normal angst of teenage life and then has this...more

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May 07, 2012 Teri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-release, arc, netgalley, ereader, for-review

Being sixteen can be hard enough for the average girl, but Julia soon finds herself hidden from a secret world at the edge of war. For some sixteen year olds the right of passage does not include growing furs and claws. The Shapeshifter's Secret brings itself into a whole different class with an intense plot and a fast moving storyline. Julia is our furry heroine who finds her world turned inside out when she is whisked away to another world called Ossai where her family is fighting each other...more

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May 05, 2012 Meagan Myhren-bennett rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, drama, family, friendship, fiction, mystery, romance, scary, school

The Shapeshifter's Secret
By Heather Ostler

“Julia is finally discovering WHAT – not who – SHE IS...”

Caleb Glyndor is the talk of all the girls, but to Julia he is a mystery. Somehow he is familiar to her, but she's not exactly how.
Julia's father Lancer Levesque insists on taking her to and from school every day and he doesn’t want Julia out at night.
One day Julia comes home from school to find bars across her bedroom window. She gets angrier at her father than she has ever been and she feels a gr...more The Shapeshifter's Secret
By Heather Ostler

“Julia is finally discovering WHAT – not who – SHE IS...”

Caleb Glyndor is the talk of all the girls, but to Julia he is a mystery. Somehow he is familiar to her, but she's not exactly how.
Julia's father Lancer Levesque insists on taking her to and from school every day and he doesn’t want Julia out at night.
One day Julia comes home from school to find bars across her bedroom window. She gets angrier at her father than she has ever been and she feels a growl come out of her. When her anger subsides she and her father just stare at each other. Julia knows something strange just happened to her though she has no idea what. Julia suspects Caleb of telling her father that she was planning to sneak out and go to Sierra’s house. Caleb denied it.
Julia begins having trouble controlling her anger. After an outburst at school her father, Liam, and Caleb speak to her about the secrets that have been hidden from her. She is from Ossai and she is being hunted. But before the whole truth comes out the Guild attacks her home and Caleb and Julia escape from the house while Liam and Lancer give them time to escape. But during their escape through the portal that will take them from this world to Ossai Caleb and Julia are injured.
For her protection Julia is being sent to Lockham Castle and here she might learn to control her new emerging abilities. When she arrives her father e the reason that she is in danger and why she was raised outside Ossai. Her mother was and is her greatest enemy!
When Julia meets Terrence Daniels she is drawn to him and he seems attracted to her too. When Terrence visits Lockham Castle as part of his duties he gives Julia tips on transforming. But the next day Mr. Knightly informs Julia that he saw her out walking with Terrence and he's reported it to the head of security – Mr. Azure. To her relief, Mr. Azure tells her he won't report her friendship with Terrence to her father and he tells her to just make sure that the teachers don't see her if goes for a walk with Terrence in the future.
When Julia finds an old yearbook she sees a picture of her mother Alexis Blythe, she is surprised at how much she looks like her mother. Julia tells Sierra about it and promises to show her the pictures. But the next day the yearbook is gone and all records of its existence have been removed. But the S she saw carved into the wall of one of the pictures becomes an obsession for Julia, she has to see the S that her mother stood by. So one night after curfew Julia decided to sneak down to the ballroom and crawl in through a broken window. But during her search Julia was injured. When she finds the S Julia touches it and stains it with her blood. Suddenly the ballroom is filled with a shriek and Julia makes her escape, but as she leaves she sees a dark hooded figure standing in the ballroom.
But Julia is being threatened. But who is trying to kill her and is the threat closer than anyone suspects?
Everything comes to a head at the annual masquerade ball. When Julia meets her mother their reunion is unlike anything she had hoped for!
I received a Digital copy of this title for the purpose of this review. (less)

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May 02, 2012 Dorine White rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Shapeshifter’s Secret is a YA fantasy by Heather Ostler and published by Cedar Fort Books.
The Story- Julia is you typical high schooler. She loves hanging out with her best friend Sierra and sometimes sneaking out at night to go to parties. Her dad, Lancer, is an over protective father who goes so far as to put bars over her windows when he hears about her evening activities.
Julia just can’t understand what’s up? Her dad won’t even talk to her about her mother, who she hasn’t seen since an i...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Angienee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Normally, I wouldn't start this way, but I am so distraught I must share. The love triangle in this book is RIDICULOUS and I am totally team Caleb. Terrence seems nice and all, but for some reason, he just doesn't do it for me. AND OMG the cliffhanger in Julia's romantic life.... NOT COOL.

Overall, I loved this book. It was a little slow going at first, and the set up for everything almost drove me crazy. About thirty pages of is going on will drive anyone insane! The adventure that follows is...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Steph at Starry Night Book Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

I got this through NetGally What a wonderful find!!
I really enjoyed this book and the cover is just beautiful. I would have given 5 stars but I think Julia’s character could have been stronger, but there was room for her to grow into a strong woman and I hope to see that in book 2.

Julia thinks she’s just a normal sixteen-year-old girl, she goes to school does her homework, hangs out with her friends. Her father is a bit overprotective but what dad is not heh. Her Mother has been absent from her...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Seanean rated it 1 of 5 stars

http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2011/09...

Julia was just trying to get by in high school. Her dad won't let her go anywhere. Her mother is nowhere to be found. And her teacher really really seems to hate her.

But trying to get by in high school is nothing like trying to NOT turn into a white tiger when you're ticked, which is made more difficult when you didn't even know you could do that.

Julia just found out.

She also just found out that she's descended from an old family and an old name in an old...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Rhonda rated it 4 of 5 stars

4 STARS

YA fantasy novel that starts in a regular school than her world is turned around on her.

Julia was raised by her father who is very protective of her. Gives her a ride to high school and home every day even though they live close enough for her to walk. She knows nothing of her mom even if they were married or not.

Julia is losing her temper more often. After talking one day during lunch and mentioning she sneaks out her window when she is grounded never being caught. Her window at home has...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Renee Rearden rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

Published by Cedar Fort, Inc.
ARC provided through NetGalley

Rating: 3 Stars

Julia is a 16-year old teenager with an extremely overprotective father. When she starts experiencing moments of uncontrollable rage she thinks she’s losing her mind. Then she’s shot at, taken to another world through portals, and discovers she’s a royal descendant of a shapeshifting family—and realizes she isn’t crazy. But her life has become more interesting and exceedingly complicated than she ever imagined. Trust becom...more Published by Cedar Fort, Inc.
ARC provided through NetGalley

Rating: 3 Stars

Julia is a 16-year old teenager with an extremely overprotective father. When she starts experiencing moments of uncontrollable rage she thinks she’s losing her mind. Then she’s shot at, taken to another world through portals, and discovers she’s a royal descendant of a shapeshifting family—and realizes she isn’t crazy. But her life has become more interesting and exceedingly complicated than she ever imagined. Trust becomes paramount as she is thrown into life-threatening situations. Can she turn to the father that kept secrets her entire life, new friends in a world she knows nothing about, or her too-good-to-be-true boyfriend to keep her safe?

First, what a fantastic cover! I love everything about it: the color, the design. I can see Julia as this beautiful young lady. I wish I could say the story grabbed me as hard as the beautiful artwork. Though I enjoyed the premise and was interested in how things turned out, I had a few problems with the characters and plot.

Ms Ostler tried very hard to keep some of the jucier tidbits a surprise and dribble pices of information as the plot unfolded. As an author I understand the idea behind such a practice. As a reader, I was frustrated on occasion because I didn’t have enough information to grasp what some of the scenes really meant.

Take Julia’s father. He is exceedingly overprotective. After having read the entire story, he had reason to be. However, the reader doesn’t know that. As Julia is a 16-year old teenager, I expected a little more attitude and irritation over her father’s strangling hold. In fact, I really wanted Julia to demand answers sooner than any were revealed.

Paranormal elements are my favorite additions to novels. Again, Ms Ostler introduced several very interesting species of creatures in her new Ossain world. The water nymphs were especially cool…but we didn’t learn why they were part of this world or how they fit into this plot other than Julia’s best friend happened to be an orphan on Earth but was really a water nymph from Ossai. Yes, it’s a little too convenient, but I liked Sierra so it worked for me.

Caleb was a great character, but we never really learn a lot about him. He is a Guardsman in the Union Guard. He is also a werepanther. Totally cool, but he only hit the page in a two-dimensional aspect. In fact, most of the characters really on seemed two-dimensional. Personally, the plot felt a little rushed and I attribute the lack of development to that hurried feeling.

The Shapeshifter’s Secret is really for younger teens. Adults will find this novel a little too sweet and angsty. I enjoyed the story and am curious about what will happen in Ossai next. If the next novel’s characters and emotional development are more indepth, I’ll give it a shot!
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May 20, 2012 Jody rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: shifters, special-abilities, ya

Cheyenne has an overprotective father who has been keeping her in the dark about who she really is and where she is from. About the same time Caleb, a mysterious new student, starts at her high school, Cheyenne's dad, Lancer puts bars on her window. Cheyenne has also been having a hard time controlling her anger and has a meltdown in front of her class. After running out of school, she loses herself in a nearby park and faints. Caleb is the last person she sees. When she wakes up, Lancer, his be...more

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May 03, 2012 Aimee rated it 3 of 5 stars

The concept behind this book is good. I really like the whole shape shifting idea. As you can see from the cover, Julia has a bit of tiger going on! I was interested in the book from start to finish.

I have to say though, that I was left a bit frustrated. I felt like we had all sorts of "things" that were left open ended or not really explained. As a reader, a bit of mystery is good, but I felt like I was left in the dark about a lot of things.

Caleb, Caleb. Who is Caleb? I feel like he is a majo...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Marsha rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Young Adults

This is an extremely difficult review for me to write because I vacillated between really enjoying this book and being truly annoyed. “The Shapeshifter’s Secret” has wonderful writing, great characters and world building but the plot was convoluted and overly filled with too much magical garbage to make it a truly good read.

Julia has lived a very protected life in New York raised by her single father. He refuses to tell her much if anything about her mother, and when he discovers she is planning...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Farrah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

The Shapeshifter's Secret was very good. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did, but I ended up getting really into it.

So, I'm not sure this is mentioned, but the whole shapeshifter thing is werecats. Julia is a werecat. She can turn into a white tiger. Now, this is a fairly unique concept. I don't think I've seen it used before, which gives SS a few points by itself. It's actually pretty interesting. Ostler even explained some of the mechanics of transformation.

Julia is a okay character. S...more The Shapeshifter's Secret was very good. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did, but I ended up getting really into it.

So, I'm not sure this is mentioned, but the whole shapeshifter thing is werecats. Julia is a werecat. She can turn into a white tiger. Now, this is a fairly unique concept. I don't think I've seen it used before, which gives SS a few points by itself. It's actually pretty interesting. Ostler even explained some of the mechanics of transformation.

Julia is a okay character. She's not special among YA female leads but she is a worthy heroine. What's nice is that she reacted fairly realistically to her situation. While she was understandably skeptical about the whole werecat business at first, she accepted her new reality in a sensible way. Basically, she's actually smart and truly clever. She's not weak and can hold her own in a fight (I mean, she can turn into a massive tiger).

The plot was pretty slow and steady at first. Not boring, just deliberate. Things were revealed at their own pace, no info-dumping. It isn't until the last bit that a lot actually happens. And, let me tell you, there was a twist at the end that I was not expecting. Seriously, I never saw it coming.

The reason I took off a star for this otherwise lovely book is the romance. I didn't quite get it. First, the whole issue with Caleb. It initially felt like he would be the love interest, she felt "drawn" to him. Then we find out he has a girlfriend and Julia suddenly decides to be mean to him even though he's perfectly nice to her. But throughout the book, I still got the impression that they liked each other but nothing really happened there. The actual romance is with Terrance. It didn't make sense to me. Terrance and Julia never really talked except for a couple of conversations. They wrote each other a couple of letters while Terrance, who is a soldier, was off in battle. But even so, in the second letter he writes to her, he professes his love and Julia writes him back returning the sentiment. But they had barely interacted yet! It really frustrated me. This isn't even the normal brand of insta-love. At least in the others, the two lovebirds will spend a lot of time together in the few days it takes them to fall in love. But in this instance, they talked a couple of times and spent the most of their time not interacting, yet they still fell in love. That didn't set well with me.

Besides that, this book was great. If you can find it in yourself to overlook the whole romance issue, I would definitely recommend it.

4/5

I obtained a copy of this from Netgalley(less)

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May 14, 2012 Vidya-BooksAreMagic rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, arc-netgalley, blog-tour, fantasy, series, start-of-the-series, warewolf, teen-college-middle-school-etc, young-adult, paranormal-romance

Julia is sixteen and have some teen problems like a terrible teacher, over-protective father and anger management issues. But, she didn't expect to know that she was a warecat (also called a shapeshifter) and royalty in a secret city. When she finally learns her 'gifts', she was taken back to the castle, where she attends school for kids, who were all with some abilities. She also deals with some relationship issues - ah, men!

Nice plot! Have you seen "Sky High" movie? If you like that, you will...more

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May 10, 2012 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-on-blog, blog-tour, favorites

This is such a good book! The kind of book where you would do anything, ANYTHING to get your hands on the next one right then, because you can't even wait another minute to find out what happens next. I could keep gushing, but I think I will get to the actual review.

The Shapeshifter's Secret is like a mix between a paranormal and a fantasy, which is such a cool combination. I love the touches of magic too. So I don't give any spoilers, i'm going to go very general and say that Heather Ostler ha...more This is such a good book! The kind of book where you would do anything, ANYTHING to get your hands on the next one right then, because you can't even wait another minute to find out what happens next. I could keep gushing, but I think I will get to the actual review.

The Shapeshifter's Secret is like a mix between a paranormal and a fantasy, which is such a cool combination. I love the touches of magic too. So I don't give any spoilers, i'm going to go very general and say that Heather Ostler has some really awesome ideas and her attention detail make the story. History is also incorporated in a very nice way. (but then again, I am a history nerd so I may be biased. But this is cool history, trust me!)

Julia is strong, smart, inquisitive, and powerful. I would not want to face her in a fight, that's for sure. I loved seeing her progress throughout the story and I love seeing how much she cares for her friends and family. She is just so genuine that you can't help but love her. So naturally, the guys can't help but love her too. I am totally on team Caleb! He is everything I love my book crushes to be. Nice, loyal, a touch jealous, smart, and noble. Terrence is Julia's actual love interest in the book and he is nice and seems genuine enough but he is just not Caleb. Plain and simple, I am loyal to him.

One of the things that I both love and hate about The Shapeshifter's Secret is that I have no idea who she is going to end up with! I have no idea about a lot of the plot twists and turns until they were revealed. Normally, I am pretty good at predicting books- I mean, I read a lot. But I wasn't able to do that here and I love that so much. But, I really have no idea who she will end up with, and it's driving me a little crazy.

The book is long but the story trots along at a really good pace the whole time. There was always something happening but at time I really feel like I got to really get to know each and every one of the characters, the histories and the secrets. There is always another layer to peel back, always something still unknown in the Shapeshifter's Secret, and that is what's so awesome about it. I really hope that this turns out to be a nice long series because it is one of my favorite reads of 2012 for sure! The way the book ended KILLED me! I want, no NEED, to read the second book right now! The only thing that will tide me over till the next book would be some more Caleb. How amazing would seeing all this from his POV?? Beyond amazing- that's how much! My final advice to you, is read The Shapeshifter's Secret now. What are you waiting for? You should have started it already!(less)

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