Shifting [Kindle Edition]

Bethany Wiggins (Author)

Book Description

After bouncing from foster home to foster home, Magdalene Mae is transferred to what should be her last foster home in the tiny town of Silver City, New Mexico. Now that she's eighteen and has only a year left in high school, she's determined to stay out of trouble and just be normal. Agreeing to go to the prom with Bridger O'Connell is a good first step. Fitting in has never been her strong suit, but it's not for the reasons most people would expect-it all has to do with the deep secret that she is a shape shifter. But even in her new home danger lurks, waiting in the shadows to pounce. They are the Skinwalkers of Navajo legend, who have traded their souls to become the animal whose skin they wear-and Maggie is their next target. Full of romance, mysticism, and intrigue, this dark take on Navajo legend will haunt readers to the final page.

Editorial Reviews

Review

There's a Hitchcockian touch to the sinister and growing horde of animals that stalks Maggie ... nice departure from the more played-out werewolf plots. BCCB An exciting paranormal mystery, including a forbidden romance. Library Media Connection The Infusion of Navajo traditions and beliefs addds appeal to the mystery ... relatable to a wide range of readers. VOYA

About the Author

BETHANY WIGGINS started writing on a dare and dove headfirst into the world of writerly madness. She enjoys getting her hands dirty in her garden, baking anything with copious amounts of chocolate, and watching lightning storms from her front porch. She lives in the desert with her husband, three quirky kids, and two very fluffy cats. Shifting is her first novel.
www.bethanywiggins.com

Product Details

• File Size: 521 KB
• Print Length: 365 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0802722806
• Publisher: Walker Childrens (September 27, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005IQ2E14
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #79,649 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 51 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The RIGHT kind of Young Reader October 22, 2011

By Newsie

Format:Hardcover

I have a strict no reading policy in my life because I get sucked in and do nothing else when there is a worthy book on my hands(my 2 and 4 year old just don't get it;). I saw the cover of Shifting and decided I would break my vow of literary celibacy and treat myself to what I could sense would be a great read. I am 28 years old and enjoy the Young Readers genre which I would consider this exciting novel to be a part. The plot moves along nicely while still allowing the reader to connect with the main characters. There is just the right amount of mystery and navajo lore to keep you interested and consumed without feeling overfed or deprived of crucial information. Obviously I enjoyed the book and recommend it whole heartedly.

Now: What do I mean by the RIGHT kind of Young Reader? There is real conflict and emotional pain without tearing up the pages with profanity. There is real romance and heart break without cheapening love or sexuality. I choose the Young Reader genre because I believe in being entertained and changed by meaningful literature without vulgar language and obscene sex. The trend of this genre, however, is heading to cheapened morals and shock value plot lines in a hurry and I for one stand against it. I am grateful to see there are new and promising authors in the genre like Bethany Wiggins, who has created a vulnerable yet strong protagonist that the reader can look up to, learn from, and even perhaps emulate.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Happy Sigh September 27, 2011

By Katrina L. Lantz

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

*happy sigh*

That's actually what I wrote to the author in the ending margin of the ARC that will be finding its way back to her through many eager hands after mine.

It continues to amaze me how some authors can craft a tale that makes readers suspect but not quite know. The balance of mystery and logical hints leading up to a revelation is an art I've not grasped as a writer, so I marvel when it's done... well, artfully.

Bethany Wiggins is artful in her modern rendering of this old Navajo legend. I first heard of Skinwalkers when I worked in a desert wilderness therapy program in my early twenties, but none of the more experienced guides would tell me the story behind it - just that it was so scary, I'd wet my wiggy (sleeping bag) if they told me. Needless to say, when I found out Bethany was publishing a YA novel drawing from this legend, I got excited! Finally, I'd get a glimpse of the legend. Bonus: it would be wrapped up in a YA romance.

I am beyond pleased with the results.

Yes, Skinwalkers are wicked scary (I did not wet my wiggy after reading this book). But fortunately, the first half of the book focuses on the main character's paranormal ability and how her strangeness affects her as a trying-to-be-normal high school senior.

From the beginning, I felt both sorry for and proud of the protagonist Maggie Mae. Sorry, because the adults around her spoke about her as if she wasn't even in the room, an occupational hazard of being a foster child, I guess. Proud, because she didn't let people pity her. She saw that she was being ostracized, and embraced the loner flag, always rising above the teasing, bullying, and trickstering of her peers.

There's a HUGE character growth arc in this story.... Maggie Mae begins with very real, devastating problems on a contemporary fiction level (bullying, not fitting in, being dirt poor and only having one pair of jeans), and in the end she is dealing with very real, devastating problems on a fantastic, good-vs.-evil level (creatures attacking her whenever she's alone in the dark, people finding out her deepest secret: that she's a shapeshifter).

And from the 17-year-old girl in the beginning to the 18-year-old woman at the end, the growth is striking and satisfying. The change is slow and subtle, but profound, like the romance between her and a certain track star. (Mmm, Bridger.)

I loved that not one element can be said to be the whole story. It's a romance, but it's not just a romance. It's fantasy, but it's not only the fantasy that drives the story. First and foremost, it's about Maggie Mae the character. She's a strong enough protagonist to make any story interesting. It just so happens that she's also a foster child/shapeshifter/girl with trust issues/hunted creature/bully target.

Warning: I cried at least twice in the first half of this story alone. I had trouble putting it down to do things like sleep and (ahem) use the bathroom. And I got weird looks from my husband for laughing randomly.

There were many sighs throughout. But in the end, there was only one:

*happy sigh*

I hope you find this book on your shelf in the near future. (And I hope, hope, hope there's a sequel in the works because I just got a taste of this incredible world and would love to see more.)

p.s. There's an inspiring interview with this debut author at Operation Awesome, plus a review by Michelle McLean. [..]

You can comment on this review at Afterglow Book Reviews: [..] Read more ›

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast paced romantic thriller October 27, 2011

By Stymie

Format:Hardcover

This book is as good the second time you read it as it was the first time! This book was a page turner from front to back. I couldn't stop thinking about the characters even after I finished the book. You can't help pulling for the main character, Maggie May, and hoping that she can get through all the things that face her, from foster care to bullies to skin walkers who are trying to kill her. It has just the right mix of fast paced action and a budding romance to keep you entertained and wanting for more. This is a must read book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Warning: Hire a Babysitter October 22, 2011

By Nisa

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you pick this book up, let me give you a word of caution... HIRE A BABYSITTER FIRST! I started it this morning and literally did not put it down until I'd read the last page. Fortunately, my family members are very forgiving, but that's beside the point. This book is a must-read. It's got it all. You'll laugh, cry (but not for long, I promise), love, fear. It's got the emotion, the depth. It's got awesome, very round characters. Ir has amazing pacing and plot. It's so easy to fall in love with Maggie and Bridger who are the main characters, but I loved the supporting characters just as much, especially Mrs. C. I highly recommend this book!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique edition to the paranormal genre October 8, 2011

By onepagereviews

Format:Hardcover

I was drawn to this book because of the Native American mythology - you don't get much of that in books these days. I wasn't sure what to expect, but this novel really blew me away. The last sentence of the blurb is totally true: it is full of romance, mysticism, and intrigue, and it did haunt me to the final page!

Let me start with the romance, because really, I felt that was one of the most important aspects of it. There is no insta-love to be found here. The relationship between Bridger and Maggie Mae is slow progressing and sweet; they become friends first, and even though she's attracted to him, she doesn't try to jump his bones at every turn. And their relationship was based less on lust and more on actually respecting the other person. *gasp* I know. I was shocked, too.

I really loved Bridger. He didn't fall into any sort of male protag stereotype. He wasn't the bad boy or the sweet boy next door or the brooding type. He wasn't the token minority or the usual blond and beautiful. He was just...Bridger. And for that, I loved him. He was just as interesting of a character as Maggie Mae, with a huge secret that I didn't figure out until near the end, and he's the perfect mixture of sweet yet tantalizingly aloof. He's also part Navajo, so he comes from a really interesting cultural background. I loved that he was always nice to Maggie Mae but made it clear upfront that they couldn't date. It made for some serious relationship tension and drama that propelled the romance to the very last page.

Maggie Mae herself was a great MC! Again, I couldn't put her in any sort of stereotype. She was so original. She's poor and a foster child, but I never felt any bitterness from her or anger. Her main motivator is fear, but she's not weak.... She wasn't the kick-butt vampire slayer or the cowering mouse; she was somewhere in between, where - let's be honest - most of us would fall. I loved that! And I also loved listening to her honest narrative. She's excited about getting new clothes from Wal-Mart, but she's also keenly aware that she doesn't dress the way the other kids in her school do. She's really attracted to Bridger, but she's afraid to get attached to anyone. She just had so many layers!

Also, Bethany Wiggins doesn't shy away from hurting her characters. Poor Maggie Mae goes through so much heartache that I often want to just reach into the book and give her a hug. Her only family was murdered (in front of her eyes, no less), she has this giant secret that haunts her every day, she's been picked up by the cops for "indecent exposure" multiple times, she was abused by one of her foster fathers, and she has zero self-confidence. Then there's the issue of the intense bullying that she experiences at school. I couldn't believe how vicious the kids were! But I was glad that Wiggins included it. It really helped with Maggie Mae's character arc, I think.

The actual mythology of the book is so wrapped up in the setting that it's hard to separate the two, I think. There's a lot of build-up and suspense that I was afraid wouldn't deliver in the end. But, oh how wrong I was! There was something inherently creepy about the animals that follow Maggie Mae around, and there's an ominous feel about all the Navajo protection that people try to give her. From the beginning, you know that someone's after Maggie, but you don't find out until the end how that plays into her shape-shifting ability, which looms over her the entire novel, a constant reminder that she isn't like other people. The setting of Silver City also adds a lot to the feel of the book. You've got the Navajo and Mexican culture mixing, and how Maggie Mae gets caught up in all of it.

Seriously, if you like mythology, paranormal romance, the supernatural, or just a good book, read this one! I feel like it hasn't gotten much buzz around it, but it deserves it! This is one of my favorite reads of 2011. So. Good.

And it had better be a series! Please, Bethany Wiggins. Please. Read more ›

More About the Author

Bethany Wiggins has always been an avid reader, but not an avid writer. She failed ninth grade English because she read novels instead of doing her homework. In high school, she sat alone at lunch and read massive hardback fantasy novels (Tad Williams and Robert Jordan anyone?). It wasn't until the end of her senior year that the other students realized she was reading fiction--not the Bible

Several years later, Bethany's sister dared her to start writing an hour a day until she completed a novel. Bethany wrote a seven-hundred page fantasy novel that she wisely let no one read--but it taught her how to write. The rest is history.