River [Paperback]

River is a female Alpha wolf with a pack, a mate, a life. For reasons unknown to her, she is ripped from her reality and turned into a human. She does not know how to speak in a human language, how to dress, or what the hell happened to her. Because of her youth (in human form she looks about twelve), the authorities put her into foster care. When we meet River, she is now fifteen, and in High school. With only a few years of human experience, her abilities with language and literacy are still limited.

Quite honestly, the thought of trying to cope with High School, Special Ed classes or the age of fifteen is horrifying enough without the added complication of being a wolf in human skin. River has learned enough to mimic borderline human behavior, but the rules of teenagers is beyond that of most humans. Worse, River is an adult as a wolf, with a mate (wolves mate for life), the teenage angst, cruelty and sexual games are additionally horrific to her.

My empathy level shot through the roof when reading this book. Viewing humanity from River's point of view, our species comes across as shallow, stupid, vindictive, incomprehensible. River has the option of adapting to our ways, or being true to her wolf instincts. She can no longer be a wolf, nor can she be a human, because she isn't one. No easy choices, no magic wand to give her back her real life, this is a book about coping with unacceptable truths.

I would love to read a review of this story by a literate teenager, since it is their age group that is specifically under a microscope, but I would not classify River as a YA novel, it's too profound to be ignored by the rest of us.

HIGHLY recommended.

River isn't your ordinary troubled teenager. She's actually a wolf--the Alpha Female of her pack--who was bitten by a werewolf and transformed into a human. Now forced to live among humans, River has no real interest in blending in with society, but instead longs for her wolf pack and mate. When she learns that there is a chance she might become a wolf again, she is determined not to let anything stand in the way of reuniting with her pack and resuming her former life. Unfortunately, things are far from simple, and the longer River spends away from her pack, the more she becomes entangled--however reluctantly--in the lives of the humans around her.

At last, here is a novel about werewolves where they actually exhibit wolf-like qualities! The author has clearly done her research, and knows something about real-life wolves. These true-life details bring an element of realism to the novel that makes River's journey even more compelling. As for River herself, she is a fascinating character who balances cynicism with dark humor. Her wolf nature and her initial hatred of all things human mean that she seldom bothers to hold back, either with her words or her fists, a situation that at first makes her an outsider but later places her in the position of protector to her friends and foster-brother. But, beyond the frequent action that kept me riveted, RIVER is a story about learning to accept oneself, about forgiveness for past mistakes, and about the love of friends and family--or of a wolf for her pack. This book is a permanent addition to my keeper shelf, and will be revisited many times in the years to come.

What happens when a human werewolf bites a wolf?

River Wolfe is trapped in a human body and forced to endure the indignities of high school, just like any other teenaged girl. However, just three years ago, River was the alpha female of her wolf pack until a mysterious male transformed her with one bite into a two legged human. River wants nothing more than to return to her pack and all of her thoughts, dreams, and sketches are of wolves and of her beloved wolf pack.

One day in her physical education class, River spots him- the hated male who bit her and forced this human existence on her. His name is Daryl Marsden and Daryl is determined to draw River out of her shell. Daryl offers River bits and pieces of information about what has happened to her and gives her hope that maybe she can return to her life as a wolf. River will have to make some tough choices regarding her future in this stunning new novel by Skyla Dawn Cameron.

No one would ever guess that RIVER is a debut novel unless you told them! Skyla Dawn Cameron has perfectly captured the angst of the teenage years in a format that will appeal to adults as well as teens. River's struggle to understand basic human interactions, such as the need for excessive words or attending a dance, is both poignant and insightful. One will clearly see just how awful humanity can be at times while reading RIVER.

RIVER is not a completely dark story, however. Secondary characters such as River's foster brother, Charlie, and her newly acquired friend, Jen, also bring glimpses into what is right about humanity. Both Charlie and Jen are underdogs who look up to River as she struggles to assert herself when challenged by other humans.

Skyla Dawn Cameron has clearly demonstrated a remarkable gift at capturing the true essence of humanity, both the good and the bad. RIVER is not your typical werewolf story by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, the wolf theme serves almost more as a symbol. Fans looking for a unique twist on the werewolf theme need look no further than RIVER as Skyla Dawn Cameron is definitely an author to keep an eye on!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES