Under My Skin [Hardcover]

I have been a collector of the works of Charles de Lint since the publication of Moonheart. I was at first dismayed to learn of a book published in Canada and not available in the U.S. Then I realized that, except for international shipping, shopping at Amazon Canada is as easy as shopping at Amazon anywhere! This book is a good read with strong and interesting characters, good relationships, and an interesting plot line. If you enjoy Mr. de Lint's work, this does not disappoint.

For months, teenagers in Santa Feliz have been shifting, changing to animals and no one knows why or even how; it's being broadcasted and reported all over the news. Josh also unexpectedly turns out to be one of these shifters as he shifts into a mountain lion when his mother's boyfriend was fighting with him. Now he's a Wildling (what the public calls these shifters) and must keep it a secret or else he'll be taken away like all the others that were discovered.

I don't believe I quite understood what an urban fantasy was until I read Under My Skin. It's the perfect blend of fantasy and contemporary, keeping it modern yet at the same time it's touched by the supernatural. It was done so well, the characters and people's reactions to the Wildlings phenomenon, that I could truly believe something like that actually unfolding.

The characters were solid and I could see them existing. Josh, his friends and all the other characters just had a lot of depth and it wasn't just that - it was the world as well. Usually in urban fantasy there isn't much focus on the world because unlike fantasy, we're familiar with that world. But in Under My Skin, the world was given a nice focus and I was really aware of it - I could picture it so well.

The one thing I didn't like was all the slang. It is how teenagers talk I guess (I should know, I am one) but I never liked too much slang dialogue in books, it irritates me a little. But I suppose that could be more of a personal thing. Though it was done extremely well, I'll give that. Some authors try to portray how teenagers talk and a lot of times it just comes out as horrible but with Under My Skin it was realistic.

The story shifts between the point of views of Josh, our main character, and his best friend Marina. Both point of views were equally interesting. The story was paced very well and I really enjoyed the plot. I definitely wouldn't have been able to guess anything that was coming.

Overall Under My Skin, is a wonderful start to the series. Charles de Lint has written many books and you really can see his experience when you read Under My Skin. It'll make you realize what an urban fantasy truly is, full of the supernatural but at the same time mixed with the modern world and real, normal people dealing with it.

I had fun reading this book. It wasn't too bad, and it was interesting enough to keep me going until the finish. What I enjoyed was the switching of narration between Marina and Josh. I can't seem to choose which one I like better. Both of them were interesting and fun to read. Both of them seemed to have developed throughout the novel. Josh goes through a lot more and it seems there's lots to be expected from him. Then there's Desmond, who's the comic relief of the novel, but I also enjoyed reading about him as well. He seems to be the 'outsider' of the group but I'm hoping that's not the case (if you know what I mean) ;)

When Elzie came into the picture, at first I didn't seem to like her. She's very abrasive and hard to like - but that's just the way her personality is. As you progress further into the book, you start to like her and her strong independent personality is suddenly likable.

The plot of this book was pretty good, a nice mixture of school life, action, comedy, and even a bit of romance in some parts. It's all interesting. There's a bit of background information on the Wildlings, but you're still left with questions unanswered and how Josh fits into the big picture. The big climax towards the end was pretty good, although I found the ending a little lackluster and not packing a punch like I expected it to. There's no cliffhanger ending (perhaps that's a good thing for some?) and perhaps because I'm so used to it, it caught me off guard.

I'll be picking up the second one when it's out, I'm curious as to how Josh is going to fit into the big plans. Come to think of it, there's quite a bit to look forward to in the next book! I most definitely recommend this for YA readers.