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Title: Imposter
Series: Variants #1
Series: Variants #1
Publisher: Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin Books
Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary Mystery, Paranormal
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Source: Personal copy, opinions are honest and my own. – review policy here.
Summary via Goodreads:
Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.
If you're a paranormal or science fiction fan you need to read this! The plot moves quickly, the characters are relatable, and it'll keep you guessing until the end.
Plot
The FEA is pretty similar to X-Men but this is definitely it's own story as Tessa brings us into their world as a new agent. She's kind of like Mystique except she's normal human looking in her natural form. There are some other world building rules that differentiate the two as well. The concept may not be 100% unique but I'm 100% buying it.
The page count is less than 300 hundred and dances between driving a mystery plot forward while setting up the character development, the series conflict arc and world building necessary for the future books. I really appreciated that information was not stacked on in clumps but instead sprinkled throughout the pages, revealing itself when needed but not in an overly convenient manner.
While I tried to guess who the serial killer was I was constantly proven wrong. I found this refreshing since I'm usually able to guess the killer and/or motive long before the end. The setting up of the character's relationships made this all possible...
Characters
Using the modern world Susanne Winnacker creates imperfect characters for a really awesome story.
I loved the mystery, the superpowers and all of Tessa's flaws. Like any teenager she has growing up to do. Unfortunately she's not in a situation where a lot of latitude is given to make mistakes, or growing pains if you will. Instead she has a crush on her best guy friend, is placed in her first field assignment before it's time, and is having problems with her Variation and conscience. I say she handles all of these changes fairly well. Some of my favorite scenes are interactions between her as Maddison and Maddison's family.
The secondary characters in Madison's life prove to be tricky and not everything is as it seems. In fact one of the most shocking parts were the unraveling of who Madison really was through Tessa. A faithful sister, girlfriend, best friend, ex-girlfriend?
Alec is the object of Tessa's affection, a bit older, mysterious and totally swoon worthy. He's also hiding something about his relationship with his girlfriend Kate and knowledge he has about the case. Unfortunately in book one we only get the answer to one of these questions. It's his connection to Tessa that makes this mystery novel a thriller as he works hard to protect her, always.
Tessa's ability to shape shift into other people is not perfect, she's human. You can understand the conflicts she faces with Alec, her duty to the FEA, her abandonment issues, and her own self-discovery. I cannot wait to see what happens next to the FEA crew in book two.
Fav Quote
Sometimes I wasn't sure what was real and what was merely the result of wishful thinking. Sometimes I didn't want to know.
- Tessa, page 182
- Tessa, page 182
4 Stars – It's the authentic elements that had me invested in Tessa and the mystery arc that kept me turning the pages quickly.
Check out my review of Defector,
book two of the Variant series, on June 26!
book two of the Variant series, on June 26!
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