I wish the concept behind this book had been revealed a little bit earlier on because it was such a fascinating premise but I think it could have been taken further than it was.
 
This book could almost be considered magical realism, but it's kind of iffy as to whether it leans to the fantasy side or not. I think I would have liked it to be a little more realistic after it all.
 
Quinn and Piper alternate their points of views and sometimes these transitions are abrupt. Having the narrator's name in the corner of the page is a stylistic choice that helps greatly, but I still found it hard to truly distinguish between their voices, partially because Piper evolved over the book and Quinn did not. Their quick changes does make the story move quickly, but it can be challenging at points to follow.
 
I wish there had been more imagery of the area Quinn was from--it takes an hour's hike to get up to where she lives and the first time they make this trek, it's a huge deal, but later it becomes casual. I felt like the moors had so much potential but while some scenes with dogs were well written I didn't get a true sense of the scenery.
 
This does have some interesting commentary on what good and evil are but I wasn't a fan of the way that it ultimately played out and with some scenes before. I found it hard to respect certain characters for their actions. The interplay between the two sides of the spectrum was intriguing though, especially as the backstories developed.
 
Slated was a whole league ahead of this book, but Terry's writing style still makes for a fast-flowing fantasy novel.
 
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Literary merit: Good
Characterization: Good
Recommended: Highly recommended
Level: high school

This was a very good book. The characters developed as the story went on, revealing who each of the twins became as they worked their way through the issues. I liked the twist at the end.

There is a little bit of magic, little lies and a lot of good reading in this one. ( )

** I read an advance reader copy of this book that I received through Edelweiss **

This was an enjoyable read. It was a bit slow at first but once the action begins the flow is steady and the creepy factor is high enough to make for a fun, little-bit scary read. There wasn't as much detail and background as I would have liked to see, many things are simply alluded to or mentioned and then brushed away. The connection between the one main character and animals is not really detailed nor is the effect of the power of lie really explored. Also, there were many, many characters who made brief appearances and then disappeared, often with unanswered questions -- what was the real relationship between the guy at the pizza shop (Zac's friend) and Piper? I don't know. Overall, it was enjoyable but it was not as fleshed out as I would have liked and the ending just didn't sit right. Although the epilogue did make up for some of that. I did really like the puppy! ( )