Book Review: Impostor by Susanne Winnacker +++ Giveaway! (US Only!)

Product details:
Publisher: Razorbill.
Hardcover, 274 pages.
Release date: May 28th 2013.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Ages: 12+
Source:Received from publisher for review.

Can Tessa pose as Madison . . . and stop a killer before it’s too late? 

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again.

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.

A fast-paced, intense and intriguing murder mystery with an X-Men twist, Impostor, the first in the Variants series from Susanne Winnacker will appeal to fans of The Body Finder, Kim Harrington’s Clarity, and anyone who loved the romance of Vampire Academy. Oh yes, this book is good!

A Variant who can take on the appearance of those whose DNA she absorbs, Tessa is called upon when schoolgirl Madison is attacked by a suspected serial killer. It might be too late to save Madison, but with Tessa on the case, along with fellow Variant Alec, undercover as a new student at Madison’s school, it may not be too late to uncover the killer before he or she strikes again.  For Tessa, there’s a lot not to love about being a Variant; to her mom she is nothing but a freak, and now she has no family to speak of, apart from the other Variants at the FEA (Forces with Extraordinary Abilities), namely best friend Holly, and older guy Alec, who she is totally in love with despite the fact that a romance between them is strictly off limits for a number of reasons, the main one being that he already has a girlfriend.

But posing as Madison gives Tessa a chance at the normal life (serial killer on the loose aside) that she’s always wanted. Madison has a loving family, including a twin brother, Devon, whom Tessa finds herself thinking about a little too often despite the fact that she’s playing at being his sister. However, attracted though she is to Madison’s hot brother, Tessa doesn’t dwell on this for too long, as Alec is still around. Oh, Alec and Tessa. I have to say that I loved the dynamic between these two; I am a sucker for the ‘best friends who are so meant to be something more’ type relationship and all the sexual tension that brings with it. Alec has a girlfriend, I know, but there is more to that story than meets the eye, and I’m dying to find out the truth of that whole affair (bring on the next book already!)

Anyway, back to the story. While it looks like Madison lived quite a charmed life, scratch that glossy surface and all is not what it seems. As Tessa begins to compile her list of serial killer suspects, she soon discovers that Madison was keeping some pretty big, deep, dark secrets all to herself. And then there’s the mysterious character that’s creeping around outside Madison’s window every night – could he be the killer? And, if so, has Tessa put herself in the kind of danger that no amount of training sessions with Alec will help her escape?

Impostor jumps right into the action from the off, and with a great mystery (that I didn’t figure out), and a sassy protagonist that I could really root for, this one kept me completely entertained from start to finish.  Tessa hasn’t had an easy life, and while she’s a girl who can mimic the appearance of others at any time, she’s one who never feels entirely comfortable in her own skin, or with her own life. I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in this series, because while the main mystery wraps up nicely, there are still a lot of questions left unanswered –especially about man of mystery Alec. I can’t wait to find out all about him!

 

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Want to find out how awesome Impostor is? Well, you're in lucky because thanks to Media Masters I have a hardcover copy of Impostor to give away to one lucky reader in the USA. 

To be in with a chance to win, just fill in the Rafflecopter form below. 

Competition closes:  June 28th.

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