What Curiosity Kills

There's a new supernatural kid crowding in with the recent surge of teen vampires, fallen angels, and zombies, and this time, she is just as likely to crave milk as blood. The signs that 16-year-old Mary is becoming something not altogether human begin at her elite Manhattan school, where she falls asleep and begins to purr. At home, she finds herself licking spilled milk from the floor and considering a rodent snack before orange fur begins to sprout from her legs. Only dreamy classmate Nick can explain: Mary is experiencing her first “turning,” during which she shape-shifts into feline form. This first act in a proposed series sets up the fantastical premise, which includes a violent war between New York City's domestic and stray cats. Shape-shifting involves clothes shedding, and there is an undercurrent of chaste eroticism that Twilight series' fans will recognize. A few characters, such as Nick's Greek grandparents, slip into caricature, but the blend of contemporary realism and fantasy, romance, humor, and adrenaline-charged action is sure to hook an eager teen audience. Grades 8-11. --Gillian Engberg

"There is an undercurrent of chaste eroticism that Twilight series' fans will recognize... The blend of contemporary realism and fantasy, romance, humor, and adrenaline-charged action is sure to hook an eager teen audience." (_Booklist_ )