This is one of my favorite books. I read it soon after it came out (over 10 years ago) and even have some bad but loving fanart my 14 year old self drew at the time. My library no longer has any copies for some reason, but I got a paperback of the book secondhand so I could reread it.

The story is interesting and has elements of science fiction, horror, and survival. The writing is fairly simple but easy and enjoyable to read, and has a lot of concepts and lines that have stuck with me. I love the main characters (Semi and Miranda) and their friendship is one of the best parts of this story. I also enjoyed the fact that the book didn't include any unnecessary romantic subplots, and that the horror aspects didnt rely on gore to shock the reader. A great book that I will probably reread again in a couple years. ( )

A derivative of [The Island of Doctor Moreau], this book explores the realm where science fiction crashes headlong into body horror. Not for the faint of heart, it offers some graphic depictions of two girls unwillingly mutating into animals (think the vague sensations given in Animorphs, amplified times a hundred) thanks to the efforts of a mad (yet brilliant) scientist. If it pushed the boundaries any further, it would be sliding into Jeff Goldblum's "The Fly" territory.

Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and frequently found myself incapable of putting it down! I enjoy gore (though understand it isn't for everyone). I also enjoyed the very relatable and realistic character development of Semi and Miranda. ( )

So, let the students pick the book we would read for Book Club...Sigh. The book wasn't that good. I guess the author thought that since it is a young adult novel, she didn't have to include a plot that was realistic. Or maybe this just isn't my type of book. The best thing I can say about it is that we are finished. Phew. ( )

So, let the students pick the book we would read for Book Club...Sigh. The book wasn't that good. I guess the author thought that since it is a young adult novel, she didn't have to include a plot that was realistic. Or maybe this just isn't my type of book. The best thing I can say about it is that we are finished. Phew. ( )

Oh dear, quite possibly one of the most boring books I have ever read. Okay, I mean, it started out fairly good. And I was confident it would be good because my friend wouldn't let it rest till I read it. But the second they became animals, I seriously was falling asleep. It was SO boring. Nothing was happening. At all. Had to go through pages and pages of a freaking mantra swimming around doing... nothing. The start was okay, and the end was okay. But everything in between was garbage. ( )