Fledgling

Born with a heart defect, burdened with heart surgery at an early age, an additional heart disease and all the doctor/hospital visits, Ana has never been able to 'fit in'. Now Ana, her sister, and mother move to Idaho to live near her mother's sister in the house their parents once lived in, and the new job with health insurance that the aunt had secured for the mom. This means the agony of trying to remain invisible in a new school in the middle of her senior year, and her heart condition is becoming more noticeable to any observant others. The most important non-family person to notice is fellow senior, Chance. There is mutual attraction as well as each of them keeping a secret from the other. Going further into the plot would bring show more on the spoilers. The author does an excellent job of portraying a young person with a visible chronic illness and also the way that a balanced, caring family can be supportive of the individual's needs while coping the best that they can. Chance is a young man with a caring family and an unusual secret. The plot is sound, and all moves along smoothly. This is a love story, and it has many suspenseful times, and you already know that it is a shapeshifter tale.
Carly Robins gives a remarkable performance as Ana and does a pretty good job on the rest of the characters as well. She gives depth and life to each of them.
I was able to purchase as Whispersync for less than $3 courtesy of Book Gorilla. show less

Normal. Wouldn't that be nice?

Ana Hughes has always wanted to be like any other teenager. But her life threatening heart condition has always gotten in the way. A fresh start in a new town gives her the opportunity to pretend she's like everybody else.

When she meets handsome Chance Morgan, she suspects she isn't the only one keeping a secret. Chance's animal-like senses and miraculous healing ability make Ana question if he's playing tricks on her.

The truth may be too much for Ana's delicate heart. But there could be a greater danger if a supernatural world exists where everything, and everyone are not what they seem.

Ana has a serious heart condition. She, her mother and younger sister move to a small town in ID—her grandmother’s vacant house—when her mother is laid off but able to get re-hired at a bank she worked for years ago; they have to have insurance for Ana. The eighteen year old is shy, does not want anyone new to know about her heart and takes pains to hide her surgery scar. On her first day of school, she’s paired up with Chance in two classes and a friendship begins with this good-looking Native American guy who keeps to himself and doesn’t hang around with anyone. He too is keeping a secret.

I liked the concept of the story, the characters and what’s shared of the Navajo culture. The family relationships are very strong; show more possibly too strong for the ages of the kids involved. Hormones and teenage angst appear to be missing.

But the story moves kind of slow with a number of repeat scenes. I’ve read over 1000 urban fantasy or paranormal books and in order for them to be believable, the non-paranormal stuff must ring true. That wasn’t always the case when it comes to the conversations and how different things are dealt with. We’re told that they love each other and show it with words and actions, but I never felt it.

Overall it’s a decent read and I could easily see younger readers enjoying the romance and family closeness angles, because boy, wouldn’t that be great to experience? show less

I had problems ratting this. I started it and put it down several times. I don't do back to books I've put down, but for some reason I did with this one. There was just something about it that kept me picking it up. I'm glad I did I enjoyed the book after about 30% of the way in. It is a YA, no steamy love. just a good old fashion love that over looks faults and involves shapeshiftes .

18 year old Ana Hughes realizes she is different from her peers. Her life threatening heart condition makes her yearn for a fresh start in a small town far away from her hometown. She hopes to stay in the shadows but then meets Chance Morgan, of Navajo ancestry, who seems to possess special powers of his own. Will their new connection prove to be too much for Ana's heart?

Nice light read worthy of reading the sequel.