Odd & True

"Odd & True" was a pleasant surprise: a tale of two sisters that blends historical fiction about women in America at the start of the twentieth century, the hunting of supernatural monsters in the wild woods of New Jersey and an exploration of how the stories we tell ourselves and each other shape who we become.

It is a peculiar book that resists categorisation, insisting on creating its own unique place on my mental bookshelf. For me, it's mainly a book about how women empower themselves and each other and how belief is, in itself, a form of magic.

Most of the action of the book is set in 1909 and revolves around two teenage sisters, Odette (Od) and Trudchen (Tru) who are on a mission to hunt the Jersey Devil.

Od and Tru are not the show more Winchester brothers in early twentieth-century dresses and the story is not primarily about the hunting of a monster, although it is about the creation of heroines.

The story is told from three perspectives in parallel. These tellings interact with one another in a way that makes truth something complex, agile and hard to fix in a single voice.

We hear from Tru, the younger sister who polio has left with a withered leg and constant pain, remembering her unquestioning belief in the stories her older sister told her of how the women in her family were fierce protectors who used magic to hunt monsters and her struggle to see this belief as anything other than a lie told to bolster the spirits of a crippled girl when her sister leaves home and sends back less than credible stories of her current life in a circus.

We get to read Od's account of her childhood and the traumas in it that she used stories and will-power and intimacy to try and shelter her sister from and then we learn of the things that nearly destroyed her in the two years she was away from home.

The third perspective is the present-day (1908) story of Od reuniting with Tru and taking her on a monster hunt.

This is not a light-weight tale. It's full of ugliness, pain and despair. None of it is exploitative but all of it is credible. It makes clear all the ways in which woman are vulnerable and how little support they have, except from each other.

It is also a tale of magic, not in the "clap your hands if you believe in fairies" kind of magic but the sort that you have to make for yourself by belief and courage and love.

There's a lot in the book about people who have lost their magic, or at least their hope. Od tries to explain this to Tru by saying

"Life has a way of knocking the whimsy out of people, Tru."

Yet as Od re-unites with Tru and starts to build up her courage again, she reaches a decision about the central choice the book asks readers to consider:

"I'd decided I'd rather be foolish than ordinary. I'd rather risk chasing monsters that might not exist, searching for a child I'm not meant to find, than to believe we're nothing more than mundane characters, steeped in ordinary lives."

By the end of the book, I could see that embracing the possibility of magic in our lives, of being and doing something more than the accommodating the inevitable and enduring the unacceptable is the first step to making ourselves magical. Magic is not used as a Get Out Of Jail Free card here. You can't just click the heels of your ruby slippers together to make everything alright but, with work and courage and love you can become something better than who you're being told to be even if you can't become the Princess you dreamed of being when you were a child.

This is my first Cat Winters book but it won't be my last. I like the way she makes me think and I love the way her characters see the reality of the world but don't let themselves be entirely determined by its expectations and constraints. show less

Trudchen grew up hearing Odette's stories of their mother as a monster hunter and later Odette's own stories of carrying on her mother's legacy. Now that she's grown up a bit, she's not so quick to be fooled by her sister's stories. Because of a childhood bout of polio, Trudchen is disabled and in constant pain. She lives with her aunt after her parents died as did Odette until she abruptly left with no explanation. Odette is back after two years and eager to get Trudchen out of the house and on adventures while Trudchen remains reluctant. The Leeds Devil is terrorizing a town and Odette is convinced they can beat it. Trudchen ends up going, but will she live to regret it?

The book is told in alternating narration between Trudchen in the show more present and Odette in the past. Trudchen was my favorite character because she was a genuine, nice person being manipulated and lied to by her sister. I felt for her the most and it was clear that her sister didn't really care about her health or wellbeing. Trudchen, being the younger sister of the two, doesn't remember all the hardships of their childhood, but Odette chooses to lie to her and keep her in the dark about their past instead of being honest.

Odette had a hard life and remembers more than she'd like. She tells lies about everything or tells half truths or omits information altogether. I felt for her tragic story, but nothing justifies lying to her sister and whisking her away where she doesn't seem to keep in mind her sister's safety or comfort. Shes seems to care more about her egotistical need to have Trudchen witness her accomplishments than actually building a relationship and spending time with her. Odette, the least likeable, dominates the story with half of the narrative and the dominating aspect in Trudchen's. Trudchen has small moments of independence and power, but it's not enough for me.

Other aspects of the novel are annoying as well. Based on the cover and the synopsis, I expected the sisters to fight monsters and bond over it. Unfortunately, about 200 pages go by without any indication if monsters are just another Odette lie or if they are real. I'm guessing it was for suspense, but waiting for an aspect to show up that I expected to be a fundamental part of the book feels like being lied to, just like Trudchen. Very disappointing. Cy is Odette's love interest. However, he's manipulative, takes advantage of Odette, and doesn't listen to the sisters when they express opinions. Not good characteristics in a love interest. Other than that, the book had some merits, but I found it a huge let down. I would read another Cat Winters book, but if this is going to be a series, I'm done with it. show less

Cat Winters is one of those authors that when you hear she has a book coming out you mark your calendar to be prepared since she knows how to entertain. This latest offering on the YA alter only adds to that ideal.

She has this way of writing so descriptively the world is painted before your eyes pulling you into the story and keeping you on your toes with twists and turns coming at you throughout her plot but with only enough to keep you guessing as to where she could be taking you. Just when you think you’ve one upped her and figure it all out she throws something else at you to keep you off balance.

This story wasn’t as quick paced right away as some of her others but it didn’t take long to reach the level needed to hit all the show more emotional sweet spots. I loved how she developed the relationship between Od and Tru and showcased their complex family history. Through their stories you’re often left wondering who to believe as their lives seemed so very different but Winters doesn’t force you to take sides as ultimately this is a journey about them both. She’ll have you emotionally invested in the characters so be prepared because this is one hell of an adventurous ride which ends perfectly and leaves you wishing there could be more adventures with Od & Tru. show less

Goodness gracious, this was another fantastic read from Cat Winters.

Odette and Trudchen Grey, two sisters, whose childhoods have been spent shrouded in mystery, entertained by stories of monsters and of the ancestors who fought them. Were these stories true or just the products of wildly active imaginations? Together, they set out on a quest into the Pennsylvania woods to discover the truth of a legendary monster.

I formed a connection with these two girls early on in the book because they were so much like me as a teenager. Fascinated by legends of monsters and determined to discover the truth, no matter the obstacles they face. They also reminded me of how strong the bond of family is, even when separated for years. The deep love show more these sisters had for each other really came through and leaped from the pages into my heart.

This is what I love about Cat Winters. Many of her books are centered around strong female characters who are fighting battles both outwardly and inwardly, showing amazing growth, courage, and determination that many readers can really relate to. I would really love another story about these characters. One of my favorites from Cat Winters. show less

I've reviewed this book as a part of an event I am hosting in September 2021 called GeekDis. GeekDis is a collaborative event for members of the disability community to talk about disability representation in pop culture. You can learn more about GeekDis here!

Originally posted on Just Geeking by.


Odd & True was not at all what I expected, and I’ll be frank, I was quite disappointed with the plot as a whole. This book is listed as fantasy, supernatural and paranormal, however, I personally would put it more in the magical realism category. I spent the majority of the book wondering if I had been fleeced; if there was actually going to be any real magic or paranormal creatures in it. Without giving too much away, I can confirm that show more yes, this book does actually exist in the realm of fantasy. However, if you’re like me and prefer your fantasy and paranormal novels to be chock-full of those things, then you’re going to be disappointed like I was.

This is essentially a story about two sisters, family and the stories we tell ourselves and are told to keep the monsters of reality at bay. It is very well written, it’s just not personally my cup of tea. From a disability representation perspective, it’s very good. Trudchen, aka Tru, became ill with Polio as a child and as a result her right leg grew at a different rate. This resulted in a discrepancy between her two limbs of two and a half inches. With the aid of a brace and shoe with a taller heel, she is able to walk short distances. Walking is painful for Tru as moving her right leg requires a great deal of force which aggravates her joints, especially her hip.

Throughout the book, Winters never forgets that Tru is always conscious of how she has to move and the pain that accompanies it. As someone with chronic pain, I tend to notice when authors write about chronic pain and then forget about it for the little things, only remembering it when something big happens (for example, getting out of a carriage). There is one scene in particular where Tru has to walk on snow, and I appreciated how Winters took the time to describe how awkward it was for Tru to walk on a completely different surface. A lot of people don’t realise that surface texture makes a huge difference for those of us with physical disabilities that affect our lower limbs.

Likewise, Winters takes on the issue of how people perceive Tru, which in 1909 is completely wrapped up in her identity as a woman as well. Intersectionality is a huge part of the disabled community, and so often it gets completely ignored.

While I wasn’t a big fan of the plot, from a disability perspective Odd & True is a great read.

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I came into Odd & True expecting a fantasy story, but what I got was mostly historical fiction instead. Don’t get me wrong — I think it’s a fairly good book, but I probably wasn’t the right reader for it.

When Trudchen was little, her older sister Odette told her stories about how their family was magical. Their mother was a monster slayer, their uncle was a magician, and the sisters are destined to follow in their mother’s footsteps. But when Odd reappears after two years, she still seems to believe these stories, and Tru worries that she hasn’t grown out of their childhood dreams. Odd tells Tru that as Tru’s now fifteen, she’ll start attracting the attention of monsters, and that Tru needs to come with Odd for her own show more safety. Although she worries her disability (a shriveled leg from childhood polio) will make travel difficult, Tru decides that Odd needs her. As the two girls cross America, Tru begins to believe Odd’s claims of monsters and magic, and Odd’s mysterious two-year absence is slowly unveiled.

The book switches back and forth between two narrative strands. One is Tru’s perspective on the current day. The other is a series of flashbacks from Odd’s perspective, starting all the way back with Tru’s birth. Odd’s stories show the reality of the sisters’ lives, and its not a pretty one. It becomes clear that Odd felt the need to embellish their story to make it bearable. But does she believe the stories she tells? And is Tru growing past her skepticism?

As I mentioned earlier, if you’re looking for a straight up fantasy story about girls who slay monsters, that isn’t really Odd & True. This is one of those stories where it keeps you guessing: are there actually monsters? Or… is the true monster the patriarchy?

Odd & True is a feminist story, addressing the sexist inequities of the early 20th century (some of which still persist today…). A lot of this comes in through Odd’s flashbacks, which often highlight the particular vulnerabilities of low and working class women. However, feminist themes can be found in Tru’s sections as well, since people tend to immediately assume that the two girls can’t possibly be monster hunters. In Tru’s case, they also make assumptions about what she’s capable of because she’s disabled. One of the things I appreciated about Odd & True was Tru finding her own strength and confidence, and how she was able to share some of that confidence with other disabled girls.

While Odd & True wasn’t what I expected, I did enjoy the ride.

Review from The Illustrated Page. show less

The marketing of this book makes me so angry. Picked it up expecting a girl-power monster-slaying adventure based on the cover and the back cover blurb. NOPE. It's actually a very well-written story of a family in shambles in the early 1900s, with the smallest hint of the supernatural in the last chapters. Go in knowing this, and you'll enjoy it. As for me, I feel duped yet glad I read it.