Review: Shifted Perspective

Title - Shifted Perspective
Author - J. Bridger
Series of Standalone - Book 1 in the Tails of Change
Genre - Young Adult Fantasy
Publication August 28th 2012
(Goodreads) & (Amazon)
Rating 4 out of 5

Synopsis

Caleb Byrne is a bright high school senior who has enough to deal with between college choices, taking care of his single dad, and dealing with his headstrong girlfriend Joanna and an eccentric set of cousins in California. He was managing to get by until the day he woke up a Cocker Spaniel. Even if it only happens monthly and is more embarrassing than painful, the so-called ability is something that he's anxious to be rid of. 

He didn't realize his transformations would drag him into a hidden society of canine and lupine shape shifters as well as a family legacy he hates. To make matters worse, after moving to Los Angeles to learn more about his heritage from his Aunt Moira and his cousin Kalista, Caleb now struggles through life-and-death matters. He keeps angering the werewolves in charge of the shifter world, especially Kalista's boyfriend Peter, the Southern California alpha's son, who also happens to be grade-A sociopath. Worse, Caleb's floundering to keep his secret from Joanna. 

While his family offers him some support, they may not be enough as Caleb realizes that the rules in shifter society---number one is supposed to be don't kill humans---are not so ironclad. Some werewolf out there is leaving a blood-soaked trail across the Midwest and it might just be with the alpha's blessing...

Opening Teaser

It was starting. I knew it was coming, knew that something horrible was going to start up any minute. I didn’t even know how to explain that I knew, just that it was on its way and that I was scared. My stomach hurt and every time I closed my eyes, I could see the ground shaking. There weren’t even earthquakes in North Carolina. It wasn’t something that ever happened here, but it didn’t stop me from feeling like it was coming. I’d dreamed about it for a few weeks now and today, the moment I woke up, I knew it was coming.

Review

I received Shifted Perspective in return for an honest review from the author. Caleb has big plans for the future his toughest choice is choosing which college to attend. Suddenly everything changes and he wakes up a Cocker Spaniel, who happens to now be able to speak to his old blood hound Samson. Thankfully for him it only lasts one day and the first few times he can play it off to his dad that some stray dog must have gotten in but soon he's caught by his dad who helps him on his "puppy days" as they are now calling them which happen once a month. Neither of them know how or why this is happening to Caleb but they are dealing with it till the night of his graduation when he's turned into a Cocker Spaniel and can't change back for his speech.

It's then that he learns his wacky cousin Kalista and Aunt Moira are also Cocker Spaniels that his mother was a carrier and he inherited it from her. Typically your born with being able to shit it's not something that shows up later in life so they didn't know that Caleb was going to be able to shift. Upon learning about Caleb's new abilities they demand that he leave with them for California where he will join the pack of shapeshifting K9's. Stubborn as he is Caleb refuses to leave without his father and the old bloodhound Samson they accepted the dog better than his father since he's considered a outsider. His dad holds his own and both are accepted into the pack based on the fact that his father helped and protected him when the pack didn't know he existed.

While in California Kalista attempts to set Caleb up with one of her best friends a beagle shapeshifter named Penny who also happens to work as a private investigator and psychic to pay the bills. When Penny get's called in on a case involving the death of two in a park she suspects that the killer might be a werewolf. Since he doesn't know anyone and Penny isn't ready to go to the alpha till she knows who the killer is she teams up with Caleb because he doesn't know anyone yet and he doesn't care much for the wolves either. With the help from Calebs ex-girlfriend Joanna the trio will need to find out who the killer is, and keep Joanna in the dark about who they really are.

I found Shifted Perspective entertaining better than I was expecting and I say that because I'm used to my shapeshifters being able to rip people apart. I liked the unique twist with the different breeds of dogs, very different then your typical shapeshifter book. There's a spot where we learn that Kalista is actually being shown in dog shows in attempted to win the Westminster dog show, but she hasn't won enough to get there it had my laughing a human pretending to be a dog to win. The characters are very well developed its hard not to connect with them on some level, they all have their own little personality quirks and I like that. I think Penny is a great character she may not be a big tough wolf or large dog but she has a great personality and I really enjoyed her. Plus you can't not love Caleb since he is the one after all that's dealing with threats from his cousin's werewolf boyfriend, and just trying to learn how to be who he is. Overall it's a great first in the series, I found it entertaining and frankly I couldn't put it down but I was so tired last night sleep won out or I would of been up all night I'm sure.