Book Review: The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Mackie Doyle seems like everyone else in the perfect little town of Gentry, but he is living with a fatal secret - he is a Replacement, left in the cr ...more Mackie Doyle seems like everyone else in the perfect little town of Gentry, but he is living with a fatal secret - he is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now the creatures under the hill want him back, and Mackie must decide where he really belongs and what he really wants.

A month ago, Mackie might have told them to buzz off. But now, with a budding relationship with tough, wounded, beautiful Tate, Mackie has too much to lose. Will love finally make him worthy of the human world? (From Goodreads)

Part of Traveling ARC Tours

I feel that I should start the review by mentioning the book's cover. It's what first grabbed my attention, and made me stop to read the synopsis. It's creepy, in a good way, and it actually connects to the story. The plot of The Replacement was an interesting take on the changeling folklore. If you haven't heard of a changeling, I suggest heading to Google and doing a quick bit of research. I also thought it contained a great description of a small town hiding a big secret. None of the citizens acknowledged what was happening to the children in Gentry, because it seemed easier for them to pretend that nothing was wrong. Without giving too much away, I'll say that I was surprised by a few characters who knew more about the secret underworld than they let on.

At the start of The Replacement, we meet Mackie. Has has an unfortunate iron allergy, and is unable to be around blood. It's fairly obvious to those around him that he isn't like other teens. Still, Mackie finds support from a small group of friends, and his sister Emma. Looking back, I realized that my favorite character, and the one that I connected with, was Emma. She knew that Mackie was a changeling, and that her biological brother was dead. Despite that, she treats Mackie as an older sister would. She loves him, and goes out of her way to protect him. As an older sister, I definitely understood her motives and decisions.

The only thing I could have asked for would have been more description of the underworld of Gentry. I felt that more information about the world an entire town feared would have added a lot more to the story. While the reader gets a description of the underworld characters, I wanted to see Mackie's reaction to this new world.

Overall, it was an interesting, and creepy read. I couldn't set it down, and I can't wait for more from Yovanoff!

The Replacement
By Brenna Yovanoff
Published by Razorbill
352 Pages
Release Date: 9/21/2010
Rating: B