Savannah Grey

  Blogger was down yesterday and much of this morning. My blog post from yesterday disappeared. I apologize in advance if you've read this review already but I wanted to re-post it for those who missed it. I recently finished Savannah Grey by Cliff McNish. This review is based on an advanced reader's copy that I received from Netgalley for an honest review.

Description (from backcover): Savannah Grey needs to keep moving. She doesn't know why, but she can't let herself get tied down by too many people. It’s almost like she's being chased by something. And now something strange is happening with her neck—with her throat. Then she meets Reece—a guy who seems to understand her needs. He even knows about her neck. The same thing is happening to him. It's as if their voices are becoming weapons, warming up for some kind of attack. Nature has been preparing for battle with the universe's ultimate monster for millennia. The time to fight is almost here. The weapon is Savannah Grey.

Review: Savannah Grey is the strangest book I've read this year. Cliff McNish has a knack for combining elements of the supernatural, horror, and mystery into his story while creating characters who go through disturbing and weird transformations in order to combat evil. Savannah Grey is always uneasy. She is constantly moving from one foster home to another, not really finding a niche for herself. Her throat is perpetually sore and starts to make weird noises or even some sort of music whenever someone gets near it, which means she can’t get close to anyone. Savannah meets a boy named Reece at a party, who’s experiencing the same things. They discover strange growths in their throats; while Reece’s aren’t functional nor seem threatening, Savannah’s looks as if its a weapon created to fight a monster that seems to be creeping about in their neightborhood.
  Savannah Grey has two different narratives. In alternating chapters, Savannah details her discovery of her powers in the present tense meanwhile we get to know the ecological monsters that are hunting her in the third person. The alternating narration builds the tension between the prey and the predator, making us wonder when the two will meet.
  Savannah’s transformation is fascinating and strange, but requires a lot of suspension of disbelief, which I couldn't do and found it to be pretty silly. There is a small subplot of a love story between Savannah and Reece which drives the story well and gives weight to a surprising plot twist. I found the ending to be abrupt. Personally, I'm not the right reader for this book, however, I will recommend to middle grade and reluctant YA readers looking for strange stories.

Rating: 2 stars

Words of Caution: There are some disturbing scenes and some minor language. Suitable for Grades 6 and up.

If you like this book try: Silver sequence series by Savannah Grey

Posted in: 100+ Reading Challenge, 2 stars, Childrens, Environment, friendship, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Survival Fiction, YA