Review: SKULK

 

3.93 STARS from 67 GoodReaders

SKULK is a fun read, but to be honest it took me over 50 pages to be drawn into the story.  After that I sank into the adventure and enjoyed not only Meg, but her comrades.

Backstory:

Meg is bright girl that lives in London with her dysfunctional parents. Her father, an architect, basically ignores her; as if Meg was his wife's project. 

Her mother, on the other hand, won't leave her alone.  Instead of giving her room to breath and grow, Meg's mom harasses her and controls her to the extent that she monitors every calorie that goes into her mouth. 

 

As you'd expect Meg seeks a way to keep her sanity and express her individuality.  Graffiti becomes her secret hobby. Meg's involved with the community on the internet, and she's involved as an artist.

Creating her street art is how she becomes a shapeshifter.  She's got a spray can in her hands when an injured man stumbles upon her.  And it's when he dies that Meg inherits his ability to shift. Which is part Very Cool, and part Curse.

Other Info

• The plotting revolves around coveted jewels that the shifters are tasked to protect. 
• The shifters fall into four groups: a skulk of foxes, a conspiracy of crows, a rabble of butterflies, and a horde of rats. 

My View

SKULK was a fun adventure and Ms. Best worked hard to make Meg's London come to life.  Class distinctions and the differences between educated people and less educated folk were very realistic, but not over-played and in your face.

One of the things I especially liked was the romance between Meg and Mo, the street artist whose work she admires.  It totally worked for me. And even better, the romance stayed in the background where it belongs. Meg's and Mo's affection wasn't insta-love, nor sappy, nor did it dominate the story.

Now a plot about mystical jewels that need to be protected, and which are being stolen, is nothing new.  But the author's setting and characters are good and make the book worth reading.

You'll need some Suspension of Disbelief. And there's mild, non-graphic violence and some mild swearing.  SKULK would be suitable for Middle-graders, and even Tweens if they are ready for a scene where a 'date' tries to feel Meg up.

RECOMMEND TO those in the mood for a fantasy that doesn't stretch your credibility. Accept shape-shifters in our modern times and you are pretty much good to go. I found it a bit slow to start, but ultimately SKULK was worth the time.

Pam~


SKULK
by Rosie Best

Reading Information:
Page Count: 400
no reading information currently available
-- sample pages and price

In Brief

Principal character:: Meg, she's a rather realistic character for this genre.  She has great strength, but also is vulnerable because of the way her parents treated her.
Voice(s)::  first person
Time Frame:: modern
Cursing::  some
Sexual content::  mild
Humor:: definitely
Creepy:: not really
Fantasy:: yes
Pacing:: it took me a while to be drawn into the story
Disbelief O'meter:: on the low side once you accept premise

Writing (poor/good/amazing):: good
Satisfying:: yes
Worst Part (beginning/middle/end):: beginning
Best Part (beginning/middle/end):: middle
Best Parts::  evil pigeons and the bad characters in general are well done