Book Review: The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

✰✰✰ ½ Mackie Doyle just wants to fit in. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tries, he never will. You see, Mackie is different from the others...he's a replacement. It happened when he was just a baby. According to his sister, Emma, her baby brother, Malcolm Doyle, was taken from his crib and something else was left in his place. Usually the replacements die soon afterwards, but not Mackie. He grew up.

While the sleepy town of Gentry seems like any other, it hides a dark secret. Every seven years a baby is taken and replaced with something not human, just like Mackie. This year Tate Stewart's baby sister Natalie was taken in the night. Tate confronts Mackie in the hopes of finding answers, but instead Mackie finds himself facing the unwanted truth about himself.

For sixteen years the town has done its best to ignore Mackie's differences. However, it's time for a change. In his quest to find answers, Mackie is drawn into a strange underground world filled with frightful creatures. Mackie must decide which world he belongs in as he struggles to help Tate.

The Bottom Line: Mackie Doyle is a peculiar, lonely and likeable hero just struggling to fit in. A strong theme of friendship in times of adversity shines through this eerie and gothic tale. This quick read is recommended for teens who enjoy stories about the supernatural with a twist of romance. Note to parents: This book does contain some strong language and scenes of teenage drinking.

Details: The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff. Hardcover published by Razorbill in 2010. 352 p. ISBN: 978-1-59514-337-2