Review - Winging It-Deborah Cooke

Title: Winging It

Author: Deborah Cooke

Release Date: December 2011

Publisher: NAL

Genre: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hoots

Reviewer: Krystal

Zoë Sorensson yearns to come into her powers as the only female dragon shifter. But being part of two worlds is more complicated than she expected. It’s bad enough that she’s the target of the Mages’ plan to eliminate all shifters—she also has to hide her true nature from her best friend Megan, a human. For her sixteenth birthday, all Zoë wants is one normal day, including a tattoo and a chance to see hot rocker Jared.

Instead, the Pyr throw her a birthday party but ban Megan from attendance, putting Zoë in a tight spot. Things get even worse when Zoe is invited to the popular kids’ Halloween party and Megan’s left out. Zoë knows the party is a trap laid by the host, an apprentice Mage. When Megan gets a last-minute invite, Zoë must save the day—and her best friend—without revealing her fire-breathing secrets . . . (Goodreads)
Review:
This book was very fast-paced and hard to put down. The reader is hit with several subplots at once. Zoe's friend Megan is a little cold to her, Jared seems to like her...but then it can seem like he doesn't, the mages are sneaking around and Derek may have a crush on her. It is a little confusing at first to sort out but as the reader begins to warm to the characters, it is easier to separate them. The book takes off after the first couple of chapters; it doesn't take much to get to the heart of the plot.
Zoe is a likable character. She can be brave and clever. In this book, Zoe appears to have grown some, she is more mature. Her decisions make more sense and seem much more "adult." Megan is aggravating. The reader will want to shake her and tell her to decide whether or not Zoe is still her friend. The two love interests get a little confusing; they send differing signals to Zoe that change very quickly. The other secondary characters are fun to get to know, the reader will likely appreciate Zoe's character the best.
The events of this book are fast-paced and exciting. The author moves the plot along at a rapid pace. The author's style of writing is smooth and the transitions are not awkward in the slightest. The reader will be turning the pages to find out what new discovery Zoe has made or what new development has occurred in the complex relationships between the characters. This book is recommended to young adult/teen readers.