Switchers #1 by Kate Thompson

My name is Tess, and I have a secret not even my parents know. A strange boy named Kevin shows up and threatens to tell them I have the ability to change into any kind of animal. He’s another switcher and says he needs my help to stop the snow and deep freeze that is creeping down from the Arctic. A crazy woman named Lizzie says Krools are to blame and that Kevin and I are the only ones who can stop them. We don’t know if what she says is true, but we need to fly north and find out. During our flight, Kevin reveals his own secret; his birthday is approaching in the next few days. On that day, he'll lose his ability to switch and will be stuck in one animal form for the rest of his life. What if we're in the middle of saving the world, and he's stuck as a dolphin, polar bear, or albatross?

I liked the idea of characters transforming into animals in order to save the world. However, the overall effect of the book left me a little disappointed. The plot took too long to reveal details of the problem, as too many pages were spent describing the chatacters’ trek to find Lizzie. Then, the climactic face-off with the Krools didn’t meet my anticipation. The solution felt too simple. Kevin’s age problem provided an interesting twist, and the resolution of the entire plot was satisfying. So what am I saying? If you have the patience for slow plot development and you like animals, then you should enjoy this book. Really, the concept was good, but the suspense was lacking compared to other books I’ve read recently.