The Turning Book 1: What Curiosity Kills

TITLE: The Turning Book 1: What Curiosity Kills
AUTHOR: Helen Ellis
PUB DATE: May 2010
PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Fire
PAGES: 224

ABOUT THE BOOK
Mary Richards is a normal sixteen-year-old girl living in Manhattan. Well, almost normal. She goes to private school on the Upper East Side, having been saved from a life of squalor by an adoptive family. But she’s also slowly transforming into a cat.

Struggling to hide her physical metamorphosis, Mary discovers that she isn’t alone. A whole race of cat people prowls the streets of Manhattan at night, including Mary’s long-time crush, Nick.

Aside from heightened feline senses, hanging out with Nick is the best thing about discovering her inner kitty. But Mary’s transformation is special and could decide the outcome of a citywide turf war. She must decide whether to embrace her powerful feline side and become a pack leader or go back to being a normal teenage girl. Can she land on her feet or will curiosity be her downfall?

summary from Goodreads.com

MY THOUGHTS

I was really lucky to get to meet the lovely Helen Ellis in person when she stopped by the Sourcebooks booth at BEA. The Turning Book 1 What Curiosity Kills has been on my radar for a little while now and after meeting Helen I ended up tracking down her book in NYC and I ended up buying it.

This is Paul from Sourcebooks, myself and Helen.

It was a pleasure to talk to Helen at BEA. She spoke briefly about her book, which happens to be her first YA book and the first in a series of upcoming books. After listening to her speak I decided I would pick up the book. It was later that night when I checked my emails in the hotel and discovered a truly beautiful email from her. She is super sweet. If I could have found a bookstore open at 2:30 AM I would have rushed out to buy the book then and there. Hence it would have to wait.

On the Monday following my trip from NYC, I decided that once Michael was on the bus I would come home and curl up on the couch and start to read THE TURNING. All I have to say in my opinion is “Curiosity killed this cat!”. I absolutely loved the book and I am not just saying that because Helen will read this.

The Turning managed to suck me almost right away. So much so that I barely put the book down and was determined to read this all before Michael got off the bus at 3:50pm. I did manage to read this in one sitting and to finish it in plenty of time before Michael got off the bus.

Mary and Octavia are adopted sisters living with a loving family in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Mary is almost like your typical 16 year old although she is a little different while your normal typical 16 year old girls worry about how they look, boys and clothes, Mary is trying to figure out what is happening to her.

When she lets a cat into her bathroom, the cat brushes up against her causing Mary to start growing clumps of fur. She is freaked out and not sure what is happening.

When her crush, Nick suddenly starts talking to her, he begins to fill in the pieces of the puzzle and helps her to shape shift into a cat. Octavia witnesses this and is freaked out. Slowly she confides into Mary about why she is freaked out about cats. I know I was curious to find out why she was freaked out about cats.

Octavia is determined to help Mary out but will they be able to before its too late?

I am so excited and curious to read the next book although I can’t seem to find out when it will be happening. I am dying to know what will happen to Mary.

You can check outHelen Ellis’s Websiteto see what fun and exciting things she is up too.