Review: Defector

DEFECTOR
Variants #2
Susanne Winnacker
Young Adult/Paranormal/Sci-Fi
288 pages
Razorbill
Available June 26th
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Tessa has finally made peace with her life as a Variant. She and long-time love Alec are officially a couple, and for the first time, she has everything she wants.

But the air is tense at FEA headquarters. An agent has disappeared, and rogue variant organization Abel’s Army is likely the culprit.

When Tessa is summoned for her second mission, she is unexpectedly launched into a massive conspiracy. Her best friend Holly is kidnapped and Tessa knows it was meant to be her. But who is after her? And more importantly, why?

When the FEA’s efforts to rescue Holly don’t yield any results, Tessa takes matters into her own hands. Desperate to save her friend and uncover the mystery behind Abel’s Army, Tessa launches her own investigation—but nothing could prepare her for what she finds. Everyone in her life is harboring secrets: Alec, her estranged mother, even the father she never knew.

The truth will take her out on the road and out of her comfort zone, with danger lurking everywhere. Summoning all of her courage and strength, Tessa must decide who can be trusted and what is worth fighting for—even if it means going against the life she thought she wanted. Her final decision will leave readers breathless.

MY THOUGHTS
Defector picks up shortly after the events of Impostor, returning us to young Variant Tessa and her group of unusually gifted friends as they try and anticipate the next move made by supposed enemy Abel’s Army. Longtime series readers should know upfront that Defector is a classic second book, following a familiar path in which the main couple dissolves, a new romantic interest steps up, and a cliffhanger awaits us in the final chapter, but despite our frustration that this story fails break out of its middle book box, Ms. Winnacker undoubtedly tells a good story and keeps us entertained throughout. Her style is one that simply flows well; an easiness to the dialogue and the transition from one event to the next that keeps us turning the pages to find out what this second installment has in store for Tessa.

Though Tessa and Alec box step their way through a dance we’ve seen time and again when secrets that change everything are brought to light, Tessa handles the situation differently from many of the fictional girls that have come before her. Though she’s genuinely upset by what she learns, she doesn’t sit on the information and let it fester, changing her behavior around Alec while she questions his every move and creates more distance between them after working so hard in the last book to close it. Instead, she immediately confronts Alec with what she knows and asks to hear the truth from his lips, and when his answers confirm what she already knew, she thankfully doesn’t stage a dramatic exit. She asks for time to sort through everything while still admitting to herself that her love for him remains the same.

It’s only after additional secrets pile themselves atop the ones she just learned that Tessa decides to make the break we suspected was coming but dreaded just the same, venturing into the unknown in search of answers. While many might see her actions as a girl running headlong into trouble without all the facts (and that is certainly true to some degree), it’s also clear that Tessa will never be trusted with all the pieces of the puzzle that is her family at the FEA, leaving her little choice but to do the best she can in discovering things for herself. Her young age does show itself at times, particularly as her longing for home and family is brought to the forefront, but we can’t help but feel for her, knowing we as readers have the benefit of emotional distance whereas she’s trapped in a storm of confusion, pain and anger.

The introduction of a new romantic player is, to our great relief, a very minor component of this book, and Tessa recognizes fairly quickly that the days following a complete upheaval of her life are not the time to start a new relationship. Overall, Defector plays the part of a middle book to a T, but despite that, it’s a quick and engaging read that answers some questions while raising a slew of new ones, and I certainly can’t wait to see what will happen next.

Rating: 4/5
 

Find Susanne:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Amazon • B&N • Goodreads

*I was lucky enough to be a part of the promotional tour for Defector, so be sure and check out my interview with Susanne and enter to win a copy of the book! 

This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Defector Blog Tour: Author Interview + Giveaway

Today I'm super excited to welcome author Susanne Winnacker back to the blog as part of the promotional tour for Defector, the second book in her paranormal young adult series. I absolutely LOVED last year's Impostor, it was one of those books that just grabbed me from page one and wouldn't let go, so I jumped at the chance to be a part of the tour (begging may also have been involved). I had the opportunity to ask Susanne a couple of questions about Tessa, Alec and company, so I hope you all enjoy the interview. Don't forget to check out the bottom of the post too for all the details on a fabulous giveaway!

If you had Tessa’s ability to take on the appearance of anyone with whom you came in contact, who’s the first person you’d “try on” (so to speak) and what do you think their reaction would be to seeing another version of themselves?

I would love to be a man for a day. Maybe my husband. I think he’d be surprised, or maybe not. He knows me after all... ;)

Let’s say Tessa, who’s still learning the ropes and is only sent on her second mission ever in Defector, is granted physical training time with any character from fiction, TV or film. Whom would she most like to learn from?

Hannibal Lecter. After all, who would be better to teach her everything there is to know about psychopaths and sociopaths.

If Tessa was able to sit down with you and ask you any question she wanted about why you wrote the events in her life the way you have, what question would you be most afraid to answer?

Why I didn’t give her a loving family. Tessa wants nothing more than parents that care about her. I guess she wouldn’t be too happy with me for depriving her of a family.

If you had the opportunity to interview the author or character of your choosing, what would you most want to know?

I would love to talk to J.K. Rowling, though I’m not sure if you could call it interview. I probably wouldn’t get many words out. But I’d love to talk to her about how she handles negative reviews and expectations.

You suddenly find yourself recruited by the FEA and will now be working with the Variants on their missions. Which character do you think those in charge would pair you with to offset any weaknesses that exist in the two of you?

Maybe Tanner. I’m impatient and want to plan everything in advance. He’s funny and lighthearted and doesn’t take himself too seriously. I think he would help me to be more relaxed. And I would remind him of our job. hehe

What would Tessa say the events of Defector have taught her about herself? About Alec?

That she’s strong and can rely on herself. About Alec...well, THAT would be quite spoilery. Let’s just say that appearances can be deceiving.

In this second book Tessa learns that a number of people in her life are keeping secrets from her. What’s one small thing she’s never told anyone?

There are many things in Tessa’s past she’d rather not talk or think about, but one thing she never told anyone is that the first time her mother brought home a new boyfriend Tessa was excited because she thought he would make them a real family. But she quickly learned that the men in her mother’s life weren’t interested in family life.

Thanks so much for stopping by Susanne!

• • • • • • • • • • •

DEFECTOR

(releases June 26th from Razorbill)

Tessa has finally made peace with her life as a Variant. She and long-time love Alec are officially a couple, and for the first time, she has everything she wants.

But the air is tense at FEA headquarters. An agent has disappeared, and rogue variant organization Abel’s Army is likely the culprit.

When Tessa is summoned for her second mission, she is unexpectedly launched into a massive conspiracy. Her best friend Holly is kidnapped and Tessa knows it was meant to be her. But who is after her? And more importantly, why?

When the FEA’s efforts to rescue Holly don’t yield any results, Tessa takes matters into her own hands. Desperate to save her friend and uncover the mystery behind Abel’s Army, Tessa launches her own investigation—but nothing could prepare her for what she finds. Everyone in her life is harboring secrets: Alec, her estranged mother, even the father she never knew.

The truth will take her out on the road and out of her comfort zone, with danger lurking everywhere. Summoning all of her courage and strength, Tessa must decide who can be trusted and what is worth fighting for—even if it means going against the life she thought she wanted. Her final decision will leave readers breathless.

Amazon • B&N • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • • • 

SUSANNE WINNACKER

Susanne Winnacker studied law before she became a full-time writer. She lives with her husband, a dog that looks like a sheep and three bunnies that have destroyed every piece of furniture she's ever owned in Germany. She loves coffee (in every shape and form), traveling and animals. When she isn't writing, you can usually find her in the kitchen, experimenting with new vegan dishes.

She blogs for The League of Extraordinary Writers.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • • • 

GIVEAWAY

There will be a total of three winners for this giveaway, with two lucky people each winning a copy of Defector and one winning an audiobook of Impostor. Giveaway is international, please enter via the Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WEEK ONE

6/16/2014- Jump Into Books- Review

6/16/2014- Literary Meanderings- Guest Post

6/17/2014- YA Story Teller- Review

6/17/2014- Supernatural Snark- Interview

6/18/2014- Crossroad Reviews- Review

6/18/2014- The Cover Contessa- Guest Post

6/19/2014- Book Swoon- Review

6/19/2014- Bittersweet Enchantment- Interview

6/20/2014- The Storybook Kingdom- Review

6/20/2014- Fantasy Book Addict- Guest Post

  

WEEK TWO

6/23/2014- Shayna Varadeaux Books & Reviews- Review

6/23/2014- Fire and Ice- Interview

6/24/2014- Fiktshun- Promo Post

6/24/2014- A Dream Within A Dream- Guest Post

6/25/2014- Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, and Romance- Review

6/25/2014- Such a Novel Idea- Interview

6/26/2014- Becoming Books- Review

6/26/2014- Addicted Readers- Guest Post

6/27/2014- Library of the Seen- Review

6/27/2014- Mom With A Kindle- Interview

Review + Giveaway: Impostor

IMPOSTOR
Variants #1
Susanne Winnacker
Paranormal Young Adult
274 pages
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from Media Masters Publicity/Razorbill

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again.

Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.

MY THOUGHTS
Impostor is a deeply satisfying start to a new series, balancing romance and mystery perfectly so that we get just enough of each to keep our nerves on edge and our emotions in flux. Many times with murder mysteries there is a blatantly obvious suspect from the beginning, a glaring red herring that we know cannot possibly be the true culprit just from the sheer number of signs that point to them. Our focus then shifts to the person least suspicious, and the game of whodunit becomes less of a challenge. With Impostor, Ms. Winnacker gives us a decent sized pool of possible killers, but instead of any one of them standing out as a red herring or a sleeper suspect, everyone on Tessa’s list is a genuine possibility, and while the identity of the killer at the end is not a jaw-dropping surprise, our keen detective’s eye does spend majority of the story bouncing around from one potential threat to the next.

Tessa possess a very unique and dangerous gift in the context of politics, terrorism and espionage, able to shift her appearance to take on that of anyone with whom she’s physically come in contact. She’s both strong and vulnerable, her training with the FEA preparing her in self-defense, crime scene investigation and various other related areas for a future agent, but her job impersonating Madison is her very first in the field, and we get a front row seat to see just how very different training is from a real mission. Her gift, as she finds out, is not as flawless and reliable as everyone thinks it is, and her time with Madison’s loving family is a stark and painful reminder of the absence of her own family, causing our hearts to hurt for her as the type of life she wants most is handed to her on a silver platter of deceit.

The romance with Alec is a highlight, no insta-love or threat of a romantic third party in sight, just the relationship between two people who have been friends for years but who clearly want to be so much more. Their every interaction is ripe with tension, a delicious sense of anticipation thrumming between them whenever they come in contact, but Alec remains hesitant and repeatedly tries to deny any attraction, citing the difference in their ages as well as the fact that he has a girlfriend who works with both of them at the FEA. While at first the idea that Alec could play with Tessa’s heart when he’s with someone else puts us off, it’s made very clear to us that there is something more to his relationship with Kate than meets the eye, the suddenness of their couple status despite his obvious feelings for Tessa raising many a red flag we can’t wait to see explored in future books.

Overall, Impostor is a book that gives us a complete story in this first installment, but the revelations surrounding Madison’s killer provide this series with legs to stand on, a much larger enemy sliding into place and a new group of FEA recruits that have the potential to wreak havoc on the suddenly fragile bond between Alec and Tessa entering the picture. Those who might be looking for thorough explanations for Tessa and the other Variants' gifts will not find them in this book, their differences from the rest of humanity simply are what they are, but the story and characters are engaging enough to distract from any pressing questions, and it's simply a delight to read on a variety of levels.

Rating: 4/5
 

Find Impostor:

B&N • Indiebound • Amazon

Check out my interview with Susanne! 

• • • • • • • • • •

SUSANNE WINNACKER

Susanne Winnacker studied law before she became a full-time writer. She lives with her husband, a dog that looks like a sheep and three bunnies that have destroyed every piece of furniture she's ever owned in Germany. She loves coffee (in every shape and form), traveling and animals. When she isn't writing, you can usually find her in the kitchen, experimenting with new vegan dishes.

She blogs for The League of Extraordinary Writers.

 

Website  • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads 

• • • • • • • • • • 

 GIVEAWAY

Thanks to Razorbill, I have one hardcover copy of Impostor to give away on the blog today! WOO HOO! I hope everyone loves this book as much as I did. To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US residents only, good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview: Susanne Winnacker + Impostor

I'm thrilled today to welcome young adult author Susanne Winnacker to the blog to answer a few questions about her newest release, Impostor. Impostor was a bit of a surprising read for me, one of those books that flew just under my radar prior to picking it up but instantly grabbed from page one and refused to let me put it down. I have my review and a giveaway posting later in the month, but it's safe to say I HIGHLY recommend this one to anyone who likes a little mystery, a little taste of the paranormal, and a little romance in their books. Welcome to Supernatural Snark Susanne!

What’s one thing about you someone such as Tessa (who can take on the appearance of anyone with whom she comes in contact) wouldn’t be able to get quite right, thus tipping off your friends and family it wasn’t the real you?

Well, we have a Komondor, that’s a huge livestock guardian dog who isn’t very fond of strangers, so he could probably sense that it wasn’t me. Apart from that, my husband told me that I always close my left eye when I’m laughing and he doubts that anyone could imitate that...maybe I should be offended?

You have Tessa’s gift and you’re facing Alec in a sparring situation. Who’s the first person you would shift into in order to beat him?

It’s quite mean of me, but I’d shift into either his mother or father. He’d probably be so shocked that I’d have the chance to land a surprise hit.

Given Impostor is written from the first person perspective of Tessa, we’re well aware of how she feels about Alec, but we don’t have the same perfect clarity with regard to how Alec feels about her. What’s the first thing that ran through his head when he came to recruit Tessa for the FEA those couple of years ago?

I have to be careful not to give important things away, but I’d say the first thing Alec felt when he and Major picked up Tessa from her home were protectiveness and sympathy – they had similar childhoods, and that connects them.

If Alec could choose any movie on one of his movie nights with Tessa to help communicate his feelings for her without actually saying anything aloud, what movie might he choose to do his talking for him?

Well, Alec and Tessa both don’t like romance movies. They love horror and action. So I need an action movie. Maybe Iron Man? Because Tony Stark’s and Pepper Pott’s romance reminds me a bit of Tessa and Alec. They’ve known each other for a long time, they work together, there are reasons why they shouldn’t be together. I especially love the hesitant and awkward closeness between Tony and Pepper in the first movie!

Let’s say Tessa turns the tables and is going to write a novel about you as a Variant. What’s the greatest strength she would give you? The biggest weakness?

My biggest weakness would probably be impatience. Not a good character trait for an FEA agent. Greatest strength? Hm. Not sure, but she’d probably give me a Variation that has something to do with animals since I love them so much. Maybe she’d give me the power to talk and listen to animals?

If you could add a character or characters from any other YA novel to your world of Variants, who do you think would fit in best? Who would cause the most trouble for the FEA?

Wow. That’s a difficult question. The most trouble? Maybe Voldemort or Bellatrix Lestrange. Fighting against witches and wizards would certainly be a new challenge for the FEA agents.

Kate is able to read the minds of women but not men. If she were to look into your mind as you were thinking about the events of book two, what three words might she see swirling around in there?

Betrayal. Discoveries. Hunt.

• • • • • • • • • • 

SUSANNE WINNACKER

Susanne Winnacker studied law before she became a full-time writer. She lives with her husband, a dog that looks like a sheep and three bunnies that have destroyed every piece of furniture she's ever owned in Germany. She loves coffee (in every shape and form), traveling and animals. When she isn't writing, you can usually find her in the kitchen, experimenting with new vegan dishes.
She blogs for The League of Extraordinary Writers.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads • Amazon

• • • • • • • • • •

IMPOSTOR

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI.

When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again.

Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep.

Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.