Reviews

"RIVER, the debut novel from Skyla Dawn Cameron, provides a fresh and unique take on the werewolf legend. Filled with twists and turns, the novel propels the reader along on a riveting journey of discovery. River Wolfe is a heroine for the new millennium--attractive, smart and tough as nails! RIVER should absolutely not be missed!"
--Judy Bagshaw, bestselling author LADY BLUE; AT LONG LAST, LOVE

"This is a terrific book, filled with unique and well-drawn characters, realistic dialogue, and a great deal of humor, as River has to deal with a sudden and undesired transformation into a species that makes no sense to her. Nor do her friends understand her most of the time, but they feel the effects of her nature as she struggles to recover the pack she lost."
--Marc Vun Kannon for ParaNormalRomance Reviews

* * * * * (5 Stars) "River isn't your ordinary troubled teenager. She's actually a wolf--the Alpha Female of her pack--who was bitten by a werewolf and transformed into a human.
Now forced to live among humans, River has no real interest in blending in with society, but instead longs for her wolf pack and mate. When she learns that there is a chance she might become a wolf again, she is determined not to let anything stand in the way of reuniting with her pack and resuming her former life. Unfortunately, things are far from simple, and the longer River spends away from her pack, the more she becomes entangled--however reluctantly--in the lives of the humans around her.

At last, here is a novel about werewolves where they actually exhibit wolf-like qualities! The author has clearly done her research, and knows something about real-life wolves. These true-life details bring an element of realism to the novel that makes River's journey even more compelling. As for River herself, she is a fascinating character who balances cynicism with dark humor. Her wolf nature and her initial hatred of all things human mean that she seldom bothers to hold back, either with her words or her fists, a situation that at first makes her an outsider but later places her in the position of protector to her friends and foster-brother. But, beyond the frequent action that kept me riveted, RIVER is a story about learning to accept oneself, about forgiveness for past mistakes, and about the love of friends and family--or of a wolf for her pack. This book is a permanent addition to my keeper shelf, and will be revisited many times in the years to come."
--Elaine Corvidae, author of WOLFKIN; WINTER'S ORPHANS, reviewed at Amazon.com

5 Klovers! "No one would ever guess that RIVER is a debut novel unless you told them! Skyla Dawn Cameron has perfectly captured the angst of the teenage years in a format that will appeal to adults as well as teens. River's struggle to understand basic human interactions, such as the need for excessive words or attending a dance, is both poignant and insightful. One will clearly see just how awful humanity can be at times while reading RIVER.

RIVER is not a completely dark story, however. Secondary characters such as River's foster brother, Charlie, and her newly acquired friend, Jen, also bring glimpses into what is right about humanity. Both Charlie and Jen are underdogs who look up to River as she struggles to assert herself when challenged by other humans.

Skyla Dawn Cameron has clearly demonstrated a remarkable gift at capturing the true essence of humanity, both the good and the bad. RIVER is not your typical werewolf story by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, the wolf theme serves almost more as a symbol. Fans looking for a unique twist on the werewolf theme need look no further than RIVER as Skyla Dawn Cameron is definitely an author to keep an eye on! "
--Deborah Wiley, COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

* * * * * (5 Stars) "With her impressive debut novel, author Skyla Dawn Cameron accomplishes what few others have by bringing much needed and refreshing innovation to the werewolf story. RIVER is not only a fascinating twist on the wolf-bites-man plot, but a novel in which the werewolf is a bright, witty and humorous young female. This is an entertaining read for anyone who likes fiction, but for fans of the fantasy/paranormal genre--RIVER is a must-have for your book shelf!"
--Lori Johnson, author of PEOPLE OF THE BEAR, reviewed at Amazon

* * * * * (5 Stars) I love this book! "I've read River twice since I bought it and I'll probably read it tons more. I spent half the book laughing as River tries to deal with her life and what she is, and the other part crying at the many touching moments. Skyla Dawn Cameron writes great, realistic characters with a lot of humor, and I can't wait until her next book is released!"
--JessW, reader, reviewed at Amazon

* * * * * (5 Stars) A Great Story "I highly recommend this book. Skyla Dawn Cameron has thought of a unique twist to the werewolf novel and developed it into a refreshing read which I think will appeal to a range of ages. A first novel this book puts to shame many offerings by established authors. The lead teenage character River is a werewolf; a wolf that has been bitten by a human that is! The premise alone made me curious to read more and I wasn't disappointed. River is a strong female lead; brusque and yet endearing she has a way of looking at things that will make you re-evaluate your surrounds. Secondary characters are equally well drawn and individual. As well as watching how River develops you get to see how her presence effects and changes the people around her.

Rather than being added as a gimmick the wolf angle is well written. You get a sense
of the wolves and feel the author has spent time researching them. I look forward to further books by this interesting new author."
--Clare, reader, reviewed at Amazon

***** (5 Stars) Fantastic!


Couldn't put it down, refreshingly different story and brilliantly written! Want the sequel - now! ;-) I can recommend it highly to anyone!!
--Dagmar Eberhardt, reader, reviewed at Amazon

Looking at humanity from the outside...

River is a female Alpha wolf with a pack, a mate, a life. For reasons unknown to her, she is ripped from her reality and turned into a human. She does not know how to speak in a human language, how to dress, or what the hell happened to her. Because of her youth (in human form she looks about twelve), the authorities put her into foster care. When we meet River, she is now fifteen, and in High school. With only a few years of human experience, her abilities with language and literacy are still limited.

Quite honestly, the thought of trying to cope with High School, Special Ed classes or the age of fifteen is horrifying enough without the added complication of being a wolf in human skin. River has learned enough to mimic borderline human behavior, but the rules of teenagers is beyond that of most humans. Worse, River is an adult as a wolf, with a mate (wolves mate for life), the teenage angst, cruelty and sexual games are additionally horrific to her.

My empathy level shot through the roof when reading this book. Viewing humanity from River's point of view, our species comes across as shallow, stupid, vindictive, incomprehensible. River has the option of adapting to our ways, or being true to her wolf instincts. She can no longer be a wolf, nor can she be a human, because she isn't one. No easy choices, no magic wand to give her back her real life, this is a book about coping with unacceptable truths.

I would love to read a review of this story by a literate teenager, since it is
their age group that is specifically under a microscope, but I would not classify River as a YA novel, it's too profound to be ignored by the rest of us. HIGHLY recommended.
--Wooddavis, reviewed at Amazon

5 Tombstones "River is a powerful and new take on your typical young adult paranormal story and I absolutely loved it! The character of River was well written and not toned down one bit. She was exactly how I would picture someone who didn’t start out as human. Her language skills, understanding of the world (or lack of), her opinions on the world and humans; all of it is written realistically. She didn’t just magically learn to be 100% human in a scant three years. Actually all of the characters were well written and realistic. The situations described are ones that you can easily see in any high school. All in all this was a fabulous story and I can’t wait to read the next installment!"
--Becky at BittenByBooks.com