Full Shift

Ever since her father’s death, teenage Tessa has felt increasingly alienated from her family of werewolves. It doesn’t help that she still can’t shift into full wolf form (“The number one reason my sister drives me up the wall is... she’s also a better werewolf than me”). Upon hearing rumor of a group of hunters with the ability to make werewolves human, she risks her life, and the safety of her family and friends, to learn more. She enlists the help of Madeline, her crush since fourth grade, to whom Tessa recently (and awkwardly) revealed her werewolf identity. But when Tessa inadvertently leads the hunters to believe that Maddie is a werewolf, Tessa must rally her pack for assistance in protecting Maddie. Tessa’s werewolf family nurtures and supports her even when she acts against their wishes in this refreshingly subversive graphic novel by collaborators Dugan and Seaton (Coven). Seaton’s noir-like illustrations and detailed backdrops blend realistic and stylized elements to evoke an appropriately spine-chilling creature feature atmosphere. Emotive facial expressions similarly elevate Dugan’s rapid-fire dialogue and character interactions, which add heft and heart that brings the protagonists to life in this story of loss and transformation. Characters are portrayed with varying skin tones. Ages 12–up. Author’s agent: Sara Crowe, Sara Crowe Literary. (Aug.)