Impostor

A Variants Novel

By: Susanne Winnacker

Narrated by: Emily Rankin

CAN TESSA POSE AS MADISON . . . AND STOP A KILLER BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE?

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.

Critic reviews

"An unpredictable page turner with shades of terror reminiscent of a Stephen King novel."—VOYA

"Fresh and inventive. . . . the strongly-written mystery component takes center stage."—BCCB

X-Men meets Nancy Drew!

What do you get if you crossed X-Men with Nancy Drew? The new Variants series by Susanne Winnacker.

Tessa is a Variant, she can morph into anyone that she has "touched" that is still living. She lives with other Variants, with all different skills, at the FEA, a branch of the FBI. Tessa is called on her first assignment, to replace a girl who was killed from a serial killer attack, The FEA believe Variants are involve, so Tessa and Alec, also a Variant with the FEA and whom Tessa has a crush on, set off for Livingston to try and find out who the serial killer is.

I love mysteries and everything supernatural, so naturally I loved the premise of this book. Impostor lived up to all of my expectations as I went on a thrilling ride with Tessa as she tried to fit in with all Madison's friends and family, discover the murderer and also explore her feelings for Alec.

Tessa is a confused teen, which comes across well in the story. Her mom has handed her over to the FEA as she considers her a "freak" and doesn't want anything to do with her, and she's going through all the teen motions of wanting her first kiss, when she's thrusted into her first case. She certainly learns to grow up in a hurry and I liked the direction Susanne Winnacker took her in the first book in the series.

There are lots of questions raised at the end of this book about the Variants and the FEA, and I really, REALLY can't wait for the second book.

I listened on audio and I absolutely loved Emily Rankin's narration, especially for cook, Martha, who is like a surrogate den-mother to Tessa.

I recommend this book to fans of young adult fiction with a twist, especially if you like the X-Men!!