Misfit by Jon Skovron

Misfit by Jon Skovron
"Jael Thompson has never really fit in. She's changed schools too many times to count. The only family she's ever known is her father, a bitter ex-priest who never lets her date and insists she attend the strictest Catholic school in Seattle. And her mother--well, she was a five thousand year old demon. That doesn't exactly help.

But on her sixteenth birthday, her father gives her a present that brings about some unexpected changes. Some of the changes, like strange and wonderful powers and the cute skater boy with a knack for science, are awesome. But others, like the homicidal demon seeking revenge on her family? Not so much.

Steeped in mythology, this is an epic tale of a heroine who balances old world with new, science with magic, and the terrifying depths of the underworld with the ordinary halls of high school."- summary from Amazon

I loved Skovron's debut so much and was really excited to read his second book, which is a complete 180 from Struts and Frets, and this book is just as good. I loved how he created the demon world and backstory; it was really interesting to learn more about Jael's past throughout the book.

Jael was a wonderful main character and even though the story is told in third person, I felt connected to her. There wasn't a distance or anything like there can be with third person novels. Her romance with the cute skater boy was awesome to read and felt realistic, despite all the demon and paranormal stuff going on.

Overall, it's just a really compelling standalone paranormal story with some great characters (LOVED Jael's uncle Dagon- so funny!) and a fast-paced plot. A great sophomore effort from Skovron! Definitely a book to check out if you like paranormal, but if you prefer contemporary, please check out his amazing debut, Struts and Frets.

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.