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Reviewed by Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite
The Trouble with Antlers is a novelette written by A.J. Culey and illustrated by Jeanine Henning. When veterinarian George Finch takes up a post in the new town of Shifterville, he and his daughter, Amelia, become new residents not realizing that the rest of the town is made up of shape-shifters. The town immediately enforces new rules to their residents so that their secret will not be exposed. Each shifter’s alternate form is also their surname; George had been contacted for the job on the assumption that George was also a finch. As Amelia starts school, she notices strange behavior coming from teachers and students alike, in the form of being sniffed, growled at, and referred to as prey. When one of the shifters takes a shine to her, he is strictly forbidden to be near the human girl, due to the fact that Melvin Moose has no control over his antlers, which seem to sprout out of his head at the most inopportune of moments. Amelia is equally curious about Melvin, after finding him skinny-dipping in a nearby stream. Melvin must find a way to interact with Amelia without revealing, even accidentally, that he is one of a multitude of shape-shifters in her midst.
I sat up all night reading A.J. Culey’s tale. The Trouble with Antlers is definitely one of the most interesting and unique books I have ever read. Set in modern times, with social media often being used by characters in the book, it is cleverly written while adding a major plus factor to the already awkward moments a teenager experiences while trying to interact with somebody they like for the very first time. Melvin seeks out any solution he can find, just so he won't sprout antlers in front of the girl he likes, showing a strong determination to be in control of a situation which seems insurmountable and had become a real problem - not only for him but for the rest of the school. It just goes to show that you can achieve anything if you set your mind to it and want it badly enough. I very much enjoyed The Trouble with Antlers and recommend it to readers over the age of 15 who enjoy a dose of paranormal and adventure, wrapped in fun and humor from the first page to the last.
