“Stray” is the first book in the “Shifters” series about fantastical creatures, who live as humans but have the powers to transform into giant werecats. The main protagonist is a young werecat called Faythe who wants to live a normal human life, away from the responsibilities and hardships of her family. She is attending college, has a normal human boyfriend and a college friend. Faythe’s fate is changed after she gets attacked by a stray, a wild werecat who lives outside the werecat community. She must return home and face the responsibilities she tried to avoid, as well as her predestined boyfriend/future husband Marc.
Trouble ensues when there are cases of female werecats being murdered by strays. Female werecats are rare and are extremely protected. They also are known to take leadership roles of werecat clans. Faythe’s father reveals to her that he wants her to take over the clan as well, and that he has had enough of her rebellion.
Feeling suffocated from the pressure, Faythe takes a stroll by her own and gets kidnapped by the strays. Their leader is called Miguel, but Faythe also discovers that one of her brothers is involved. She is put into a cell alongside Abby, another kidnapped female werecat. Faythe tries to think of a plan to escape before it is too late. She tricks one of Miguel’s partners and kills him while freeing herself and Abby. She calls her brothers and Marc, and they come to the rescue.
Finally free, Faythe thinks of a plan to get rid of Miguel before he kills another werecat. The plan works, and Miguel is captured and ripped apart by Marc and the others. Some time passes and Faythe is living with her family, getting involved into the business, with Marc on her side to support her.
“Stray” is one of the many urban fantasy books that came out mid to late 2000s, when the stories of mythical creatures were all the rage. The books were intended to capture young female audience, having the main young female protagonists for the most part, and creating romantic and sexual tension with the troubled and mysterious male protagonists, alongside a plot that involves high stakes and readiness for sacrifice. The main protagonist is usually conflicted with her way of life, she is not like the other girls, as well as being extremely seductive to the opposite sex. She is strong and independent, but also needs a strong male hand to tame her and get her out of life-threatening situations.
“Stray” follows most of those clichés, at some parts even to the point of cliché being the intended purpose. On the other hand, the book is narrated from Faythe’s point of view, and while reading it, one must take into account that it is the voice of a late teen girl.
