Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)
This book was creepy, but in a good way. It's not unheard of for children to be snatched from there beds, but they are usually not replaced. In the Replacement the town of Gentry has a secret that no one talks about. Every seven years a child dies. The people who live under the town snatch a child and replace him/her with one of there own. In most cases the replacement doesn't live. In Mackies case he does survive but he is dying. All the iron in this world is killing him and his sister Emma, who loves him as he is, goes to get him help. The House of Mayhem where Mackie came from offers him a deal. Play in their band and he will receive the medicine he needs to survive. But don't ask questions about the missing children. Natalie Stewart has been taken and her replacement died. Tate, Natalie's sister, goes to Mackie for answers. She knows that the thing they buried was not her sister. Mackie has spent all his life trying to blend in and not call attention to himself but he feels like he needs to do something to get Natalie back.
You can't help but to fall in love with Mackie. He doesn't want to be the hero but he wants to do the right thing. His friends Roswell and the twins are very cool. It's nice having a friend like Roswell that helps you out without question. Mackies sister Emma is his protector. I really enjoyed this book. Ms. Yovanoff's descriptions of the people in the House of Mayhem and the Lady and her followers make you feel like you are walking right along with Mackie. You can picture them with such clarity. They creep you out a bit.
