The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

"The body you are wearing used to be mine." So begins the letter Myfanwy Thomas is holding when she awakes in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves. With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her.
She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Chequy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain. She also discovers that she possesses a rare, potentially deadly supernatural ability of her own.
In her quest to uncover which member of the Chequy betrayed her and why, Myfanwy encounters a person with four bodies, an aristocratic woman who can enter her dreams, a secret training facility where children are transformed into deadly fighters, and a conspiracy more vast than she ever could have imagined.
Filled with characters both fascinating and fantastical, THE ROOK is a richly inventive, suspenseful, and often wry thriller that marks an ambitious debut from a promising young writer.


Goodreads Summary


Myfanwy's life is complicated.  She tells her tale via letters and a body that she apparently inhabits.  She discovers that she has not really lost her memory, but shifted to another body.  She left herself letters detailing how to keep herself safe and is able to learn about the events that led up to this point in time.  The reader will enjoy learning about Myfanwy alongside Myfanwy in possibly the best way to get to know a main character an author has ever crafted.  Myfanwy is in danger, but she can try to prevent any impending harm by reading the letters quickly.

The author creates a different world where the characters are not quite who they appear to be and one must always be on his/her toes to stay alive.  Myfanwy goes from uncertain to organized very quickly, her character is one of those rare strong female characters.  The other characters on not focused upon as much, but the reader does get two sides to Myfanwy-the organized, more out-spoken Myfanwy and the less charismatic, worn Myfanwy of the letters.  The events of this book were fast-paced and innovative, there were a few scenes that the reader will remember until the end of the book and be happy for it.  This book is recommended to young adult/adult readers.

4 Stars

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