I summed up Odd and True as "supernatural but historical fiction with sisters" and I honestly stand by that opinion. This isn't necessarily the creepy horror novel that I expected - it's more of a character-driven romp.

My biggest issue with this book was the plot taking so long to start. Due to the alternating plot threads, it takes around 70% of the book for things to really get started. I almost felt as if I wanted more from the plot development, to see more of this world and the worldbuilding. That being said, I was still intrigued the whole way through.

What made this book so great for me was the character development and relationship between the sisters. This book very much focuses on the relationship between the two sisters, Od and Tru. They're two very different girls, but their bond was so effortlessly compelling to me.

full, less-brief review to come!!

This is a fantastic reading, full of magic, that contains one of the most beautiful sisterhood ties I've read about.-look that cover. BEAUTIFUL!

I want to thank NetGalley and ABRAMS Kids for providing me with this copy in exchange for an honest review

I thought it would take me longer to read this book, since when you first start with it may seem a bit heavy or slow-paced, but I quickly overcame it and I found myself flying through it, which makes me want to read something more about the author like right now!

The story follows Od and his sister Tru. Od is always telling Tru wonderful and fantastic stories about monsters and magical creatures and how they are destined to hunt down these creatures, just as their mother did. Until one day Od disappears and Tru is alone trying to figure out how much is true in the stories that his sister has told her since childhood.

I love the way the title plays with the names of the characters is very original and accurate. The story is told between leaps from the present to the past, the past with the POV of Od, where we know more about her childhood and the years she has spent away from her sister and the Tru's present POV, who is trying to hunt a demon which she thinks is prowling around the city.
Both views make the story really catchy and exciting, but it also touches deeper topics such as family and loyalty

I've enjoyed meeting these girls, they are both strong and smart but at the same time they have completely different personalities and experiences which makes the book super interesting and gives us different perspectives about the things that are happening. I feel that there is a spooky touch in the book too and I've enjoyed that aspect a lot, especially related to the monsters and how some places are described is really good

I felt a little more drawn to the Od's point of view, I personally found it much more interesting than Tru's, but perhaps it's because I was much more interested in knowing about the past, and It's told in such a wonderful way, that mystery vibe that possesses has totally caught me, also I feel that I have bored a little with the Tru story , but this is only my opinion and in the end I feel that both stories and how they connect are great

I want to warn you that if you're looking for a book of kick-ass girls fighting non-stop monsters, may not be the book for you, I feel that although it has moments of action and are great, it's based much more on the aspect of mystery, the union of sisters and what family means. Which I've found great but I recognize that isn't what the book sells from the beginning so I was taken by surprise

One of my favorite things about the book was the writing style, it's my first Cat Winters book but I know it will not be the last one, her writing caught me and has a style so unique and poetic that I think is ideal for this type of genre,especially for Historical Fiction. I feel that the clever way that Winters plays with what's real and what's fantasy makes this book unique and makes it very different from the other books that can touch this type of subjects

So, of course I recommend it, I've enjoyed it a lot, especially if you're looking for some historical with fantasy and great ties of sisterhood, you'll love this, plus: The writing style has something definitely unique

Trudchen and Odette, two sisters who have spent their lives hunting monsters and telling fantastic stories of their family's involvement with mysterious creatures. A fairytale quality pervades this novel, but it is a world of darkness that will send little shivers down your spine.
The novel begins quite slowly, but we piece together the reality of the girls' lives. Their family background is intriguing, but I really liked the way we learn the details of their past gradually.
When Tru follows Od on an adventure, following predictions read in teacups, we are plunged into a world of strange creatures. Their relationship was well-depicted, and I became quite absorbed in their story.

I loved this synopsis and that cover and I wasn't disappointed at all.

Love love loved Od and Tru {and especially loved how their names became the title.} They're both so strong and devoted to each other. Their dynamic and faithfulness was quite delightful.

Plot wise, it's a bit of a slow burn. The story unfolds with a bit of quiet anticipation and instead of it being annoying {because I have no patience}, it really works. I enjoyed the past chapters from Odette's POV and by the time the ending came, I was easily swept up in what was happening.

Overall, it was an intriguing read that grabbed my attention from the very beginning. I would have liked just a bit more from the ending, but the epilogue was perfection.

**Huge thanks to Amulet Books for providing the arc free of charge**

Trudchen and Odette were the best of friends as sisters, with Odette regaling her little sister with tales of magic and monsters. However, when Odette left without a word, Trudchen felt betrayed, and the magic Odette seemed always to carry with her grew more and more difficult to believe in. Now Odette is back, and the sisters must work through their fraught relationship while discovering that maybe, just maybe, magic is more real than even they knew. Recommended for readers interested in dark historical fantasy.

I have loved every book by Ms Winters until this one. I just seem to be completely unable to get into it. All of the author's other books have had such a strong historical atmosphere and a central character that has made me care about what happens to them. I didn't get that here.

Trudchen bored me, even sometimes annoyed me. I found myself not caring about the truth behind her sister's stories, nor about what would happen to the two of them. I also got much less of a sense in this book that I'd been taken back to the early twentieth century. I feel like the author's other work placed me right in the centre of a part of history that I knew little about. Winters' strengths, in my opinion, come from her strong sense of place - the history, the atmosphere - and it didn't come across as strongly in this book. I was simply bored.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I really want to like Cat Winters, you guys. I try so hard. Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and I especially love historical fiction with fantasy/paranormal elements. It would stand to reason that I would love Cat Winters’s books, but I’m starting to think her writing and I just don’t get along. I’ve tried a few of her books and not loved any of them, but Odd & True was the biggest disappointment of them all. The two main characters in Odd & True are two sisters, Odette and Trudchen– get it??? Od and Tru? ODD AND TRUE??? *insert me rolling my eyes for twelve years here*– whose family has told them all their lives that monsters exist and they come from a family of monster hunters. The paranormal elements of this book were just plain confusing, if I’m honest. Not confusing in that I didn’t understand them, but confusing in that they just didn’t make any sense. They seemed like a crutch the author used to explain away her characters’ motivations and to get the plot moving. The pacing of this story was incredibly slow, and I feel that it could have been cut down to a significantly smaller number of pages. Odd & True is told through alternating timelines (Trudchen’s perspective in the present, and Odette’s perspective in the past), yet somehow there wasn’t a whole lot done to differentiate the POV characters’ voices. Plus, like the main characters in Girls Made of Snow & Glass, both Od and Tru just felt so dull and lifeless, like cardboard cutouts instead of fully-fleshed-out characters. Like I touched on before, I simply did not understand their motivations or the decisions they made. They also read very young and naive– which I don’t have a problem with (I mean, they’re sheltered teen girls around the turn of the century, what do you expect?), but I know many people do, so just a warning if you prefer older YA. I will say, I did really appreciate how one (spoiler-y, so I won’t go into detail here) major plot point in Odette’s story was handled, especially the way that plot tied together in the end. Overall, though, this book did not impress me, and I don’t think I’ll be picking up any more of Cat Winters’s future books.

I know you aren't supposed to judge a book by its cover but I did exactly that with this book. The cover is powerful!

The voices of Trudchen and her sister Odette tell this story, each from their own points of view and in progression as they go from children hiding under the covers from monsters int the night, to young ladies actively searching the monsters. 

From birth they've been told they were Protectors, finding and killing monsters. Little by little they come to see how much of what they believed wasn't true at all.

But when the time comes to face a real monster they find they just may have a bit of magic after all. 

This is a YA book and I have never read Cat Winters before although I have heard of her books. I enjoyed reading about these exceptional girls coming of age and finding themselves.

Well Done Ms. Winters!    Netgalley/Amulet Books  Release Date is September 12th!

My review is not posted yet but will be in September closer to release date:

My Review:

What I Liked:

Characters. My favorite character was Trudchen, I would have loved if the novel was completely told from her point of view. Od was not a bad character. I just did not connect with her sections within the novel, plus the switching between past/present was a bit confusing.

Writing. As always Winter's delivers beautiful prose and weaves an interesting tale with a mix of historical and supernatural.

Gothic Atmosphere. The novel had a great and Gothic feel to it like the majority of her novels tend to have. It is the main reason why I pick up her books whenever she publishes a new one. I enjoy the Gothic touches she does with building descriptions, the use of the supernatural, and characterization.

Historical Aspects. I enjoyed the research/detail that Winter's adds to her novels with the addition of historical periods. This time around she focused on the lore of the Leeds New Jersey Devil and other realistic aspects of the early 1900s. The mix of the Gothic with realistic settings/situations gives her stories a sense of magical realism that stands out.

What I Disliked:

Pacing. I struggled with the pacing of the novel and it felt that it was not until near the end that it picked up. It was still a good read but it took me longer than I expected to read 360 or so pages.

Structure. The story switches between Od and Tru's point of view, I have no problem with that but the fact that it also switches from past to present made it a confusing read, at least for me. I would have liked it if one section had Od's story from the past and then part two was the present point of view from Tru. I would have made the pacing quicker (because I had a hard time getting through Od's sections) and might have been less confusing read.

Lack of Supernatural/Gothic Elements. I was expecting, because this is a Cat Winter's novel, a bit more supernatural or even Gothic imagery. I was a bit disappointed with how the story played out and the ending seemed to be rushed. However, it did leave it open ended and it make me wonder if Winter's is going to return to these characters/this universe. Still, I was expecting a bit more supernatural hunter or action, mainly because of the cover. It tended to focus more on the realistic/emotional aspects instead of the supernatural/Gothic ones.

My Rating:

3.5 Stars Out of 5 Stars

Cat Winters certainly has a knack for writing strong female characters who persevere regardless of patriarchal societies, societal norms, and physical and emotional setbacks. I love that! I loved Od and Tru from this novel, I loved their separate points of view which set them apart but somehow made their bonds seem even stronger. Both narrators had a strong voice and strong convictions, I appreciated how they worked together but made each other stronger despite their different personalities. The secondary characters were fascinating as well, I would really enjoy getting some stories from Od & Tru's mother's time as it seems she and her siblings also had strong and magical bonds.

The setting was also so easy to fall into as Winters always knows how to set up her reader to experience the atmosphere right as the characters do. I could smell the grass, feel the steam of the train and almost caught a chill from those frigid walks through the forest.

I will say that Odd & True was not exactly what I was expecting from the blurb, but it was just what I wanted from a Cat Winters novel. It was certainly fantastical and whimsy in a way, but it is definitely a historical fiction novel and not a fantasy novel. I am not disappointed by this, because I was still deeply enthralled by this novel but I will say that I was really hoping for a fantasy and maybe a little bit of a kissing book from Winters. She is one of my favorite authors so of COURSE I want her to write my favorite things. That being said, this is one of my top three favorite novels by Winters being beaten by The Uninvited (so sue me, it has kissing parts) and In the Shadow of Blackbirds.

The conclusion was fitting, and I especially enjoyed the epilogue. Everything really came full circle and I am really enjoying pondering what adventures our narrators got into after the finish of their first adventure hunting the Jersey Devil. This is certainly a novel that I would recommend to any historical fiction fan looking for a little bit of fantasy thrown in to their stories of badass female leads. Cat Winters remains one of my most beloved authors, she again wrote a book that I will read again and again.

I was drawn to this book cover. That's what had me click the book to read the blurb and request it. I have another Cat Winters book in my TBR, but I haven't read it yet, after reading this book, that book is moving up the list, and I'll be reading it soon. 

YA and most other categories and genres don't have a lot of healthy sibling relationships. This book has two sets of siblings that interesting relationships, the two main characters Od and Tru, and their mother and her siblings: Viktoria, Mangus, and Maria. The older set of siblings have a complicated relationship, but there is something to be said about their bond that Aunt Vik took in the girls when their mother flaked and ran off. 

The greatest strength of this book in the relationship between the sisters. Everything that drives Od is about Tru. Although they had Aunt Vik as a motherly figure, Od had always felt as if Tru was hers to take care of. Tru had polio as a child and is crippled. One leg is significantly shorter than the other, and she walks with her leg in a brace and a cane. She uses a wheelchair for long distances. Because of this, Od becomes the protector of her little sister. This isn't over played and feels natural. It feels like how a big sister would take care of a younger sibling. Od doesn't become overly motherly to Tru, they are sisters, and the writing shows this brilliantly.   

One thing I must point out is my very first reactions to the start of this novel. At the beginning of this story, I got a strong vibe of Supernatural, the TV show. Siblings, going creature hunting, one parent appears to be dead, the other is deeply involved in the creatures. I love Supernatural, so this was one more thing about this books that warmed my heart. The story does go in a very different direction than the show, but the opening few chapters feels influenced. I half expected the girls to head to Colorado to take down a Wendigo. 

The story is told in two narratives, which I found very effective. Tru's half was "present day" which is 1909, but when the story is taking place. Od's narrative starts on the day Tru was born and goes up until she climbs through Tru's window on Tru's 15th birthday. I think this technique works really well for this story because Tru doesn't know everything, and Od needs to explain things, but this doesn't read like an info dump. It's Od explaining how they got where they are. It's built in the backstory, and it's executed very well. 

The was mystery and drama mixed in the story of the Leeds Devil more commonly called the Jersey Devil now, was fascinating. I am very into this kind of stuff, I greatly enjoy shows like Supernatural, and shows and podcasts about urban legends and myths. I eat this stuff up. 

I am not going to pretend to know a lot about the turn of the century. However, this book fits into my expectations of what the last 1890's to 1909 would look like. The girls are in dresses that sound like Victorian era, with hats and big hat pins. They ride on trains and horse drawn carts. It felt authentic to me. It read a well researched and well written.

I also loved how Tru's polio was written. Again, I am not an expert or even a novice on polio, but I think that Tru wanting to rest, how she talks about how her leg doesn't work, how other people see her because of her cane and limp, fit. Tru also wasn't written as a character to be pitied. She knew she had a disability, and she knew she has limitations, yet there is nothing she wants to do, that she doesn't do. She doesn't let it stop her. She may go a little bit slower, but she gets there. I thought that part of the story was well done. Her disability wasn't skimmed, and it wasn't used as a plot device. 

Overall, I highly recommend this book to people who, like me, are into urban legends, but also those looking for a book with healthy sibling relationships.

Odd & True will captivate you from page one. Cat Winters has created a surprisingly imaginative story. Prepare yourself for a journey of life, love, horror, and shocking twists.

The Plot: Trudchen has grown up with the stories her sister, Odette, has told her about monsters and hunters. So far, the only monster she has ever met was the one that disabled her as a child, Polio. At the age of fifteen, two years after Od has mysteriously been sent away by their Aunt Viktoria, Tru gets a knock on her window in the middle of the night. Reunited, Od drags Tru on an adventure to hunt the infamous Leeds Devil. But will the sisters discover more horrors than a supposed monster?

This one was quite the unexpected read. It held promises of Supernatural style hunting with historical fiction aspects from Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, but it delivered so much more! It was a medium paced, fantastic, coming of age story with hidden bits of horror, whimsy, and intrigue.

I absolutely loved this book! It gets all the stars from me! I finished it in one day and cannot stop thinking about it. Winters did an exceptional job with creating this story around the sisters, Trudchen and Odette. There is this incredible bond between the two that only true sisters can have! The setting and world building is outstanding and the characters were outstandingly written!

Odette was such an amazing oddity. She had such depth and portrayed a sense of disconnection from reality. She was brave and fragile at the same time. She truly cared about her sister, and had such woeful determination to accomplish her search. She added both gravity and fantasy to the story and helped to shape Trudchen's character.

Trudchen was a fantastic character. As a child, she was innocent, gullible, and curious. She undergoes an incredible transformation and becomes a grounded, skeptical young lady. She doesn't let her disability hold her back and she holds grand morals of knowing right from wrong and showing love for family.

I recommend this book hands down! Odd & True will take you on a journey through the lives of these two sisters and all the bumps in their road. It is full of unexpected twists and has an ending that will both surprise you and leave you wanting for more! This one gets a full 5 stars from me and I am terribly excited to read more from Cat Winters!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amulet Books/Abrams Kids for providing me with this free Advanced Reading E-copy in exchange for my honest review!

Very clever little book. The dual pov, and the different time frames help forward themes of truth, perspective, and storytelling. While there are some parts of the narrative which are easy to see coming, Winters manages to make the reader constantly question whether the monsters are real, or if it's all just a story told by a mentally ill girl. I'm NOT going to tell you by the way.

Things I loved:

A disabled protagonist. Awww, yassssss! Representation matters. Winters did not shy away the truth about how much it impacts Tru's life and choices. It doesn't make her any less smart, or loving, or questioning, but the impact of a long-term illness or disability is huge, and I have a lot of respect that Winters let's it be huge. She doesn't make Tru angelic through suffering like Cousin Helen in What Katy Did. Ugh.
I spent much of the book hoping that if there really did happen to be monsters and magic, Tru wouldn't be magically healed and "made whole"
I also like the hints that the girl's mother has post partum depression. We're seeing it through the eyes of a child, and it wouldn't have been understood at the time. It would have probably also been written off as female hysteria.

Trudy *sob*

Seeing the bedtime story that Od tells Tru unfold in the "real" past narrative. The Evil Magician magically making the Heroic Father disappear, turning into an uncle who is a bit of a man-whore and drinks too much but loves and adores his sister and niece, confronting his brother in law about his shabby treatment of his family.

Tru's hope that the stories are real. In spite of herself, she wants there to be more, and the reader can't help but have the same hope.

Things that I didn't love:

Some parts were pretty predictable. Od being "sent away" after going into service? Hmmmm. I wonder what happened to a flighty, dramatic young woman who wants adventure......

Tru's character is a bit under-written. I know that the blank-slate protagonist can be useful in allowing the reader to almost over-writte the character with them self, but I'd rather have one with layers. It also makes Tru's disability almost her only defining characteristic. Naive, and disabled. Perhaps it was a deliberate choice by Winters to show how much Tru is in her sister's shadow. Oh, well.

All in all, an enjoyable read.

Odette and Trudchen Grey are descended from monster slayers. At least, that’s what Od believes and tells Tru in the tales she spins her at night in bed in the hills of California. As Tru grows older, and Odette goes away, she starts to doubt Od’s stories. Life settles into a peaceful, ordinary routine on the farm with Aunt Vik. But then Od returns on Tru’s 15th birthday and promises to sweep her away on a monster hunting trip to make their name and fortunes. Is Od being serious. Is there really magic in their veins, or are her tales just tales just masquerades for hard truths? Only time and the turning of pages will tell.

I can’t say a whole lot about this without spoiling it. This is a story along the lines of the original Grimm’s fairy tales. It isn’t all happy, it isn’t all straightforward, and it isn’t always pretty but occasionally you will meet characters who stand out for their goodness, kindness, or courage. If you like tales with narrators you aren’t quite sure how much to trust or if you like historical fiction that watches characters work through hard things, this may be for you. My favorite character is Tru, admirable for the way she has persevered through polio and doesn’t let a crippled leg stop her. And it is a heartfelt tribute to sisters who are also best friends. The book did a fantastic job with the time period and keeping me guessing about where it was headed. If the Brontë sisters, the Grimm brothers, and Willa Cather had written a tale about sisters in turn of the century American West together, this might have been it. If you like the work of those three groups, you should give this a try. If you're looking for Buffy the Vampire in the old West, a pseudo supergirl book, or a light, fluffy happy read, this may not be what you're looking for. (I was hoping for the latter and was a little disappointed, but still respect the skill of the way the book was written.)

I was super excited when I was approved to review this book. I had heard nothing but good things about it and it definitely did not disappoint.

I went into this novel not sure of the premise. I love Od and Tru. They are both well developed characters and I found myself rooting for them. They were definitely complex. I loved how the chapters alternated between present and past. The past chapters definitely helped provide more insight in the present chapters for the characters and their flaws.

The myths and lore were also great metaphors. I loved how the myths and the girl's lives came together at the end. I look forward to the next book if there is one.

It's a pretty good sign when a book hasn't even been published yet and I'm hoping for a sequel. I was already a fan of the author and was excited by the premise, which did not disappoint. I loved this world and these characters, and I need Cat Winters to tell me it doesn't end here because I'm too damn invested now. Get a hand mirror and a purple coat and put this on your reading list. Much thanks to Amulet Books and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

This is a wonderful book set in the early twentieth century with two unusual protagonists. I am an absolute sucker for books where the focus is on the relationship between sisters and Winters manages that beautifully here. In fact all the character relationships whether sweet, realistic or down right creepy are well depicted. There's plenty of time appropriate detail and the story is amazingly atmospheric. Odd and Tru are brilliant characters. If you are a bit fed up with cookie cutter YA romance try this. There's no love interest and it's all about the bond between sisters. A dark and atmospheric delight.

So, if I had to compare this to anything it wouldn't actually be a fantasy novel (shock) it would be the science fiction novel published not so long ago The Space Between the Stars because this is another novel that starts you off feeling like it's one thing and leaves you in a puddle of tears on your bedroom floor. Problem with that is, it makes it hard for me to review it without spoiling it for you...

So I'll do my best, but this might not get super specific.

Most important thing in this book? The relationship between the two sisters. If that hadn't been set up well this would have just been a complete mess. Thankfully, the relationship between Od and Tru is simultaneously beautiful and real. It doesn't overwhelm you with unrealistic sibling goals but rather it shows you how powerful those relationships can be!

The story is told through Tru's voice in the present and Od's story through a series of flashbacks both of which are handled well, they aren't particularly distinct voices in my opinion, but you do get the sense of two individuals with different priorities so in my opinion that worked quite well.

It's so annoying not wanting to ruin the story because it means I basically can't say anymore. Suffice to say, do not go in expecting generic fantasy, that isn't what you'll get. Do go in with a couple of tissues nearby because things get a little emotional.

I'm going to stop here because I'm dangerously close to revealing all or crying again. Tweet me if you want to know more (@judithcmoore) and if you've read the book we can natter about it even more!

My rating: 4/5 stars

This book publishes September 12 this year so get your preorder in because I don't think you want to miss this.

By the way, I received a digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

*forever hanging head in book shame because this is Cat Winters and I should not be giving it 2 odd & true crowns* Gosh, I wanted to like this book. It sounds like so much perfection for this Book Princess. Do I love Cat Winters? YES. SO MUCH YES. Do I love monster hunters? Um, have you see my posts on Bigfoot and aliens? Would I totally love the two together? YESYESYESYESYESYES. Somehow, this book didn't really work out for me, though.

I think the biggest issue that I had was the pacing and the connection with characters. The story just seemed so slow. I know we were learning about the history and establishing relationships and doing world building, but it just felt so slow. I would get bored halfway down the page and even Winters' beautiful writing and talk of monsters that lurk in the dark couldn't get me excited. I knew I had an issue when I literally sat this down - it being one of my most highly anticipated novels of the years - and didn't want to pick it back up. Literally, I picked anything I could over it. I'm not sure why I wasn't enthralled, but I think it just became too slow to get to anywhere, and I didn't like that at all.

My other issue was the characters. I never really connected with Odette or Tru. I mean, they were there...and that was it for me. There would be moments I liked Od, but then there was times that she seemed to completely disregard Tru's disability and then I was back to not caring one wink about her. She seems like a mysterious, intriguing character, but the magic wore a bit off on her. And then Tru was...I never got a true feeling for Tru (heh, see what I did there?). She was just going along for the ride. I couldn't name you her defining characteristics except that she could see bat like creatures in her tea, she once had polio, and she really wants to see her mom. What is like as a person? Quiet, shy, eager, a dreamer? I'm not sure (and no, I haven't forgotten since I literally just finished this book today).

These two obstacles really dragged the story down for me. However, there were some things that I really did enjoy. Winters, as always, is a fantastic writing that creates an atmosphere like no other. Her historical fiction is brilliant, unique, and a magical blend of mystery, real life, and the supernatural. She always has you on the edge - continuously asking, is there really the supernatural or is it just a carefully crafted illusion? She's wickedly brilliant at it, and I'm forever impressed. The story itself was intriguing as well, and the infusion of folklore was so beautiful as well.

As I said, the story just bogged down by a lot of slow pacing and the blankness of the characters for me. Winters is still a remarkably talented writer, and I can't wait to get to her other stories. This one just missed the mark for me, but it still had a lot of potential. 2 crowns and a Cinderella rating - since it had a good story but those mousies kind of did slow down the pacing so remarkably well. XD