Description: "Flo and her friends are but poor, lost circus performers--who shape-shift into animals and try to evade governmental capture. Newly turned 16, orphaned shifter Flo is dreading her first circus performance. Alas for her, it's not optional; all of the shifter children who live with the circus must perform regularly as soon as they reach that age. Flo must take a turn like all the others, so after a false start, she takes the stage--not as a girl but as a magnificent mare. Like her boyfriend, Jett the bear, or her nemesis, Pru the tiger, Flo becomes an animal at will. In a modern world of cars and DVD players, the circus shifters live almost medievally, bound under the unkind leadership of the elders, three middle-aged lion shifters. Flo knows that if she leaves, she'll be vulnerable to hunters, government-funded paramilitary forces that are the modern legacy of sworn enemies who have been murdering shifters since time immemorial. So she tolerates the cruelty of her peers, learns to jump through a flaming hoop, and almost has hope for the future when disaster strikes. In a spare first-person, present-tense narration, Flo takes readers through a swoony romance with a massive body count. Despite the potential whimsy of a circus adventure narrated by a shape-shifting mare, this more closely resembles a brutal, angst-drenched dystopia la Veronica Roth's Divergent (2011) than anything else. (Fantasy. 13-15)" -- Kirkus Reviews "The world of shape-shifting characters has just gotten wider with the addition of this novel, centered on a group of young people who have the ability to shift into animals at will. This group has found a home in a traveling circus, performing in front of audiences who simply think they are watching a regular circus with lions, tigers, and monkeys, clueless to the fact that these performing animals are people. The main character, Flo, has the ability to change into a horse. But the shape-shifters have to hide their identities because a group of hunters, or officially the EOS, is tracking these special people and killing them. Flo accidentally exposes her group one night while performing, and she and a small group of her friends escape and are on the lam through the end of the book. There is plenty of action and romance to keep the story line moving, and Flo is a strong female lead who saves her boyfriend as often as he saves her. There is very limited language, so the title is appropriate for grades seven/eight and up. Fans of supernatural series like Shiver will enjoy this book, with its similar themes and strong love story at its center." -- VOYA Magazine "Filled with excitement and whimsy, The Wanderers is an adventure story about shape-shifters, first love, and the endless search for a true home." --Suzanne Young, New York Times -bestselling author of The Program " The Wanderers is a dark, rich, and original story. I love the concept of humans with inherent shape-shifting abilities, and the circus setting is incredibly vivid--I could smell the musty, musky ring, feel the bright lights burning my skin. Kate has created an intricate and danger filled world that's both cruel and beautiful." --Melinda Salisbury, author of The Sin Eater's Daughter "An utterly captivating big-top world filled with shape-shifters and dark secrets. I devoured this book! It was unlike anything I've ever read." --Amy Christine Parker, author of Gated and Astray "A fresh tale about shape-shifters that is sure to delight and astound." --Danielle L. Jensen, author of Stolen Songbird

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