*I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the copy of this book in return for an honest review*

I do not know how this is my first Cat Winters book. She has been on my radar for awhile and I have only heard amazing things about her books and writing. When I saw this on netgalley I knew I had to read it. I was not disappointed. I want to state it at the beginning of my review that what really sold me on this book was the ending.

I loved the time period in which this book took place, it was absolutely perfect for the story and gave something extra to the overall atmosphere of the story. I was also greatly pleased that Winters focused on the relationship between sisters and made that the large focus. So much in YA lately there is such a huge dedication to romance. I believe there is more to life and sometimes more important relationships that should be focused on and spotlighted to let those young adults know it is not all about a love interest. The relationship between the sisters is what really what drove the story and made me love this novel.

At the beginning of the book I felt myself losing interest, it did take a little while to really get the story and characters to grab me, but it was worth it to complete to book. I felt like there was great character growth throughout the book and really enjoyed seeing it slowly take place as the story goes back and forth between present time with Tru and the past with Od. I found that Winters did a fabulous job with incorporating Tru as a disabled character. Winters showed that Tru was able to persevere and not let her limited mobility keep her from going after what she wanted. I thought it was really important that Tru never let it hinder her. It was really inspiring. The sisters were so full of life and imagination.

Overall I found the story to be heart warming and full of whimsy. It had some really important messages that Winters really drove home at the end that many people can find guidance in. Od and Tru are some pretty kickass sisters who never give up. This story was absolutely marvelous and full of monstrous creatures. I will for sure be reading Winters other works and cannot wait for this book to be published.

I really liked this book. It was a much more magical version of what I had hoped Pride and Prejudice with Zombies would be like. The sister relationship was wonderful and there were times that the story made me teary. It's a beautiful story with some wonderful lessons and ideas in it.

Od and Tru are sisters separated the mundane difficulties in life but forever linked by their fantastic childhood stories. They are reunited on Tru's fifteenth birthday and go on an adventure to track down lost loved ones and destroy a terrible creature that is haunting the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Excellent story, contains themes of sisterhood, family and the importance of believing in a little magic. Will recommend this book to my more mature student readers.

Loved Odd & True! This beautifully written story combines fascinating characters, history, paranormal, and human nature in a compelling and entertaining way. Can't wait to recommend it to teens, and adults, too!

I'm conflicted about this one. I did enjoy it, but I was disappointed that it wasn't a tale of magic and monster hunting like the synopsis like me to believe. 

Odd & True was more about the love between sisters, and the pain and heartbreak that comes with life. There are powerful family issues that take place within the story.

There are alternating POVs in the story from Odd (Odette) and True (Trudchen). Odd's POV speaks about their past life and what happened in it, and True's POV speaks about what is going on in the present. Both were easy enough to follow, and were vital to understand everything that was going on.

The magic aspect comes into play because Odd told her sister that her family came from monster hunters, and that their mother had the magical ability to keep them away. She would tell True the story of her birth every year, but each year True would start to question if there really was any magic or if they were just pretty lies her sister told her to keep happy. 

"Once upon a time..." she would always say in the beginning, "on a cold January morning in the year 1894, a girl named Trudchen Maria Grey came into the world in a castle built to resemble a stone Scottish fortress called Dunnottar..."

It is said that on their 15th birthday, monsters will come for them. So on True's 15th birthday, Odd shows up and wants her to come with her right away. Based on the knowledge that their Aunt sent True away two years earlier, we know that something happened, but we do not find out until much later. It has to do with the 15th birthday aspect, but not in the way that you would think. 

The absolute best part of Odd & True is the relationship between both sisters. You can tell that their love is deep seeded into each other, because even after two years apart, they are still as close as ever with an exception. Odd has been through something mysterious, and True will do whatever she can to get her sister to tell the truth. I loved how Odd would take care of True growing up. True's Polio illness leaves her with only one working leg, but Odd never lets her believe that she is weak.

Technically there are monsters in this story, but I can't say much more without giving it away. There is one monster hunt with the Leeds Devil, but that is about it. If you go into this expecting lots of magic and monster hunting, you will be disappointed. But if you go in with an open mind, you might enjoy this complex story. 

My only issues aside from the lack of magic and monsters would be the disappearance of Aunt Victoria and Uncle Magnus. Both are pretty important characters to the story, especially Magnus, but after Odd's last POV with him in the past, we do not hear about him again. It would have been nice to have a wrap up about those two characters. 

While Odd & True was meant to be a story about two sisters, it also shed some light about issues that women of that time period faced. There are other issues such as infidelity, alcoholism, prostitution, sex, and an insinuation about romance between siblings. For these reasons, I think Odd & True will appeal to more adult readers, and mature teens. 

Nevertheless, Cat Winters knows how to write a story that will draw you in and leave you wanting more.

This subtle and cinematic historical fantasy will appeal to adult readers as well as to its primary young adult audience. A story of two unusual sisters who team up to hunt monsters in early 20th century America, the novel also dives deep into questions about the meaning of family, sibling loyalty, and the mother-daughter bond. A good choice for book clubs interested in discussing  speculative fiction.

This ARC from Netgalley sounded perfect, it follows two sisters and they go monster hunting in early 20th century America but it's not quite as supernatural, ghoulish or dark as I thought it would be although it is a YA book. It has themes of family secrets, sisterhood, family legends, teenage pregnancy/adoption and disability, the latter two I haven't experienced so I'm not 100% sure if the representation is accurate. 

I like the writing style as it's so quick and easy to read, I like the two main characters although Odette is quite annoying at times and it was enjoyable for what it was. I like the setting and time period as well as the supernatural elements and family secrets but sadly I wasn't wowed by it but I'd still recommend it for a quick, enjoyable read - it is over 350 pages, making it one of the longer books I've read this month but it's an easy read so perfect to read in the garden.

Ever impressive, Winters creates atmosphere like no one's business. 

While this one is a bit slow to start and the asynchronous timeline baffles at the beginning, it begins to take shape and pay dividends ultimately demonstrating the power of family: all kinds of family and love and the need to protect. 

There is so much going on and so many characters that I needed to stop at several points to understand the relationship between Uncle Magnus and the girls, specifically Odette, but then Aunt Vik and Uncle William and the girls. Maria's motivation for ultimately leaving the girls to her sister and brother-in-law and how they lived for so long in the orchard away from everyone. Yet ultimately it's about Odette and Trudchen's relationship with each other and themselves and the obstacles that they overcome. Such a beautiful message with a creepy underbelly.

Let me start off by saying, I have never read a book by Cat Winters and boy have I been missing out. More than once, the story was so gripping that I cried. I am fond of historical fiction with paranormal elements and this book fits perfectly. Going in, I was expecting a quick and fun paranormal novel, but it's so much more than that. First and foremost it's a story about family. There are lots of secrets, which causes misery as secrets tend to do. That's not all though. It also deals with hope.

The Strength of Sisterhood

Odd & True focuses on the close relationship between two sisters. I find it refreshing to read about sisters who stand up for each other, instead of tearing each other down. The youngest sister, Trudchen or Tru, is permanently disabled and suffers from chronic pain due to having polio as a child. Despite struggling, it doesn't stop her from living life to the fullest. That is one of the many reasons why I love this story.

The story is told from both sisters' perspectives. The chapters from the oldest sister, Odette or Od, are set in the past before she comes home, while Tru's are set after Od's return. It fits the story well. The mystery unravels organically throughout the story as we learn more about their family and upbringing. All the way through there is an underlying sense of otherworldliness, which drives you to keep turning page after page.

At first glance it seems that Tru is weak while Odette is strong. Looking beyond first impressions, there is an air of desperate sadness about Od. She holds on to tales of the supernatural with an almost frightening fierceness. Tru, on the other hand, is skeptical, she's not completely convinced that the stories her sister told her are true. Right until the very end, you'll experience a feeling of uncertainty. It makes you question what is real or not.

The story brings darkness in spades. In fact, I think repeated heartbreak should be listed as a side effect of reading Odd & True. Fortunately, the darkness never becomes too much to distinguish the hope in the sisters' hearts. The perseverance of these sisters is admirable. The ending is beautiful, it ties up everything perfectly. It's a standalone, but I love Od and Tru so much that I would gladly read a whole series focused on their adventures.

This book was very intriguing. I went into it expecting a much different type of story, but I was not disappointed. The relationship between Od and Tru was profound and I enjoyed watching it grow from childhood to the brink of adulthood. The back and forth timeline was not at all confusing and if anything kept me reading to see what would happen next. The book shed light on an interesting time period, as well as several of the issues that faced people, especially young women, of the age.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

I love Cat Winters, which is what drew me to this book in the first place.  While not my favorite work by the author, I did find myself invested in both the sisterhood between Odette and Trudchen, as well as hoping for the fairytales they grew up hearing to be true.

Really enjoy this book and the author’s writing. From the blurb, I was expecting this book to be kind of like Supernatural (the tv show) since we have two sisters hunting down evil and demonic creatures. However, Cat Winters really increased this story by creating a whole new magical universe, full of tales and mythical things, plus she’s really good at writing a horror story. I also like the main characters, especially Trudchen, since you can really feel how much she suffers from her condition. Overall, it was good book. Giving it 3 stars rating, just because I found it to be a very slow reading sometimes.

Cat Winters is one of those authors that when you hear she has a book coming out you mark your calendar to be prepared since she knows how to entertain. This latest offering on the YA alter only adds to that ideal.

She has this way of writing so descriptively the world is painted before your eyes pulling you into the story and keeping you on your toes with twists and turns coming at you throughout her plot but with only enough to keep you guessing as to where she could be taking you. Just when you think you’ve one upped her and figure it all out she throws something else at you to keep you off balance.

This story wasn’t as quick paced right away as some of her others but it didn’t take long to reach the level needed to hit all the emotional sweet spots. I loved how she developed the relationship between Od and Tru and showcased their complex family history. Through their stories you’re often left wondering who to believe as their lives seemed so very different but Winters doesn’t force you to take sides as ultimately this is a journey about them both. She’ll have you emotionally invested in the characters so be prepared because this is one hell of an adventurous ride which ends perfectly and leaves you wishing there could be more adventures with Od & Tru.

Thank you very much for the advanced copy.
This book is not what it seems. When looking at the cover, it feels like it may be a Holly Black type title, a modern fairytale. However, there are two storylines running parallel. One is, in fact, a fairy tale of two very brave sister's of monster-crushing heritage with a magical bag on the hunt to fulfil their destiny. It's an exciting, even if by the numbers, hero (ine) quest. Great story.
What makes this book special is the hard-hitting family saga lying beneath the surface of that magic. There's infidelity and sex and illness and financial commentary dealing with the role of women at the turn of the century. Od's tale of woe and redemption is heartwrenching bit also uplifting. 
I only have three stars because I am not sure to whom I should recommend this book. The cover feels like it's teen or YAD however it would be possibly more interesting to adults given the depth of the layers. It's uncertain bit, whoever picks it up and gives it a go will be in for a treat.

This book took me by surprise. I thought it was going to be a let's-go-hunt-monsters type of story but it's more focused on the character development of both main characters and the change from chilhood to adulthood.
There is a great sister relationship that I adored reading and one of my favourite parts is how it's got no romance at all but it's more focused on how they take care of each other despite having gone through a lot (especially Odette).
The beginning was a bit slow and it took me a bit more to get into the story, and I have to say I started enjoying it more once we reached the second half of the book.
It still had some things I didn't expected and I really liked the ending.

The book was very well written, and I really loved the atmosphere throughout. I just wanted a little more from the storyline itself, but overall a good read.

Love the mixture of historical fiction, the supernatural with magic, and the dynamics of family expectations and the sister relationship. I liked reading about Odette and how she dealt with being the 'older sister' in her role as protector as she struggled to fight off her own demons.