Katja Brandis has crafted a delightfully bonkers premise: What if a mountain lion could transform into a human teenager and attend high school? The answer, apparently, is "maximum chaos with a side of environmental messaging."

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
Let's address the elephant in the room (or should I say mountain lion?): the beginning is rough. Really rough. We're talking "teenager's first draft hidden in a drawer" levels of amateur writing, complete with jarring time skips that feel like someone took scissors to the manuscript. I'll be honest—if this wasn't a NetGalley book requiring a review, I might have abandoned ship early on. The only thing that kept me trudging through was the sheer bizarre appeal of the concept.

Thankfully, Brandis seems to find her voice once Carag actually arrives at school, but man, those opening chapters are a slog. The writing transforms from clunky exposition dumps to something genuinely readable, which makes you wonder if the author wrote the book backwards.
Even when things improve, some elements lean heavily into cliché territory—the stereotypical bullies, the pretty-girl-love-interest subplot. It's YA paint-by-numbers in places.

WHAT WORKED:
Our hero Carag spends the first half of the book figuring out basic human concepts like "don't eat your classmates" and "shirts are not optional," which provides some genuinely funny moments once the writing hits its stride. There's something deeply satisfying about watching an apex predator struggle with algebra and cafeteria food (though to be fair, cafeteria food defeats most humans too).

The book shines when it leans into the absurdity of its concept. Carag's literal interpretation of human social cues leads to some cringe-comedy gold, and his confusion over why humans insist on wearing so many layers is oddly endearing. The supporting cast of fellow shape-shifters adds nice variety, though I did spend an uncomfortable amount of time wondering about the logistics of their transformations.
While the bullies and love interest hit familiar beats, the animal-transformation twist gives these stock characters enough personality and intrigue to make them work. It's hard to find a bully completely one-dimensional when you're wondering what their animal form might be.
Where it still stumbles is in the pacing—the environmental subplot feels a bit heavy-handed, like being lectured by a very earnest park ranger who also happens to be a large cat.

Bottom line: A fun concept that could have been a solid four-star read if it had started stronger. Perfect for readers who enjoyed "Animorphs" but wished it had more teenage angst and less competent editing in the opening act. Just maybe don't think too hard about the biology—or the first fifty pages.

3.5 out of 5 stars for this book. Bumped up to 4 because I am feeling generous.

MY RATING: 3 1/2 stars

If you're finished with Harry Potter (or, like me, never read it at all) and are looking for your next book featuring a fantasy boarding school, look no further! A young puma shapeshifter, Carag, enrolls at Clearwater High, not quite knowing what to expect other than it's a school for animal shapeshifters like him...

In a nutshell: Animorphs, except Harry Potter, except no witchcraft

⭐ WHAT I LIKED:

👉🏼 The entire premise of the novel (magical kids at a magical school) may be familiar, but doing it with animal shapeshifters is a wonderfully new and niche idea. I'd always loved the idea of animal-human shapeshifters when I was younger, so this was a treat for my inner child.

👉🏼 The characters are fun to read, and it's fun to see how their animal forms influence their personalities.

👉🏼 I stayed up till four in the morning so I could read this in one sitting. I think it's safe to say I was hooked.

⭐ WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

👉🏼 The beginning of the novel had some unsavory timeskips and very amateurish writing. It was only the concept of the novel that kept me reading (and the fact it was a NetGalley book, so I should review it lol), but the author finally found her voice when Carag arrives at his new school. However, everything before that sounds like a teenager's first draft of a book. If the book had had a stronger beginning, I would have rated it a full four stars.

👉🏼 Some of the elements felt a little cliche in how they were written (bullies, pretty girl love interest), but the characters were given enough personality and interest (partly due to their animal forms) that it worked.

NETGALLEY ONLY------
-The ebook was formatted well, and the cover showed up beautifully on my Kindle. No technical difficulties!

REVIEW LINKS:

Fable: https://fable.co/godgirl13-394326333285?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaeDgTYC3TqV8B3DgDO7kTEGC7BUKxykN3mLO4BpeiH0uGc2gIHHHtWcGtcS_A_aem_IfAYBWDePtVXbichKbGd1A

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7720842622

I will also publish a review on my Bookstagram, though it will probably be a few weeks :). I will update this review with the link when I do.

Katja Brandis delves deeply into the realm of fantasy as she writes the eloquently and poignantly tale of Carag's Transformation. With deeply developed characters, unique and creative plot twists, and robust and delightful lines of dialogue, this is a tale that will keep young readers yearning to find out what transpires onto the next pages. True literature fans will yearn to delve deeply into the narrative of this unique novel. Alas, there are a few (very few) minor grammatical errors that should have been easily cleared up with a professional proofreader with a keenly developed eye for detail. Brandis' characters are composed of Woodwalkers-- a blend of animal and human who can shift into either form at will. It does seem that for a Mid-grade novel where the audience is 8-12 years of age or so, there are a few themes which may be considered too adult and therefore have the ability to taint impressionable young minds. Of course, perhaps the author's stance is simply to inform and make young readers aware of social taboos that they may encounter and therefore educate and equip them to avoid in general. Since the author makes no claim in this instance, it only seems fair to grant her the benefit of the doubt.

Young Carag decides to leave his family of Puma Woodwalkers behind at an early age and set out to a solitary existence in the human realm. Initially, he is taken in by a wonderful foster family. Eventually, he finds the people who will guide him toward his special high school where he befriends fellow Woodwalkers and advances under the guidance and tutelage of faculty Woodwalkers. Adventure is sure to ensue as young Carag makes friends and adversaries among the student body. Still, Carag remains determined to make the most of his situation and becomes an astute role model for young readers who may find themselves navigating their own paths through adolescence.

Brandis writes with amazing detail and weaves a story filled with cliffhangers, emotion, and loyalty. Her prose is sophisticated and eloquent. Carag's Transformation is a novel that will truly lead more young readers to search out more meaningful sources of literary fiction.

Carag's Transformation by Katja Brandis is such a good story. I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic.

This story about Carag figuring out his life between the wild and human worlds is full of adventure, friendship and fantasy. My tween really liked it and is excited to read the next book.