Dingo (review)

When Lainey turns up in seventeen-year-old Miguel's small town, he immediately senses she is not like typical girls. It turns out that Lainey is even more unusual than he first imagined: she and her twin sister, Em, are shape-shifters, who must use their ability to turn into dingoes to avoid their power-hungry father and the ominous and ancient Warrigal, who needs the girls' blood to release him from an old curse. Miguel knows that he is in over his head, but he also feels strongly that Lainey could be the love of his life, and that he must do whatever he can to save her and her sister from their familial and ancestral threats. This trim, succinct novel ably balances fantasy elements and Australian legend with a sweeping, modern-day love story. Miguel, obviously well intentioned but woefully ill equipped to handle physical altercations, is a satisfyingly savvy protagonist who easily proves his worth as the nerd who gets the perfect girl through his creativity, good humor, and a willingness to take a punch even if he doesn't really believe in fighting. The fated love angle will certainly draw in romance readers, and while they may be perfectly content with just following Miguel and Lainey's connection through to its expected happy ending, the intriguing details about shape-shifting, dingoes, and Aboriginal traditions may also lead them to dig a bit further into Australian myths and culture.