The Replacement, by Brenna Yovanoff, has one of the best book covers I’ve ever seen. It shows an old fashioned baby carriage under a mobile of scissors, knifes, and other sharp objects. Yes, it’s very creepy, but it catches your attention. This book certainly caught my attention.

The book’s protagonist, teenager Mackie Doyle, is a changeling living in the close-knit town of Gentry, England. He comes from a race of strange creatures living underground that are allergic to iron, blood, and consecrated ground. As a result, Mackie is on the brink of death in the human world. He becomes close with Tate Stewart, whose sister has just been stolen by these creatures.  Together they try to save Tate’s sister, Mackie, and ultimately the whole town.

The book’s plot is pure fantasy, but I appreciate how many of its themes relate to real life. It is as much about people trying to cover up and look away from what is uncomfortable as it is about  macabre fairy-like creatures. The relationships between Mackie and his family are realistically complicated.

As I was reading the book, I kept thinking about how good a movie it would make. I could picture the hopeless underworld that Mackie visits, the snappy action scenes at the climax, and the romantic relationship between Mackie and Tate, which would be milked for all it was worth. Music features heavily in the plot, and I could practically hear a soundtrack that would fit the somber mood. I think this proves that the book never dragged and never got boring.

The thing that might stop some people from liking this book is its dark nature. I would not say that it ever really scared me, but if you get squeamish when reading about the occasionally rotting dead creature, I would stay away. Many people prefer stories where the setting is somewhere warm and sunny and romances happen between characters that are both totally human and far from death. There’s nothing wrong with that. However, it you are not one of those people, and you enjoy fantasy, The Replacement is an amazing book.