The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Mackie Doyle is not human. He was a replacement, left in the crib of the real (human) Mackie Doyle when he was in infant. Now Mackie is sixteen and slowing dying. He is allergic to many of the elements that humans encounter on a daily basis. He becomes violently ill when he comes in contact with iron (and most metals), blood, or consecrated ground. Think about what that means for Mackie. Traveling in a car, using silverware, school blood drives, or even visiting his father at work (he is a pastor) is unbearable for him.

Mackie and his family have worked hard to keep his true identity as a replacement a secret. After Tate's little sister dies she approaches Mackie for answers. Tate thinks that Mackie knows more then he is letting on and she knows that the child her family buried was not her sister. Soon Mackie finds himself caught between doing whats right and saving himself from a slow painful death. He travels to the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem and meets the Morigan and the living dead creatures that dwell below the slag pile. They hold the key to Mackie being able to live in the human world but it will come at a price.

Mackie was a great character. I think that Brenna Yovanoff did an amazing job developing the characters and their relationship in the story. The reader is able to see exactly what motivates them and why Mackie has been able to survive as long as he has in the human world. I love the relationship that Mackie has with his sister. She is truly the reason he lived when all other replacements die. Tate and Mackie to begin to take their relationship to a more sexual level so keep that in mind for younger readers. I loved this book and I look forward to more books by Breena.