Were Chronicles (Alma Alexander) Books In Order

Publication Order of The Were Chronicles Books

Were Chronicles are set of Young Adult written by bestseller author, Alma Alexander. The series is detailed, complex and full of humans and shape-shifting Were in one uneasy alliance. Were are often tolerated but face discrimination, and bullying, and are forced to carry a dehumanizing paw-print identity card and also made to live in imprisonment or isolation their 3-day Turns. With the rising tensions, between the normals, and the shapeshifters, three young and courageous Weres walk a destructive path.

Random

Random is the first novel in The Were Chronicles. The author, Alexander has written one shapeshifter book like no other. Every surprise in this book will catch you unwary, and others will have to pry out of your fingers.

The author has woven a gripping and a complicated story of teenage rebellion and family loyalty. It is an excellent start to a great series.

The novel starts off with one a young woman’s unexpected and disturbing transformation, but it then jumps some steps back and showcases the reasons behind this change; the revelation of her older sisters diaries, narrating what led up to her fatal loss. In fact, much of the novel covers the older sister story. The book ends with a great revelation that will leave you unable to shocked to the core.

In the Old Country, the Weres were put to death if caught, but now in the New World they have their ID cards that show who they are and some stringent rules are imposed, but this makes it better than the Old Country. Most of the “normal “people treat the Weres as second class citizens.

This novel revolves around the lead character sister named Celia who was presumed to have taken her own life. The lead character Jazz finds her sister diary which affects her so much. Cecilia narrates how her life outside her home was which something different than anyone ever thought was. She never told anyone about the horrible treatment she had received while at school.

Jazz is home-schooled by her parents after her sister’s death, and as she reads the novels, she discovers that her sister’s bullies were bullied worse and worse.

The first book in the series is a great book to read, apart from the main narrative discussed, there are other issues which the author has pointed out. One of them is the issue of Immigration, the family escaped from their residence in the Old Country and relocated to the New World which provided more freedom and less imprisonment of their kind. This theme is interlaced throughout the novel. However, the author does not beat you to death about this issue and its treated as part of the family’s existence.

This is the type of Young Adult novels has depth resonance and significance. It shines some flicker of hope on the path of young people especially women who are in search for courage and a place in this world. The experience of being an immigrant, the experience of getting unfair treatment, the experience of being different from others and being powerless to do anything about it. All these aspects are beautifully depicted and described.

Wolf

Mal March has just begun his life in one challenging and revolutionary journey. He has become a werewolf, a rare one and this means that he will have to abandon his family and join the wolf pack. To Mal, this is a life changing opportunity for redemption and a way to get answers to the questions in his life, but unfortunately, nothing turns out as planned.

The novel picks up the story of Mal and follows him into his new home with his fellow Werewolves known as Lycans. Wolf is a society focusing on the inner workings of the Lycan community. The Lycan compound with its jealously and strict hierarchies is its own exclusive small world. The Werewolves have their own prejudices, unique cultures, standards and woe to anyone who does not want to stick by the rules.

For Mal to infiltrate the Lycan ranks and reveal the truth about Stay and its possible effects on other Were like his sister, he must forgo his family, upbringing, and everything that he ever knew. Joining the werewolf pack means that he must forgo his choices and accept all the decisions that the alphas make for him. The pack chooses his job, his college course and even his mate, and even though he is only 17 years of age, he is expected to marry a woman of the pack selection and start producing Lycan babies.

As he establishes himself in his new wolf family, he starts to unravel the Lycans heavily guarded secrets. The fact that he discovers about the Turning Houses and the Half Souled makes his skin crawl and the more he unravels the close he gets to find the truth about his sister.

Shifter

Chalky or Saladin as Mal March may not be related to the family by blood but he is the closest thing that his brother Mal has, and he has always been there for him. When things get tough for Mal, Chalky is the one person that he calls. The third novel picks up where the second book left off, while at the same time providing the readers with Chalky’s own history and story as well. The author writing style is unique and will have you hooked from the first page to the last and while at the same time you cheer and cry along with the characters. Once you start reading the novel, you will be thinking about the social injustices, all the events and linking it to the current times.

Shifter is book number three, and the last in the Were Chronicles. The novels can be read singly, but it is recommended to read them in order since the whole story is much bigger and encompasses much more. While it is fun to read about the shapeshifter and the normal humans, there are some other underlying themes which will make the narrative a more interesting one. The author, Alma Alexander has woven an intriguing and a page turning book.