Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

E-ARC copy received for review from NetGalley and HarperTeen with thanks!

Unearthly is published January 4th in the US.

"In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees. . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what it is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place--and out of place, at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make--between honesty and deciet, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?"

Where to start...Oh. Freaking. Hell. I adored this book from beginning to end! There are times when you can start a book and from page one you know you’re on to a winner. Something that just sings to you, the character’s voice, the setting, whatever it is, just ‘clicks’ and you know you’re in for a great read, something that will be a lasting favourite. That was this book for me. I started it, loved chapter one and could barely put it down.

Clara is a 16 year old who two years previous found out that her mother is half angel. Making her a quarter angel. It took some adjusting, but she did. Now she’s starting to get visions, her ‘purpose’. They show a boy in the middle of a forest fire and Clara knows she has to save him. Going on the clues in her visions, she ends up moving, along with her mom and younger brother, from California to a small town in Wyoming. There she meets a boy, the boy, the one from her visions. But nothing is simple.

Clara has to fight to fit in at a new school, hide her ever growing angel powers, and figure out how to get close to the boy from the vision so she can do what she must when the time is right. Problems arise quickly as Clara begins to realise her mother has kept a lot about angels secret from her, because apparently she needs to find out for herself. The more Clara discovers though, the more danger she realises she faces. Fighting with her mom, hunting for her place in this new town, struggling to get close to the boy. None of it should have been so hard. Also, there was never meant to be another boy.

As I already said, I loved this book. It’s beautiful, smart, funny in just the right places and heart wrenching at times as well. I was hooked from page one where we enter Clara’s vision. The description of the scene drew me in so easily I felt like I was right there, and yet there is no overload of description at any point. It’s simple but powerful.

The characters are very well drawn, well rounded and easy to love. Even before we get to know some of them better, you get a great sense of them from how Clara sees them, and occasionally from comment from someone else. I love Clara. She’s the perfect blend of vulnerable, strong and awkward. Her struggling to fit in at a new school is something I find very easy to relate to, and the way she felt and dealt with it felt very real. I love the chemistry between the characters, whether its friendship or romantic based, they all have this spark between them that makes them come alive. Makes the more common conversations seem like more. You can really feel the depth and strength of certain relationships, and the uneasy edge to others.

The setting itself, the small town in the mountains, the small town school where everyone’s known each other since kindergarten, is almost as alive as the characters. Cynthia’s descriptions keep everything alive, but again, without overload. Very few books manage to make me feel so involved as this did in every aspect.

The story holds up just as well as the characters. I liked the twists alongside recognizable mythology. I like how there are different levels of angel and how the powers differ depending on what level they are. I liked that things were not straight forward or what I first thought. Some things were, but some I never saw coming. Towards the end in particular I kept trying to figure out what was going on and I just couldn’t. I held my breath through the last several chapters as the tension grew almost too much at times. My heart ached for Clara as she faced some big obstacles and incredibly hard decisions, and yes there were a few tears involved as well.

There was nothing about this book I didn’t love. And I adored one of the two guys in this. He’s just...perfect really. I just hope I am, for once, on the right side of this and he gets the girl in the end! I’ve got a few little theories about what could happen next, and some thoughts on one character in particular and the role they could play in the next book, but nothing I feel close to sure of. The ending was fantastic. It revealed some big things, but also left a lot of questions. Not the kind that frustrate, but the kind that made me wish I had book 2 sat beside me already! It’s going to be a very, very long wait for it. Stunning debut, fantastic book, and easily one of my favourite reads of the year. An absolute Must Have!!

Rating: 10/10

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Nightshade is the debut book from Andrea Cremer and the first in the Witches War trilogy.

"Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything - including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?"

Despite my favourite YA urban fantasy series being a vampire one, I am actually a wolfgirl at heart. I am always excited to get my hands on new wolf centric books and this one sounded like a fantastic one. Lots of early reviews for it thought it was as well, so of course it was top of my must have list when it was released last week. I was totally prepared to really enjoy it and from the premise it sounded like something I'd love, and something that could be a new favourite. I wish I could say that happened, I really do, but it didn't.

This book starts out well, we're introduced to Calla in wolf form, taking on a grizzly bear and protecting the human hiker, Shay, in the process. She's clearly a fighter and in no need of someone to protect her, like say an over protective and possessive male alpha wolf (Ren, who I'll get to soon). Shortly after that incident Shay arrives at the Mountain School. It's an exclusive boarding school for the rich, and a day school for the wolves and Keepers. The humans know to stay clear of the wolves, and the wolves don't tend to interact with the Keepers either, who are their bosses in training as it were. But when Shay arrives, things are different. He's important to the Keepers for some reason and has no natural instinct to keep him from the wolves. Not to mention his infatuation with Calla. With him arrival things change drastically.


Calla is the young alpha female of the Nightshade pack. Ren, young alpha male of the Bane pack, is her mate. They're the same age, they share the same birthday, and they've been promised to each other for their whole lives. Mates aren't decided by love, they're decided by the Keepers who rule over them. Along with everything else, like when they can have kids and how many. By the Keeper's rules, Calla isn't allowed to be involved with anyone, Ren included, before her wedding night. Ren on the other hand, has no such rules to play by and is a known player. Ren, Calla and their packs may have grown up together, but they're not friends. They are two separate packs who will have to combine to one once Calla and Ren are married. Ren is an alpha male and, player or not, Calla is his. No one will touch her but him. Shay was something none of the two young packs saw coming. He's different and new but while most of them simply accept what the Keepers say, Calla can't help wanting to get closer and find out more, and with that discover more than she ever realised about her past.

A great start, a great premise, great themes, and yet somewhere it just went wrong for me. I think my biggest problem is that I can't truly buy Calla as the warrior she's supposed to be. It's stated a few times that that's what she is, that she sees herself that way and wants to be that way. And she does do a good job leading her pack. But when it comes to Shay, she's very weak. And she's worse with Ren. The first time Ren is introduced they face off in the hallway at school. Nothing wrong there. It's stated that she's fine being his mate, but she wants to be respected by him and rule with him, not have him rule her. I applaud that attitude, but Ren is a pushy alpha male. His advances are mostly forceful, and I would expect, based on what she's said already and what we'd seen, I would expect her to get up in his face, push back, put him in his place. Instead she does none of that and instead melts, not managing even a verbal half comeback. I found that really disappointing. Having feelings for him shouldn't just make her a puddle like that. She's an alpha female supposedly, so why can't she fight back? Yes Ren is experienced and she's not, so I get that she's out of her depth, but she should be able to fake it and throw attitude, which she seemingly had plenty of in the first couple chapters, back at him.

The problem is, aside from when she's ruling her pack (and then, mostly without Ren around), she just doesn't come across as the tough warrior she's meant to be. She's too soft, too passive letting the guys make the decision when she is supposed to be wanting things differently. She easily gives in to Shay and his gentle asking of her to do things which if the Keepers found out could mean her death. It's never a real battle, just a token argument. The way she bounced between Ren and Shay annoyed the heck out of me as well. I get that she's got feelings for both and is confused, but again, she was just so passive with both of them never standing up for herself.

This book is long at 450+ pages. It's got a lot of history and research to it, and while it's interesting, it's also complex and time consuming. It isn't dull actually. You would think with as much as Calla discovers without action and fights that it would drag and just be kind of boring. I didn't actually find that. I liked the depth to the world and the thought thats gone in to creating it. But it does mean it's not a quick or light read. Its got some really good twists to it, but others were a bit too predictable. The romance is obviously a pretty big part of the story as well as it's the catalyst for everything. There are moments where I enjoyed it, but most of it is a little too sappy for me. Like I made clear already, Calla doesn't fight enough in it. So even when Ren is being pushy, it's all kind of soft because Calla's not pushing back. But for everything outside the romantic plots, I really liked the story. I love the ideas, with the wolves who may rule their packs, but are ruled in turn by Keepers (witches), and how Calla is meant to start challenging that.

Those romantic plots though are my other big problem with this book. I don't see the point to the love triangle, well sure I see what it's meant to do, but I don't think it's needed. Shay is a nice guy, but I don't really feel the passion between him and Calla. I love Ren completely and utterly, I don't always like him, but I love him and I think there is a lot more to him than at first glance. What I don't like though, is that Shay is the catalyst for Calla beginning to realise she is a slave to the Keepers. Why does it have to be a love interest? Why couldn't she simply wake up enough to realise what's going on? Or overhear a conversation she shouldn't or something? I don't like love triangles very often and this one just doesn't work for me at all. And I'm not saying that simply as I fear I'm on the losing side of this one.

Overall I do still like this book. It's got a lot of potential and a lot of promise. There are just a few places where it just didn't work or live up to expectation for me. The ending was dramatic and yes it's a cliff hanger, but I wasn't left desperate for more. I was left wishing some of the earlier stuff had been cut so what was going on at the end could have been explored more before the stop point. Still, it's a decent read but it'll be book 2 that could make this series for me. I am still hopeful because there is so much promise. It just didn't come off here.

Rating: 6/10

Which Nightshade cover do you prefer, the UK or US one? I am curious, go vote ;)

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

"Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance - even her closest friends - and it seems her senior year will be more of the same...until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions - for Hell - and she possesses a unique skill set that has the King of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he's as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn't stand a chance.

Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn't get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul.

But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay...for all of them."

Personal Demons is the debut book from Lisa Desrochers, the first of a planned trilogy. Take a girl, a Catholic girl with a crisis of faith and a very special skill. Add in an incredibly hot demon intent on corrupting her to take her back to Hell. An equally hot angel, intent on saving her soul to take her back to Heaven. Both wanting her for that special skill on their own sides. Add in some good old teenage hormones and you've got one of the hottest teen reads there are. Like, hot enough I was worrying about the sizzle factor it could cause on my favourite shelf. Yes really.

Okay, so this book is not simply about the love triangle, though it's certainly about that as well. It's about a girl who can't forgive herself for something that happened in her past. It's brought her to keep everyone at bay and question everything about the God she was raised to believe. When Luc and Gabe both suddenly appear as students at her high school, with obvious interest in her, things start spiraling out of control. Frannie is someone who has worked hard for her control, to keep others at a distance. She knows that Luc is bad for her. She knows that Gabe should be the easy choice of the two. But letting either of them in is something she isn't really prepared for.

I was hooked from the first snippet of this book I read on Lisa's blog, so of course I was very excited for it to finally be out and me to finally have my hands on it. And I wasn't let down at all. I could barely put it down and finished it in a day pretty easily. I confess that despite my love for the snippets I'd already read, I thought this would primarily be a love triangle story, with only semi deep characters. Which would have been okay, cause sometimes those books are exactly what's wanted. But that wasn't actually the case. Frannie and Luc (who both narrate the story) were both deep, well rounded characters who grew and changed through the book. Gabe was as well, although we don't see as much of him as Luc. The battle for Frannie's soul, and her heart, is the main plot of the book, but there is so much else tied in to it and it works beautifully.

And the sexual tension between Frannie and the boys? Oh hell! Seriously intense. Both guys are very hot, and have different qualities that made me love them both pretty equally. I am totally team Luc, but I think I want Gabe for myself. Don't get me wrong, Luc is amazing, and I love his darker edge, but there is just something about Gabe that I just fell in love with. And yet I'm team Luc because for Frannie, I believe that's the only way it should go.

It's a fast paced read, and very well written. The chemistry between characters is undeniable, but also the depth and seriousness to them. This isn't a light, easy read, or I didn't find it as such. It honestly made me think a lot more than I thought it would, in a very good way. Some really good twists along the way and some great character development as well. It's dark, sexy and simply fantastic. There's some good funny moments as well, and some of the reactions to Luc and Gabe constantly had me cracking up. The ending got pretty intense and while certain aspects felt a little light for what had happened, there was still a subtle darker undertone of things still to come. I loved it from page one and I am very excited for books 2 and 3, Original Sin and Hellbent (out 2011 and 2012). I think my only real complaint is with the cover. While the modals' may be a match on the physical description (more or less), both Frannie and Luc look too old to be 17 (okay, so Luc isn't 17, but he is meant to look like he is). But really, what does a cover matter? I loved it the inside content. A must read.

Rating: 9/10

The Crescent by Jordan Deen

I got this book for review thanks to Lynsey and her site UK Book Tours, thank you!! xx

"Becoming a werewolf is not an option for seventeen-year-old Lacey Quinn, but death can be a strong motivator.


Lacey is so focused on her future that everyday life has passed her by. Counting down the days to her eighteenth birthday, Lacey is almost home free. But when she falls for the mysterious Alex Morris, she lands in the middle of an ancient war between two enemy wolf packs. Tempting dreams, tantalizing lies and a dangerous love triangle ensues leaving Lacey heartbroken and confused.


Lacey's fate rests in the hands of Alex and Brandon, but both are pulling her strings for their own agenda's. Even as she slips further into the dark world of werewolves, Lacey struggles to find the truth and save the only family she's ever known."

Werewolves are my favourite supernatural creature, and have been basically always. I confess I got in to fantasy via vampires, well via Buffy actually, but it was werewolves that got me in to UF books with Kelley Armstrong's Bitten, thus starting my obsession with the supernatural. So I'm willing to give pretty much any werewolf book a try in an attempt to add to my werewolf book collection. When this book went up for tour on the UK Book Tour site, it was an automatic sign up for me. I wasn't let down at all!

Lacey is seventeen, human, no idea of a supernatural world around her. When a huge dog, a stray, appears in her garden and she can't find his owners, she lets him stay. He offers her a comfort, a security she was missing at home, her parents constantly fighting. Then she meets Alex. He just walks in to the school office one day to register for classes. Lacey can barely take her eyes off him, or form words around him. But he's very mysterious, and knows a lot more about her than she's told him. As things progress with him, they get stranger. She starts having vivid dreams, not of Alex, but of another guy, Brendon, who appeared just once in the school office, shortly after Alex's arrival. Strange stories of werewolves, packs and mates start flying around and Lacey begins to wonder what's real. How much is reality and how much a dream, a nightmare. She struggles to figure out the truth, to choose a guy, first love or true love. Caught in the middle of a way she didn't know existed. Where one wrong move from her could mean death for others.

It didn't take long for me to get in to The Crescent and start loving it. Lacey started off on the right foot with me simply by being an animal lover. She feels unsettled at home, her parents constantly fighting, hiding things from even her closest friend about them. She's never really felt like she really belongs, like an outsider, and an outcast at school. It's easy to see why she felt so off balance with Alex's attention.

I love the build up, the different reactions to both guys, to the idea that werewolves exist in her world, how certain elements of being a werewolf work, and the tension that fills it all was pretty perfect. Kept me reading and I barely put it down. I loved seeing how the dreams and reality clashed, confusing for Lacey and how she dealt with it all in her head, how it's written, made me start questioning what was actually real at times as well. There are certain aspects of 'reality' in the book that have serious dream like qualities.

This is a debut book and it was awesome, it's not very long at only 187 pages, but it packs a lot in to those pages. There is a lot of depth to Lacey, I loved getting to know her better, or trying to anyway, and trying to figure out the mystery surrounding both boys and the wolves. The rest of the characters are pretty mysterious, none as straight forward as they sometimes seem, and while I loved and seriously disliked some, they all held my interest and have a role to play. It's well written, it's smart, it's got a werewolf I've fallen fairly in love with and a protagonist I'm aching for, while urging her to make the right choices.

I confess I've been going through a phase of simple hatred for love triangles in books, and knowing I was about to wade in to another, made me cautious going in to this book. My heart is aching enough for fictional love triangles without adding another. But dammit, I fell. I fell for the characters, the setting, the wolves and yes, I wish it was just a little easier for Lacey to pick, that she'd realise the right guy and not be torn any more, but well, this is the first of a trilogy and that wouldn't really work now would it? Love triangles where it's too obvious who the girl should pick, or those where the second love interest is simply an obvious plot twist drive me crazier than those which tear me apart. This one is far closer to the latter. For me, it's an easy pick which side to come down on, but I can sympathize with Lacey's decision and why she is so torn.

The plot revolves around the love triangle, but there is a bit of an added twist I didn't fully see coming until it was explained. That, with everything else I've already listed as great about this book, meant I wound up loving it. The ending was so tense, I really wasn't sure what was going to happen, how it would play out, and it left me wanting a whole lot more. I can't wait for book 2, Half Moon (due out 13th Jan 2011), or even the third book, Full Moon (due later in 2011). This was a great YA werewolf book with a dark edge. I highly recommend it and I'm going to get my own copy of it just as soon as I can! My only real complaint about this book isn't about the story at all, it's wondering where the heck the editor was. There are a lot of grammar mistakes and typos in this book. They bothered me a bit to start with, stopping it from being a smooth read, but I soon got deep enough in to the book that I skimmed right over them hungry to find out what happened next. It's a pretty fast paced book and like I already said, I could barely put it down. Great read that I really can't do justice for. Just read it.

Rating: 9/10

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

"Evie's always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours.

But Evie's about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy, promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal."

Paranormalcy is the debut book from Kiersten White. It's been one I've been looking forward to for a while. It sounds great and while I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, I do love it! But when I first started reading it, I started to wonder if I was going to like it at all. Evie is bubbly, fashion savvy and never without her favourite accessories (top of the list being 'Tasey' her pink taser). Not the kind of character I can easily get on with or take seriously. However, I kept going because despite being unsure of Evie, I still liked the premise. And you know what? So totally worth it.

Evie may come across as a little shallow to start with, but what ended up convincing me to keep going and give her a chance was how early on her desire to be normal, to live a normal teenage life in the real world, and how strong it was. She was in the foster care system as a little kid, then became a member of International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA) and has worked for them for years. Sure she's treated well, fed, clothed, personal tutors as 'school', but she's very much alone. She's the only one who can see through glamours and her contact with her best friend Lish is limited in several ways on account of Lish being a mermaid and having to remain underwater. Not to mention her seriously creepy ex. So while Evie make like to think of herself as 'normal' it's more her wishing she was.

Things aren't quite normal at IPCA right now. Some strange things have been happening in the paranormal world and when IPCA is broken in to by an unheard of paranormal, Evie decides it's a good time to start digging in to what's going on. I loved seeing the changes in her, the way she dealt with certain issues that came up and how she grew from learning things that had been well hidden from her. Life has never been easy for her, but she finds it just getting worse and she doesn't know who she can turn to.

I was really pleased with the almost understated romance side to this book. I don't like when girl meets guy and does nothing but obsess over him and happily that's not close to what happens here. There is a romantic plot for sure, but its more of a sub-plot. It gets plenty of page time, but not nearly as much as I'd expected it to get. Evie has far too much going on in her life to be able to focus on just a guy for any real length of time.

The plot moves along quickly and after the first few chapters when I'd gotten used to Evie's voice and really started warming up to her and her rebellious nature, I struggled to put it down. It's funny, smart, and has a very well done darker edge to it. I can't say that I didn't roll my eyes at Evie a few times later on, but then I care very little for fashion/shopping and it's kind of a big deal to her. But when it came to the paranormal side, the way IPCA works, what demons/vampires/weres etc are like, the faerie prophecy and what it could mean, I was completely sold. And aside from the fashion stuff, I loved Evie by the end as well. I don't think she's the kind of girl I could be best friends with, (too much energy and too much love for pink!) but she's likable enough. And she does grow up a lot through this book with the issues she faces. That's what I love most about her, is that she does change, she doesn't just deal with these things and go on being the same girl.

The majority of the more prominent side characters are well rounded as well, and there were certainly some interesting characters in that bunch as well! There is something very fresh about Paranormalcy, and it was nice to read a YA book that is a little crazy and serious at the same time without falling flat anywhere. Ultimately I really enjoyed it, thought the ending was great and I'm really looking forward to the second book! 9/10

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

'"My name is Meghan Chase. In less than twenty-four hours I'll be sixteen. Countless stories, songs and poems have been written about this wonderful age, when a girl finds true love and the stars shine for her and the handsome prince carries her off into the sunset. I don't think it will be that way for me."

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny - one she could never have imagined...

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school...or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's know is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face...and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart."

This is the first book in a YA series, The Iron Fey. I am not very often a big fan of fey central books, and in fact with the exception of Jenna Black's YA Glimmerglass, and Richelle Mead's adult series Dark Swan, I've never more than liked a series/book focusing on fey. So I wasn't too sure about trying this one. I ended up enjoying it a lot though. I don't love it, it's not going to be a favourite, but it is still a good read.

Meghan lives with her mom, step dad and 4 year-old half-brother Ethan. Ethan is often saying that he sees and hears things, things that can't possibly be real. Except Meghan is about to find out they are real, and far more terrifying than she could think. Her sweet sixteen comes with humiliation, followed by the discovery that her little brother could be in danger. All the while being watched by a guy on a black horse, who seems to disappear and reappear at will. Her best friend Robbie, a big time prankster, is being serious and protective, something she's not seen from him before. All this leads to a big discovery. Not only do faeries exist, but Meghan is one of them, daughter of the Summer King. And now the most wanted pawn in faerie.

The book started out well, if a little slow, and built well through the book. There was a lot of action, several good twists and a lot of unanswered questions. Meghan is pretty smart and deals fairly well with what's thrown at her. She grows in confidence and competence as she sees more of the faerie and how they act. Robbie is entertaining and a little crazy at times, but he's loyal to Meghan and a character I really liked. Likewise I really liked Ash, the Winter Court prince, and cait sith Grimalkin. The romance between Meghan and Ash builds slowly and never become a central focus but still got a decent amount of attention.

The faery world is magical and dangerous as it should be. The faery's aren't all sweetness and nice and there is the age old battle between the Winter and Summer Courts. I really like the twist with the Iron fey, and in particular I loved the nicknamed 'pack rats'. The ending was pretty tense with enough conclusion, whilst still leaving a lot open for the next book. Overall it's a really good book, it's well written with the characters and their emotions coming across really well. I really felt for Meghan several times as she had to make some tough decisions. I didn't love it, but I'd still recommend it. If you're someone who, unlike me, really likes fey stories, then this is one you won't want to miss. There is a short story ebook (which I believe is free), Winters Passage, which is set between this one, and the second book The Iron Daughter (out August 2010). I'm looking forward to reading both and seeing how things continue for Meghan. 7/10

13 To Life by Shannon Delany

"Everything about Jessie Gillmansen's life changed when her mother died. Now even her hometown of Junction is changing. Mysterious dark things are happening. All Jessie wanted if to avoid more change. But while showing a hot new guy around Junction High, she's about to discover a whole new type of change. Pietr Rusakova is more than good looks and a fascinating accent - he's a guy with a dangerous secret. And his very existence is sure to bring big trouble to Jessie's small town. It seems change is the one thing Jessie can't avoid."

This book was pointed out to me a couple of weeks ago by Jess, who mentioned hearing about it at the Romantic Times convention this year and was really looking forward to it. So I checked it out and thought that it sounded interesting so I ordered it. I didn't expect to adore it though, and I completely do. The book opens with Jessie grooming one of her horses, Rio. I'm more horse obsessed than book obsessed, which is saying something, so right there Jessie had mega points in my book. The mystery with the werewolves starts up moments later, though Jessie doesn't understand it for a long while. It's not a particularly fast paced book, but it doesn't hang around. Jessie was easy to like, her voice easy to get in to and she's a complex character. She's hurting for her mom, crushing big time on football star Derek and helping her best friend Sarah, who has been through a really rough time as well. Then in steps Pietr. Hot new Russian guy who she can't figure out. Every girl in school is drooling over him, especially Sarah, but not Jessie. She's annoyed by him more than anything. He aggravates her easily and seems to enjoy pushing her. He's brutally honest and Jessie respects that, even if she doesn't always like it.

Jessie has a lot of spark to her, and she doesn't back down easily. She's smart and she knows what she wants, apart from when it comes to boys. Derek, after years of crushing on him, seems to finally be noticing her too. But can she really trust in his attention? The more she gets to know Pietr, the more she finds herself falling for him too. But Sarah wants him and Sarah being happy is more important to her, so she can't have him. But there is more to this book than romance. It's also about friendship, about Jessie dealing with her mom's death and growing up. And about a year ago, there was an incident in a town not too far from theirs. A wolf attack that left someone dead. Jessie is an editor on her high school paper and it's something she'd love to know more about. She looks in to it a little in some of her free time. And when she faces a giant wolf on her horse farm, she's even more curious.

I was hooked on this book from the start. It's sweet, intense, sad, thoughtful, mysterious and there are some very funny moments as well. One of my favourites being Pietr being faced with a kitten who suddenly faced with a werewolf in human form, and goes...a little bit crazy trying to hurt him. Jessie has a second best friend, Amy, who I love. She's doesn't mind telling it as it is, and she's wiling to support Jessie, and kick her when she's being an idiot, as any true best friend should. She's a fantastic side character and the friendship she and Jessie share is very real and really adds to both their characters, as well as just being a great addition to the book.

All the characters are really well drawn, and so is the location adding to the overall tone. It's well written, carefully revealing secrets from everyone as the book unfolds. There were some things I thought I had figured out, then when it got there, things turned out to be completely different. Or at least, not like they'd first appeared. Great characters, great plot, carefully written and very, very enjoyable. The ending was fantastic but left me hanging. I very much want the second book to find out what happens next for Jessie and Pietr. There were some big moments at the end that are obviously going to leave lasting impacts on them both, and those around them by default. There is a lot still unknown and a lot that still needs explaining, but I'm really happy with what we do know at present and that we don't know everything, that Jessie and Pietr don't know everything. Far more interesting learning along side them, watching them screw up, learn, grow. Life. I can't wait for the next book in Feb 2011, Secrets and Shadows. I loved everything about this book and would highly recommend it!! 9/10