Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Title: Nightshade

Author: Andrea Cremer

Pages: 452

Release: October 19^th, 2010

Synopsis:

(from Goodreads) 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?

My Thoughts:

Nightshade is my first werewolf book! Can you believe it? All these years of reading and I have never actually read a werewolf book before. However, while I am pleased to say the genre was something that caught my interest, this book was a little rough in places and had a few things that I didn’t care for.

I think my favorite part about Nightshade is the concept of these werewolves. They are basically super hardcore teenagers who are so powerful, they can even overrun the school. It’s awesome on the surface, but then there is this terrible other side where the wolves are like property of the “Keepers” and they are mated and treated like animals. No free will. I loved this concept and was fascinated to see how they would handle everything that came their way. It was very unique and I loved that.

I did not care for the male character, Shay. I thought he acted very idiotic at times and unfortunately he never grew on me, which is unfortunate because he’s a major male interest. I also found the ending to be terribly confusing. So much was crammed into that last chapter that it was hard to visualize and became jumbled. So, while this book was an awesome concept, I wasn’t completely thrilled with it’s execution. I can still say though, that it is a good read and worth a shot.

In Short:

Rating: 4/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Check Out

Would I read it again?: No

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Hex Hall

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Pages: 323

Release: March 2^nd, 2010

Synopsis:(from Goodreads) Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

My Thoughts:

I love boarding school stories! I don’t know why but I got really excited when I realized that this book was a boarding school series about WITCHES! So, after putting off reading it (for reasons unknown), I finally read it and I absolutely loved it.

Hex Hall is a very nice read for many reasons but, I found it most refreshing because of how quickly it read, without lacking quality, and how likeable I found all of the characters, even the antagonistic ones. It was a nice break from what I have been reading lately. It was just so easy to love!

I will say that you should be cautious getting attached to characters in this book, because I was surprised more than once by a character’s true nature! With that being said, READ IT if you haven’t. It’s such a fabulous book and I am looking forward to buying the next in the series.

In Short:

Rating: 5/5

Purchase or Check Out? Purchase! (although I borrowed)

Would I read it again?: Yes

Waiting on Wednesday #3

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

Release Date: May 8th, 2012

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered. 
Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf. 
Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control. 
Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk. 
Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

Usually, I am not very interested in werewolf novels but I really love the synopsis for this one! An added bonus is that the cover is beautiful!

What are you waiting on?