by Andrea Cremer
The reason I read this book was as a favor to my friend. I was told her daughter,who is a 12 year old Tween, is a self proclaimed Nightshade Trilogy fan (there are three books altogether in the series). The book that she owns is falling apart, literally, pages falling out, etc. as she has read it over and over. Because I love Twilight and Harry Potter, she thought I might share her daughter's passion for this book or at least her enthusiasm and at the same time she, who does not read much, would know what her daughter was reading and embedding into her brain. I was disappointed when I found out.
This is the story about a pack of shape shifting teenagers. They are werewolves by most definitions but they claim to not be werewolves in the story...and it's true that they have control over their shifting...there's no full moon action in this story. There are actually two different 'packs' (one being the Nightshades) that are supposed to combine on Halloween night through marriage. Top Dog of one marries top dog of the other so to speak. You get the distinct impression in the beginning of the book that typically these two clans are not very friendly with one another but both leaders decide to make a good impression on their followers because after all once the marriage takes place in a few weeks then they will have to get along.
Calla is our heroine and Ren is our hero...or is he? Calla is to marry Ren but a few weeks before a new kid starts at school "Shay" and he causes all kinds of chaos. He's human (or is he?) and the humans are typically looked down upon...but he's adamant and wants to know Calla a lot better. So a little bit of a love triangle happens...which is very dangerous because these packs also have adult packs...grownups, adults, parents that all support this marriage and they are very dangerous folks to deal with apparently. Some of them give you the distinct impression that they are sort of the mafioso of shape shifting. Anywho, Shay brings up info to Calla that proves that perhaps her pack are not good people (animals) and perhaps she lives a lie and all hell breaks loose on Halloween night (the night of the wedding)...and this is where we leave off and supposedly wait breathless for the next book to come out (NOT ME!!!!).
I am going to be a bit hard on poor Andrea as a writer because I know she has freedom of speech...but so don't I. This book and definitely geared toward young teenagers and some of the things it entails...lots of lust...although no sex...but there is sex implied...Calla wants it badly from two different men...constantly. Women are supposed to do what the packleader says no matter what...for instance Calla's mother is actually sort of hit on by the head mafioso guy even though she is, of course, married to Calla's Dad. Calla tells her mother to not allow it and before we know it, Calla hits the floor because her mother has punched her...yes folks, punched her closed fisted and told her that the women give certain people whatever they want. REALLY, Andrea???? Aren't we teaching our young tweens the wrong message here?
Another issue I had was that the teens are all around the age of 16 and 17 and some a little younger and they are attending dance clubs and partying at bars where underage drinking is okay with all of their parents. Yes, it specifically says that in the book...that these packs of wolves can drink whatever they want and do whatever they want despite the fact that they are underage. YUCK! Oh yes and Calla makes her first kill...as that is her job...and it doesn't bother her in the least...
What else? Oh yes...all the humans are lower life forms and are not spoken of and turn their heads and run away...so it's not like Harry Potter when we, as muggles, are happily unaware. No, there are select kids that go to the same school with these packs and even the teachers let these kids do whatever they want. There are no consequences for these kids. They run everything...and I don't like to be considered a lowlife in any book that I read. I don't mind being a muggle...because there are those that like the muggles and that try to save and protect the muggles...but not these shifters. We aren't worth the dirt on the bottom of their paws...hmmmmmm...THAT is a thought in itself isn't it?
So no, I will not find out what happens unless I ask my friend's daughter what the outcome is...but I will not waste any more time reading this series. I had to force my way through this one and kept hoping it would get better somehow!!
I give this book one star and I feel I'm being generous. I give it that star for the pretty purple on the cover of the book and also for the character descriptions. Sorry...Nightshade is usually my type of story but this one is definitely in the toilet of the supernatural life for me.
To each their own.
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