REVIEW: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Description

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?

About the Author

Andrea Cremer is a professor of history at Macalester College and lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Philomel (October 19, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039925482X
• ISBN-13: 978-0399254826

SOURCE:  PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS:
LOVED IT, ADORED IT, WANT MORE OF IT

slight spoiler alert!  Please only read the first paragraph if you don't want any hints about the storyline.

This book lives up to all the hype.  I finished it in just two evenings and considering it is well over 500 pages, it was a very fast and easy read.  There were no slow parts at all and it reminded me a lot of the later Harry Potter novels.  I felt the same drive to continue reading this one well into the night. 

Calla, at seventeen, is the alpha wolf of the Nightshade pack and set to marry rival pack leader, Ren, on their eighteenth birthdays.  Shay is the new boy at school and Calla is asked to protect him from harm after rescuing him from a bear attack.   Although Calla is resigned to her fate of  mating with Ren, she doesn't have the same feelings that she discovers she has for Shay.  And there you have the classic love triangle, except that Ren and Calla are only going through the motions.

I found Ren annoying until the very end when he redeemed himself quite nicely by unselfishly rescuing Calla and setting her free to follow her heart.  I have a feeling that Ren will continue to play an important part in Calla's life, but their relationship was more like siblings than lovers.  Calla develops into a wonderfully strong character and again there is more to her than her physical strength and beauty.  Shay is the key to the whole series and it will be interesting to see how this nerdy boy progresses. 

Overall, this book is suitable for anyone over twelve. There are mentions of alcohol, implied sex, but nothing worse than kissing actually takes place.  I didn't get the cover at first, but once I read the book, it all made sense. 


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