Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Book: Nightshade

Author: Andrea Cremer

Release date: October 19th, 2010

Pages: 464 (hardcover)

Source: Publisher

My Summary:

When Calla Tor finds a stranger named Shay dying in the woods, she makes a crucial split-second decision that could cost her everything - she saves him, despite the fact that by doing so she breaks every important law that she has to obey, including letting him know of the Guardian's existence. But it isn't until Shay shows up at school that life gets a little more complicated. 

Being the alpha female of her pack of guardian wolves, Calla's been promised to marry Ren - the alpha of his pack. The Nightshade's and the Bane's, two packs forming as one once Calla and Ren tie the knot. As Guardian's, it will be their job to protect the Keeper's at all costs. 

But the closer Shay and Ren both get to Calla, the more conflicted she grows. Together, Calla and Ren make the perfect match for the pack. But with Shay, she's discovering more secrets about him, the Keeper's, the Guardian's past, and Calla begins to question everything she's ever known. 

In a story filled with loyalty, betrayal, secrets and love, anything goes. 

Review: All I can say is this: "I want MORE!"

Narrated in first person by Calla, I knew right from the first page I was going to enjoy her character. She's fierce, protective, but still a bit vulnerable and easy to relate with. Her pack was full of intriguing characters like her sweet little bro Ansel, a trustworthy friend in Bryn and plenty of other great secondary characters. Ren and Shay were the big surprises to me, because at first I thought it was obvious who was the better person and the better match for Calla, but by the time I reached halfway through the novel I was genuinely unsure of who the better one was (because they both are pretty great guys).

The werewolf lore is a bit different than normal, and intriguing. Scenes were Calla was a wolf were some of my favorites and the description was just right (not overbearing, but not lacking). Nightshade is packed with romance, jaw-dropping action, mystery and I couldn't get through the novel quick enough. 

In all, I'd say this is a stellar debut by Cremer, and I definitely wish that the second book was in my hands right now. 

Highlights: Calla's strength is definitely one of the best parts. She's totally as awesome as Buffy (The Vampire Slayer). The characters are very unique from one another. But the best thing I can say is the writing is addictive and it's very easy to visualize everything. I read this book on a 5-hour flight with an annoying person kicking my chair the entire time, and Nightshade distracted me and kept me from completely losing my sanity. 

Plus, I really hope they keep the chapter designs in the ARC the same as in the finished copy, because it really is pretty unique. 

Lowlights: The end got a bit predictable. I saw it coming from early on, but it didn't bother me too much. I was having too much fun reading to even care. 

Rating:   

The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

Book: The Unwritten Rule

Author: Elizabeth Scott

Age: Young Adult (YA)

Release date: March 16th, 2010

Pages: 244

Source: Borrowed

Summary: 

Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don't like your best friend's boyfriend.

Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He's easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he's paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna's boyfriend, and Bianna is Sarah's best friend.

Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she's thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It's wonderful...and awful.

Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can't stop herself from wanting more...

Review: This book was my first attempt at reading an Elizabeth Scott novel, and it was almost my last.

The characters in this story are kind of blah, boring. The writing is great, it's easy to see that her writing is wonderful and engaging, but I couldn't connect with or even like the characters. Ryan? I didn't like the guy. I thought he was too weak to do the right thing, and a complete moron to top it off. Sarah is quiet, loyal and soft spoken...which is why I'm surprised I was having a hard time connecting with her. Briana is a lot like a girl I knew in high school, so I cannot deny that she was definitely a realistic character. It seemed like Scott attempted to make us sympathize with her by giving us reasons for why she is the way she is, but I could hardly care less. 

The story, however, was slow. Sarah spends the whole novel going "Oh, I feel so bad" or "I really like Ryan" or "I wonder when Ryan is going to tell Brianna that they're over and he likes me instead" (I'm paraphrasing, since I'm too lazy to double check). It took too long. The only thing that kept me reading was the insistance that Scott was a fabulous writer, but the plot/characters dragged the story down.

Highlights: While I wasn't fond of the characters, some of them are realistic. I could easily go to any place in my city and find a Brianna. Plus, Scott's writing is wonderful. Even when I didn't want to continue, I couldn't stop. Her writing is just my style, and it's weird that I even liked it when I disliked the novel. 

Lowlights: Plot. Slowness. Annoying characters who can't seem to be honest or discuss anything. Boring. In the end, I felt like I wasted my time with reading The Unwritten Rule. My biggest complaint is just that the idea wasn't strong enough to carry the entire story, and the characters were completely frustrating. 

Rating:   

Lea