Review: Nightshade

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

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?

I've read three books since this one, so my review might not be the best thing ever. But I'm going to try, darn it, because I never give up during a fight. Or a review.

Andrea Cremer's Nightshade series might just be the most different YA series I've read in a while: it's not the most cliched thing to walk the planet since Twilight's release and it's not the most original thing. Overall, it's just average. Both covers are strikingly gorgeous, especially the one before the wretched redesign, and the design scheme of the book is glorious. Each chapter title page has a moon phase, and if you flip through the book, it's almost like a slideshow you might watch at the planetarium. Except, you know, without the monotonous narrator who sounds old enough to keel over from heart problems.

"Different" is really the only word I can think of to describe Nightshade. I can't think of another series I can compare it to, so in that aspect, Cremer did things well. I'm a bit confused by some of the mythology; either she didn't explain it that well or I wasn't paying attention that well. At first, I gave this book five stars, but thinking it over, I lowered it to four.

The book is written beautifully, but there isn't a lot that happens. The reason I think Nightshade is so different from a lot of other YA is that there is a lot of conversation between many people in the book, not just "OMG I'm so tired and I want to go to bed and I can't wait to see my boyfriend who's the only person I ever talk to" or "'Hi' 'Hi' 'What's up' 'Not much'" kind of stuff. Usually books like this one annoy me, but not this time.

Since I have two more reviews to write today, I'm going to sign out now.

From Reno, Nevada, I'm Hayden Casey, saying good night.

Four Owls