Review: "Nightshade"

Nightshade (Nightshade, #1)

by Andrea Cremer

October 19th 2010

464 pages

From Goodreads: While other teenage girls daydream about boys, Calla Tor imagines ripping out her enemies’ throats. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. Calla was born a warrior and on her eighteenth-birthday she’ll become the alpha female of the next generation of Guardian wolves. But Calla’s predestined path veers off course the moment she saves the life of a wayward hiker, a boy her own age. This human boy’s secret will turn the young pack's world upside down and forever alter the outcome of the centuries-old Witches' War that surrounds them all.

My Thoughts: LOVE LOVE LOVE! I honestly think that this series has great potential to be the next big thing in YA fiction! I can't wait to see where the rest of the series takes us!

"Nightshade" starts off on a high note, and kept me entranced until the very end! Calla is one of my new favorite protagonists. It's refreshing to have such a strong female character, who is brave enough to fight battles, sensitive enough to be in love, and clever enough to make important decisions for herself, even though it could put her life in danger. The love triangle between Calla, Ren, and Shay had me just as torn as Calla. I honestly could not decide who she should end up with! Although, I preferred her relationship with Shay, since her relationship with Ren had been arranged since birth. I just wanted her to have the choice, but I honestly don't think Ren would have been a bad choice, it was just the life that came with that choice that left a bad taste in my mouth.

The book is full of mystery. What is Shay's secret? What is the real history between the Keepers and the Guardians? Why are the Searchers after Shay? I had so many questions throughout the book and a lot of them were answered by the end, but the book ended with a huge cliffhanger that kept me wanting to know more! The only horrible thing about reading an advance copy of this book is that I now have to wait more than a year for the sequel.