Nightshade
by Andrea Cremer

Summary

When Calla saved the human boy in the woods, she knew she was breaking the rules, but she had no idea her whole life was about to be turned upside down. But when Shay shows up at her school the next day, trouble seems imminent.  As an Alpha Guardian, Calla’s destiny has been set for as long as she can remember and her attraction to this new boy will not be acceptable as far as her pack, her future mate and the Keepers are concerned. But when questions start to arise about everything she believes in, Calla isn’t so sure this destiny is really for her.

Review

Though many are calling Nightshade a werewolf story, I felt Calla and the Guardians fell more into the Shapeshifter category than werewolves. Either way, I found this new take on the human/wolf mythology to be refreshing and very well done!

Because Nightshade follows a different set of rules than most werewolf stories, it starts out somewhat confusing as the reader is faced with many questions as to who the Guardians, Keepers and Seekers actually are. Thankfully, this information is eventually revealed to the reader as it is discovered by Shay who is also new to this world. Once the mythology has been established, the story unfolds with plenty of action, romance and intrigue. Calla is a strong and likeable heroine, who despite having always known her destiny, struggles with her place in life.

While I very much enjoyed Nightshade, I did have issues with some very small continuity flubs towards the end of the book (I’m like the Continuity Police!), but the one real detracting factor was a major plot point in which the characters were oblivious, and I wanted to scream at them so they’d see what was going on. In counter balance, there were also some other total surprises that I didn’t see coming at all, which made up for the aforementioned issue.

Verdict

I really liked this fresh take on the werewolf genre, and look forward to the sequel Wolfsbane which comes out in July.

I also have to comment on the absolutely beautiful cover – I just love it! And if I ever end up with a daughter, Calla is now at the top of my name list!

*I received this book for review from the publisher.

Here’s the final list for 2010. I did not manage to make my goal of 75 books in 2010. It took me 4 years to reach my last goal (50 books read in one year), so I think I’m OK with not making my new goal this year. It clearly means I didn’t set the bar too low, and I still have something to work towards this year.

Stay tuned later in the week for some favorites from 2010, as well as a quick look at how I did on my challenges.

Books are listed in the order they were read, and an *e at the end of the title indicates that it was an e-book.  I’ve also indicated which challenge (if any) the book applies to. Links are to reviews and discussions here on WAGB.

If there are any books on this list that you’d like me to review or that you’d like to discuss, please drop me a note in the comments. We’re always happy to hear your thoughts and suggestions!

December

69. City of Bones (Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare (Dec 31)

68.  Nightshade (Nightshade #1) by Andrea Cremer (Dec 26)

67.  The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere (Dec 17)

66. The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson #5) by Rick Riordan (Dec 14)

65. Mockingjay (Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins (Dec 4)

November

64. Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern (Nov. 30)

63. Witch & Wizard (Witch & Wizard #1) by James Patterson (Nov. 29)

62. Fire (7 Kingdoms #2) by Kristin Cashore (Nov. 18) *e

61. EON by Alison Goodman (Nov. 10)

Click to read the rest of the list

It’s a new year, and our first Book Club selection of 2011 is The Duff by Kody Keplinger.  This one was selected by YOU in our “Can’t Put it Down” poll and it’s getting rave reviews! I’m really looking forward to discussing this one with my fellow book lovers.

Here’s a bit about the book from Amazon:

Duff stands for “designated ugly fat friend.” And while 17-year-old Bianca isn’t that fat or ugly, that’s what Wesley calls her as he tries to hook up with her more desirable gal pals. But Bianca has a surprise for him when she kisses him in response. Then, as her life gets more complicated, she finds it easy to drown her own sorrows in their hot, no-strings-attached sex. There are always strings however, especially as Bianca and Wesley find they are not quite what the other expected.

After all the praise for The Duff, I look forward to an exciting discussion on this somewhat controversial topic! Check back during the last week of January for our discussion post.