Review: Nightshade

Author: Andrea Cremer
Publication Date: October 19, 2010
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Copy provided by: Publisher
Summary (via Goodreads):

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?

Why I read this: This book has been sitting on my shelf since the beginning of the school year, maybe even longer. When I passed by the audiobook at the library a while back, I figured it was time to buckle down and read it, and what better way than an audiobook?

Plot: Calla has always followed the rules. She knows why they are in place, but when she starts to have feelings for an outsider, everything changes. This book is full of twists I didn't see coming, a pair of male leads that both care for Calla, and a history that will have the reader asking all sorts of questions (in a good way). I definitely made excuses to read this book. It was a gripping story and one I can't wait to read on about.

Characters: I really like Calla, she's a girl who hasn't yet grown into her skin completely. She's strong but without sexual confidence (which is a pleasant change) and is unsure about love and how much of herself she wants to abandon to it. I really fell in love with her character and was relieved to see a strong female character who isn't completely obsessed with the boy she's in love with. It's more complicated than that. I love that her betrothed Ren isn't a completely bad guy. You can't just hate him, because he does care for her and he would probably prove to be a fantastic partner for her. I'll be looking forward to the next in this series for sure.

Audio: Definitely an audiobook I would suggest to others. The narrator seemed spot on with our main character and it was really well done. Like I said, I made a lot of excuses to listen to this book.. involving cleaning more and driving around at random.

Relatability: For fans of YA paranormal romance that want a deeper plot than just the romance.

Cover Commentary: Love it. So very pretty. :)

Rating: 5/5 Roses

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