Review: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Title: Nightshade
Author: Andrea Cremer
Release Date: October 19th 2010
Source: Won from contest/For review
Synopsis 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.

With all of the hype around this book I thought that I might be disappointed. I thought, how much different can another werewolf book be? I thought that I was burned out on paranormal. I was so wrong. I loved this book. It's the most original werewolf book that I have ever read, and it's compulsively readable. I started it at night, went to bed about halfway through, woke up thinking about it. I had to stop about 100 pages from the end to go to a birthday party and that just about killed me. Go read this book!


Calla is a strong character. She is the alpha of her pack, the Nightshades. Her destiny is to mate the alpha of the other pack and create a new pack. She knows this. But when she sees a human boy dying she can't help but save him. Then he shows up at her school the next day and things go way wrong from there. Calla's sense of duty was warring against the rest of her the entire book. She knows what she's supposed to do, what she has to do, but does she want to?


The love triangle in this book was fantastic! I really was never sure who she liked more, who she was going to pick. I still don't. It's actually very frustrating. Both boys are so different, but they both care for Calla. And she cares for both of them. I'm team Shay! But Ren does have his merits...


The supporting characters in the book were great too. The pack members were all so dynamic and individual. I got confused near the beginning because there were so many, but by the end there wasn't a problem. I loved the whole mystery of the Keepers true intentions, and how Calla never knew what to believe.


Basically: I ADORED this book. It's one of my favorites so far this year, and if you enjoy paranormal even a little bit, you'll love this book. Heck, even if you don't like paranormal you'll probably love this book!


Characters: 10/10
Writing: 10/10
Originality: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall: 49/50 A+
Cover/Title Comment: I want to marry this cover. It's so amazing. I love the lilies with the blood on them, and the purple color, and the girls makeup, and everything! The title is great too!