Shadow of the Moon by Rachel Hawthorne

Genre: YA Fiction

Publication Date: March 2010

One Word Review: Entertaining

Author Website: www.rachelhawthorne.net

First Line: “Fear sliced through me, jolting me awake.”

GoodReads Synopsis: Hayden was born a werewolf, a Dark Guardian. But her ability to sense the feelings of fellow werewolves has made her life unbearable. She runs away, only to be tracked by charming, mysterious Daniel, a newcomer to the pack and the one Shifter immune to her powers. As she reluctantly follows him home, Hayden finds herself falling dangerously in love. But even as her feelings for Daniel deepen, Hayden begins to wonder if he is who he claims to be. Where did he come from and why has no one ever seen him transform? When they stumble upon the body of a Shifter still in wolf form, her worries grow. Someone is killing her kind. Is her handsome tracker really a hunter? And is Hayden now his prey?

Kathy’s Review: This is the fourth book in the Dark Guardian series, and for me totally different than the first three. While it takes place in the same setting, the main characters, Hayden and Daniel, are different from our previous friends. Normally I don’t really believe in the whole “love-at-first-sight” thing, but Hawthorne makes it very believable. I really felt the chemistry between Hayden and Daniel and enjoyed watching their relationship develop. The plot idea was just okay for me though, I think if the “villain” had been mentioned in the previous books I would have found it a little more believable, but as it was it seemed a little contrived and just thrown in there so another story could be told. Not that I’m complaining, because I love Wolford and all the characters throughout the series. Anyway, this was a fun read and would recommend it to anyone looking for a romantic, light-hearted adventure.

I’m thinking Hawthorne end the book with hints for another book in the series, possibly following Seth, I’ll be keeping my eyes open!

Bookworm Rating: 3.8

Reading Order:
Book One: Moonlight
Book Two: Full Moon
Book Three: Dark of the Moon
Book Four: Shadow of the Moon

If You Could Shift Into Any Form, What Would You Choose?

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publication Date: March 2010

One Word Review: Quick-n-fun

Author Website: www.writingreadingrachel.blogspot.com

First Line: “Felicia Miller was crying in the bathroom.”

Synopsis: When Sophie Mercer turned thirteen, she discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-Gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hecate Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward prodigium, a.k.a. witches, fae, and shapeshifters. By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard. Three powerful enemies who look like supermodels; a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock; a creepy, tag-along ghost; and a new roommate, who happens to be the most-hated person and only vampire on campus. -GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: Hmm, so I ended up not liking this one as much as I hoped. It still ended with enough cliffhangers that I’m definitely curious to pick up the second book. For some reason though, it didn’t grab me and maybe that’s because it reminded me so much of The Summoning, Vampire Academy and of course Harry Potter. While it has a lot of similarities to these books, it does stand on its own. There were a few twists here and there and I did like Sophie’s character. The writing was well done, although there were a few cliffhanger chapter endings and when the next chapter would start it would pick up somewhere else, so that was sometimes a letdown. There were a couple storylines that I didn’t care for, but overall it was an enjoyable read and I did appreciate all the magic (sometimes “magic” books are a little light on the magic) and I think if you’re into magic/fantasy stories then you’ll probably enjoy the book.

Bookworm Rating: 3.4

Reading Order:
Book One: Hex Hall
Book Two: (March 2011)
Book Three: