Author: Sara C. Roethle
Publisher: Vulture’s Eye Publications
Publication Date: October 2009
Genre: Fantasy / Teen / Young Adult
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: Xoe Meyers had a normal life. So she was stuck going to high school, and she only had a few friends to call her own. She liked her normal life. Things were about to change though, because there's a new guy in her small town, and he is anything but normal.
Before Xoe can say, "Werewolf," her best friend's life is in peril, and Xoe's world is turned upside-down. Then, of course, there's Jason. Xoe doesn't trust him as far as she can throw him, and given that he's a vampire, she'd have to be able to catch him first.
My Thoughts: New to me author Sara Roethle offers up a passable story about a high school student who learns that supernatural beings exist in the most abrupt and shocking of ways. Xoe Meyers is a typical teenager, though her life is about to become the most untypical of lives trying to deal with the knowledge that werewolves, vampires and demons exist among us and the danger this knowledge puts her and her friends in.
I thought this was an interesting take on werewolf and vampire fiction. Xoe is a likable character though she comes across as anti-social. Her friends Lucy and Allison are polar opposites of Xoe and I marveled at their compatibility, but it worked well. Xoe’s trust issues are clearly evident from the start and learning that her father abandoned her and her mother when she was a baby sheds a lot of light on Xoe’s personality. Unlike Xoe, I liked Jason from the start and was glad that he is an ally.
I had some issues with the Dan character. He could have been fleshed out more to give the reader more clarity and understanding about his intentions and motives. He comes across as very mysterious and intriguing in the beginning and when we begin to see him for who he really is, it felt like there was a large hole that needed filling but was left empty, leaving this reader flat with unresolved feelings.
I also had some issues with Xoe’s friend, Brian. I found him to be very likable and I wish he were brought into the circle and told what was going on. This is the first story in a series of eight (so far) books, so having cliff-hangers and conflicts with no closure are to be expected. Brian and Xoe’s friendship presents one such conflict offering no closure that I hope will be addressed in the series.
My Final Verdict: Overall, this is a good start to what appears to be an interesting series. It is important for the reader to have patience as there is a lot to learn yet about all of the characters. For me, there were a lot of unanswered questions about what transpired in this story so I will continue the series.
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