Nightshade

Cremer, Andrea. Nightshade. Philomel Books: 2010. ISBN: 9780399254826.

Summary:
The Mountain School in Vail, Colorado has three types of students: humans, Guardians and Keepers. The humans are mostly unaware of the paranormal aspects surrounding the other students. Almost, because the humans are afraid of them and keep their distance without knowing exactly why. Calla is the young alpha in the Nightshade pack. As a Guardian, her job is to guard and protect the Keepers. Ren is the alpha in the Bane pack and is Calla's future husband. The union of Calla and Ren will mark the beginning of a new pack with a special mission. The lives of the Guardians and Keepers are based on specific, complex rules that have been in existence for centuries. A few months before Ren and Calla'a union a new student arrives at Mountain School, Seamus Doran, Shay for short. Calla and Shay have met before, under unique circumstances that could get them killed. Life is about to change for many of the Mountain School students.

Evaluation:
Another paranormal romance with two very different boys fighting over the same girl. Luckily, Calla is a much stronger protagonist than Bella from Twilight. Calla can take care of herself and protect her pack. Written in first person, the reader is privy to Calla's thoughts and insecurities. This convention makes her a stronger character because we see what she must overcome to get through a situation. The story was hard to follow in the beginning, the author just drops the reader into Calla and Shay's world without a lot of explanation. Compared to other books I have read in this genre, Nightshade is bloodier and discusses weightier topics like, sexual abuse and homosexuality. Fans will be excited for the next book in the series, Wolfsbane due out in July.

Reader's Annotation:
One choice can change your world, are you brave enough to make it?

Bibliotherapeutic Uses:
Nightshades' Calla is a strong female protagonist who follows her inner guide. This is a great example for teen girls. Calla must deal with being treated differently because of her gender, something many women have experienced. Calla is also juggling many important issues at once. She makes mistakes, but continues to do what she feels is the right thing.

Genre:
Paranormal/Romance

Why I Included This Book:
When I started this book I was so done with the paranormal genre. The first third of the book was like going to the dentist. Finally, the book grabbed me and I became interested and didn't want to put it down. I am looking forward to Wolfsbane this summer.