Young and old readers can sink their teeth into this one.
In first-time author Greene’s paranormal young-adult thriller, Ethan survives a beast’s attack only to realize that he’s slowly turning into a werewolf.
High school can be tough, but it’s even harder for young Ethan. He’s bitten by a wolf that also somewhat resembles a human; oddly enough, his wound has already begun to heal before the ambulance even arrives. The ensuing days are peculiar: His eyesight sharpens, his hearing is impeccable and he resorts to shades and colored contact lenses to hide the fact that his eyes now glow in the dark. Ethan also fears that he’s responsible for a string of recent murders, since the victims all seem to have been mauled by a wolf. When he suspects that he’s being followed, Ethan does what he can to protect his family, his friend Anthony, and his new girlfriend, Marie. Greene’s novel moves at a rapid pace that manages to retain tension. The relentless suspense continues to build, with Ethan repeatedly glimpsing a pair of seemingly omniscient, unmistakably fiendish black eyes. There’s mystery and intrigue, too, as when Ethan wakes up covered in blood with no memory of the previous night. The only element of the story adversely affected by the book’s brisk flow is the relationship between Ethan and Marie, who fall in love a little too quickly. However, the fact that the characters are teenagers is effectively integrated into the lycanthropic storyline; there’s an amusing comparison between the late stages of puberty and Ethan’s developing werewolf side. In an exploration of drug use, Ethan and Anthony concoct a “potion” from monkshood to subvert Ethan’s transformation; it’s undoubtedly the wrong choice for Ethan. Clear anti-alcohol, anti-bullying messages are present, too. The novel occasionally treads on familiar terrain—the names of Ethan and his rival, Jared, are reminiscent of Twilight’s Edward and Jacob—but the characters and plot have a life all their own.
Young and old readers can sink their teeth into this one.Pub Date: March 13, 2012
ISBN: 978-1469778174
Page Count: 240
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: July 2, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Haphazard and undemanding.
A sports agent’s first official client is the man she dumped years ago in college.
After two years of hard work as an underling, Nora Mackenzie is finally being promoted to full-time sports agent. She’s worked hard, kept quiet, and allowed men in the office to call her Mac—a nickname she hates—all to show she’s a team player and “one of the guys.” Unfortunately, her boss instructs her to sign Derek Pender, a football player coming off an injury, who happens to be the man she heartlessly dumped in their senior year of college. Derek signs with her for revenge, seeing it as his opportunity to pay Nora back for callously breaking his heart eight years earlier. He insists she be at his beck and call: answering his emails, running his errands, cooking dinner for his dates. He also refuses to let her explain why she broke up with him without warning or explanation. Nora feels she has no choice but to acquiesce to Derek’s humiliating demands, since she’s worked too hard to let him ruin her dream job. She hopes he’ll thaw and they might become friends, but Derek’s bad behavior is designed to hide the fact that he’s still in love with her. Nora’s characterization is uneven, veering between anger at how she’s treated in the male-dominated field to immature bickering and bantering with Derek. Although Adams likely meant for Derek and Nora’s interactions to have an enemies-to-lovers vibe, the characters instead seem juvenile and stuck in the past. The novel is fueled by a string of tropes—second chance romance! married in Vegas! only one bed!—each randomly deployed to keep the book going despite thin characterization and wan plotting.
Haphazard and undemanding.Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9780593723678
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dell
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother.
Lily Bloom is still running a flower shop; her abusive ex-husband, Ryle Kincaid, is still a surgeon. But now they’re co-parenting a daughter, Emerson, who's almost a year old. Lily won’t send Emerson to her father’s house overnight until she’s old enough to talk—“So she can tell me if something happens”—but she doesn’t want to fight for full custody lest it become an expensive legal drama or, worse, a physical fight. When Lily runs into Atlas Corrigan, a childhood friend who also came from an abusive family, she hopes their friendship can blossom into love. (For new readers, their history unfolds in heartfelt diary entries that Lily addresses to Finding Nemo star Ellen DeGeneres as she considers how Atlas was a calming presence during her turbulent childhood.) Atlas, who is single and running a restaurant, feels the same way. But even though she’s divorced, Lily isn’t exactly free. Behind Ryle’s veneer of civility are his jealousy and resentment. Lily has to plan her dates carefully to avoid a confrontation. Meanwhile, Atlas’ mother returns with shocking news. In between, Lily and Atlas steal away for romantic moments that are even sweeter for their authenticity as Lily struggles with child care, breastfeeding, and running a business while trying to find time for herself.
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-668-00122-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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