Self-Isolation Read - Nightshade

• Title And Author: Nightshade by Anthony Horowitz
• Publisher: Walker Books
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Physical
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
• Length: 448 Pages

One of the the weird things about self-isolation over the Easter Weekend (yes, I know this is going to go live on the Pewter Wolf a few weeks after I read it and write up this review) is that the amount of free time I have to read. Am trying to keep a daily routine but, with a normal working-day, I can only grab snatches of reading here and there but I rely on audiobooks and podcasts the most. But what I mean is that reading a book of this size would normally take me several weeks and yet, the past few weeks, I have been reading books of this size at a pace and I’m not sure how my reading is going to cope when I go back to work…

But we’re not here to talk about work, we are here to talk about Nightshade, the twelfth Alex Rider novel. I have read Alex on and off since my college days (starting with Eagle Strike) and, earlier this year, I audiobooked/reread Ark Angel, a bit of a “jump the shark” in the series and, after that, I went “I’m going to read Nightshade. I mean, what is the mysterious Nightshade that was referenced at the end of Never Say Die?”. So, I preordered it and, unlike the other preorders I made while in self-isolation which I start then DNF/put on hold, I powered through this at quick a speed. 

After the events of Never Say Die, the criminal organisation Scorpia is truly dead and all 15 year old Alex Rider wants to do is go back to school, study for his GCSEs and not be a spy anymore for MI6. But MI6 have other ideas. According to intel they have recently discovered, a new and far more dangerous criminal organisation has come on their radar: Nightshade. 

And they seem to be using children. MI6 want Alex to go to a high security prison in Gibraltar to befriend a boy who, without hesitation, killed an MI6 agent, several policemen and will happily kill without question. As Alex tries to get involved with this boy’s involvement with Nightshade, he finds out an attack will hit London and must, somehow, stop it. But this time, he’s on his own…

Another Nightshade Book Alert!

I haven't even read Rift by Andrea Cremer yet and she goes and reveals that she's written a FOURTH book in the Nightshade series. That's right. A FOURTH! So, she's written a prequel series, this series and is going to write an erotica adult series. And then, just when we thought we were safe, she throws us this curveball (but I shouldn't be surprised. She hinted at this a while ago. I even blogged about it)! 

Anyway, the fourth book will be called Snakeroot and Andrea has revealed the following on Bookish: "Snakeroot focuses on Adne's struggles to adjust to the post-Witches War world of the Searchers. She's plagued by disturbing dreams and visions, all of which draw her to the gardens of Rowan Estate. The cover image perfectly depicts the way in which Adne has become entangled by her own turbulent emotions and an encroaching dark magic."

The cover she is talking about is the US cover, which was revealed at the same time of the news. And here it is for you US peeps out there! 

I'm gonna be honest here: this isn't how I imagined Adne. But then, I don't exactly like the US covers to this series. I much prefer the UK covers (And before you ask, I have just tweeted Atom and, hopefully, shall get a reply soon). 

So, my Nightshade fans! Reactions? Are you exited to go back into the world of Adne and see the aftermath of the Witches War? 

GoodRead - Aftermath

As you guys probably know if you've read this blog for a while, I love Andrea Cremer. I can't help it. Nightshade was the first real ARC I was given and it was a delicious read, as was Wolfsbane and Bloodrose. The first eNovella, Treachery, was ok, but I wanted more. So, when I discovered that Andrea had released another eNovella that set after Bloodrose, Aftermath, I knew I would have to read it. I didn't realise that it was released in the UK till a few weeks ago.

So, Aftermath. I don't want to say too much in case I spoil it, so if you haven't read Bloodrose, this has SPOILERS!!! But let me be a vague as I can. This does take place after the events of Bloodrose and looks at the aftermath and how it effects the characters who survived. Well, one character in particular...

Now, if you are like me and love Andrea's writing and want more, then you will read this. There's no two ways about it. But if you read the series and thought the series ended at the end of Bloodrose, then you might want to avoid this. I say this as there's a feeling to this that there's more behind this...

Now, the rest I say this is because of a line a character says that made me go "Oh, clever! Andrea is hinting towards her new prequel series..." but after chatting with Jeremy West (one of the cool peeps behind This Week In YA), made me go "Maybe I'm reading too much into it as my copy of Rift is staring angrily at me". Until Andrea tweeted me going "is hinting towards something new and secret", which, of course, got me excited.

Although, I have a tiny fear that Andrea Cremer is going down the "Cassandra Clare and James Patterson" route of sticking with a series and milking the cash cow dry. But I think Andrea is smarter than that as she doing different things to her fictional world (prequel set at the start of the war, then an adult erotica trilogy & this secret project) so I have faith that she will end the Nightshade world and write new things in the near future...

Of course, I loved the story. I wished it was longer or it was cheaper (it's £1.49) but if you're a fan of Andrea Cremer, this will tie you over till you get your hands of Rift (or till you can actually find time to read it, which is me at the moment of writing this post!)

Andrea Cremer News

As you guys are probably aware, I love Andrea Cremer's Nightshade trilogy. I love it and I want the prequel, Rift, like yesterday (but it's not out for another week. Excuse me while I sulk in the corner over there...)

But, news has reached me that Andrea Cremer will be writing another trilogy set in the world of Nightshade for adults. HORRAY! But wait... hold on to your horses, I have a sentence that might throw you all in gasps of horror. The trilogy will be adult erotica.

Now, I know I've lost half of you by using that one word and, like you, I see that word and want to run. Run and hide under my bed. But as this is Andrea Cremer, I'm not really running away. I'm actually intrigued over where Andrea could go with this. As it's going to be for an adult target audience, she has more freedom to write sexier and more violent scenes (if you've read Nightshade, you understand how violent it gets...)

We have two books to come before we have the new trilogy thrust upon us (Rift [out next week in the UK] and its sequel, Rise [sometime next year. Summer at the latest]) and I am intrigued over what Andrea writes, I do hold some worry that this might mess up my love for the series.

But, until I actually read the book (oh yes, I'm going to read this), which is coming out in the US around October 2013 (no news if this trilogy will/has been picked up by a UK publisher), I will hold judgement. All I know is old and mew characters will feature and there will be kick-ass leads. This makes me happy.

GoodRead - Bloodrose

Calla has always welcomed war. But now, the stakes are higher than anything she has ever faced, and even she is unready for this fight. And the situation keeps gets more complex. How will Shay, the forbidden love she fleed her former masters (the Keepers) for, react when she rescues Ren, her former flame and the man she was meant to be alpha with? How can she save her brother when he is so broken from the Keepers ripped out his wolf and destoryed it, and killing their mother? Will Shay and her new allies, the Searchers, get all four swords to create the Elemental Cross that will put this war to an end? And, when the final battle comes, who will survive? And who will Calla choose to be her mate… that is, if she herself survives, and she's not even sure of that fact any more…

The price for love has never been higher.

As you guys should know (or be a little aware), I ADORE Andrea Cremer since I got my hands on that shiny ARC of Nightshade (from my first EVER blogging event at Atom Books HQ! So, if you have a copy, you understand…). And since then, have read and devoured her books at a stupid speed. Whenever Atom have sent me a copy of her books, I have always reacted in the same way: very very excited, and tweeting/emailing my thank yous.

So, from the above paragraph, you must suspect that I had high expections for Bloodrose. And I did, but I always trusted the author to know what she was doing. I did that with big books (like Harry Potter, Twilight, Hunger Games, etc). I want an certain ending (like most fans), but I also trust the author completely. I know that they will give me an ending that will leave both of us happy/heart-broken. If I don't get my ending, that's fine as I know the author gave an ending that they wanted/knew that the story needed.

So… the book. Did it live up to my expeditions? Did it, like Nightshade and Wolfsbane, suck me in and want me rooting for Calla?

One big word answer: yes. This book was non-stop action and you kept going at a stupidly fast pace. It was almost a breathless read. Now, I know some of you guys are going to find it too much an action read and wish there was moments where it stopped and took a breath, but with some people classing Wolfsbane as the "info-dump" book, it kinda balances out. And Andrea's writing is wonderful. I can't fault it.

And as for the ending - right, people are saying it's quite "surprising". Even the author said that it might surprise some readers. But, after reading it, it made sense to me why the ending that to be that. It might have felt a bit out of the blue, but Andrea laid down the clues through the book. You just have to look for them. But I sense that some readers might think it's too "neat", but it's fits with all the characters...

When I did finish the book, I was mixed on how I felt. I wasn't sure if I was going to be emotional because I was leaving a world and characters behind that I enjoyed and loved (and the last few chapters were emotional), or if I want to grab something sharp (a pencil or a basilik fang) and stab the book, cursing her to hell as I wasn't ready to leave this world (and we're not. The UK publisher, Atom, has confirmed that they are going to publish the prequels, Rift & Rise in the future).

So, yeah. I love this book. I love this trilogy. I love this author and I want her book children. And now, I'm off to mourn this trilogy and annoy Atom by asking/demand information on Rift. I want it now! I'm not 100% ready to leave this world behind. Not just yet…

Cover Reveal for NIGHTSHADE Prequel!

As you guys know, I love the Nightshade trilogy/Witches' War trilogy by Andrea Cremer (am reading Bloodrose now and will review later this month!). Now, Bloodrose has only just been published in the UK and the cover to the prequel, Rift has been revealed on the US site, Hollywood Crush.

And here it is:


Now, this is the US cover. I'm not sure if the UK publisher of this series, Atom, are publishing this (I will check and let you know!). But Andrea Cremer has revealed that Rift and its sequel, Rise will be set in the 16th century and will be a "complex, compelling tale of love and betrayal lay at the heart of the Witches' War".

Excited? I am!

GoodRead - Treachery

As you guys know, I love the Nightshade/Witches War series by Andrea Cremer. I simply love this series! I adore Nightshade, devoured Shadow Days and loved Wolfsbane (even though most people called this a "information dump" book). But I love this series. So, when I discovered (randomly) on Twitter that Andrea had released an ebook Novella about Calla's brother, Ansel, I got very excited.

Now, this novella takes place between the end of Nightshade and when Ansel appears in Wolfsbane. So if you're starting this series or don't want to know about what happens as I do touch on all the books, SPOILERS!

(If you're still here, it's means you want to know what happens. Ok. Here goes...)

Ansel has been held hostage. He and his fellow Nightshades are being tortured. His mother was violently murdered (which kinda destroyed his father). His wolf form as been taken away from him and destroyed in front of his eyes. All because his sister, his pack leader, Calla, ran away. Leaving him and his fellow pack mates to suffer for her crimes. He is losing everything he ever loved. And the only way out is to form an alliance with his tormentors, and repaying Calla in full for her treachery.

But can he really betray his own sister?

Now, this is a good read as I like reading about Ansel and it was interesting to get inside his head and understand what happened to him in those dark days. And it added an extra layer to the story as it revealed the cold ruthlessness that the Keepers went to after this defiance and, on some levels, the brainwashing effects that happened on one character (ok, Ren. He's been, in my eyes, brainwashed to think this is all Calla's fault).

But, this wasn't perfect. I wanted more. Maybe I overhyped this in my head but I expected more. When I heard about this story, I thought we were going to see what happened to Ansel. How he was tortured and see why he did what he did. But we can to Ansel at the very end. And Andrea has never been afraid to show us violence, so I wonder if she was showing us Ansel's fragile mind. How and what happened to him effected him. But we saw that in Wolfsbane, when he was close to self-harming and self-loathing himself.

But still, I expected more. It was nice that it took 100% of my kindle (I have fallen fowl with short stories and they lasted 50 or 60%. The rest is chapters from their upcoming novel [am looking at you, Karin Slaughter]) but it was, according to Amazon, only 34 pages long and it cost £1.49. For that money, I want MORE! I wanted more story, more information! In Shadow Days (which was free), we got more story and more background information whereas with Treachery, it felt like something was lacking...

But, I am going to admit, this has tide me over till Bloodrose comes out next month (as this is a story for fans of the series. If you're reading this before you read Nightshade, DON'T!) And I have heard that the ending to that is surprising. But Treachery... I liked it. But I wanted more, and I think that's why the story fails for me.

GoodRead - Wolfsbane

As some of you guys know, I LOVE Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. So, when the lovely peeps at Atom Books sent me the sequel, Wolfsbane, I was beyond giddy! I sat down and read it in a space of a week - that is rare for me. But I'm going off-track...

After the terrible events of Nightshade, Calla and Shay find themselves behind enemy lines - the Searchers - and she thinks their days are numbered. But when they make an offer to destroy her former masters - the Keepers - while saving her pack and another alpha - the boy who saved her life - Calla realises that she's in control of her destiny.

But is saving Ren and her pack worth the price of freedom? And what about Shay? Can true love survive?

I don't know what to say about Wolfsbane. I adore Nightshade and Shadow Days (the novella prequel that you can get via http://www.nightshadebook.com/) so of course I will fall in love with Wolfsbane. This might be seen by some people as slow-going, but if you think about it... the whole book takes over a space of two or three days and there is let-up from when we left Calla in Nightshade...

With Wolfsbane, we see more of Calla's world outside of Veil and we begin to see the sides of war and, also, the horror of being a casualty of war. Not just the physical effect but the mental. There was one character who, when I discovered what they went through, was shocked. And then, as events unfolded, I was shocked by this character's actions...

And with this, we have the light relief of new characters, who happen to be Searchers. And, yes, this is needed as we are about to go into war. Not only a war between Keepers and Searchers, but also for Calla's heart. But, as the author has said, what makes you think Calla will choose between Shay or Ren? She could easily choose neither...

Scared, Team Shay & Team Ren? Oooh, you should be...

Am trying really hard not to gush but, I can't. I love this series and I love Wolfsbane. And I can not WAIT for Bloodrose! I NEED Bloodrose to come out soon! If not, I will have to beg Atom for an ARC! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!!

Now, here are some videos about Andrea Cremer chatting about Wolfsbane & Bloodrose and my song choices. I hope you like!

Wolfsbane Teaser

As you guys know, I LOVE Nightshade by Andrea Cremer and am quite excited that the second book in the trilogy, Wolfsbane, in coming out in about two months time!

So, I saw this on Facebook and I knew I had to share. In this video, Andrea chats to her US publisher about Wolfsbane and reveals tiny titbits of what's going to happen next...



Anyone excited?

New UK Nightshade Covers

Atom Books UK has come out with new cover designs for Andrea Cremer's NIGHTSHADE and the sequel, WOLFBANE. Now, I really like the old covers and, when I saw the new US covers for these books, I had a strong dislike for them. They, to me, looked tacky. So, when I saw people's tweets, I became very fearful. But, we saw this instead...




These are very different to what I was expecting. These are quite arty. And I am THRILLED that the style and the swirls of the titles. So, I am very happy with these covers.

But what do you guys think of these new covers?

Andrea Cremer Cover Change

As you guys know that I loved Nightshade by Andrea Cremer, I feel I should report on this. Over the weekend, Andrea revealed the new US covers for Nightshade and Wolfbane. Now, for those of you who haven't seen them, am going to show you them now.

These are the new covers of Nightshade & Wolfbane:



Am going to be honest with you. I really don't like the new covers. I'm sorry, but I don't! The new cover of Nightshade, to me, looks like a tacky. Maybe it's me, but I prefer the old covers (see below). The cover change will be happening in the US, not sure whether the UK publishers, Atom, will change the covers. Will tweet them and find out...



But what do you guys prefer? New cover or old?

Nightshade Blog Tour - Andrea Cremer Interview

Hello everyone! Welcome to the Blog Tour of Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. MY FIRST! And I'm the 13th blog, according to Atom Books (have I told you guys I love the number 13?). And my blog post for this tour is about Andrea Cremer and her writing process, which I am still shocked and thrilled over having (even via email!). I hope you like the interview...

Andrea, thank you for answering some of my questions. First of all, I wanted to know where the idea of Nightshade came from?
Calla was the inspiration – my books are usually inspired by characters, and the plots are driven by the problems/hopes/dreams of those characters. With Nightshade I knew Calla was a strong, independent young woman and that she was a warrior. I also knew she was a wolf, which presented a major challenge for me because I’m generally not a fan of werewolves. I ended up creating a new wolf mythology involving witchcraft that better portrayed the ways I’ve always viewed wolves: as beautiful, intelligent and social rather than the diseased or cursed half-man/half-beasts of lycanthropy.

I love the mythology about the Guardians, the Keepers and the Searchers. Where did that all come from? And far back did you research their mythology?
Thank you! Creating the mythology was one of my favorite parts of writing the novel. It emerged as an offshoot of figuring out Calla as a character. I knew she was a wolf warrior, but I also knew she was in trouble. The mythology was my way of discovering what could be more powerful than a Guardian – and the answers was witches. I focused on witchcraft because my ‘day job’ is as a history professor. My research focuses on the early modern period (1500-1800), which is the era of the Inquistion and witch hunts. The research has gone way back because my fourth book, which is a companion to the Nightshade trilogy, is about the origin of the Witches War in the 1400s.
 
Most people who have read Nightshade talk about Calla and how kick-ass she is. Was that always your intention or did she evolve into that as you wrote her?
From the moment I met her, Calla made it clear she was independent, kick-ass and unapologetic about it. I loved that and I wouldn’t have her any other way.
 
I love reading about Calla's pack members and Ren's too. Were they as much fun to write as they were to read?
I love the packs so much I don’t know where to begin. They are like family to me!

I want to ask some questions about writing. When did you get the writing bug?
I’ve written as long as I can remember – since I was a child I’ve been a daydreamer, always thinking up stories. I didn’t think that writing was something you could do for a living though so I went to graduate school and became a history professor. Two summers ago, fate took matters in her own hands when my foot was broken in a horseback riding accident. I couldn’t walk for twelve weeks and since I was stuck on the couch I started writing a novel. Once I started writing I couldn’t stop and I knew I had to do everything I could to pursue writing full time.

Most people (myself included) want to know about how you got your literary agent and your publishing deal? Was it quite an easy journey or was it quite hard going?
I often think I was lucky because I didn’t know anything about publishing when I decided I wanted to become an author. I just turned to research for answers and found out that I’d need an agent, and that meant querying. I started querying in late 2008 and got the request for the full ms from my agent in February of 2009 followed by an offer of representation in March. At the time it felt like agony but now that I’ve learned how the industry works I know that my experience has been lightning fast.
 
How long did it take you to write Nightshade from the original idea?
I wrote the first draft between Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2008 and then revised through February, did more revisions with my agent through the spring and then final revisions with my editor in the fall of 2009.
 
What is your typical day of writing?
It varies quite a bit. Right now I’m on sabbatical so I have a flexible schedule, but when I’m teaching I adjust my writing to accommodate classes and class preparation. I don’t have a particular time of day that I prefer to write I just try to sit down and write whenever I can. I’m a ‘binge’ writer, meaning that when I can I like to sit down and write for hours and hours.

Random question: Did you write Nightshade (and Wolfbane) in long-hand or straight onto the computer?
My long-hand is illegible, so I’d be in trouble if I tried to write that way! My handwriting also can’t keep up with my brain, whereas I’m a really fast typist. I’ll jot down notes longhand if my laptop isn’t available but I do most of my writing on a computer.

While you were writing Nightshade, you must have written scenes that you, sadly, edited or completely cut it? How did you decide what stayed in and what “little darlings” you cut out?
Editing is all about tightening up the pace. I like to keep readers as close to nail-biting as possible in a book, so the bits I cut out were moments where the plot relaxed a bit.

Was there a scene you loved writing but you had to edit out?
There was one scene that I cut which had Calla, Ansel, Mason and Bryn driving from Calla’s house to Burnout and involved their banter in the car. I loved it but it wasn’t essential to the plot, so I ended up cutting it. I love seeing the pack interact so I’d be happy to have loads of scenes just showing the pack hanging out, but it probably wouldn’t do much for pacing here :)

What do you feel when you see people reading Nightshade and their reactions on blogs/facebook/twitter? Does it feel surreal?
It's definitely surreal. I keep waiting for it not to be surreal but I'm somewhat convinced it will never feel 'normal' and I think that's a good thing. Honestly I'm wary about reading reviews or reader comments only because I have a thin skin and I'm terrified someone will hurt my feelings. Despite the incredible response to Nightshade negative reviews are simply par for the course, so that fear is probably something I need to just get over!

Now, I have to ask, what little titbits can you tease us about with Wolfsbane and, dare I ask, Bloodrose?
I have a strict no spoiler rule so I can’t share much. I can tell you that you’ll learn a lot more about the war between Keepers and Searchers in Wolfsbane, you’ll meet new characters, and you’ll see lots more of all the pack members in books 2 and 3.

I must thank Andrea Cremer for answering my questions and I must, also, thank Rose from Atom Books for allowing me to ask questions to Andrea via her!

The last day of the Nightshade tour is this Friday (aka 14th January) on the Atom Books website. So, till then, either get your hands on the book (it is awesome!) or check out the websites below!

Andrea Cremer Official Website - http://www.andreacremer.com/
Nightshade Series Official Website - http://www.nightshadeseries.co.uk/
Atom Books - http://www.atombooks.net/

GoodRead - Shadow Days

As you guys know, I read (and fell completely and utterly in love with) Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. So, when I found out that a prequel – Shadow Days – was free to download via Amazon.co.uk, I had to print off all 80 pages and read like mad!

So, the prequel (based on the US publisher setting up a blog and a Facebook page) following Shay moving from Portland to Vail, leading up to the start of Nightshade.

I don't really know what to say about Shadow Days, seeing as I loved Nightshade. I love Shadow Days and got excited over reading little titbit clues and hints that we read in Nightshade. PLUS, there were throwaway comments of Harry Potter and The Hunger Games so I got very excited!

BRING ON WOLFBANE!

If you want to download Shadow Days, click here and look under Product Details. If you want to befriend Shay on Facebook or follow his blog, click on the right word! Or, if you want those eight vlogs, click here! (The first vlog is at the bottom of the blog!)

And I'll see ya on Wednesday 12th January for my FIRST EVER interview with Andrea Cremer (thanks Atom Books! Here's info of the Nightshade Book Tour!)

Nightshade Book Blog Tour

I am THRILLED and BEYOND HONORED to announce this EXCITING BOOK TOUR (my FIRST!!!) for NIGHTSHADE by Andrea Cremer (published in the UK by Atom Books).



Yeah, the poster with all the details is a bit small. Sorry about that. But other REAL book bloggers like Crooked Shelf, Words and Pieces, Book City Chick, I Want To Read That, My Favourite Books, Once Upon a Bookshelf among others are involved! And then there is little me, right at the end! OK, I'm the penultimate blog post - BUT I DON'T CARE! I am on this Book Blog Tour and I am very excited! Excited and stupidly humbled to be apart of this (as I ADORE the book a stupid amount!)

So, the book tour starts Friday 20th December 2010 and ends Friday 14th January 2011. My blog on this tour is Wednesday 12th January! I have put it in my phone's calendar so I WILL remember!

Till the book tour starts (and my blog-post hits the end of the tour), I will give you links to wet your appetite over Nightshade!

Andrea Cremer Official Website - http://www.andreacremer.com/
Nightshade Series Official Website - http://www.nightshadeseries.co.uk/
Atom Books - http://www.atombooks.net/

Till then, SEE YA ON THE TOUR!!!

GoodRead - Nightshade

Right, as some of you know, I went to Atom Books for a book blogging event (am I ever going to stop talking about this? Probably not). When I was there, each of us bloggers were given two ARCs (aka Advance Reader Copies). One was Rosebush by Michele Jaffe (not out till March 2011) and the other was the book am about to review now.

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer follows the story of Calla, sexy alpha to the Nightshades, a pack of werewolves (though they are called Guardians). She is destined to mate with Ren, the alpha of another pack of Guardians, the Banes. Once this happens, the new pack will guard sacred ground for their masters, the Guardians, against the Guardians' enemy, the Searchers.

But Calla breaks one of her master's laws by saving a mortal boy, Shay's, life. After she done that, everything she knows – her fate, her existence and the very essence of her world – is put into question. And not only is everything thrown into question, Calla's heart is torn between Ren – the boy she should be in love with – and Shay – the boy that she can't live without.

She can control her pack, but not her heart. And if she can't control that, is forbidden love worth the pain and the ultimate sacrifice?

With Twitter and the Blogsphere gushing and getting excited over this book, I have to now to sum up this book (which is coming out in the UK on 28th December 2010). And, when I found out I got a copy of the ARC, I think I made a squeal noise, got very excited and after Liz from My Favourite Books (she's lovely. Check out the blog she co-writes!) said, in a joking and lovely voice, “Be professional”, I laughed and went “Are you kidding?! We had drinks, cake and free books!” (have I said I have NEVER gone to one of these events before?), I knew that this book was the one to read!

And I was right. I LOVE NIGHTSHADE! And after reading another awesome book, MATCHED, I am shocked that I have discovered another exciting book so quickly. But I have!

Calla is a great female lead (she kicks butt – literary!) and you feel her pain with what is happening to her with Ren and Shay (the book's Edward and Jacob – and yes, you will join a Team after you read this book). And with a rich mix of background characters (I love Calla's brother and her best friend, Ansel and Bryn) and an even richer mythology (which you get in drips rather than thrown into your face within the first three chapters), I couldn't help but fall under Nightshade's spell.

I love Nightshade and I think this will be one of the Must Reads of 2011 (like Matched – read them NOW!). And I hunger... okay, DEMAND the sequel, Wolfbane. Like now!

PS – I wanna say thank you to Atom Books for giving me a copy of ARC. The Shiny ARC which no one touched bar me.

PPS – Have you seen the covers? SO PRETTY!!!

PPPS – here is the trailer for the book and two songs that I was listen to while I was reading the book. ENJOY!