Review of Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

 Calla is the alpha female of a shape-shifting wolf pack. She is destined to marry Ren Laroche, the pack's alpha male. Together, they would rule their pack together, guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But then, Calla saves a beautiful human boy, who captures her heart. Calla begins to question everything - her fate, her existence, and her world and the orders the Keepers have asked her to follow. She will have to make a choice. But will she follow her heart if it means losing everything, including her own life? (Copied from Goodreads)

My Review

I have never been more excited to review a book than I am to review Nightshade. Calla is the alpha female of the Nightshade pack and she is betrothed to Ren Laroche, the alpha male of the Bane pack. Just as Calla is content to go through with her arranged marriage, she breaks the rules to save Shay. She reveals her secret to save his life, and risks everything for a stranger.

While the wolves may be strong and powerful, they must answer to the Keepers. The Keepers make the rules, and the consequences for breaking them can be deadly. Calla's fierce loyalty to her pack is tested, as she fights with her heart as she begins to fancy Shay. Shay is human, and it is forbidden for humans to have knowledge of the Guardians.

Nightshade is AMAZING; I want to sing its praises from the rooftops. I love every second of this book. It is an addicting read; I can verify this with the sunlight trickling through my window, when I could finally put it down. I finished this book in one sitting. I may be sleep deprived, but it was worth it. I love the characters featured in the book, especially Calla. Calla is a strong female character, and is the perfect portrayal of an alpha. I just loved her attitude. I love the relationship with Calla and Shay, but I also started to like the relationship with Calla and Ren towards the end.

I loved so many aspects of the book, and the mythology of the world of Nightshade, but I do not want to give too much away. Nightshade is not your typical werewolf or shifter story, and I think anyone who is a fan of stories like this needs to put this on their must read list. I just cannot say enough about my love for this book. I am impatiently waiting for my copy of Wolfsbane, the next book in the Nightshade Series, to arrive, so I can devoured it.

If you have already read Nightshade, let me know what you think, or if you have not, do you think you will try it?

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Philomel
• Publication Date: October 19, 2010
• Language: English

**I borrowed this book from my local public library**

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