Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

Series: Wolf Springs Chronicles
Author: Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
Page Count: 382
Published: November 22nd, 2011
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
  4 Stars ★★★★

Katelyn's mother dies suddenly, and she is sent to live with her grandfather in Wolf Springs. Living in a house in the woods, she feels isolated and yearns for her home in L.A. She fears that she'll never achieve her dreams now, stuck in this little town.


Her life is about to get a lot more complicated. Everything from the town's name to the legends of the Hellhound seem to involve wolves, and her grandfather refuses to allow her to go in the woods alone. Two girls die in the woods, seemingly mauled by an animal, and after her own terrifying encounter with a wolf on the road, Katelyn isn't sure what to think.


I can't say much else without giving some important details away....so forgive my vague descriptions.


I was not expecting to enjoy this book so much. I thought it would be a typical young adult paranormal story, with a love triangle and some issues with a supernatural hierarchy and maybe a bit of hocus-pocus thrown in. I was right about a few things, but this book still stood out in a positive way.


I was right about the love triangle. It's fairly tame compared to those in other young adult paranormal romances, but it's still there. It didn't particularly bother me, except that her attraction to the one guy, Justin, seemed really immature? She basically doesn't think around him for the first while. It's like she can't control herself. That really annoyed me. Meanwhile her feelings for Trick seemed a lot more genuine, and I liked him too! So it wasn't entirely a bad thing.


I was also right that there would be some issues revolving around a supernatural hierarchy. Again, I can't say much without giving anything away, but within the werewolf pack that Katelyn eventually comes across, there are issues with the alpha. I actually didn't mind this part either, because the issues weren't like those typically dealt with in books concerning werewolf packs. There was something added and unique to it....


I took issue with the pacing of the book. It wasn't horrible by any means, but a lot of the more explicitly paranormal stuff started after the second half, and well into the fourth quarter, which made the first bit drag on quite a bit. It also made the ending seem a bit rushed.


I certainly would like to read the next book. There are questions still unanswered, and Katelyn was, while sometimes annoying, a pretty nice protagonist. The writing style didn't stand out as either amazing nor terrible, so it's really the story that makes this book a four star read.


Overall, while this isn't anything too special, there are definitely unique elements throughout the story that make it stand apart from other young adult paranormal books. While the love triangle was a bit irritating at times, the ending left me wondering what would happen next.


I recommend this to those who love werewolf stories. If you're interested in books that take place in small towns with big secrets, you might want to give this one a try.


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Wicked (Witch & Curse) by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

Series: Wicked
Author: Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie
Page Count: 672
Published: September 9th, 2008
Publisher: Simon Pulse
  4 Stars ★★★★

Holly Cathers is devastated when her parents and best friend die in an accident. Expecting to move in with her dead best friend's mother, her aunt comes forward, and her friend's mother falls ill suddenly. With no where else to go, she moves to Seattle to live with her aunt, uncle, and two cousins.

When it seems that life can't get any more bleak, she discovers that she is a witch from a powerful magical bloodline....and that her bloodline has a magical feud with the Deveraux going back hundreds of years. The family of warlocks are ruthless....except for Jer. Now Holly must navigate a world of magic, forbidden romance, and revenge, and hope to survive to see tomorrow. 

I wasn't sure I would really enjoy this series, but I wanted to give it a try. I actually quite liked it, and I will be continuing reading the series!

The characters made up an interesting cast of good and evil and somewhere in between. The Deveraux warlocks were essentially the villains with the Cathers witches the protagonists, and Jer, a wayward Deveraux finding out which side he wants to be on. Jer and Holly were more than just contemporary witches caught in a forbidden romance....they were essentially reincarnated or embodied versions of their ancestors, Jean and Isabeau, who fell victim to a curse. The pieces of themselves that were contemporary Jer and Holly mixed well with the spirits and legacy of the historical Isabeau and Jean, and their love story spanned centuries. 

Michael and Eli Deveraux were bloodthirsty warlocks, with Michael especially out to kill Holly. Holly and her cousins were all very believable characters, teenage girls discovering who they are, but never really cliche.

I think my favourite part about this book was the chase between Michael and Holly. It felt very cat-and-mouse at times, just with dangerous magic and lots of collateral damage. The second book in particular featured lots of death! At times this book was very grim.

I also like the diversity of the witches and magic-users in these two books. There were witches that were more pagan like Holly's coven, then there was a few people who practiced voodoo, a Native American shaman, and even Catholic witches. That was really neat! It kept the book from being monotonous and repetitive.

I do have to say that at times the book was pretty cheesy. Some of the incantations and spells seemed a bit strange, almost like the authors were just looking for words that rhymed and went together in any way at all. There were little poems or passages before each chapter from the Deveraux and Cathers covens, and those were cheesy and a bit random at times too.

Overall I did really enjoy this bindup! I loved the characters and the danger, and I loved the diversity of magic traditions in this book. While some bits were kind of cheesy, I will definitely be continuing the series.

I recommend this book to people who love books about magic. If you're interested in young adult novels about feuds and discovering who you are, you may like this one.

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