Review: Tessa's Maturing As a Wolf and Witch
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 14, 2014
This is the second book in the Alpha Girl series.  I enjoyed the first enough I had this on my pre-order list.  By the time it arrived I remembered the first book but the details were vague.  Once I started back in the story came back.  If your interested in this series, my advice is to read the first Becoming Alpha.  As in all series you need that background, the world building, family structure, and of course character building.  This story, Avoiding the Alpha expands that knowledge.I'm not a fan of Young Adult stories of any type but once in awhile I hit on one I enjoy.  This is one of them.  The setting is at a school but it's an academy for werewolves.  The students board there.  Tessa's room adjoins her best friend Meredith's.  As the story progresses it's all about saving Meredith from a curse and Tessa's fighting her wolf's emerging.  Yes I saw a lot of growth in Tessa and her dealings with her powers, both witch and wolf.  She was forced into helping Meredith.  I bet half of what she accomplished couldn't have been done without that push - of being there and helping her friend.  And while Meredith and her condition were a big part of this story. . . As a reader I wasn't as invested in Meredith as Tessa.  IE:  I wasn't as endeared to Meredith.  Her character building wasn't enough to push me to her cause.  But Tessa was adamant in her quest in saving Meredith was never ending and all encompassing.  She even let her mate bond with Dastien slip into the back of her mind, not giving him the time or head space.  But even that was a learning experience for her so we do see some maturity growth.  All this and it's only 2 months since her turning.There is no sex in this book.  Strictly YA.  No language.  A very clean read for the younger teen crowd.  There was some jealousy but no love triangles, no betrayals, an evil coven leader but she has little page space but her actions and impact on their society do play a big role.I would have liked the Tribunal to happen.  Everything hinges on that Tribunal and it's such a concern for Tessa and Dastien that to not have it in this story was a crime.  At least to me!  With 50 more pages the Tribunal could have been touched on, set up, allies set, and still be a decent read.  The follow up book could have been more on the coven and what Tessa does with that, her role once she graduates from the academy, etc.  Ah well, but an author writes as the muse takes. . . I was just disappointed.  No Tribunal.  And I had this story on pre-order for months.  !!I was disappointed in the page length.  There were a few themes touched on that were suspicious and a foreshadowing of difficulties for Tessa, but no cliff hangers.  Avoiding Alpha was a good read, easy, no fighting, mainly problem solving and relationship building along with a seventeen year old maturing.  -- Dan's Wife