Review: Engaging but Cliffhanger Ending
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 5, 2014
This wolf shape shifter story is very engaging but has a cliff hanger ending.  Rating 4.5.Evie was always a restless child and discovered a great passion for running at an early age. She lived with her widowed mother in Alabama and especially loved her summer and occasional winter visits to her grandparents' farm in the North Woods of New Hampshire. There she would run on dirt roads between cornfields and on trails through the woods. She would dream of running and then one night, as she was nearing her seventeenth birthday, she dreamt of familiar northern paths where she found herself running in wild freedom, faster than ever before, with a steady heartbeat of joy.Evie has shifted to her wolf self without ever knowing of her history. Her mother immediately takes the feverish young woman to her grandfather and the pack. Suddenly Evie is not just the newest wolf, but a white wolf from the legendary leaders of the pack. This brings a response of jealousy from some but mostly joy in a pack that cherishes family and strengths. Evie faces a crash course in learning as she is ignorant of the pack ways, history and dangers. Her new world is complicated by outsiders too. There is a cougar pack that has had an old rivalry with the wolves. They tended to remain off on their own but the news of a new white wolf has brought them in to attack.Evie is struggling to take in the fact that she is a wolf shifter, there are other shifters, and there are human ‘rats’ that sneak and spy. She is also trying to assert her reasoning, human will to control the wild wolf instinct that flashes forth causing concern and danger for herself and her friends. But she is young, foolish and quickly gets into trouble. While facing the dangers of control and marauding cats, Evie and her pack also have to remember to maintain a low profile so humans do not suspect strangeness in their midst.This story jumps into a good steady pace and is wonderfully portrayed from the view of the young protagonist who is frightened, confused, a bit angry and yet thrilled at her new world. Evie doesn’t realize how special she is so she is not arrogant in her unique blood lines but she also is totally a reckless teenager. The character is fittingly developed as are others of the pack - relatives and friends. The reader gets the emotional impact of the teen fitting into a family dynamic, as well as wonderful descriptions of enhanced senses.There is plenty of good action and I was well engrossed in the story when it hit a cliff hanger end! It was an “Aargh” moment because I didn’t want the adventure to end but I really didn’t want it to end in such a dangerous, unresolved situation! I recommend this story to those who like action and the family dynamic of shifter packs. Just be forewarned that you may want to have the second book handy.