holike's review against another edition
4.0
Quand j’ai trouvé ce livre d’occasion, je me suis dit *Youpi* une lecture comme à l’époque. Très vibes twilight, et surtout bien cliché !
Comme c’était ce que je cherchais, j’ai adoré !
Voici les tropes que l’on retrouve dans ce livre :
- Mariage arrangé
- Triangle amoureux
J’ai adoré les personnages qui sont si cliché qu’ils en deviennent attachants. Mais plus sérieusement, l’histoire est super intéressante (avec des loups-garous
artsymusings's review against another edition
3.0
Nightshade is a very compelling book which is why the writing surprised me. The synopsis pretty much summed up the story in a few mere words involving a love triangle, the awakening/rebellion period and then the actual decision which is very predictable.
The first few pages of the book, though intriguing, never really do justice to the reason behind Calla acting the way she did. If it is such a lawbreaker thing to save humans then fascination with one couldn't be tempting enough to make her do it. But then, maybe it's about a sudden thought mutation to rebel, but I am not going along with that theory. Suffice it to say that it was rather disappointing how the book opened.
Moving on, the main three characters have unique names which was very welcoming to me. Plus, they seemed to suit to their personalities perfectly. Although, Shay kept reminding me of the word shy which he was anything but. But his actual name, Seamus is rather a little disgusting.
Calla Tor proved to be a very likable character, but not all the time. Especially the ones where she literally melts in the arms of Ren and Shay, both.
Seamus or Shay Doran was my one of the better characters in the book. He was a mixture of everything from vulnerable to unbeatable to loving and cute. For the most part, Shay was the most reasonable and understanding character.
Renier Laroche was a different story altogether. At first, I outright hated him but then I liked how he handled his jealousy and his territorial instincts towards Cal were understandable. But in the end, he was the most well-formed character in Nightshade.
The story was well-paced and I enjoyed the read till the end. The home, school and outside scenes were managed well. There were some surprises as well along the way. Such as I have always wondered how did the werewolves changed forms and the approach Andrea Cremer took in Nightshade was very innovative and believable.
Other characters were also well-formed and balanced. I liked reading the details about the different paranormal characters in the book. Nightshade proved to be a very enjoyable read and the cliffhanger is suspenseful enough. I am hoping that Wolfsbane delves deeper into the personalities of Shay and Cal and brings out similar action.
The first few pages of the book, though intriguing, never really do justice to the reason behind Calla acting the way she did. If it is such a lawbreaker thing to save humans then fascination with one couldn't be tempting enough to make her do it. But then, maybe it's about a sudden thought mutation to rebel, but I am not going along with that theory. Suffice it to say that it was rather disappointing how the book opened.
Moving on, the main three characters have unique names which was very welcoming to me. Plus, they seemed to suit to their personalities perfectly. Although, Shay kept reminding me of the word shy which he was anything but. But his actual name, Seamus is rather a little disgusting.
Calla Tor proved to be a very likable character, but not all the time. Especially the ones where she literally melts in the arms of Ren and Shay, both.
Spoiler
This was a very disturbing but repetitive aspect of the love triangle. I mean, all she knew about Ren was that he was a heavy dater, that she hated him and that she was to become his alpha mate. But then all of a sudden she is drowning in his lingering touches and then kisses like she doesn't want to stop? On Ren's part, it was similar, but I thought the lack of girls in his life made him act that way towards Cal. With absolutely no emotions involved whatsoever as there seemed to be no basis.Seamus or Shay Doran was my one of the better characters in the book. He was a mixture of everything from vulnerable to unbeatable to loving and cute.
Spoiler
Though he was a loner, I didn't particularly liked the way Cal acted towards him when Ren was near. The slap he got from Cal was also uncalled for.Renier Laroche was a different story altogether. At first, I outright hated him but then I liked how he handled his jealousy and his territorial instincts towards Cal were understandable. But in the end, he was the most well-formed character in Nightshade.
Spoiler
I liked his hidden vulnerability more than I could imagine myself doing that. Which is why Ren also made it to my favorite character list in Nightshade.The story was well-paced and I enjoyed the read till the end. The home, school and outside scenes were managed well. There were some surprises as well along the way. Such as I have always wondered how did the werewolves changed forms and the approach Andrea Cremer took in Nightshade was very innovative and believable.
Spoiler
On a different note, it was rather a different approach that Ren ignited the crazy passion in Cal and Shay, the slow and steady one. Usually, it is the other way round so I don't know if it's a signal or just something different.Other characters were also well-formed and balanced. I liked reading the details about the different paranormal characters in the book. Nightshade proved to be a very enjoyable read and the cliffhanger is suspenseful enough. I am hoping that Wolfsbane delves deeper into the personalities of Shay and Cal and brings out similar action.
jodieboone's review against another edition
2.0
It was okay. Not mind-blowing, not completely awful, but I came out of it thinking, 'okay, so?" I don't think there was a character I actually liked. Calla was annoying and selfish, Shay had no backbone whatsoever, Renn was a little creepy, and I couldn't care less about the rest of her 'pack.' There was no world building, and when something was explained, it was hard to understand or we just had to go with a tiny bit of explanation. There was such a lack of plot, too. Most of the time it was just Calla pining of Shay, then thinking Renn was hot, then whining that she couldn't have Shay. I don't really like love triangels, but sometimes they work, like the The Infernal Devices or in The Hunger Games. They make sense, and they're enjoyable. This one wasn't enjoyable at all, and it was basically the whole book.
adinda97's review against another edition
4.0
Calla weet wat haar lotbestemming is. Ze zal trouwen met Ren en zal de roedel leiden samen met hem. Maar wanneer ze het leven van Shay red, weet ze dat niet meer zeker. Shay is een mens en is heel knap. Ze weet niet meer zeker of ze wel echt met Ren de verbintenis aan moet gaan. Ze zet alles op het spel om haar hart te volgen. Maar dit loopt niet zo goed af voor haar roedel.
Dit was een geweldig eerste deel uit de serie Nachtschade. Ik heb dit boek in 1 keer uitgelezen, het was spannend en het is erg mooi geschreven. Calla twijfelt wel heel erg veel tussen Ren en Shay. Aan het eind was het spannend, aangezien Ren en Calla verbonden werden en dat het over Shay bleek te zijn. Dit was echt een onverwachte wending van het verhaal, maar het maakte het verhaal wel beter en spannender.
Dit was een geweldig eerste deel uit de serie Nachtschade. Ik heb dit boek in 1 keer uitgelezen, het was spannend en het is erg mooi geschreven. Calla twijfelt wel heel erg veel tussen Ren en Shay. Aan het eind was het spannend, aangezien Ren en Calla verbonden werden en dat het over Shay bleek te zijn. Dit was echt een onverwachte wending van het verhaal, maar het maakte het verhaal wel beter en spannender.
blz22's review against another edition
4.0
Calla weet wat haar lotbestemming is. Ze zal trouwen met Ren en zal de roedel leiden samen met hem. Maar wanneer ze het leven van Shay red, weet ze dat niet meer zeker. Shay is een mens en is heel knap. Ze weet niet meer zeker of ze wel echt met Ren de verbintenis aan moet gaan. Ze zet alles op het spel om haar hart te volgen. Maar dit loopt niet zo goed af voor haar roedel.
Dit was een geweldig eerste deel uit de serie Nachtschade. Ik heb dit boek in 1 keer uitgelezen, het was spannend en het is erg mooi geschreven. Calla twijfelt wel heel erg veel tussen Ren en Shay. Aan het eind was het spannend, aangezien Ren en Calla verbonden werden en dat het over Shay bleek te zijn. Dit was echt een onverwachte wending van het verhaal, maar het maakte het verhaal wel beter en spannender.
Dit was een geweldig eerste deel uit de serie Nachtschade. Ik heb dit boek in 1 keer uitgelezen, het was spannend en het is erg mooi geschreven. Calla twijfelt wel heel erg veel tussen Ren en Shay. Aan het eind was het spannend, aangezien Ren en Calla verbonden werden en dat het over Shay bleek te zijn. Dit was echt een onverwachte wending van het verhaal, maar het maakte het verhaal wel beter en spannender.
sarsev's review against another edition
4.0
I basically read this book because I heard it was good, I love the new covers, and I found it in paperback in an indie bookstore I really love.
Also, I love werewolves. When done well. There is nothing worse than a werewolf story done poorly, but thankfully that was not an issue here. This book was undeniably done very, very well.
Plot: The overall plot revolves around Calla trying to figure out what her world really is. It's the classic everything-I've-been-told-for-years-is-a-lie-and-now-I-have-to-find-the-truth-to-replace-it story, but it's done so well we're not entirely sure what kind of story it is until the very end. At least, I wasn't sure. I don't know what you thought or will think, I'm not in your head. There were also a love-triangle romantic subplot (I'll talk about that in a minute), and a fascinating pack dynamic.
Main Character: Calla is strong. I'd be a fool to say otherwise. She's strong, and an alpha, and she has a good head on her shoulders. At the same time, there were a few things that bothered me. Calla is strong, right? So how come she turned over the reigns to Ren when the packs merged, without one voiced complaint? "That's just the way things are" didn't work for me. Calla's tough. Why did she just turn over her control without any attempt to keep it? I don't know. Maybe that just bothered me.
Overall, I admire Calla. She had a lot thrown at her in this book, and she took it all in stride. She found out everything she'd ever been told was a lie, and she had to find the truth to replace it. She found out everything wasn't the way she thought it was, and that her life really didn't make any sense. She handled that, and she grew and changed. That's a sure sign of good character development.
Other Characters:
My favorite character was probably Ansel. He's Calla's younger brother, and he's in love with Calla's best friend. Bryn (the best friend) is also in love with him. They have a healthy, two-way relationship. It's refreshing, and cute. Ansel is also always there for Calla, whenever she needs him, even if he really doesn't know the whole story (which is most of the time).
I also liked Bryn, the best friend. She was nice, and a good supportive best friend. That's a rare type in YA, where backstabbing frenamies rule. Here, Bryn is a nice girl. She's a real friend.
I loved both Shay and Ren, for different reasons (and I talk about the triangle in just a minute. Be patient). I loved Shay because he was smart, and the good guy (I really always root for the good guy. I think the good guy should win more often. It'd be a welcomed change of pace). I loved Ren because he was interesting, and sexy. I started this book expecting to prefer Ren, and Shay actually changed my mind. But I'll explain that when I get to the love triangle.
There were the characters I loved (Ansel, Bryn, Shay, Ren, Fey, Dax, Cossette, Sabine, Mason, Nev), and the characters I hated (Calla's mother, Ren's father, Logan, both "Keepers", and Shay's "uncle")
Overall, there was a pretty good balance, and the awful characters I loved to hate. Andrea Cremer wrote really, really good character development. If there was one thing I'd like to see more of, it's the Keeper's motivations. But I'm sure that'll be covered in a future book.
The Love Triangle:
Alright, alright, I'll be the first to admit that I am completely freaking sick of love triangles. Really, can we just retire them for a year or two? They're always good in the beginning of a phase of them, and then they get old really, really fast. For once, I want a solid love-interest that I know the main character will end up with after the stuggles and whatnot are over. Why can't we have that? Just every once and a while. Oh, I don't know.
But if you're going to do a love triangle, watch Andrea Cremer. Because this woman is doing it right. Seriously.
In other news...
I started Nightshade expecting to like Ren best, as I said. I'm not usually one for bad boys, but every review I read from any friends on goodreads said they preferred Ren. I prepared to prefer Ren, and to want Shay gone.
And I changed my mind
Do you know how rarely that happens, with love triangles? Usually I know who I'll root for before I even start the book, and the other love-interest never changes my mind. Here, he did.
Despite all of Ren's obvious sex-appeal, and his knack for making you watch what he's doing whenever he's on the page, I don't think he's the right choice for Calla. I mean, if he were real, I'd totally be all over him, but I really don't think he's right for Calla. I think they're struggle for power was way too one-sided, and would lead to an ultimately unhealthy relationship. Because she wouldn't challenge him, on anything. She didn't. She should have, but she didn't. I wasn't entirely sure until that scene on the mountain. You know what I'm talking about, if you read the book. I know Ren apologized, but actions speak louder than words for me. Calla is an alpha, and then suddenly she's not. I like Ren, and I respect him more because he wasn't afraid to apologize for his behavior, but at the same time that made up my mind that he and Calla couldn't have an even, two-way relationship. But don't worry - Ren'll find somebody else if they don't work, like I've predicted. He's sexy, after all.
Shay, on the other hand, made me like him more than I expected. He's smart, and his constant search for knowledge was something I really admired. I just like smart guys, I guess. I also liked how he represents freedom. Calla needs the freedom Shay represents, and Shay needs the unwavering strength Calla represents. I think in that sense they're perfect for each other. I also like the idea of them together, as it works in a story. If the overarching love story were that of Calla and Shay, it would be a role-reversal from the typical paranormal romance relationship. The story would be narrated by the "sexy, paranormal creature" and the love-interest would be the "special one" who is new to the whole idea. Do you get what I'm saying? Maybe I'm just rambling, who knows.
Anyways, I'm Team Shay - but only for Calla. I love Ren to pieces, but I think Shay is a better fit for Calla.
Setting: Got to love the Colorado mountains. I just got back from a summer in my hometown in Idaho, and I have to say that out in the middle of nowhere, it's easy to believe in werewolves (even though my scientific mind tells me I'm a moron for saying that).
Writing: Fantastic. Holds your attention. Flows nicely. Andrea Cremer is a narrative genius.
Cover: I wasn't a big fan of the former cover (on the original hardcover of Nightshade, which may have been the reason why I never picked it up. Now that I've read the book, that cover doesn't really match the narrative anyway. When the new covers were released, they caught my attention again. This time (perhaps because it was in paperback and cheeper, and perhaps because it was purple, my favorite color - hence the goodreads name - who knows?) I decided to give it a go. And sheesh, am I glad I did. Anyways, I really love the new covers. I don't know about you, but I think they're more eye-catching.
Overall: I definitely recommend. Great plot, both love-interests are likable, the pack dynamic is interesting to read about, and the book is remarkably well-written. Among the best werewolf novels I've read (and trust me, with my love of werewolves, I've read a lot of them). If you like werewolves, paranormal suspense novels, and love triangles where you can't quite decide who you like best (even if you've chosen a team for the main character) then this is definitely the book for you.
So, go read it.
Meanwhile, I'll be hunting down a copy of the second book (no pun intended).
Also, I love werewolves. When done well. There is nothing worse than a werewolf story done poorly, but thankfully that was not an issue here. This book was undeniably done very, very well.
Plot: The overall plot revolves around Calla trying to figure out what her world really is. It's the classic everything-I've-been-told-for-years-is-a-lie-and-now-I-have-to-find-the-truth-to-replace-it story, but it's done so well we're not entirely sure what kind of story it is until the very end. At least, I wasn't sure. I don't know what you thought or will think, I'm not in your head. There were also a love-triangle romantic subplot (I'll talk about that in a minute), and a fascinating pack dynamic.
Main Character: Calla is strong. I'd be a fool to say otherwise. She's strong, and an alpha, and she has a good head on her shoulders. At the same time, there were a few things that bothered me. Calla is strong, right? So how come she turned over the reigns to Ren when the packs merged, without one voiced complaint? "That's just the way things are" didn't work for me. Calla's tough. Why did she just turn over her control without any attempt to keep it? I don't know. Maybe that just bothered me.
Overall, I admire Calla. She had a lot thrown at her in this book, and she took it all in stride. She found out everything she'd ever been told was a lie, and she had to find the truth to replace it. She found out everything wasn't the way she thought it was, and that her life really didn't make any sense. She handled that, and she grew and changed. That's a sure sign of good character development.
Other Characters:
My favorite character was probably Ansel. He's Calla's younger brother, and he's in love with Calla's best friend. Bryn (the best friend) is also in love with him. They have a healthy, two-way relationship. It's refreshing, and cute. Ansel is also always there for Calla, whenever she needs him, even if he really doesn't know the whole story (which is most of the time).
I also liked Bryn, the best friend. She was nice, and a good supportive best friend. That's a rare type in YA, where backstabbing frenamies rule. Here, Bryn is a nice girl. She's a real friend.
I loved both Shay and Ren, for different reasons (and I talk about the triangle in just a minute. Be patient). I loved Shay because he was smart, and the good guy (I really always root for the good guy. I think the good guy should win more often. It'd be a welcomed change of pace). I loved Ren because he was interesting, and sexy. I started this book expecting to prefer Ren, and Shay actually changed my mind. But I'll explain that when I get to the love triangle.
There were the characters I loved (Ansel, Bryn, Shay, Ren, Fey, Dax, Cossette, Sabine, Mason, Nev), and the characters I hated (Calla's mother, Ren's father, Logan, both "Keepers", and Shay's "uncle")
Overall, there was a pretty good balance, and the awful characters I loved to hate. Andrea Cremer wrote really, really good character development. If there was one thing I'd like to see more of, it's the Keeper's motivations. But I'm sure that'll be covered in a future book.
The Love Triangle:
Alright, alright, I'll be the first to admit that I am completely freaking sick of love triangles. Really, can we just retire them for a year or two? They're always good in the beginning of a phase of them, and then they get old really, really fast. For once, I want a solid love-interest that I know the main character will end up with after the stuggles and whatnot are over. Why can't we have that? Just every once and a while. Oh, I don't know.
But if you're going to do a love triangle, watch Andrea Cremer. Because this woman is doing it right. Seriously.
In other news...
I started Nightshade expecting to like Ren best, as I said. I'm not usually one for bad boys, but every review I read from any friends on goodreads said they preferred Ren. I prepared to prefer Ren, and to want Shay gone.
And I changed my mind
Do you know how rarely that happens, with love triangles? Usually I know who I'll root for before I even start the book, and the other love-interest never changes my mind. Here, he did.
Despite all of Ren's obvious sex-appeal, and his knack for making you watch what he's doing whenever he's on the page, I don't think he's the right choice for Calla. I mean, if he were real, I'd totally be all over him, but I really don't think he's right for Calla. I think they're struggle for power was way too one-sided, and would lead to an ultimately unhealthy relationship. Because she wouldn't challenge him, on anything. She didn't. She should have, but she didn't. I wasn't entirely sure until that scene on the mountain. You know what I'm talking about, if you read the book. I know Ren apologized, but actions speak louder than words for me. Calla is an alpha, and then suddenly she's not. I like Ren, and I respect him more because he wasn't afraid to apologize for his behavior, but at the same time that made up my mind that he and Calla couldn't have an even, two-way relationship. But don't worry - Ren'll find somebody else if they don't work, like I've predicted. He's sexy, after all.
Shay, on the other hand, made me like him more than I expected. He's smart, and his constant search for knowledge was something I really admired. I just like smart guys, I guess. I also liked how he represents freedom. Calla needs the freedom Shay represents, and Shay needs the unwavering strength Calla represents. I think in that sense they're perfect for each other. I also like the idea of them together, as it works in a story. If the overarching love story were that of Calla and Shay, it would be a role-reversal from the typical paranormal romance relationship. The story would be narrated by the "sexy, paranormal creature" and the love-interest would be the "special one" who is new to the whole idea. Do you get what I'm saying? Maybe I'm just rambling, who knows.
Anyways, I'm Team Shay - but only for Calla. I love Ren to pieces, but I think Shay is a better fit for Calla.
Setting: Got to love the Colorado mountains. I just got back from a summer in my hometown in Idaho, and I have to say that out in the middle of nowhere, it's easy to believe in werewolves (even though my scientific mind tells me I'm a moron for saying that).
Writing: Fantastic. Holds your attention. Flows nicely. Andrea Cremer is a narrative genius.
Cover: I wasn't a big fan of the former cover (on the original hardcover of Nightshade, which may have been the reason why I never picked it up. Now that I've read the book, that cover doesn't really match the narrative anyway. When the new covers were released, they caught my attention again. This time (perhaps because it was in paperback and cheeper, and perhaps because it was purple, my favorite color - hence the goodreads name - who knows?) I decided to give it a go. And sheesh, am I glad I did. Anyways, I really love the new covers. I don't know about you, but I think they're more eye-catching.
Overall: I definitely recommend. Great plot, both love-interests are likable, the pack dynamic is interesting to read about, and the book is remarkably well-written. Among the best werewolf novels I've read (and trust me, with my love of werewolves, I've read a lot of them). If you like werewolves, paranormal suspense novels, and love triangles where you can't quite decide who you like best (even if you've chosen a team for the main character) then this is definitely the book for you.
So, go read it.
Meanwhile, I'll be hunting down a copy of the second book (no pun intended).
bookishbuddies's review against another edition
4.0
This book really surprised me! I was really scared that this was going to be one of those books I would have loved had I read it ten years ago, but to be honest: I still really liked this! This is full of the old-school tropes: instalove, love triangle, high school setting, etc. but I found I wasn't too bothered by it. The instalove did bother me a bit and that, along with the fact that I found some things to not be explained very well, caused me to rate it four stars instead of five. Beside that, I really liked this book. I liked the dynamics between the characters, and aside from the instalove, I found the romance to be pretty interesting. I am also super intrigued by the world and how everything works, and I hope to be finding out more about that in the next instalment!
ginniereads's review against another edition
5.0
This book was great. It had the love triangle and I could see why Calla was torn between Ren and Shay. I think it was well put together. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what happens next.
emilymahar's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5 stars
I've been meaning to read Nightshade for such a long time, and I loved it! It wasn't at all what I was expecting, and it was awesome!
I was expecting a teen paranormal romance, but there is so much more than the complicated love triangle! There was tons of action and mystery, which are two of my favorite components in a book. The different alliances created a really interesting story. The Seekers, Keepers and Guardians along with other paranormal creatures were really cool to read about and see how they fell into their "society". I wasn't expecting for there to be more than just wolves in this book, but I loved how the world was made seem more realistic.
I loved Calla! She was such a fierce, stubborn person, which makes for a fantastic kick-butt character. Bryn and Ansel were my favorite characters, and I loved how they cared so much about Calla. When it came to Ren and Shay I was more of a Shay girl, but the ending had me rooting for Ren. I liked him when he showed his more vulnerable side.
Overall, I loved the amazing plot, and it was a really great, paranormal read! I was pleasantly surprised by this book and I can't wait to continue on with the series!
I've been meaning to read Nightshade for such a long time, and I loved it! It wasn't at all what I was expecting, and it was awesome!
I was expecting a teen paranormal romance, but there is so much more than the complicated love triangle! There was tons of action and mystery, which are two of my favorite components in a book. The different alliances created a really interesting story. The Seekers, Keepers and Guardians along with other paranormal creatures were really cool to read about and see how they fell into their "society". I wasn't expecting for there to be more than just wolves in this book, but I loved how the world was made seem more realistic.
I loved Calla! She was such a fierce, stubborn person, which makes for a fantastic kick-butt character. Bryn and Ansel were my favorite characters, and I loved how they cared so much about Calla. When it came to Ren and Shay I was more of a Shay girl, but the ending had me rooting for Ren. I liked him when he showed his more vulnerable side.
Overall, I loved the amazing plot, and it was a really great, paranormal read! I was pleasantly surprised by this book and I can't wait to continue on with the series!