Hemlock (Hemlock, #1) in And So It Begins Reading Challenge

Feb 06, 2012 Ezmirelda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, arc, books-i-own, 5-stars, paranormal, beautiful-cover

The Full Review can be found on my blog PARAFANTASY.

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I went into reading HEMLOCK not knowing what to expect. All I knew was that I didn't care much for novels with werewolves; in fact, I'd stopped reading them altogether after a particularly bad one about a year ago. I read the back and wondered if the author could pull off writing a story like this and still be able to make it unique and original. At first I had my doubts, but sooner than later I found myself completely engrossed in The Full Review can be found on my blog PARAFANTASY.

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I went into reading HEMLOCK not knowing what to expect. All I knew was that I didn't care much for novels with werewolves; in fact, I'd stopped reading them altogether after a particularly bad one about a year ago. I read the back and wondered if the author could pull off writing a story like this and still be able to make it unique and original. At first I had my doubts, but sooner than later I found myself completely engrossed in this book. What I find the most intriguing about this book is the characters. They all have their strengths and their weaknesses; none of them are perfect. I know firsthand how terrible it can be to deal with someone's death, especially a person who was very close to you. People have different ways of handling their grief. For Mac, Jason, and Kyle that's finding Amy's werewolf murderer.

In the world of HEMLOCK those who are infected with Lupine Syndrome are turned into lethal werewolves. When found, turned werewolves are sent away into a government run facility that no one has any clue what goes on in. Then in comes the Trackers; people who have dedicated their lives to finding hidden werewolves, hunting them down, and killing them. Mac has a bad feeling about these people, and for good reason. But for Jason this means a possible chance at avenging the death of his girlfriend who was killed by a werewolf; one that's still on the loose. Throughout the book Mac gradually begins to lose Jason to the trackers, and their intimidating leader.

The pacing of this book kept me on edge. There were times when I felt like punching Jason in the face. And then there were other times where I felt like hugging him. Kyle was a very sweet throughout the book, and I think he might be my second favorite character in the book. The ending and the way things left off between these three was cliff-hanger-rific! I was literally crushed when I got to the last page and realized there weren't any more pages left. Overall, HEMLOCK is a head-spinning novel that you don't want to miss! I highly recommend paranormal readers, especially those like me who had given up on the werewolf genre.
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Mar 02, 2012 Carrie Ardoin rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-tour, werewolves

--DISCLAIMER: THIS REVIEW IS KIND OF SPOILER-Y! SORRY :)--

Mackenzie (Mac) Dobson was part of a tight knit group of friends living in the town of Hemlock, until one of them died. Amy was killed by a werewolf, and the rest of the group--Mac, Kyle, and Amy's boyfriend Jason--are still reeling from her loss even months later. After all, it makes it impossible to forget about how she was killed, when werewolf Trackers are in your town and school.

When Mac starts to unravel the mystery surrounding Amy' --DISCLAIMER: THIS REVIEW IS KIND OF SPOILER-Y! SORRY :)--

Mackenzie (Mac) Dobson was part of a tight knit group of friends living in the town of Hemlock, until one of them died. Amy was killed by a werewolf, and the rest of the group--Mac, Kyle, and Amy's boyfriend Jason--are still reeling from her loss even months later. After all, it makes it impossible to forget about how she was killed, when werewolf Trackers are in your town and school.

When Mac starts to unravel the mystery surrounding Amy's death, she uncovers a myriad of secrets. It almost seems no one in her life was telling her the truth. But once she finds out what the truth is, will she be able to handle what comes with knowing?

Well...I had a couple of issues with this book.

Mac wasn't likable, but I didn't hate her either. I really didn't have strong feelings for her either way. But one thing she was, was weak. Someone was always coming to her rescue...and I don't love that in a female protagonist.

I actually really didn't get a sense of Mac's personality at all...which is why I'm so confused about how both guys in her life ended up in love with her.

The love triangle in this book bothered me a great deal. Jason was in love with Mac but dating Amy...and Kyle was in love with Mac but dating Heather. I dunno if this is just me and my adult perspective (both boys and Mac are in high school), but why continue dating someone else when you are in love with another person? In Kyle's case, when he finally kisses Mac, he said he had been waiting to do that for two years. So, for TWO YEARS he suffered through dating another girl when he was really "in love" with Mac. I don't get it. The author also didn't explain at all how Jason ended up in love with her while he was already dating her best friend.

So, I know the story was supposed to be about werewolves, but on a slightly deeper level it's about prejudice and being afraid of people who are different. The motives behind the main villain's actions are sick and twisted...and frankly I can't believe the police in the town let him get away with as much as he did.

If you are reading Hemlock expecting an awesome supernatural story, you will be sorely disappointed. There are so many lies and drama filled conversations, the werewolf aspect is pretty much secondary.

The book wasn't bad, per se, it just left me with a kind of "eh" feeling. I'm really not sure where the next book could even go...but I think it will be more Teen Drama than Teen Wolf. ...more

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