Hemlock [Hardcover]

I'm going to confess something: I don't read a lot of werewolf books. It's not that I don't like them, but I typically don't find myself choosing them off the bookshelf. That said, I knew HEMLOCK was a book that had werewolves . . .

But when I read it, I didn't think, "This is a werewolf book." Because it's not about werewolves. It's a book about prejudice, friendship, loyalty, and mystery. It happens to have werewolves as part of the worldbuilding.

It's also a book that, according to the Publisher's Marketplace announcement, has a love triangle, but I didn't get the typical love triangle feel from it. Mac didn't spend her time pining over which boy to date; she spent her time trying to solve a murder mystery, helping her friends, and avoiding bloody death. And the love interests were also friends first, and potential kissing partners second.

The friends were all real, present, and fleshed out. I felt like I knew them. And while I wasn't as attached to one of the characters because he kept behaving like a jerk, I never questioned Mac's loyalty to him because she had strong memories of how things used to be, and their interactions made it clear that they used to be close -- and might some day be close again. He was a real, flawed person in pain. He was redeemable.

I also really enjoyed the worldbuilding in this book. Kathleen took a world where werewolves have been outed as a real threat, and began drawing it through the logical stages of confusion and fear and prejudice. There are people for and against werewolves, people who just want to be left alone, and people willing to judge werewolves individually rather than judge the entire population by one horror story. There are pro- and anti- posters and t-shirst, slurs, and terrifying "rehabilitation camps." The world of HEMLOCK feels real and scary.

But my favorite thing about HEMLOCK is Mac, the main character. She's strong. Not necessarily in the physical sense, but strong of heart. She cares deeply about her friends and her family. She doesn't trust easily, but for those who've earned it, she's unflinchingly loyal. And when she gets a hint that her best friend wasn't just killed by a werewolf, but murdered and someone may be trying to cover that up -- well, Mac takes it upon herself to seek out the truth, no matter how impossible it seems, and how much danger she must go through.

I'd recommend HEMLOCK to readers wanting an intriguing mystery and a deep look at a scary world.

I'm not a big fan of werewolf reads, in fact I avoid them but the blurb for Hemlock and the beautiful cover had me at a debate on if I should give this a shot or not. So I did. How could I resist!

Every review I read prior to obtaining a copy of this book said that it was a nice twist on werewolves and I have to agree, it is. But I also have to be honest, I wasn't digging the first half of the book because it was based basically on the mythology behind the authors wolves, the murder case in relation to the attack and the really intense creepy people called Trackers.

By the time I got half way through the book, THAT'S when I couldn't put it down. This book would still be a fantastic read even if you took out the wolf element. It does add a bit of extra suspense but even without it, it would still be engaging. And believe me, I was NOT expecting the ending!

The thing I enjoyed the most was the background the author put into the situation, the people and Amy. Even though Amy's dead, we see a lot of her in Mac's dreams, we get to know her through Mac's dreams. So even though she's dead, it almost felt like she was there the whole time.

I think Mac was stubborn, foolish and hopeful. I get why she tries to save everyone but sometimes you just need to step back and let them figure it out on their own. Maybe her past has something to do with saving people, who knows. I loved Kyle. Love love loved Kyle. And I thought Jason was a jerk. The whole way through. Like seriously Mac, ditch the guy he's stupid.

I'm not anxiously awaiting the sequel to this book since I felt this could had easily been a fantastic stand alone but I am curious to see what trouble Mac can get herself into next!

Werewolves have come out from hiding and now everyone shies away from the monsterous beasts. There are camps where they are taken to, where they live the best they can. There are others that try to live as a human and hide from the authorities.

In the small town of Hemlock, the community is still grieving over losing one of their own. Amy was MacKenzie's bestfriend and was killed by a werewolf in a dark alley. Holding a tuft of white fur, now the Trackers are in town searching for the murderous beast.

Mac's other bestfriends include Kyle and Jason; Jason being Amy's boyfriend. Mac is concerned about Jason as he is the person who was supposed to pick Amy up that fateful night and thinks he blames himself for her death. Kyle has brought his feelings to light about Mac and the two of them start a tumultuous relationship. But Mac still has dreams of Amy and wants to find her killer, so she starts investigating herself.

When Jason joins the Trackers, and Mac finds out some information that doesn't add up to what the public had been told about Amy's murder, things begin to heat up. Not only with the relationship of her, Mac and Jason, but the Trackers won't leave until they get what they came for - even if they have to use Mac as bait.

As the first book in a new trilogy, Hemlock sets the scene with great world-building, complex and likable characters and a splash of romance. The suspense builds, twists and explodes on several levels, keeping this reader riveted until the very end. I can't wait for the next one!! Now to wait...