{Review} Shadow Falls: The Beginning by C.C. Hunter

Title: Shadow Falls: The Beginning
Author: C.C. Hunter
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Fantasy
Release Date: March 5th 2013
Source: Publisher
Purchase: TBD | Amazon

Now available together for the first time, don’t miss books one and two in C. C. Hunter’s spectacular Shadow Falls series!

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, but it soon becomes clear that the kids at Shadow Falls are far from ordinary. They’re supernatural—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world. Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason...if she can only figure out why, and what her burgeoning powers mean.

As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half Fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart. As Kylie struggles to make sense of her feelings and her new abilities, the dark side of the supernatural world emerges and makes life a whole lot harder. An evil enemy lurking in the shadows is about to threaten everything she holds dear…and bring her closer to her destiny.

Well, I honestly don't know why it has taken me so long to finally read this book. This book was amazing! I really enjoyed how the story unfolded and flowed. However, some parts were a little predictable, but in the end, it was amazing.

The characters were great. Kylie was a very strong individual, going through her parents constant fights and currently a divorce, and also her grandma's recent death and the break-up with her boyfriend, Trey. It's hard to keep it together during those types of trials, and I think C.C. Hunter wrote her amazingly strong. I can honestly say that I when I went through my grandma's death and a few of my own trials at the same time, I didn't manage to come out of it as strongly as she did, it took me some time.

Lucas and Derek also brought their own strengths and even weaknesses to the table. Each had their own faults and strengths, which made it hard to decide if you are on either Team Lucas or Team Derek. While Derek is always there for Kylie and has given her her own space to sort things out and figure out who she is, you see his softer side, and probably his more dominant side. As for Lucas, he is dark and brooding, a bit dangerous and a complete mystery. As Kylie starts to struggle to find herself, Lucas is also struggling his personal demons.

The rest of the characters were amazing as well. I loved the relationship between Della and Miranda, the constant bickering was classic. But they also cared for each other and for Kylie. Holiday was also pretty cool. A very strong and independent woman with whom Kylie had grown to trust.

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Awake at Dawn was a great follow up novel to Born at Midnight. I enjoyed how all the characters still stayed and no one was voted off the island, so to speak. The reader got the chance to see Derek and Kylie grow stronger along with her abilities. The friendships were also made stronger and the arguing between Della and Miranda never seemed dull.

The reader also got to see Burnett a little more and get to know him better. In the first book he comes off as a cocky and arrogant and just totally full of himself. You get to see a more caring side of him this time around and get to see Holiday and him interact more.

Kylie's relationship with her mother also starts to open up and her relationship with outside friends, such as Sara, seems to come to a halt. All while she is still struggling with what and who she is.

The one thing that I did not care for was how little there was of Lucas in this one. (As you can tell, I'm a big fan of Lucas.) Although, when he did come back, he wasn't what I was expecting. Which was a pleasant surprise.

I can't wait to read Taken at Dusk, the follow up to this one. Waiting to see what unfolds for Shadow Falls.