Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Ok ok, this isn't a teen book. I've been branching out.

Although, to be fair, other than the swearing and the violence...and actually because of it...it's still ok.

Mercy Thompson is a shapeshifter living in the area of a werewolf pack. She's a mechanic who deals with vampires, witches, and the fae...along with those pesky werewolves. So when a new werewolf appears at her shop looking for work, she doesn't turn him away even though she thinks about it. Mac's a pretty good kid but it's apparent he's never been trained by an Alpha on his new abilities.

Then two men appear and try to take Mac with them. Mercy steps in at that point and kills the werewolf--something she shouldn't really be able to do. Before long, the whole werewolf pack is involved, their Alpha is down, and Mercy is up to her neck in all sorts of supernatural trouble.

An involved story with lots of twists and characters. Mercy is a great main character--full of spunk and sarcasm. There is some romance in the story, but not a lot--just overtones. I love books with some paranormal aspect, some romance, and a lot of kicking a**. This book has all three..in spades.

Wolf Mark by Joseph Bruchac

Luke has lived his whole life being prepared for something bad to happen. His parents have run through drills and safety measures "just in case" something goes wrong.

The day after Luke has a horrible nightmare in which he meets a creature known as Grue, his dad disappears. Following the clues his dad's left behind, Luke discovers his dad has been kidnapped and it's up to him to save his life.

Luke has been training for such an occurrence most of his life; he just never expected to have to do it alone. And while he gets most of his questions answered about their strange heritage, the mark on his hand, and why electronic devices don't work for him, he's left with just one mission. Find and save his dad. At any cost.

A fascinating read, it does wander at times. Luke is a great narrator, but even he admits he gets sidetracked easily. A lot. There is page after page of action, but the back story is also well-developed. This is a great werewolf novel from a Native American point of view. Highly recommended.

Vesper by Jeff Sampson

Emily Webb has one leg out of her second story window when her best friend calls to tell her a classmate has been shot and killed not more than 3 blocks from Emily's house.

Shocked, Emily realizes just where she is..and what she's wearing. She has no memory of changing clothes or why she was climbing out her window. Unfortunately for her, this is only the first night this happens. Suddenly she's jumping from her second story window, chasing cars, beating up guys, and hitting on all the available guys in her path.

This is very unusual behavior for Emily. One she worries about. Why does it only happen at night? What causes it? Then another classmate is shot and Emily realizes she might be next.

This is the first in a series, so naturally, not everything is explained. Emily is on the hunt for a mate, which I could find almost offensive, but the rest of the story is interesting, and trying to figure out what's going on and what she'll do next keeps the book moving. I enjoyed the story, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Calla Tor is the newest alpha in her family. As such, she's given her own pack--the other wolves her age--to rule over. She is promised to Ren Laroche--the alpha in another pack--also her age. Together they'll form a new pack to help protect the Keepers. On their eighteenth birthday they'll be mated and set up in their own territory as Guardians.

Before that can happen, Calla saves a young man attacked by a bear. Defying the rules she's followed her entire life, she saves him by sharing her blood. Now he's showing up everywhere--at school and with the Keepers. Somehow, Shay has an important role to play, and Calla is asked to keep him under her wing. Unfortunately, she also starts falling for him, placing herself and her pack in danger. Especially when she learns the real reason he's been honored by the Keepers.

Will saving him condemn her to death?

Not a lot happens in this book. There will be another one, so this one really sets the scene. Calla follows rules and orders without questioning why, while Shay questions everything. While some of the scenes could have been shorter or cut out completely, anyone who is a fan of books like Twilight, Shiver, or Vampire Academy will be interested in this new addition.

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Barnes

Bryn's family was attacked by a werewolf when she was just 4 years old. She's the only survivor.

As the only human in the pack of werewolves that saved her, Bryn finds her life difficult and complicated. She was Marked by the pack's alpha, so the rest accepted her--or were forced. She still doesn't fit in.

Bryn then learns that Callum lied to her about the rogue werewolf who attacked her family. He escaped their wrath and continued to attack humans. One such human, Chase, was rescued by the pack.

Now Bryn breaks the rules to be with Chase, which also pushes her out of the pack for good. Determined to bring down the Rogue that stole her and Chase's lives, she sets out to finish him off for good. No matter what the pack has decided.

A fantastic new story about werewolves/shapeshifters. Well-written, paced, and executed. I enjoyed reading about Bryn and Chase and learning about their world.

Wereling by Steve Feasey

What would you do if you woke up one morning and everything you owned was ripped to pieces? That's the dilemma Trey wakes to one morning. Everything he owns is ripped apart and the window is almost pulled completely out of the wall.

Enter Trey's long lost "uncle", Lucien, who says he has all the answers. But answers Trey doesn't want to hear--not at first. Trey is the last known natural-born werewolf. As such, his life is in danger. Before he knows it, Trey is on an adventure of his lifetime, as Lucien's daughter is kidnapped and Trey must learn how to control the beast within, before it destroys everything he's ever known.

The first book in a new series, judging from the ending. There are a few inconsistencies throughout the story, but it doesn't detract from the overall plot. Lots of action, fighting, and background to make the book interesting, as long as you can ignore some of the holes. Hopefully they'll be explained in the next book.

Freaksville by Kitty Keswick

Kasey Maxwell thoroughly believes she is a freak. She fears touching anything with her bare hands because she sees things. Her visions usually involve death or mayhem and end with her in pain. Which is true when she gets a vision of Josh, the foreign exchange hottie from England.

Kasey assumes her vision means she should follow him, but Josh catches her. Then Kasey gets caught in auditioning in the school play, or admitting she was following Josh around. No one knew she'd land the lead. Just like she didn't realize the theater was haunted and she'd start seeing ghosts. Now everyone around her appears to be keeping secrets--Josh, her parents, and even her best friend.

Before she knows it, Kasey is up to her neck in Freaksville. And it isn't as bad as she feared.

Yet another paranormal romance mystery/suspense. There is a lot of things going on--the ghosts in the theater, Kasey's relationship with Josh, her dad's secret and his job, her mom's secret, and the normal high school struggles. The book is written in blog form, with much humor, action, suspense, and a little romance in the mix.

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Grace has always been close to her family, even though they have many secrets from her. Like her brother Jude, who came home one night covered in his own blood and his best friend Daniel disappeared.

But Daniel's back and Grace is more confused than ever. Wanting to be loyal to Jude, she can't help but be drawn to Daniel again and again. Daniel appears to feel the same way, but when she gets close to him, he pushes her away. When Grace's baby brother disappears, Daniel is the one to find him. Jude is even angrier at this and Grace must decide who to trust. Secrets have a way of coming out and Grace is determined to know Daniel's. Determined to save him too, if she can.

I did enjoy the story, but there were a few irritations as I read it. For one, when Grace finds out Daniel is a werewolf, she tells him over and over again how he can be a hero. She's 17, and doesn't seem to be that naive in the rest of the book. This is the story of the prodigal son with werewolves. There are Christian fiction overtones as well, but they aren't heavy or preachy. A good werewolf romance with plot and mystery.

Never Cry Werewolf by Heather Davis

Shelby has a love/hate relationship with the moon. She gets into the best kinds of trouble--boys--at night. She has the best intentions, but that doesn't seem to matter.

So she gets shipped off to therapy camp for the summer. The camp is suppose to "help" her, but also gets her out of her stepmom's hair. So, Shelby heads off to Camp Crescent, instead of the boot camp her stepmom suggests.

At Camp Crescent, Shelby really tries to be good. But she meets Austin. And Austin needs help, before the full moon. Shelby has to weigh being good, and helping a friend that really needs it.

A good romance. Not too heavy, but a good werewolf story too. Definitely a story about Shelby, and how you should accept the consequences, even if your intentions are good. The adults in the story weren't believable at times, but that's easily overlooked.

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

Nina Harrison has been a vampire for the past 30 years, but never tasted human blood. She's spent that time coping with nausea, weakness, and her generally boring life. She belongs to the Vampire Support Group, a group of vampires who attempt to live without biting humans.

Then one of the members is murdered in his sleep and the group must figure out who the murderer is before they all become victims. Nina heads out with her friend Dave, another vampire, to find the person responsible. They find more than they expected and soon their boring life is anything but.

A great story--I enjoyed reading about a different kind of vampire for once. There's a little bit of romance involved, but not much. Lots of action and an occasional glimpse of a werewolf.