Review: Born at Midnight - C.C. Hunter

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition edition (March 29, 2011)

Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams,  Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen…

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, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.”  Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—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.  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. 

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

My Thoughts...

This book left me craving more! I need to know what happens next! This book focuses on Kylie, a normal girl who is just trying to deal with divorcing parents and the heartbreak of being dumped. After the cops raid a party where Kylie's only crime was being there her mother decides to send her to Camp Shadowfalls.  Kylie goes thinking this is a camp for juvenile delinquents. Quickly Kylie learns that everything isn't what it seems. Kylie finds out why she is really at this camp but is sure that someone somewhere is wrong and she doesn't belong there. While trying to figure out the truth Kylie meets some new friends and we get reintroduced to Della. Watching Kylie try to figure everything out while coming to terms with all the new things happening around her. We also meet Derek and Lucas. *Swoon* This is one triangle I can't seem to settle on one side or the other,. Now I said this book left me wanting more...We learn just enough about Kylie to resolve this book, but not enough to fully satisfy! I loved the characters, the setting, and the story was told very well. I highly recommend this book to everyone. I give this one 4 stars!

Review: Turned at Dark - C.C. Hunter

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 132 KB
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (March 15, 2011)

Independent and strong-willed Della Tsang hadn’t believed in ghosts until she saw her dead cousin darting into the shadows of an alley. She hadn’t believed in vampires until in the dark of that same night she is turned into one. Introduced to a strange world of supernaturals, she struggles to accept this new reality. Unfortunately, the boy she loves senses something different about her and can’t accept her. Should she follow her vampire cousin’s lead–walk away from everything she’s knows and loves—and fake her own death? Or should she set her pride aside and ask for help from the camp leader of Shadow Falls—a camp where supernaturals go to learn how to cope with their powers. Either way, her life as she knows it, will never be the same.

My Thoughts...

This novella took us along for a ride with Della, a normal teenager, who is happy at home, has friends, and a boyfriend she is crazy about.  All until one night she thinks she sees the ghost of her cousin. She ends up in the middle of a gang fight and from there life gets really strange. She finds out that her cousin isn't dead, but a vampire and that he has activated the vampire virus in her, after a very sick few days she wakes up and starts to learn about the new Della, while trying to figure everything out she finds the phone number for Camp Shadow Falls. That is where we leave Della.  This was a cool short story, Della is pretty cool, and the whole take on vampires seems just different enough to be a fresh take on the subject. When I finished this I quickly jumped into Born at Midnight, and while this didn't feel like a required read to understand Born at Midnight I am glad I read it first.  I give this novella 4 stars!