Jen's review of "Unleashed" By Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

Unleashed (Wolf Springs Chronicles #1) by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie
Publication date: December 8th, 2011
Publisher: Doubleday Children's books
Number of pages: 383
Format: Paperback
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository
Description:  Katelyn McBride’s life changed in an instant when her mother died. Uprooted from her California home, Katelyn was shipped to the middle of nowhere, Arkansas, to her only living relative, her grandfather. And now she has to start over in Wolf Springs, a tiny village in the Ozark Mountains. Like any small town, Wolf Springs has secrets. But the secrets hidden here are more sinister than Katelyn could ever imagine. It’s a town with a history that reaches back centuries, spans continents, and conceals terrifying truths. And Katelyn McBride is about to change everything.

Broken families, ageless grudges, forced alliances, and love that blooms in the darkest night—welcome to Wolf Springs.

These two authors have written some of the best books out there. From the Wicked series to their Crusade series, and now comes a new brand of genre books. We are introduced to Katelyn. After the death of her mother, Katelyn gets uprooted from sunny California to a small town in the middle of nowhere, Arkansas. If she had a choice, she would be with her friends finishing high school where she knows best and feels the most like at home, but she doesn't have a choice in this matter. 

Upon arriving in Wolf Springs, her grandfather tells her what has been going on. A girl turned up dead in the woods, and where does her father, and now she have to live? The woods. Oh joy.
Soon enough, she meets a new friend who is also a friend of her grandfather's. His name is Trick and he is a little mystery and you don't exactly know what is going on with him.
But he is there for her, takes her to school since he is her only way to and from school. The more she spends time with him she starts to develop feelings for him, which complicates things especially when he acts out of character, and Katelyn starts to wonder what is up with him.

It wasn't long until she develops a friendship with the popular school in school, and the two seem to click even though there is something about her new friend that seems a bit strange and peculiar that Katelyn can't seem to understand.
But things get a little odd when Katelyn meets Cordelia's cousin, Justin. The moment he and Katelyn meet something crazy happens that seems out of their control: They can't seem to be able to keep their hands off one another and don't understand why.

But there is something dark and dangerous going on around town. The town seems to have a wolf problem, and when something tragic  happens to Katelyn, she'll have to try find her own place in this new world she has found herself in.

First off, I will say that I am a big fan of Justin and ship Justin/Katelyn so hard. I was so mesmerized by him the moment he came onto the scene. There is just that chemistry between them that draws me to them. It's not something they, nor I can understand, but it's just so compelling that makes me want these two together. But that task won't be an easy one.

Katelyn, while she didn't come off first as a strong character -- but as she journeys through the books and deals with -- stuff, she does become stronger as a person, especially for someone that is 17 years of age.
The fact she has to deal with having no parents, and moving in with someone she barely knows can't be an easy thing.
But after so many things that happens, she starts to grow and harden up, which I think she will need to be.

I can't wait to see what will happen in book 2.. which, I think gets released in December 2012.

                                                              Rating:  4/5