Initially, I was passionate about getting this book in my hands. It had been the hottest YA book out so far, the one everyone was reading and the one everyone was talking about. Come on, after all it's been compared to Twilight, and the ravishing praises do raise your curiosities. Promotion for this book has been everywhere, from fans glossing over the gorgeous cover to Nightshade giveaways dotting the endless book blogs. I must admit, I DESPERATELY wanted to read this book for the longest time. After finally getting my hands on a copy these were my initial ideas. 
 1) Wow, it's a lot thicker than I imagined. 
 2) I can't wait to read it!!! 
 I expected a lot out of Nightshade, especially since it was using werewolves. (I mean after the whole Twilight craze, who's NOT using vampires/werewolves in their stories?) I wanted to see what Nightshade was doing differently to win such a fan following and bonanza. So I started my journey of reading and this is what I got: 
 Honestly, in the long run I'm a bit disappointed in Nightshade. I think it's been over hyped and over crazed and readers have overestimated it. Undoubtedly, it's a good well-written, book. Yet, I can't feel anything extremely surprising or great about it. So let's start with pros and cons. 
 Pros: 
 First off, the cover just catches your attention. It's spellbinding and mythical, and the color scheme fits! As with the title, it's pretty trendy and very sexy. Nightshade, (and the additional books in the series Wolfsbane and Bloodrose) are names of poisonous plants? Points for the creativity! So, as I started reading, I was impressed by the world building. Calla, as the alpha female of the Nightshades, can change from human to wolf appearance. It's oddly realistic yet fanciful, which follows the Twilight pattern. And Calla is likable at points - she's tomboyish, strong and willing to be decisive and follow her pack! I like the idea of Keepers and Guardians, the world they live in, the ancient rules they have and the secret scandalous history that comes in. The world building is undeniably its strongest aspect, and the idea of society, position and duty is a strong theme that calls to me. 
 Cons: 
 I don't really like the romance. I don't like Shay, and I slightly dislike Ren. They're both rather arrogant and try to woo Calla way too obviously. Shay..is supposed to represent the liberation of the world for Calla, yet all I see is another pushy male to dominate Calla. And Ren, the most popular boy, with all his flings and ex's. I'm annoyed at the way Calla melts at the boys' affection and how it really is all about who Calla loves in the end. 
 So overall, Nightshade fails to live to the hype. It really does. It's good, but still. I guess I should be a little suspicious of any book that gets so popular, so fast.