'This isn't about love. It's about survival.' 
 'No, Calla.' His voice became hushed. 'This is only about love.' 
 I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. 
 I went into Nightshade hesitantly, hoping that this wouldn't be another cliche werewolf book. Don't get me wrong, I love me some paranormal but I personally have a strong dislike for werewolves and vampires because usually they are written without any originality or creativity. Classic werewolves/vampires creep me out a lot, and it's been a long time since I've read a book that revolved around either of them (namely Shiver and Linger two years ago). I definitely liked Shiver but Nightshade brought to the table something it didn't and was overall a book I thoroughly enjoyed. 
 The good: 
 - Werewolf mythology/concept: I absolutely loved the concept of the werewolves (called Guardians) and their origin story. It's really quite different from everything I've read before. And werewolves aren't the only paranormal creatures to exist. There are witches/warlocks called Keepers, wraiths, succubi/incubi and beings called Searchers. I really enjoyed learning about Calla's world, the Keeper and pack laws that come from being a Guardian and the magic that surrounded the werewolves' existence. It was interesting to see how the werewolves fit into the bigger picture and how they began to realise that they played a part in a much larger war that encompassed several years. 
 - The characters: Overall, I really enjoyed reading and learning about the many characters that grace the pages of this book. The main characters are well-developed and the secondary characters are also fleshed out really well. Many of the secondary characters are also quite important to the story. 
 One of my favourite characters is Calla, seventeen year old alpha werewolf of the young Nightshade pack and the protagonist of this story. I found it really interesting how there is an alpha male and an alpha female in the book; I'm not too familiar with werewolf lore so maybe there are such things as alpha females. I enjoyed reading about how being an alpha changes a lot of things for Calla and makes her feel like her life choices are restricted as the story progresses. I also loved reading about the pack dynamics and the bond between werewolves in the same pack. Soon after the book begins, Calla meets Shay, a human boy, and along with him Calla gradually begins to realise all is not as it seems with her supposed masters, the Keepers. This is in part due to the research that Calla and Shay do which explores the history of the Keepers, the Searchers and how the Guardians were involved, very different from what Calla has always believed in. It was interesting to see how Calla struggled with loyalty to the pack/what she had always believed in and going behind their backs with Shay to discover the truth. I also thought that it was really cool that the transition between human and wolf and vice versa for werewolves was explained in this way - that it was like there were two parts and that when a werewolf is one or the other they are just inhabiting that form and they can change between the two really seamlessly like it wasn't a big deal or anything. Along the way, Calla breaks a lot of Keeper laws and the suspense really builds up to the final climax, when things really blow up in her face (although it definitely isn't completely her fault). I was at the edge of my seat, turning the pages to find out what would happen next. I was very much anxious a lot of the time for Calla and the danger she had put herself and her pack in for the sake of the truth and freedom, and I think that was probably because I was deeply invested in the story and the characters. 
 Shay is the human that Calla meets and (of course) inevitably falls in love with. The romance is a major part of the story but I will talk about that in a later paragraph. Shay was quite likable and most of the time I could see exactly how he would suit Calla. I thought it was a bit unrealistic though to have him continue to talk to Calla in the beginning after they first met, because normal people would have thought they imagined everything, especially after Calla pretended nothing had happened. But then again, I suppose Shay was meant to be 'different' and anyway, the author needed that to happen for the story to continue. There were a couple of times Shay got on my nerves and for some reason, he really reminded me of David from Rebel Belle, who I rather disliked (hence I haven't finished that book). He had his sort of personality and in both books their love interests (the female protagonists) have to protect them because they are (view spoiler)[special in one way or another. There is less protectiveness going on in Nightshade though as soon as Shay is turned into a werewolf - I was actually quite surprised that happened so early on in the book; it was also a little convenient, but I digress, I'm getting away from the point I was meant to be making. I can't remember what David can/is supposed to do, but you can tell a little too early on that Shay is part of a(nother) prophecy and is the oh so special one. I wasn't actually sure if I liked this aspect of the book, but whatever. (hide spoiler)] Anyway, for the most part I liked Shay and the easy conversation he and Calla had together at many times in the story. (view spoiler)[I actually thought that Shay unrealistically took everything on board about the werewolves etc. He was so calm and not freaking out at all which is what I (and any sane person) would have done. This was especially true when Shay was turned into a werewolf and he was already really good at werewolf stuff and hunting etc. I mean, it was alluded to that he would be a great alpha and that if he was a werewolf he would be really good at being one, but I wasn't buying it. That was just too convenient. (hide spoiler)] 
 Ren is the alpha male of the young Bane werewolf pack (this and the Nightshade pack are the only two packs, for some reason for part of the story I thought there were several packs, but that was not how it turned out) and destined to be in a union (of the Keepers' making) with Calla, his alpha female to unite the younger generations of the Nightshade and Bane pack to create the (view spoiler)[Haldis pack. (hide spoiler)] There are certain reasons for this union that Calla, Ren and the other werewolves learn of. So a lot of the book revolves around the lead-up to said union, because it is one of the most important things that the Guardians have had to face. Obviously, Calla is quite anxious about it as well as the rest of the pack. I was worried that Ren would be portrayed as that *cough* sexy, irresistible, alpha werewolf jerk *cough* that I'm sure exists in many other young adult werewolf novels. But though the reader is let on to believe that at the beginning, it soon becomes evident that he is anything but. I enjoyed getting to know Ren and much of the time he is actually nice (in my eyes), though Calla is quite adverse to that idea for a long time. I also liked the banter that Calla and Ren did have. 
 I won't go into to many details about the secondary characters but again, I really liked the Nightshade/Bane pack characters. I also found the Keepers, their laws and their personalities quite interesting, especially Logan, Efron - this was actually a bad choice of name on the author's part, because every time I read that name my mind pictured Zac Efron, but I digress (once again) - and Lumine. 
 - The love triangle: Le sigh. When will authors ever learn? This book just had to have a love triangle, didn't it? 
 Well, actually yes, it did. So if it isn't obvious, the path that Calla's life follows was affected a lot by her encounter with Shay. I figured out early on that without Shay actually ever meeting Calla, we wouldn't have the book we have - or rather the particular plot that Nightshade follows would be impossible and then we would just have a boring plot. So, the book did kind of had to have Calla fall in love with Shay and vice versa, but it also didn't necessarily need that with Ren. But I liked it better with the love triangle anyway (is that even a thing?) because I really liked (view spoiler)[Calla and Ren. (hide spoiler)] 
 (view spoiler)[I actually felt so so bad for Ren at the end of the book because of what happens. And I don't know, I really like Shay, but at the same time I also really like Ren. This is the problem with love triangles for me, when I like BOTH love interests. It's so hard because you know that one of them won't be happy at the end and will have to go through so much sh*t for the girl and still not come out on top. I can also bet my bottom dollar that at the end of the trilogy it will be Calla and Shay for sure not Calla and Ren. I am like 99.9% sure; I'm not sure if it's just me but I could tell as soon as I read a chapter that that would be the ending. And I hate when I think I know what is going to be the end result with these sorts of things because it just ruins the journey to that end for me. It's logic that I should just jump ship and try and dislike Ren and like Calla and Shay more together because then it might be less sad at the ending but I can't because I still like Ren and at the same time it's so obvious that they won't happen. Ugh. End of rant. (hide spoiler)] 
 - The plot/pacing: I thought that the plot and the pacing of this book was really well done. It hit all the spots for me; it was fast-paced, I was never bored, when I wasn't reading the book I was thinking about it and getting back to it soon, the plot had some good twists and turns, although I have to admit, quite a few of them were predictable but I still very much enjoyed the plot line. Especially the climax. Though again, I think the ending could have been done better and been less predictable, but you can't have everything, right? Still, it sets up quite nicely for the sequel (which if you cannot already tell, I want so badly right now, but like the stupid person I am I only borrowed the first book *sigh* and I won't be going back to the library until next week which is actually when I have all these other books due like Glass Sword and Truthwitch which I really need to finish before then, but I'm sidetracking again). I also thought that the writing really suited the story and the pace. 
 The bad: 
 There is a particular scene I was really confused why?? (view spoiler)[So this is almost at the end of the book, and Shay and Calla are running away fast from all these people who want to KILL THEM and they are going back for a change of clothes (okay, I'll excuse that, they're thinking long-term) and as Calla is getting out of her dress they have like a 10 minute long make out and Calla is thinking about doing the deed right there when they are being chased and it is imperative for them to get the f*ck out of there. I'm just saying when there are scary things chasing after you, you just don't have time to do or think about those sorts of things. IT JUST WASN'T THE RIGHT TIME, GUYS. (hide spoiler)] 
 The romance/love triangle occasionally got a little angsty and teenage hormone-y as well as a little cheesy between Calla and Shay for my liking and I would understand if the romance was a bit too much for other readers. It plays quite a significant role in the book, though I didn't mind, because as I said earlier it was quite necessary for the plot (but in no way am I saying that the book just relies on a love triangle or something like that, because that isn't true). 
 I would have liked there to be a bit more world-building and descriptions of the mountain that Calla lives on. She lives on a MOUNTAIN. I want to see that mountain in my mind, which means more describing it. But we don't get that. And there were also plenty of instances (like how Calla gets to school from on top of the mountain or when she goes on patrol) where the author could have dropped some descriptions of it, but alas no, she does not. 
 For a lot of the book, I was wanting more wolf scenes and in the end the reader does get quite a bit, but for a werewolf story, especially because I really liked reading the parts when the pack are wolves not human, there wasn't enough for me. Something to look forward to in the sequel, I suppose. 
 Also, I felt like we didn't get to see many of the adult wolves. Apparently the older generation Nightshade and Bane packs are quite large but only Calla's and Ren's parents are introduced to the reader. I would have liked, let's say, another older wolf to be a secondary character, maybe someone who is a sort of mentor to Calla. 
 I didn't agree with a lot of the Keeper and werewolf laws. Ok, so I suppose that's the whole point, but a lot of it does come off as a bit sexist (at least to me, but I suppose that's how werewolves work?) and I got annoyed at times. Again, I think that's the whole point and what made (view spoiler)[Calla want to change things. (hide spoiler)] 
 For the first 100 pages or so I was a little confused at how the world worked. I obviously realised there were werewolves but I didn't know what any of the terms used meant/what other creatures there were. However, this was relatively quickly fixed when I started getting explanations after that 100 page-ish point and it wasn't really a problem in the scheme of things. Everything was explained really well after that point, so that made up for it. 
 One last thing, I think the cover is really pretty, but it really does not match the story. It's got a girl ... with purple make-up ... and some white flowers. I have no idea how that has anything to do with the story. There is another cover which matches the story better but aesthetically, I like it less. Oh well. The cover isn't that important. 
 In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Nightshade. It had great characters, an exciting plot and a flawless concept. Though it did have some drawbacks that meant it wasn't a 5-star read, it was pretty darn close and especially after that ending, I'm definitely looking forward to getting my hands on the sequel. 
 4.5 stars