A BLOG TOUR to Howl About: Welcome Back to WOLF SPRINGS...

Why hello there readers!

Welcome back to another day another post here at the place to satisfy your bookish desires….Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers. Today we have part two of the tour to howl about featuring that Young Adult literature writing author duo, Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie! They know their stuff and if you don’t believe me, you can check out their guest post seen here last week that explains how that capture that YA magic we know and love. Speaking of which, today’s post is my review of their latest release and trust me when I say, you don’t want to miss it. Without further adieu, today’s book of choice and blog tour guest is….

Wolf Springs Chronicles, Book 1:

Unleashed

By

Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

From the author's site....

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.

There’s something that I noticed whilst reading this one and I think I knew it for quite a while, but it just came to the forefront of my mind this time around. One of the things unique about their writing is how the story is carried. The majority of it is held firmly aloft by the actual dialogue in the story. Now that may not seem like a truly surprising feat, but really….think about it. In today’s Young Adult genre, things generally go one of two ways; either the author creates a world so fantastical it’s hard to believe, or they step into a future version of our own world with realistic enhancements. These authors stay firmly planted in the present and let the story build out of the characters alone….with much success. After all, there’s no need for extensive world building when you have all you need right here and let’s not forget that it makes it all the more real when you can identify with what the characters are seeing, going through, or where they’re at. Anywho, I believe I made my point…moving on….

Characters! Oh those crazy beautiful character…no really! Most are pretty faces, but there’s a lot more there too. Let’s see, hottie number 1: Trick; the Romanian-esque speaking, cowboy boot wearing, smoking in a oh-my-let-me-just-gaze-at-you-a-minute-longer sorta way. He’s definitely hiding something which is a no-no if you’re going to get anywhere with the girl of interest, but despite the reputation he has, acts the gentleman…for the most part (hey, even Prince Charming was a jerk sometimes I’m sure). Hottie number 2: Justin; the equally sculpted, relative of her newbie best friend Cordelia, with eyes that could penetrate your soul, and enough magnetism to draw the Earth’s core. He’s got that bad boy thing going for him and is hiding something just as much as the other “man” in question….but with heat like that, he’s hard to resist despite any wrong doings. Ah yes, so many guys…so big a decision to make….which leads me to our main character, Katelyn.

Katelyn has been through heck and high water with losing her Dad a while back and now, the death of her Mom. Now, let’s say we ship her off to Arkansas away from everything else she knew and loved to live with a Grandfather she’s barely ever seen and expect her to be peachy-keen. Umm, yeah….not so much. She DOES her best considering the circumstances…..she even comes to like her knew home to a certain degree, if only she could stop being attacked by woodland creatures, and gain a little freedom because really does she need to be home before dark EVERY night? Let’s just say that her Grandfather has good reasons for what he asks (though I’m curious if he will ever verbatim say why)…reasons she finds out in good time on her own and through means she’ll possibly live to forget (not possibly forget….possibly live as in may not…you’ll have to read it to find out). Thankfully she has her new bestie Cordelia to help her out, right? Not exactly. It seems she’s hiding things too and they aren’t exactly what you might think either.

Now as mentioned with the two hotties previously, there is obviously a romance angle to the story. The best way I can describe it without giving too much away is this….it totally fit the song “Love Me, Love Me” by Big Time Rush (whose recent CD happens to be in my car…I totally blame my coworker for introducing me to it). There’s energy, indecision, desire and passion all palpable straight off the page…and yet still demure enough to be a teen friendly read, albeit mid to older teens and beyond. *le sigh*

In short, there are many hidden truths to uncover in the small town of Wolf Springs. Some you may anticipate, some you may guess….others will take you by surprise as they turn up the heat but rest assured, this series is getting off on the right foot and I for one CAN’T WAIT to see what happens next. So much to learn still and so many decisions to be made.

Special thanks to Lauren at Random House Children’s Books for the review copy and the chance to participate in this tour. (THANKS!) For more information on this title as well as their complete catalog, feel free to visit them online, or follow along on Twitter. For more information on the blog tour, be sure to check out the author’s sites (1 and 2) and of course, follow them on Twitter (1 and 2). They truly rock and are so considerate of their readers, you won’t be sorry.

Until next time…happy reading!