REVIEW: Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

I am such a huge fan of YA werewolf books so I absolutely jumped at the chance to read Unleashed, the first book in the Wolf Springs Chronicles by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie. And it is a very surprising and exciting first book in the series! I'm really intrigued to explore more in the world these two authors have created as well as find out more about the characters and the mythology of these werewolves.

Unleashed begins with our main character Katelyn and her mother living a normal and happy life in San Francisco, but when an earthquake kills her mother, Katelyn is sent off to her only remaining relative who lives in the Ozarks in Arkansas. Katelyn and her grandfather don't know very much about each other, so this huge move means starting all over in so many ways. With her grandfather, whom she calls 'Ed', at a new school and also fitting in with new friend and social circles.

When Katelyn is assigned a local history project, she begins to try to unravel the town's secrets. There's the warnings to not go outside after dark, the wolf imagery that is everywhere she looks, the unexplained mauling and the deaths of two teenage girls and the weird behaviour of some of the people Katelyn meets. Katelyn is never quite sure who to trust and what to make of this weird and dangerous town she has found herself in.

There's Cordelia, Katelyn's partner for this history assignment, who seems to blow hot and cold and has a very unusual family dynamic. There's Trick, the hot guy who drives Katelyn to and from school and then there's Cordelia's cousin, Justin who she seems drawn to in this very intense way.

Unleashed has many different aspects to its story, from the mystery of the werewolves, to Katelyn's fragile relationship with her grandfather, her tenuous friendship with Cordelia and her budding attraction to both Trick and to Justin. And as I was reading the book, I found myself more and more intrigued about each different part to the story. I loved the mixture of mystery, action and romance and I'm so excited to read more in this series!