Thursday, July 19, 2012

Hemlock

Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
3.5/5 stars
Katherine Tegen Books, 2012
404 pages
YA Paranormal

Finally I have had a chance to read this after skimming many reviews and getting a lot of ideas about what this book contains. It sounded like a different kind of werewolf book and the love triangle actually seemed to be a lot more complex with some different dynamics represented.

The basic plot is that werewolves are known and acknowledged in this world; when captured they are tagged and sent off to camps, never to be seen again. However some evade capture such as the mysterious white wolf that killed Amy, best friend to Mac, our main character.  Now Mac is struggling in grief while her town is overtaken by the Trackers, an extremist group dedicated to crushing werewolves. Meanwhile Mac's personal life is spiraling out of control, largely due to the aforementioned love triangle.

Well let's tackle the love triangle first. Both of the guys are long-time friends of Mac. One, Jason, dated her best friend Amy and the other is her best friend Kyle but the two have never contemplated taking their friendship to the next level (according to Mac's narration). Jason spends most of the book being the entitled rich kid, never forced to deal with consequences because his daddy's money and influence spares him from all that. He is a jerk with a lot of rage so it is not too surprising to see him get entangled with the Trackers. Kyle is much more my type, the very sweet guy who is there when you need him. Of course, both are super hot and there are several intimate scenes between Mac and each guy. One of the elements I was prepared for was for Mac to have a more maternal side to each guy, which is true in my opinion. I thought she spent a lot of time looking after and being protective of them, not that they necessarily appreciated it. And thus, while I liked Kyle quite a bit, I ultimately am not a fan of this love triangle. I think Mac needs someone else outside of their weird little group.

Thinking back on the mystery, it all ties together perfectly although I was not able to puzzle it out for myself. It's money, influence, and politics tying together for someone's agenda. Honestly I was too sidetracked by everything Mac was doing to really consider who the wolf could be (thankfully we do find out or I would have been upset).

One of my favorite parts was that Mac keeps imagining Amy in her head and having conversations with her. It didn't seem exactly like a dream but more of a coping mechanism. I always got excited to see Amy's name appear in print during those scenes. This was especially effective in the end when Amy warns Mac that unveiling the white wolf does not end everything; there is more to come, obviously as this is a trilogy.

Overall: I did like the paranormal elements and mystery but the love triangle was a bit too drawn out for my taste and ultimately I root for Mac as a single gal, unencumbered by the stupid boys.

Cover: The girl looks so separate from her surroundings instead of one with the forest. The dress is also extremely impractical for all of the running around Mac does.

11 comments:

  1. Thanks for the great review! Hemlock is one that I really want to read, but haven't gotten my hands on yet! I love that warewolves seem to be the "next big thing" and I love that the mystery of this one sounds so perfect.

    -Jac @ For Love and Books

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  2. Love triangles suck sometimes:P I love the cover to this book and I've been wanting to read it for a while. I suppose I shall wait til it comes in paperback. Thanks for the review!
    -Danna

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  3. I totally agree on the cover. The girl is obviously pasted into the background it's just a generic paranormal cover rather than something relevant to Mac's story.

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  4. I've been curious about this one. Great point about rooting for her to be independent single girl, that should be featured every now and again, but usually isnt.
    Brandi from Blkosiner’s Book Blog

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  5. I really liked this book and the mystery was by far my favorite thing in it. While the love triangle didn't ruin the book for me, it was definitely kind of annoying. It's been awhile since I read it, so I can't remember my emotions exactly, but I guess we'll see how the next one goes.

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  6. I do want to read this book. The cover is stunning. Not sure what I'd think about the love triangle. I don't generally have a problem with love triangles, but they have to be well done. It sounds like this one was just middling.

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  7. Awesome review! I definitely have to pick this up soon although I am a little (OK a LOT) worried about the love triangle. Love traingles= stress, nail-biting, and ripping of hair out. (At least for me LOL) :P I hate how in most Paranormal books the girl just HAS to be with a guy otherwise she's 'no one'. It's so stupid! I mean, what happened to strong, independent single ladies?? -.- Anyway... I love werewolves! So, therefore, I am going to add this to my *forever growing* TBR list. Fabulous review, as always!

    P.S. I don't know if I've said this already, but I really like and admire how you write a mini review for the cover. I don't have anywhere near enough artistic knowledge or patience. :P

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  8. there was some hype before this one came out and i admit to being interested but then i sort of forgot about it. now, i think i'll pass. i am just tired of love triangles, especially ones with boys you described: jerk vs. nice guy. and the MC will spend the entire series "loving" both and irritating me for not being able to decide.

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  9. I always associate hemlock with vampires so I was surprised to find out this book is about werewolves. Based on the description I don't think this book would be for me. I don't think I'd like the romance (especially where one guy is a jerk) and I prefer werewolf books that are more like Raised By Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

    The cover is romantic and suggests a damsel in distress waiting on someone to save her (don't want to get that pretty dress dirty). Thanks for your review! I think I will be skipping this one.

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  10. Haha - I too vote her to stay away from the boys! I did like the mystery to it as well as it feels as if there aren't enough YA books with a good mystery element to them. Great review!

    - Jessica @ Book Sake

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  11. I liked Kyle, but I'm Team Jason. At least, so long as he reforms. Kyle is a bit *too* good for my tastes. I really loved the whole book, though, and felt that it was the YA werewolf book I was hoping would come along.

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