Secrets and Shadows

Gr 8 Up—This story picks up where 13 to Life (St. Martins, 2010) left off, with 16-year-old Jessica missing her mother, who passed away, and pining for her boyfriend, who just happens to be a werewolf pretending to date her unstable best friend. Jessica has to choose between Pietr, the werewolf, and Derek, a handsome jock who seems to have a dark secret, all while working with Pietr's siblings to rescue their mother from the CIA. Some plotlines feel quite reminiscent of the "Twilight" series (Little, Brown), with a supernatural love interest rejecting his human paramour for her own good, although his family embraces her. But Delany's story has some clunky slow parts and takes far longer to engage readers. However, it ends with a suspenseful bang, and avid fans of the first book, and of paranormal romance in general, will certainly be left wanting more.—Sharon Senser McKellar, Oakland Public Library, CA