Review & Giveaway: Isle of Night by Veronica Wolff

Title: Isle of Night

Author: Veronica Wolff

Publisher: NAL Trade

Publication Date: 9.6.2011

Pages: 320

Genre: Paranormal, Horror

Series: Yes (Watchers #1)

Copy: Advanced reader copy sent by publisher for review

Rating: B+

Summary (from Goodreads):

When Annelise meets dark and seductive Ronan, he promises her a new life-if she has the courage to chance the unknown. Now, she's whisked away to a mysterious island and pitted against other female recruits to become a Watcher-girls who are partnered with vampires and assist them in their missions. To survive and become a Watcher, Annelise has to beat out every other girl, but she's determined to do so, because to fail doesn't mean dishonor-it means death.

Review:

Whatever I expected when I started reading Isle of Night, it wasn’t this. I guess I expected Veronica Wolff’s novel to be more romance and seduction and what I got was hard-core action and horror. Not that that is a bad thing! Far from it. I think I got used to the sweet, girl-meets-hot-guy-and-they-fall-in-love storyline that most YA vampire-centric novels throw at me. While there is a romantic element to this book, it was most definitely not the front running story.

Annelise is a girl who has been kicked around all her life. She’s crazy-smart, but has never had a chance to escape her nightmare of a life until now. Only it turns out her great escape turns into a huge joke and she’s left in an even worse situation than she was before. Enter Ronan, the guy with all the answers.

Truthfully? I found the beginning to be somewhat ludicrous. I mean, what person gets into a plane with a guy she just met? Hot or not, Annelise just seemed too smart for that. Luckily that is explained later, but I was left wondering what was going on for quite a little while. It actually annoyed me to an extent, and I felt like this could be a deterrent to some readers. Stick with it, and I swear it will make perfect sense.

Once I got a few chapters in, though, I was well and truly hooked. I loved learning about Annelise’s training as a Watcher, as well as the trials she was put through. Some of them literally had me gaping open-mouthed at the pages. It wasn’t long before I genuinely cared for Annelise, and was rooting hard for her to prevail. She’s a strong, smart character that I couldn’t help but like.

One thing I must advise is that I don’t recommend this book for younger teens. It was, at times, quite graphic in the violence. Other than that, it’s a darkly written tale of survival of the fittest. I can’t wait to get my hands on the rest of this series and find out what happens to Annelise.

Buy: Amazon

GIVEAWAY!

One lucky person will win their own copy of Isle of Night by Veronica Wolff, generously donated by NAL Trade. Sorry, but this contest is for US residents only.

To win, simply reply to this review (make sure you include your email address!). I'll select the winner via random.org on September 30, 2011.