Wednesday, May 21, 2014

*Gizmos Book Reviews* Reborn (Shadow Falls: After Dark #1) by C.C. Hunter

**I received this book for free via Netgalley/St. Martin's Griffin in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**

*My Thoughts*

Reborn is the first book in the Shadows Falls: After Dark series. This time out, Hunter writes from the prospective of Della Tsang, a vampire who is trying really hard to prove herself and to others so that she can one day become an paranormal investigator for the FBI's Fallen Research Unit (FRU). Reborn brings back all of my favorite characters from the original series in Kylie (chameleon), Miranda (Witch), Lucas (werewolf), Camp leaders Holiday (Fae) & Burnett (vampire), Derek (Fae), Steve (Shifter), Jenny (chameleon), and Perry (shifter). 

Some have said that it is not important for readers to have read the original Shadow Falls series first before jumping into Reborn. I will offer to you that if you haven't already done so, then you probably should. You should learn to understand the characters that Hunter has created over 5 books plus 2 novellas featuring Della and others. You should learn about the world that Hunter has created, and why it is centered around a teenaged supernatural boarding school/summer camp called Shadow Falls where the kids learn how to be what they are.

In Reborn, Della faces a variety of interesting situations. She's still struggling with the coldness of her father, and the fact that her parents truly believe she's into drugs, and/or alcohol, or even promiscuity. While at home on a mandatory break, she uncovers a mystery and proceeds to search into what really happened to her missing uncle, and why her father is so secretive about him. Della is also eager to find the person responsible for killing two humans and bringing FRU justice to the party responsible. At the same time, she risks losing her tenuous relationship with Steve after a mysterious vampire named Chase Tallman makes his presence felt in an almost stalkerish way. That, my friends, is only a few things that Hunter throws at readers in this installment.

Della is such a determined character that you have to give her lots of credit for not caring if anyone truly likes her sometimes abrupt style & personality. She's spunky, sarcastic, feisty, eager, and willing to go the extra mile after being told by Burnett that she's not ready to take the next step as an investigator. Even though she has two best friends in Kylie and Miranda, she still has a tendency of closing herself off from others like Jenny, which almost never works. 

I will say this about Hunter, she is absolutely determined not to allow the love triangle to die a painful death. As with Kylie's choices before her, Della now faces SEVERAL different characters who are both charming (Steve), mysterious (Kevin), and perhaps a bit on the devious side (Chase). One can only hope that Hunter doesn't go a FULL 5 books before Della makes her situation known to the men in her life.

Reborn is a bit on the repetitive side but I think that is because Hunter is hoping that new readers will read Reborn, and then go back and discover her original series. Della is definitely not like Kylie in that it took her several books to discover who/what she was. So, I am hopeful that there will be plenty more adventures ahead for Della and crew. I am also determined to find a way for Hunter to reveal more of the characters that make up FRU, and are apparently like Burnett in that they feel they should protect females, but not allow them to take up their own investigations. 

Basically what it all means, is that I will be reading the next installment, and hope that I end up being approved by St. Martins for the rest of the series! 


Author - C.C. Hunter
Title - Reborn (Shadow Falls; After Dark # 1)
Published by St. Martins Griffin
Released: May 20, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Format: E-book 400 pages



2 comments:

  1. glad you enjoyed this! The concept sounds really interesting, but since I've heard such mixed-to-negative things about the series to which it is a companion, I've been eyeing it suspiciously. But ugh, the love triangle doesn't sound very fun.

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    1. Yeah, I'm a hater when it comes to triangles. It's why I could never give a book 5 stars if the story includes one. That also goes for rape, incest, and child abuse. Thanks Blythe!

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