Hemlock

Background: Samantha is just an ordinary girl, except that she craves attention everyone once in a while, otherwise she is perfectly normal. That is until she is kissed by her long time crush Stephen, only it isn't what she expected it to be. Samantha realizes that the kiss has changed her and finds a very strange guy with bright shiny eyes on the street who tells her that she must help him. Thrown into a world of angels and demons, this ordinary girl must figure out who can be trusted.

Review: I am happy to say that I could not put this book down. First off, the cover is what pulled me in, very dark and alluring. Then I started reading and at first was very confused. Samantha is a fairly likable protagonist, but she was a little underdeveloped for my liking, thus 4.5 not 5 stars. Rowen wrote Sam's character in a way that thrusts us right into the story but doesn't really build her up until much later.

What I loved was the suspense and action. There was constantly something happening, and because the character development in the beginning was a little lacking in the beginning, this was possible. Right off we are with Sam as she has her life thrown upside down by Stephen's kiss and then immediately after that she meets Bishop and the others.

This was a very quick read because of the swift plot-line, I think it is a great alternative to many of the other angel books already written in the young-adult genre. It was a little more macabre and not as... angsty (not saying it wasn't angsty but lesser than most).

I couldn't wait a minute longer to start Hemlock, by Kathleen Peacock. I was so excited to read into this world where werewolves were not only part of the plot, but the people in the book KNEW they existed. That is what makes Hemlock so different than all of the other werewolf stories. In most books, you have to go through the main character coming to a completely obvious realization that some "hot, dark, and brooding guy" is the werewolf. Because in most books, that is exactly how the werewolf is described.

There were some things in the book that I wasn't completely sure whether I liked or not. The love triangle is one. But, this one is a bit different. Normally, the main character (a girl) can't decide between these two guys that she's never met before and she makes her decision (which isn't usually a decision) based off of a month of knowing both and which one she thinks looks better. But, Hemlock is different. The main character has actually known both guys (Jason and Kyle) for three years. Jason was always dating her best friend (until she was murdered), but had harbored a secret crush on the main character (Mac). Kyle has been in a previous relationship and hasn't been able to tell Mac how he really feels about her. But the real reason the love triangle didn't fail was because Mac actually picked. The main character actually makes a decision (before the eighth book in the series).

The plot was engaging and I really like the mystery aspect in the book. It was a refreshing tale in a different kind of world.

To Sum it All Up: Hemlock isn't my favorite book in the world. But, I did enjoy it, and I will continue reading the trilogy.

I LOVED this book. The words to describe how great it was: astonishing, astounding, fantastic, fantastical, incredible, marvelous, miraculous, phenomenal, prodigious, stupendous, unbelievable, wonderful, wondrous, extraordinary, wicked, awesome, great,glorious, fabulous, remarkable,
magnificent, and any other words that are like that. I was hesitant to try to get the book because of the description. It was sparse and it didn't really give me an idea of the book but, luckily, I decided to because well, because freakin' amazing! When I started reading the book it really caught my attention because you are in the middle of one of Mac's nightmares of her dead best friend. I was like Ohhhh....gotta read some more and soon I was ripping through the pages. The plot of the story was nice and fast-paced which I liked a lot since I hate slow books. Though I guess the span of the book is only maybe like 2 weeks at tops? But, it seemed like more because SO many events took place each day! I liked how the werewolves were actually real in my head instead of those fake werewolves books that I can't get through. To me it seemed like a part mystery/ thriller crime with a twist of werewolves murderers. I really couldn't guess who the white wolf was until they practically told me! I liked her descriptions of the people and places of Hemlock. I liked Mac alot because she was an actual smart main character and she cared about her friends and family more than herself. The romance was I great until I found out that it was love-triangle between her two best friends....Jason and Kyle. The ending was so heartbreaking I was like this:Maybe not THAT tragic but it was still sad. Though it left me with something to look forward to in the next book. I recommend this book to EVERYONE!

I loved, loved this cover when I first saw it. The colours are amazing and the title design is so captivating. And when I realized it was a book about werewolves, I knew I had to read it. I’ve been anticipating this book for a while now and as soon as I received it, I started reading it. And let me tell you, I was not disappointed with Kathleen Peacock’s debut novel.

The werewolf mythology is not new to the publishing world, but I admire the way Kathleen recreated the way we perceive werewolves. In her world, the Lupine Syndrome (LS) is what creates werewolves, after either being scratched or bitten by another werewolf. Nothing new there, but the mass panic and hysteria that ensues after everyone learns of the existence of LS is very original. It’s quite realistic the way the public in the book was quick to judge and more or less removed all human rights to those infected. Shipping them off to seclusion camps that apparently have horrible living conditions reminds me of the concentration camps of the second world war. Those with LS are always living with fear of being discovered, just like the Jews must have felt while they tried to live out their lives in hiding. Prejudice and animosity are very strong themes in this book and I applaud Kathleen for making it so realistic.

Mackenzie, or Mac, is the main character of HEMLOCK, and at the beginning of the novel, she was like any other teenager: scared about the werewolf murder spree that happened months ago and heartbroken about losing her best friend Amy to the killer. Even though Amy was murdered by a werewolf, she was not quick to judge and still believed not all werewolves were killers. She began to believed in equal rights, especially when she learnt that so many people surrounding her had been living with LS in secret. A strong female lead, Mac is not afraid to do what she believes is right, and fights for those she loves.

Branson Derby gave me the chills right from the start. His youth meetings and presence reminded me of cult leaders with their need to be followed and acknowledged. He controlled his followers by making them believe werewolves truly had no rights and that all of the infected were dangerous killers. He ruled his advocates through apprehension and brute strength and the fact that he was able to acquire the help of politicians and the local police made him a figure all werewolves feared. His goal to eradicate all werewolves made him a genocidal antagonist, and as a reader, it was very easy to both hate and fear him.

Kathleen Peacock created a wonderful alternate reality where everyone is aware of the werewolves and where Lupine Syndrome is feared as if it was a deadly disease. Not only is this book about prejudice and werewolves, it’s also about friendship, love, integrity and righteousness. Likable characters and delightful writing made this book a pleasant read. I trully believe this debut will be one of the YA novel to covet this spring/summer season. Young adults (especially members of Team Jacob) will love this book and will strongly anticipate the sequel. The ending promises another book full of intrigue and even more werewolves.

I almost didn't write a review for this because I'm not sure how to put how much I loved this book into words. But I attempted anyway.

I might have been a little biased about this book because of the werewolves. I have a special attachment to them because the first thing I ever really wrote - and the only thing I ever finished - was about werewolves. But after I finished, I knew that had nothing to do with why I loved it so much. People might say they're sick of werewolves, but Hemlock is something I think everyone should take a chance on.


I love the idea of a world where people know that mythical creatures exist. The world of Hemlock is such an easy one to immerse yourself in. The way the world is built up and explained is perfect. It's a world that's so interesting that I just completely loved reading about it. Maybe it's so easy to get involved with because it's also so easy to imagine because it's barely different from ours - but instead of regular serial killers, the serial killers in Hemlock happen to be werewolves. Or maybe Kathleen Peacock is just that good.

I think I only had one issue with this book, and that was Amy. Amy is - or was - Mac's best friend. Amy, even in death, is a big part of the book, yet I almost hated Amy. She's portrayed as a bad person, both through Mac's dreams and the secrets we eventually find out she kept. Even the way Mac talked about her sometimes. It made me wonder she was friends with her, why everyone loved her so much. It was hard for me to understand anyone's motives when it came to Amy.


However, Hemlock is still full of mystery, suspense, and of course some romance. And some awesome characters. Mac is an ordinary girl who can be extraordinary at times simply because she cares so much about protecting the people she loves. The way she never gives up on Jason is admirable. She doesn't run away from all the scary things in her world just because they're scary - but at the same time, she's still scared. She still acts like a teenage girl.


There is a slight love triangle in Hemlock that will probably escalate in the rest of the series, but I can't even complain about that. Both boys involved are ones I love. Jason is broken, flawed, not always easy to put up with, but fiercely loyal and protective. Kyle is also very loyal and protective - but in a different way. Either way, no matter what you think their personalities are, all the characters in Hemlock are very well-developed. They all have depth, which isn't something I've seen in YA lately.


Overall: Werewolves. Suspense. Amazing characters that are real, even if they're slightly paranormal. This debut has it all. Hemlock grips you from the first page and doesn't let go - not even when you've finished. 5 stars.