Thornhill

August 15, 2013
The plot wallows as Mackenzie struggles to reunite with her werewolf boyfriend, Kyle, in this sequel to Hemlock (2012). She hopes to find him in Denver, something of a mecca for those infected with Lupine Syndrome. With two of her best friends--boyfriend wannabe Jason, recently a member of the werewolf-hating Trackers, and werewolf Serena--she tracks him down at a werewolf nightclub presided over by her father, who abandoned her three years before. There's little time for reunions, though, as a Tracker raid quickly sends Mackenzie, Kyle and Serena to Thornhill, a model "rehabilitation camp." There, Mackenzie poses as a werewolf, hoping to effect a rescue from inside. Complicating matters is the removal of Serena to a top-secret facility within Thornhill, for no-doubt-nefarious purposes. This is too bad, as Serena was one of the more interesting characters in the first book, but a couple other wolves--Eve, a punk protegee of Mackenzie's father's, and Dex, an internee with dark suspicions--help to compensate. Unfortunately, far too much of the plot is given over to Mackenzie's hand-wringing over having put everybody in danger and the swoony kisses she shares with Kyle in stolen moments. Real-world parallels to such issues as closeted homosexuality and the spread of HIV are quickly indicated and then dropped. A semi-climactic confrontation leaves characters poised for Book 3; only series devotees will be as well. (Paranormal romance. 14 & up)

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January 1, 2014
After Hemlock, Mackenzie just wants to be with her werewolf man, fight the "rehabilitation" camps that resemble prisons, and uncover the secrets the government is hiding. These are ambitious dreams, and the dialogue and character interactions occasionally suffer in efforts to keep the plot moving. Nevertheless, a dreamy romance and worthy goals will keep readers firmly on Mac's side.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)