Reviews

Gr 8 Up-Readers will like much about this conclusion to the series. The love between Grace and Sam grows stronger and stronger, and the pain of their plight is palpable and heart-wrenching. The book begins where Linger (Scholastic, 2010) left off: Grace, thought to be immune to the "werewolf gene," has turned into a wolf, fleeing the hospital bed where she was dying. Much suspicion now surrounds Sam, the last person to see her. And now another local girl, Olivia, has been found dead, ravaged by wolves. Cole St. Clair's life as a famous rock star is at odds with his drug abuse. He sees no reason to live, and becoming a wolf seems like the best solution. But something is keeping him from shifting, so he begins to experiment on himself to find a cure for the werewolf gene. If he can find it, he can possibly save Grace and ensure that Sam is permanently cured. There isn't much time, though, as Tom Culpepper is still out for revenge on the wolves that killed his son. To make matters worse, Grace, the most logical of the bunch, keeps shifting between wolf and human. Sam's character is one to make teen girls swoon as he bakes, recites poetry, and sings love songs to Grace. Cole offers a nice contrast to Sam, with his rock-star charm and reckless ways. There is much action and suspense, although the idea of Officer Koenig riding in to help save the day is a bit far-fetched. The only downside to the story is the ending, which is left open for interpretation. While some readers will like drawing their own conclusions, others may feel let down at the lack of closure. This is not a stand-alone novel; familiarity with the previous two books is a must.-Lauren Newman, Northern Burlington County Regional Middle School, Columbus, NJ (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.