I enjoyed this, a fast read into the otherworld series. I loved the characters and the plot. If you like paranormal young adult with that thriller vibe you will love this. ( )

I love Kelly Armstrong and this is a great story with great characters. I’ll chime in with everyone else though and say that it does end rather abruptly and the next one isn’t out for two months! ( )

It was really nice to get back into Armstrong's Otherworld universe. It feels like it has been too long since I've read these books, and I do really enjoy them. This particular volume is novella length, and ends with a cliffhanger. However, it's enough fun (and the sequel is coming out soon enough) that the ending didn't bother me. I'm curious to see where the plot goes from here, since there are lots of things that have been hinted at and others that have only been flagged as wrong without any major hints as to why they are wrong. I personally was able to suspend disbelief for the weird aspects of the story, since they fit well enough within the supernatural world already established for this universe. I don't think I would recommend this as a starting point for the Otherworld stories, though. There's too much worldbuilding and character development that you won't understand if you try to start here. ( )

First I have to say that this isn't a whole story. It is the first of a duology and most of the major plot points are left unresolved and waiting for the second book. However, it is a good introduction to Otherworld stories for those new to the world. It introduces Kate and Logan who are twins and the children of the Alpha of the Pack wolves and the enforcer for the pack.

Logan and Kate are sixteen and going through some growing pains. They have always been each other's main companion and support. The personalities are complements of the other. Logan is the thoughtful, introspective twin and Kate is more bold and brash. But events that happened to Kate have changed her and she isn't sharing what happened with Logan who is feeling hurt and a little resentful.

When their parents decided that they should attend a camp which will be filled with other paranormals and which has the purpose of furthering understanding between the two groups, neither Logan or Kate are at all enthusiastic. Their expectations seem to be met when they arrive at the camp and find all sorts of weird things happening.

The camp director first wants them to keep the fact that they are werewolves secret but then outs them herself and is very prejudiced against them. The other campers seem weirdly aggressive and seem more interested in hooking up than getting to really know any of the others.

Kate's new roommate is a witch named Holly who is also finding the camp dynamics weird. Logan is assigned to Mason's room. Mason is keeping his affiliation secret but Logan soon comes to identify him as a vampire. Together, they make up the two most feared types of paranormals in the Otherworld. Meanwhile, Kate meets Elijah who is supposedly half demon but who she figures out is actually a werewolf in disguise. He is not Pack and really seems to resent Logan and Kate.

As tensions rise and their isolation grows even more pronounced, Logan, Kate, Holly, Elijah, and one of Kate's childhood flames Allen need to band together to figure out what is going on at the camp and how they can survive until help arrives.

The story was exciting. I liked Logan and Kate. I liked the snarky dialog and the way the kids interacted to make their discoveries. The action at the end of the book make this one a real page turner. And the cliffhanger ending makes me very eager to read the next book which should answer my many questions. ( )