Secrets and Shadows by Shannon Delany

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Age Group: YA
Source: Publisher

Nothing’s simple when you run with werewolves. Jess Gillmansen thinks she’s seen it all but her eyes are about to be opened to even more danger and a reality far more paranormal than she’s suspected. With Jess’s realization that the Rusakovas’ mother is still alive and imprisoned, the group’s choices become harder and trust more important. Lines are drawn and relationships change as the broken Rusakova family struggles to reunite long enough to free their mother and people who Jess always just took to be normal people show themselves to be much, much more.

I loved 13 TO LIFE and have been dying to get my hands on SECRETS AND SHADOWS for a long time, but as I began reading, I found the book to be a bit slow. I found myself comparing the second book with the first one. I found that the idea fell short. Delany's writing was superb which was why I kept reading because her flawless writing kept on sucking me in.

I liked how Shannon didn't only write mythology in this book, but she incorporated real life events, the Russian Mafia. But once the action began forming, it fell very quickly and I wasn't kept on the edge of my seat as I was for 13 TO LIFE. Jess's life is out of control. She has everything thrown at her and at the beginning of the book where she sees her best friend Sarah kissing the guy she loves, Pietr, I was jealous, let alone Jess. She also has to be dealing with werewolves and the Russian Mafia.

When the high school drama began, I was a little hesitant. I didn't think that high school drama would go well into this book because of what it was dealing with, but it did mix well. I found Pietr and his family a bit awkward at times on the way they acted as though they were just perfect in everything, but Jess's character made up for it. She was developed much more in SECRETS AND SHADOWS and I began seeing that her life was only getting harder to understand as she stayed with werewolves. Her emotions were real and what she felt was written very vividly that I could feel it.

Now because there wasn't as much action as I wanted, it doesn't mean this book was bad. I enjoyed it and I would read anything Shannon Delany writes because her writing just sweeps me away. I will continue reading the rest of the series because I just want to know what happens.