Monday, August 20, 2012

Taken at Dusk (Shadow Falls, #3) by C.C. Hunter


  • Title: Taken at Dusk (Shadow Falls)
  • Classification: Young Adult (Ages 12 and up)
  • Genre: Paranormal
  • Format: Paperback, 400 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Original edition (April 10, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 0312624697
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312624699
Author's Website: http://www.cchunterbooks.com/

     "I feel as if nothing in my life makes sense anymore. Everything is changing."
     Holiday wrapped her hair into a rope. "Change isn't the worst thing, Kylie. It's when things aren't changing that you have to worry." 
     "I disagree." Kylie dropped her chin down on her kneecap. "I mean, I know change is necessary for growth and all that stuff. But I'd like one thing in my life to feel...grounded. I need a touchstone. Something that feels real."
     Holiday raised her brows. "Shadow Falls is real, Kylie. It's your touchstone." 

Kylie Galen has gone through a lot of changes in a short time. She can see and talk to ghosts. She realized she had that power for a while, but it wasn't until recently that she learned she's not fully human, she's part supernatural as well. With each new ghost she encounters, she struggles to find out the meaning of what they're trying to tell her. While ghost whispering is the first power she acquired, it is not the only one she possesses. She is slowly coming into her full powers and it almost seems there's almost no limit to what she can do. The counselors and administration of Camp Shadow Falls, a camp for supernaturals, are miffed as to what she might be. At times she's displayed traits which have made them think she might be part fae, vampire, or werewolf. The thing is nothing can be ruled out yet because she could very well be any one of those. Too bad Shadow Falls doesn't have it's own personal sorting hat to tell her which group she should be in. That would make her life so much less complicated and make her feel like less of a supernatural freak. Of course, even if she knew where exactly where she fit in, could anyone really feel normal with ghosts hanging around making eerie declarations...

     "So many people want me to tell you something." 
     "Who?"  Realizing she'd whispered the word out loud, she bit her lip. Was it Daniel? Nana? What do they want you to tell me?
     The spirit met Kylie's gaze as if she understood. "Someone lives. Someone dies."

What Kylie doesn't yet realize is that the ghost who is currently haunting her doesn't come bearing just warnings, she holds the key to unlocking the mystery of Kylie's origins and power. Be prepared for a bumpy ride. Not everything is what it seems and Kylie will come that much closer to what the death angels decreed her to do...
"Go and uncover your past so you may discover your destiny."
  ________________

This is my favorite book of the Shadow Falls series thus far. So much was going on and we finally discover what Kylie is. Yay! I wouldn't have guessed it, but it makes so much sense. :)

In Taken at Dusk, we find out more about the feared death angels who are rumored to haunt the Falls and dole out punishments. We learn more about FRU, the Fallen Research Unit, that Burnett works for and discover why Holiday is so leery of them. Kylie finally makes contact with a couple she believes to be her dad's adoptive parents. When the private investigator hired to find them turns up dead, however, the identity of that couple is called into question.  Additionally, Kylie seems to be having a bout of bad luck. She keeps finding herself in dangerous situations and barely missing harm. Can anyone truly have that many close calls or is something funny going on? Perhaps Kylie's just a little paranoid after all that happened when Mario abducted her?

Kylie finally chooses who she wants to be with, but will she second guess herself? Being attracted to a supernatural being has complications the rest of us can't imagine. Some Fae have the ability to manipulate your emotions. Werewolves apparently are master at seduction. So how is a girl supposed to know if what she is feeling is truly her feelings or something imposed upon her? It's clear that Kylie has feelings for both Derek and Lucas, but are relationships supposed to be so complicated at age 16?  Whenever it seems like she's made her choice something happens to make things even more difficult. In Awake at Dawn, Derek practically handed Kylie over to Lucas on a silver platter when he decided he needed to take a step back from her. Will she pick Lucas or wait for Derek to pull himself together?

Why is the book called Taken at Dusk? Well, I believe it has to do with this line:
     'The death angels took him at the last second of dusk.' 
If you want to know who lives and who dies, well, you're going to have to read the book. *smirk*

Overall, I loved this one and gave it 5 out of 5 roses. I felt it was the perfect blend of drama, suspense, mystery, humor, and action with a dash of romance on the side. The pace was fast and I found I couldn't put the book down until I finished. I can't wait to read the next book and luckily I don't have to. I received the ARC of Whispers at Moonlight and will start reading it tonight. Yay!  Since this is a young adult book and the romance is quite tame, I'm forgoing a romance rating. I HIGHLY recommend this book and series. I'm truly enjoying it.

Order of Series:


Coming October 2nd:

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