13 to Life

July 12, 2010
Delany's debut launches a paranormal series with a thoughtful but flawed exploration of emotionally wounded teens. Sixteen-year-old Jessica spends her days mourning her mother, mooning over football star Derek, and tiptoeing around her accident-altered best friend, Sarah. She doesn't want complications like Pietr
Rusakova in her life, but doesn't have a choice when she is assigned to guide the newcomer around school. Soon Pietr and Jessica are setting off romantic sparks, but she pushes him away—Sarah has her eye on him. When Jessica learns Pietr's biggest secret—that he and his siblings are werewolves—she becomes involved in a complicated web that includes the Russian mafia, the CIA, and ticking time-bomb Sarah. The plot has some problems (particularly that no one gives Sarah details about her accident), but Delany effectively probes what makes a monster, how being too selfless can be damaging to the soul, and whether it's possible to rewrite a person's personality. Readers who can overlook the plot issues will likely be caught up in the story's potential to explode, but will have to wait for the next installment for the boom. Ages 13–up.

October 1, 2010

Gr 8 Up-Jessica knows what it is like to lead a false life. Wrestling with the emotions surrounding the death of her mother, she is also keeping her best friend, Sarah, from learning the truth about her role in this tragic accident. Complicating matters, Jessica is drawn to the mysterious and good-looking new boy at school. Pietr Rusakova is unlike anyone she has ever met and seems to possess the ability to see right through her. But he is also troubled by a family secret that has major ramifications for his life. As the teens' relationship intensifies, they are forced to face certain truths and come to grips with events that will change their futures. Delany spins an original story with great characters and a powerful plot that is full of twists and turns. It ends with a bang but there are times that the story seems to drag. Still, it's an enjoyable read that will leave fans waiting for the next installment.-Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2010
Grades 7-10 Jessica Gillmansens junior year is already difficult because she recently lost her mother in a tragic car accident, and now she has to deal with the hot new guy at school, Pietr Rusakova, who just wont leave her alone. Things get more complicated as she deals with the aftermath of the crash, discovers she and Pietr share an odd connection, and continues her investigation of local news stories about werewolves and the Russian Mafia. Delanys first novel has a lot going ontoo much, perhaps. Instead of focusing on a few plot points, Delany spreads herself thin and doesnt do justice to the many strands. For example, Jessicas supposed grief over her mother is minimized by its near absence in the text, and the Mob plotline feels contrived. Still, the kitchen-sink approach may pay off for Delany as she moves further into the planned series, and teen girls will eat up the Twilight flavor.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)