Once in a Full Moon

November 8, 2010
It's tough to overcome an opening line as portentous as "It began underneath the haunting glow of a full moon." Schreiber apparently wants to play both sides of the Twilight divide, following up her popular Vampire Kisses series with a werewolf tale. Overwrought, redundant prose pads an unimaginative narrative of high school angst—plus fur. Celeste Parker, 17, has a sports-obsessed boyfriend and two shop-aholic best friends. When new student Brandon shows up, they joke about him being a werewolf. Then Brandon saves Celeste from an actual wolf attack, and it's no spoiler to say that Brandon is indeed a werewolf. He's also totally hot, of course, and so, defying the warnings of a New Age fortune-teller she happened to consult, Celeste kisses him under the full moon. Although the story, which unfolds through Celeste's belabored narrative ("The silence only magnified my intense pangs of isolation"), may read to many like fan-fic, it pushes all the right paranormal, romantic buttons to give it 15 minutes of fame with its target audience. Ages 12–up.

November 15, 2010

Bestselling paranormal author Schreiber (Vampire Kisses, 2003, etc.) tries her hand at a werewolf love story. The town of Legend's Run is divided physically and socially between the rich, popular Eastsiders and the poor, looked-down-upon Westsiders. Celeste Parker, an Eastsider with compassion, finds herself drawn to newcomer Brandon Maddox, despite her friends' contempt for his Westside address. When Brandon kisses Celeste, against the warning of a local psychic, he transforms, and Celeste begins to suspect he is a werewolf. Frustratingly, the author explains very little about what "werewolf" means here, leaving readers to wonder why Brandon's transformation includes growing a goatee and attracting the attention of dogs but seemingly few predatory tendencies. Brandon is also inexplicably patient with Celeste's hiding their relationship from her popular friends. Still, bland heroine meets not-too-dangerous paranormal creature is a proven formula, and the author follows it faithfully. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)

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May 1, 2011

Gr 7 Up-Celeste's life is practically perfect. She hangs out with the popular crowd and dates Nash, the hottest guy in school. Then she finds herself drawn to Brandon, an alluring new student from the wrong side of town. On the way home one evening, she becomes lost in a snowstorm and is suddenly surrounded by wolves. Brandon steps in to save her and is bitten. As the two begin a romance, questions linger about what exactly happened to Brandon that night. Is he transforming into something dangerous-or is someone else causing the rampant werewolf sightings taking place all over Legend's Run? Fans of Schreiber's "Vampire Kisses" books (HarperCollins) may be disappointed that Celeste is very different from that series' spunky goth protagonist. She is a "good girl" who volunteers at a nursing home and follows the rules. But even after breaking up with Nash, she never stands up to her bullying friends, and she keeps her relationship with outcast Brandon a secret. Readers looking for complex characters or realistic teen dialogue won't find it here. Even so, this novel will surely be in demand with Schreiber's fans.-Hayden Bass, Seattle Public Library, WA

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