Havoc

November 1, 2011
The second exciting installment in the continuing saga of a dorky daytime girl who morphs into a savvy, hot chick and/or werewolf at night. New readers are given enough information here to follow the plot, but they won't enjoy its full impact unless they have read the first book. Emily still feels guilty about killing, as a werewolf, the scientist who murdered another of her wolf pack. At least, she feels guilty in the daytime. At night, she learns that she can choose among any of her three personae: dork, fearless chick or wolf. However, a new element threatens her now: After dark, terrifying shadow men appear to be stalking her, even in her own bedroom. Meanwhile, Dalton, another werewolf in her pack, recovers from his gunshot wound. The two of them track down another female werewolf, then, with the full pack, they break into the research facility that Emily suspects made them werewolves in the first place. There, Emily finds a major surprise. She also learns that she's the alpha wolf in the pack, the leader responsible for all the others. Sampson employs a fluid writing style that charges into the story, especially when he writes as the aggressive Nighttime Emily. His characters stand out well as individuals, but suspense is the main attraction here. Plenty of thrilling action, clearly with more to come. (Paranormal thriller. 12 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

May 1, 2012

Gr 8 Up- Havoc picks up where Vesper (HarperCollins, 2011) ended. Emily Webb's world has been turned upside down and she is struggling to make sense of her life as a genetically engineered werewolf. Emily, pack-mate Spencer, and new pack member Dalton are determined to find others like themselves and learn to control their nighttime powers. Meanwhile, strange shadowmen are stalking them, adding to the mystery and suspense. Looking for answers, the friends decide to break into the BioZenith Company and hack into the computer system. As they fight for their lives, events spin out of control and leave the group with more questions than they had to begin with. Sampson spins a witty, fast-paced story that is full of action, danger, and intrigue. Analytic reports add to the drama, and the otherworldly beings give the story more of a sci-fi feel. Emily is a great character, and the cliff-hanger ending makes the next installment a must. Fans of James Patterson's "Maximum Ride" books (Little, Brown) will want to give this series a try.-Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY

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