REVIEW: 13 to Life (13 to Life #1) by Shannon Delany

Title: 13 to Life
Author: Shannon Delany
Series: 13 to Life #1
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Date of Release: June 22nd 2010
Pages: 308

Everything about Jessie Gillmansen’s life changed when her mother died. Now even her hometown of Junction is changing.  Mysterious dark things are happening. All Jessie wants is to avoid more change. But showing a hot new guy around Junction High, she’s about to discover a whole new type of change. Pietr Rusakova is more than good looks and a fascinating accent—he’s a guy with a dangerous secret. And his very existence is sure to bring big trouble to Jessie’s small town.
It seems change is the one thing Jessie can’t avoid.

This is a bit spoilery! Sorry, I tried not too but I couldn't help it. Proceed if you dare :0)

This was an interesting book, we had a bit of a love/hate relationship. However, firstly I do like the cover. The theme of blue goes well with the toned down background images. I also love the moon in his(?) eye!

Jessie had everything slammed into her all at once. Her mother died, but her now best friend was the cause. When a new family moves into the small town of Junction (where everyone wants to escape from) she can't help but take an interest in the youngest, Pietr. But with her journalistic mind getting in the way, she can't resist the temptation to quiz him on the wolves that have been recently sighted. As her relationship between her best friend threatens to break, Jessie must put on her big girl boots on and face the complicated mysteries and relationships ahead... who knew the answer could be so close to the moon (Pun intended, I couldn't help it! Sorry!)

Jessie is a really interesting character, she is forgiving but can't accept that her friend needs to truly understand what she did before her memory was erased. She can also seem very naive at times to think her friend won't find out eventually, about her mum but also about her secret relationship with Pietr. I must say though, she was strong and ploughed through with no hesitation. I did feel sorry for poor Pietr though, the poor dude wanted to spend his time with Jessie but would she have any of it... NO. She insisted he must go out with her best friend! WHAT? Just so she doesn't get hurt and turn into the person her best friend once was? :( The poor boy, and he was so sweet, kind and swoon-worthy.

It also really annoyed me the way she didn't notice all the signs, they were clearly displayed right in front of her. At moments I thought, "she's going to suss it out, she's going to finally find out... nooooo, he is not just weird for sniffing the hat! HE'S A W-E-R-E-W-O-L-F!"

Apart from those little things, I did enjoy this book. The description was very impressive and there was a lot of imagination that went into the plot but also little aspects of the book that made it that more mysterious. I also liked all the Russian Mafia sort-of-thing going on, it really added a twist to the story instead of just your typical, 'girl meets boy, finds out one of them is a werewolf, is scared, next moment they are making out, drama begins, near death, reunion, more making out'... was I accurate? I had twists and turns that kept you guessing about the progression happening in the background, especially the protectiveness of his older brother... he was a little scary!

I did enjoy this book as there were werewolves, mystery, danger and romance that kept you going to the very end. Meaning I shall be giving the next book in the series a chance to see how the story will develop! Next book in the series: Secrets and Shadows.