Thornhill (A Shifters Novel, 2)

So, you're waiting to figure out what is wrong with Kyle. You're desperate for more of the love triangle because this one is actually well thought out. In the back of your mind you're curious if maybe Mac will become a werewolf herself. And you're ready for a heroine who can actually do things on her own.Say goodbye to all of that.Mac, first off, becomes that weak character that we all despise. She's still thinking for herself, but everything she does is based on the men in her life and what they would think of what she was doing. Don't get me wrong, she goes against them sometimes. But all that "I don't need you, I have a mystery to solve"-ness is suddenly replaced by "But if I go what will I do without him?"Kyle, whoa. Just whoa. It's like he became a totally different person (or maybe I just didn't see it in the first book, I'll have to reread) he lacked love. Truly, I felt almost as if he hated Mac, not that he loved her. He is continually pushing her away and yelling at her and pretty much putting her down. Goodbye best friend, hello jerk you want to get run over by a car.The love story is dead. THERE ARE NO LOVE/ PASSIONATE SCENES IN THIS BOOK. Jason is out of the picture for 3/4ths of the book and when he does come back in we barely see him at all. And Kyle, well I think I've already pointed out that Kyle was the least romantic person in this whole story. And yes I was super disappointed by this, because I'm team Jason and I totally thought this whole book was just going to be him and Mac.So yes, while this book had about three good moments and the writing was still lovely, I hated this sequel and I hope she does a lot better when the third one comes out.

I was surprised by Hemlock and couldn't wait to read Thornhill. Despite my anxiousness to read, I knew I needed to wait until I could sit down and read it all in one go. It was filled with everything that made me love Hemlock and even more that made me fall in love with Thornhill's story.Everyone eventually leaves Mac. Her mother was first, then her father, and a werewolf recently killed her best friend. When Kyle, the boy she's falling in love with, leaves, she finally decides enough is enough. With the help of Jason, Amy's boyfriend, Mac travels to Denver, Colorado with the determination to get Kyle to follow her back home. Once in Denver, plans fall apart and she ends up in a wolf "rehabilitation" camp, along with Kyle, Serena, and a bunch of wolves from one of the Denver packs.Life in the camp is stressful. Kyle must keep Mac safe from the other wolves, Serena is taken away under strange circumstances, and Mac is trying to discover what secrets are being kept within the walls of the camp. Jason talks his way onto the staff of the camp and from there, plans are made, attempted, and unravel.I think my favorite thing about these novels is the relationships. Yes, the love story between Kyle and Mac is fantastic and makes my heart race, but every relationship is fascinating to read. Jason has to reconcile his feelings about wolves with the fact that his best friend is one and all wolves are not evil. Mac must tread carefully in order to not lose ties with more people in her life, wanting to be with Kyle but not wanting to hurt Jason anymore than he already is. Each relationship is constantly changing and it keeps the novel from feeling too stereotypically Young Adult.The sequence of events was fast paced and I was never sure what was going to happen next. I was never sure of a character's thoughts, motivations, or actions. It kept me on my toes and I could not read fast enough.After the surprising feelings towards Hemlock, I was ready for what Thornhill would bring. I trusted there would be romance and action, all wrapped up in a supernatural tale that felt more real than fantasy. Thornhill completely delivered and I'm already anxiously awaiting the conclusion to this amazing series.

Review originally posted on A Kernel of Nonsense blog.In Kathleen Peacock’s Hemlock, Mackenzie Dobson discovered the truth behind her best friend’s murder and the secret her friend Kyle’s been keeping. Kyle is a werewolf and an unregistered one at that. In an effort to protect Mac, he leaves Hemlock. In Peacock’s sequel, Thornhill, Mac is not ready to let Kyle go. She, along with the troublesome Jason, head for Denver to find the boy she loves. But Mac is in for even more surprises when she crosses paths with the father who abandoned her and finds herself on the wrong side of Thornhill, a rehabilitation camp for werewolves. Bringing Kyle home is harder than Mac anticipated and she soon discovers that the warden of the camp is hiding secrets that may get her and those she cares about killed.Mac continues to be a strong-willed protagonist whose fear of losing those she cares about drives her to extremes. Mac is also a vulnerable character, Kyle’s departure brings up issues of abandonment, aggravated even more when her father makes a surprise appearance. She struggles to reconcile the man who left her years ago with the one who has embraced responsibility. One part of Mac that I wish had matured is her inflated sense of responsibility and the guilt that follows, something I hope she can overcome in the final installment.Mac isn’t the only one willing to go to great lengths to protect those she loves. Kyle and Jason both care about Mac and would do anything to keep her out of harm’s way. And I might be bias, but I never worried that Kyle’s need to protect Mac, unlike Jason, would jeopardize other people. This is the problem I have with Jason because even though there is a shift in his ideology regarding werewolves, I felt that it was too subtle and am not convinced the headway he made is enough to redeem him as a character.Where Thornhill came up short is its lack of resolutions regarding several story lines introduced in the first installment. Considering there is only one more book in the series, Peacock has a lot of loose ends to tie up. For me, the most important is Kyle and Jason finally being able to make amends; these are two best friends whose relationship has been strained throughout the series and at this point the friction and it’s cause feel drawn out. Despite this, I still really enjoyed Thornhill and look forward to the next chapter in the series.