Judith Graves

Eryn's parents have disappeared, so she is sent to live with her aunt, uncle and cousin in Redgrave, Alberta. There's something no one knows about her, though - she is half-human, half-wolven (wolven are born, werewolves are turned). Her mother was wolven and her father was a paranormal hunter. He kept Eryn's wolven side under control with various drugs he'd concocted. With him gone, however, Eryn no longer has access to those drugs. In Redgrave, she meets and becomes friends with Brit, a goth girl, and falls for one of the town outcasts, Alec Delacroix. Then, she meets and is also drawn to the hot boy at school, Wade. Unfortunately, Eryn has arrived in Redgrave as people and pets are disappearing with no explanation. And, there are more secrets in this town than Eryn's alone.

I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading the next in the series. I liked the characters, especially Eryn and Brit. Even though this is a YA book, there were a few illustrations present that I quite liked; in one instance, it helped me picture something I'm not sure I would have otherwise. And there is a very cool illustrated border on each page, as well.… (més)

A quick read at less than 150 pages, the book begins on a note of high tension -- with the protagonist parkouring up the side of a multistory building -- and the tension pretty much never lets up throughout the whole book. I wasn't surprised to learn it's part of a series; indeed, it felt a bit unfinished, because you never do learn very much about Jo, Jace, Bentley and Emmett. I liked how the protagonist was female; I think teen girls need more tough, go-getting female role models in their fiction.… (més)

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Orca Book Publishers via LibraryThing's giveaway a while back.

Exposed forms part of a powerfully packed trilogy of Young Adult fiction written by three authors. Short but feisty, Judith Graves' work follows the risky adventures of sixteen-year old Raven, who has found her family in a Vancouver car theft ring. Diesel the leader is known for rescuing youth from the streets and providing them with shelter and a sense of community, but Raven is shocked to discover the reality of his intentions when he puts her apprentice in serious danger. Enraged, she makes a promise to take Diesel down, and to expose him for what he is -- a manipulative, dangerous man.

Highly fast paced, Exposed takes readers down the grimy and gritty depths of a car ring, placing a sharp, cunning female protagonist at center stage. While narrative coherency occasionally suffers at the expense of the speedy plot development, Graves accomplishes a powerful ton in her work. Some may find the characters to lack color, but the novel compensates for it with its raciness and originality. As a side note, I was delighted to read a YA set in Vancouver -- while the film industry makes great use of the landscape of the Canadian West Coast, it has yet to charm the literary world!… (més)