Awake at Dawn (Shadow Falls #2) by C.C. Hunter

Published: 10-11-11
Format: Paperback
Genre: Paranormal YA Fiction
Series: Shadow Falls
My rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis from goodreads:



Now that she’s settled in at Shadow Falls Camp, Kylie Galen’s determined to discover the extent of her supernatural abilities.  But with a ghost insisting someone Kylie loves is about die, a rogue vampire on a murdering rampage, and her sixth sense telling her someone is watching her, Kylie’s quest for answers is quickly put on hold. 

To make matters worse, just when she’s about to give her heart to Derek, a half-fairy, he starts pulling away.  When Lucas, a werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past, returns, Kylie’s feels more conflicted than ever. Her weekend with her mom should have been just the break Kylie needs, but it turns out to be her breaking point.  Someone from the dark side of the supernatural world has plans for Kylie--and it'll take all her resources to get back to Shadow Falls alive...

This book is the second one in the Shadow Falls series, Born at Midnight is the first book. I absolutely adored Born at Midnight and I am so pleased to report that Awake at Dawn was JUST as fantastic! The plot is easy to keep up with and it runs pretty smoothly as far as jumping from one moment to the next. There's also quite a bit of teenage hormones and angst, which is one of the aspects of this book that is completely believable. I also really enjoy the fact that C.C. Hunter creates characters that make me laugh like a crazy person, and that her characters are so diverse that there's a different reason to enjoy every one of them!

After Kylie accepts once and for all that she isn't completely human, she struggles with gaining answers and a definition to just what exactly she is. It was amusing and interesting to see her go through many changes in this book, both emotionally and physically. It becomes obvious that she's unique, and trying to guess what she is proves to be extremely difficult for both the reader and Kylie. Unfortunately, she's got bigger problems than her lack of answers involving her heritage. She has the difficult task of trying to decipher the urgent message of a ghost and trying to defend herself against a very unstable rogue vampire and unseen presence--all of which are creepy on different levels. 

Kylie's quest for self-discovery and dealings with dead/evil beings aren't the only complicated things in her life, though. Here enters Derek and Lucas: A smokin' hot fairy and a very seductive, bad-boy werewolf. I STILL don't entirely know which one of these beautiful specimen I want Kylie to end up with. Like so many other frustrating love triangles, it's hard not to like them both for entirely different reasons. Sigh. But I must say, I got a kick out of the enormous amounts of sexual tension that were filling the pages of this book whenever Kylie was around these two boys. I think it rings incredibly true to how a young adult/teenager feels in these types of sutuations.

Kylie's friends are also a very satisfying component in this book. The diverse group of people she hangs out with are stellar, and learning about their different abilities is pretty interesting. Della and Miranda are her best friends and roommates, and they crack me up. They each have their own endearing quirks. Kylie's mentor, Holiday, is also a favorite of mine. She sort of plays the role of the caring, big sister. I've also come to really like Burnett, the FRU agent and hot vampire who has some serious, angry sexual tension brewing with Holiday--can't wait to see where that leads!

If you couldn't already tell, I definitely recommend this book/series. It's got the perfect combination of humor, drama, action, creepiness and romance-- all with a supernatural twist. I'm eagerly anticipating what will happen next with Kylie and her friends, as she discovers more about who she is and what she can do. I'm also hoping she continues to kick some more ass, because it's awesome when she does!