The Better to Bite (Howl Trilogy #1) by Cynthia Eden
THE BETTER TO BITE (Howl Trilogy #1) by Cynthia Eden
THE BETTER TO BITE is the first installment (November 2012 release) in Cynthia Eden’s new young adult Howl trilogy. This is Cynthia’s first foray into the genre of YA literature introducing the town of Haven and its’ magical inhabitants of werewolves, witches and hunters.
The woods are not safe but Anna Lambert is drawn to the eerie darkness and the unknown. Hunted and stalked by the very creatures of her nightmares, Anna will be rescued not once, but twice, by local bad boy Rafe, when he is inexplicably present whenever a wolf attack is imminent. And Rafe’s attraction to Anna will garner some unwanted attention at school.
‘Cursed’ with the ability to find ‘lost’ things, Anna has always known she was different, and the move to Haven is supposed to help Anna and her father start a new life. But horrific memories of her mother’s murder continue to haunt Anna and the move to Haven will fuel the anger of the townsfolk when it is revealed that Anna and her family have a connection to the town. With her ability to find the lost, Anna’s father (Haven’s sheriff) reluctantly uses his daughter’s powers to help locate the missing and dead victims in and around the town of Haven, but in doing so, will reveal his daughter’s special talent to the very people who were hoping her family heritage had long been buried and gone. Anna’s father had hidden a family secret that he had hoped would never be revealed and the town of Haven held more secrets than Anna ever thought could exist. Sheriff Lambert’s love for his daughter is never questioned and her safety is his number one priority, but the lives of the townspeople are threatened and Anna is the only person with the ability to ‘find the lost’.
16year old Anna is new to Haven, and like any beautiful teenaged girl, she draws the eye of every young man at the local high school including Rafe’s ex best friend and former girlfriend. Keeping her ‘curse’ a secret will be a problem when Anna finds herself a victim of a set-up and her powers will be revealed when she must retrieve the missing item.
There is a love triangle (sigh) developing, and tempers flair when Anna is warned to stay away, but the attacks against Anna will come from an unlikely source, when the identity of the wolves would reveal the true nature of the killings and their connection to Anna, her father and the town of Haven.
THE BETTER TO BITE is a fast paced storyline with a few twists and plot turns that will keep you turning the pages until the very end. Cynthia has drawn together a fascinating group of characters, and like most YA storylines, the young adults take center stage most of the time. I liked that Cynthia did not make the adults a series of cartoon replicas and accorded them with respect. Magic and the supernatural are the underlying cause of many of the town of Haven’s problems, and the resulting prejudices and stereotyping will force a young woman into a lifestyle she was hoping to avoid. THE BETTER TO BITE is a welcome addition to the young adult category and I am looking forward to THE BETTER TO HOWL in 2013.
LINK TO ORDER: Amazon
Reviewed by Sandy
