Publishers Weekly
12/12/2022
Claire’s action-driven supernatural debut follows 18-year-old Olivia Davis and her family, who are abruptly thrust into a world of ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and more. When several mysterious deaths by hanging bring acerbic 18-year-old Liam Hunter and his family of monster slayers to her small town of Falkville Falls, Liv and Liam immediately butt heads; it doesn’t matter that Liam saved Liv’s 14-year-old troublemaking sister, Pepper, from a frightening creature. Forced by her town sheriff father to work with the Hunter family and ensure Falkville Falls’ survival, Liv struggles to come to terms with her father’s and Pepper’s secretive natures, and her growing feelings for Liam amid preternatural strife. Several plot points feel underdeveloped, including lore surrounding enigmatic serum shots containing a magic drug that “heightened our senses, gave us super strength, and quickened our reflexes.” Liv and Liam’s alternating perspectives construct an intriguing mystery that uncovers a deeper connection between the Davis family and the deaths, along with a greater conflict that leaves even the terrifying supernatural monsters on edge. It’s a satisfactory addition to the meta of fast-paced paranormal adventures. Main characters default to white. Ages 13–up. (Feb.)
School Library Journal
04/28/2023
Gr 9 Up—Someone or something is killing teachers. After a string of murders covered up as suicides, the Hunter siblings Liam and Jac, along with their father, come to Falkville Falls because they suspect monsters are involved, and they are monster hunters. They team up with Liv, Pepper, and their father, Sheriff Davis, to figure out what is really going on and stop the killings, but is the Davis family somehow part of this? Things are further complicated as a tension between Liam and Liv slowly turns into love. This book has a dual point-of-view narrative with Liam and Liv taking turns giving their perspective on the grim events unfolding. Liam gives more insight to monster hunting with gory detail (and innuendo about his growing attraction to Liv) and Liv reveals more of her connection to the teacher murders while being infuriated by and infatuated with Liam. The novel reads very quickly overall, and has many twists and turns, perfect for fans of popular paranormal shows like Netflix's Wednesday. VERDICT A wild ride of a paranormal thriller with a will they/won't they romance that will keep young adult readers turning the pages and wanting more. A fun purchase for high school collections where paranormal romance is popular.—Molly Dettmann
Kirkus Reviews
2022-11-16
A family of monster hunters investigates mysterious happenings in the Midwest.
Liam Hunter and his younger sister, Jac, travel around with their father, Agent Jack Hunter, working for Hunterland, a global network of people dedicated to tracking and slaying all sorts of monsters. A new lead sends them to Falkville Falls, a small town recently plagued by a string of suspicious deaths—and the latest in a string of Wisconsin schools whose nurses have died. As the Hunters descend on the town, they wreak havoc in sheriff’s daughter Olivia Davis’ life, shedding light on the secrets her 14-year-old sister, Pepper, has been keeping from her family and sparking a chain of events that show that there is a lot about the world of monsters that Liam’s family doesn’t know. While he may have distractingly blue eyes and a fantastic body, Liam’s bad-boy attitude and sarcastic tone infuriate Olivia. But as the Hunter and Davis families grow closer, the two young people cannot deny their feelings for one another. The fast-paced narrative is mostly split between Liam’s and Olivia’s perspectives, with the odd chapter from Pepper’s viewpoint. While the story has unexpected twists, the treatment of the monsters—ghosts, vampires, and werewolves—feels like a stale addition to this popular genre. The romance between snarky, overbearing, seductive Liam and meek Olivia is formulaic, and their dynamics feel uncomfortably coercive and emotionally abusive. Main characters are assumed White.
Derivative and unremarkable. (Paranormal. 14-18)
