Book Review: Twisted Stars

Title: Twisted Stars
Author: Dannielle Wicks
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Age Group: Young Adult
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Ashlee Reynolds couldn’t be more ordinary…

While most college freshmen are partying and going on wild adventures, nineteen-year-old Ashlee just goes to classes, works, and hangs out with friends. It’d be nice to have some excitement in her life—or even better, a little romance. When her wish comes true, a midnight rendezvous lands her in the hospital…

There was this boy. Isn’t that how every spiralling downhill story begins? It’s a little strange he wants to meet her on the edge of the woods at night, but she did want to spice things up, and an unconventional date is the perfect ingredient. But when he stands her up, leaving her alone in the dark, she’s attacked by a wild animal. The next day, Ashlee wakes up in the hospital, dazed, confused, and convinced she’s gone crazy.

When strange things begin to happen, she meets Jayden Ross, who brings crazy to a whole new level…

After her seemingly random attack, other beasts of the feline and canine variety are drawn to her—and we’re not talking housecats and lapdogs. When Ashlee bumps into Jayden on campus, her immediate attraction tempts her to get closer, but he wants nothing to do with her—until he realizes she’s had an encounter with one of the others.

Ashlee learns Jayden isn’t entirely human, and nothing is what is seems.

On the run and fighting for their lives, Ashlee and Jayden weave their way through a world of powerful corporations and their secret experiments, all of which revolve around Jayden’s past—and possibly, their future.

I was surprised by how short Twisted Stars was, and despite that, it still managed to pack a punch. Ashlee is your average college student, except she’s not too keen on the partying, and much more keen on studying and working. Her life lacks excitement, and she could use some romance… But an unconventional date at the edge of the woods leaves her wishing she hasn’t ever hoped for some more excitement. She gets attacked by a wild animal and wakes up in a hospital bed the next day, confused, dazed and scared.

But the attack has more consequences than she thought possible. Suddenly, animals seem drawn to her. When she meets Jayden on campus, he wants nothing to do with her at first – that is, until he learns about how she was attacked. Jayden isn’t entirely human, and if Ashlee wants to be with him, she’ll have to survive quite a few hurdles.

For a book at barely 100 pages, this one packed a lot of plot, character development and mystery. The romance was cute, and I liked that it wasn’t insta-love but that it took a while for Jayden and Ashlee to connect. The settings worked great, and the author did a great job explaining the world-building too.

An interesting, well-written book that I would recommend to fans of YA paranormal romance.