Reborn

Reborn (2014) CC Hunter

This is part of the Shadow Falls series, but Kylie’s arc is completed, and we now come back to Della, who was the character who introduced me to Shadow Falls in her short story and “Turned at Dark” (still free!) then again in the novella “Saved at Sunrise“.

What is Shadow Falls? It’s a camp for supernatural kids, masquerading as a camp for “troubled” kids.

Who is Della? She’s a half Chinese teen who discovered that vampires exist after becoming one. And in becoming a vampire, she has become estranged from her family.

One of the things I particularly like about the world building here, is that although vampires are slowly being done to death (HA!), she manages an interesting take on vamps, as well as shifters, weres, and other supernaturals.

There is also a good world building that explains how supernaturals have managed to hide in plain sight through the centuries, and how they are trying to manage in a modern world, with ever greater chances of exposure.

Another thing I particularly like about this series is that it isn’t full of absent adults. Sometimes in YA books, the lack of adults is almost grating, but this series manages to have adults who are understanding without being permissive. (Adults who have borders and enforce them–in this case literally).

And of course, there is a great deal of humor in the stories.

Della didn’t think Kylie would take her clothes off in the woods; she was much too proper and smart for that. Being naked in the woods led to chiggers and bug bites in places you really didn’t want them.

Though there is also a recognition of how acute the pain teenagers go through can be.

She didn’t want to cry anymore.

What she wanted was to reach into her chest and yank out the pain.

One of the first things we learned about vampires is that there is a genetic component to susceptibility to the vampire virus. So Della and her cousin both succumbed, and Della discovers it’s possible that her father’s siblings may also have caught the virus. I think it’s a fascinating way to handle vampirism.

We also learn that vampire teens (and adults) are just like other teens and adults–moody and irritable and times, but also just as capable of friendships and love as others. Although Della has a significant amount of trouble in that department. Between her troubled relationship with her family, and the fact that her boyfriend dumped her after her “illness” Della has trust issues.

Interestingly, much of Della’s growth in that aspect occurred in the previous books in the series, where she learned to trust Kylie and Miranda. This might be problematic for new readers, simply because they won’t have recognized how far Della has come (and how far she still has to go).

It’s an interesting series, and I look forward to the next book.
Rating: 8/10
Published by St. Martin’s Griffin

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