AWAKE AT DAWN

The continuing adventures of somehow-supernatural Kylie focus on her identity crisis: What kind of supernatural is she?

Kylie has learned to cherish her time at Shadow Falls Camp for supernatural teens (Born at Midnight, 2011), but she has several pressing problems that go unresolved for nearly 400 pages. First, a ghost visits her constantly, asking her to save someone, but Kylie has no idea whom she needs to save. Second, she can’t seem to choose which boy she loves: good faerie Derek or dark werewolf Lucas. But mostly she worries about what she is. She shows symptoms of being both a vampire and a werewolf, but neither side manifests itself despite the fact that Kylie develops strong and unusual powers. In fact, Hunter solves only one of those three problems by the end of the book, setting up more sequels. However, the author has a direct line into the adolescent brain and writes as though she truly were a breathless, constantly conflicted teenage girl, a fact that surely will appeal to her intended audience. That audience won’t find much of lasting worth here, but they will find extensive romance that never goes beyond the kissing stage, quite a bit of humor, more romance, some suspense, additional romance and, suddenly, a contrived-but-exciting kidnap-and-rescue adventure.

Overly chatty and overlong.