Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

    "Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it.  That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two. 

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs."
But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped?  My big question to all you readers of the paranormal, which do you prefer, werewolves or vampires?  For me, well, I would go with werewolves over vampires any day.  In my own (poor) opinion, I find that vampires are creatures of evil and should be kept that way, I mean drinking humans blood?? That cannot seriously be a healthy relationship. I don't especially like reading vampire books because I always hate the vampire character in it.  Must be the way i was raised.  

     But werewolves? Ever since I was six years old I have been fascinated by the folklore of werewolves. Some of my favorite books of all time are the ones with wolves in it.  The Mercy Falls trilogy, Call of the Wild (which is is not necessarily werewolves...), in the the Mortal Instruments series I loved the werewolf characters, the only people I actually liked in the Twilight series were the werewolves. As you can see, I'm a fan of werewolves, so here is a book called Raised by Wolves and guess what? It's about werewolves!!! So naturally I loved it...Just kidding, I don't just like a book because it's about something I like,  I judge books by their content. 

     And let me just rant about Raised by Wolves. (Rant in a good way, that is) .

     Firstly the characters. Bryn was my dream girl.  Funny, sarcastic and has a mind of her own.  The interaction with her between all the characters is hilarious, filled with her joking and occasional  ingenious diatribe .  And yet, she is self sacrificing when it comes to saving her friends, family and loved ones. Her amazing love for everyone around her simply blew me away, making me wish I could be that loving.  Bryn was defiantly a character that will go through the ages as astounding and heroic. 

    Chase; handsome, smart, loyal and werewolf!! A wonderful combination! His mental struggles with the feral were painful, even for you to read,  it will have you sitting in your chair encouraging him, urging him to stay on the right side.  His natural protection instincts with Bryn were funny and cute, especially the way she didn't want them and yet he never go the hint. 

    I have to say, all the characters in Raised by Wolves were tip top people, realistic and reliable.  I loved all the interaction with in the book, and the various conversations and fights were completely captivating. 

    The plot for Raised by Wolves was unique, but a little slow moving to get to the point.  The end of the book was sweet but a little unbelievable.   Of course there is a lot more good things to say about the book than bad.  I would have to say, that for a stand alone novel,  Raised by Wolves is epic.  

   It is the type of book that I can read at least once a year.  Even if you are not a werewolf fan, try giving Raised by Wolves a go,  for me it was enchanting and magical, so who knows, maybe you will find it the same way.