13 to Life was a really good book and I loved how everything was described and how everything played out. But I found that the plot was wayyyy too slow. It was almost like the author had an amazing idea for the ending of this book but didn't know what to do for the body and stretched everything out to make it long. The characters were good and I like the way they were described. I felt as though I knew the characters or was there and getting to know them because they changed throughout the book which made it more realistic. :)

i finly read the first book and i loved it alot i wish there was more to jessie and pietr in the first book but hopfuly in the sec there will be cant waite to read the sec 11 thumbs up

13 to Life was a very interesting book. I liked how Shannon created her wolves as they are different than your typical “get bitten and you turn type” wolves. Shannon’s are completely different and we only know what I think is a quarter of the story. I couldn’t believe the way she ended it. I was like what? There has to be more....am I missing pages??? I can’t wait to read book 2 Secrets and Shadows. I find Jess to be a very strong individual. She puts her friends before herself even if it takes away from her happiness. She is also best friends with the girl that killed her mother. I wouldn’t be able to do that. Jess sees the good in everyone. Living in a small town of Junction probably does that to you. I like Pietr even if I disagree with some of the things he does. I know Jess told him to but still! The Rating: 4.5 out of 5 For more reviews please visit www.vampsweresandcassay.blogspot.com

I am so happy I finally read this book. Once I found time, I flew through it (yay for road trips!). I was a bit concerned that I’d have trouble getting back into a werewolf story after not reading any for awhile, but I was wrong. I think it was probably the fact that the werewolf component isn’t slapping you in the face, and really doesn’t emerge until a lot later in the book. This book was more about character development and setting up the relationships between the characters. I really enjoyed the way Shannon Delany did that. Jess is just getting over the loss of her mother, and trying to stabilize her life with school and chores on the farm. The last thing she needs (and wants) is to be showing the new boy around school and having him intrude in her life and change everything. Change is the last thing she needs. Pietr is very mysterious and Russian and sexy. Jess can’t deny that there’s something about him that pulls her in, but she tries to keep their relationship platonic. Besides, one of her best friends, Sarah, is really interested in Pietr, so she does her best to back off. She’s the kind of person who thinks of others before herself. I loved seeing the relationship grow between Jess and Pietr. They have that undeniable attraction to one another that they (well, Jess) try to ignore. Since they are trying to avoid a romantic relationship, they instead become really close friends, the kind that are always there for you when you need them. This isn’t the typical relationship development you see in YA (or any) books because most people just want to get to the romance of it all. I have to say I’m guilty of being one of those people. But Shannon gave me a different outlook, where the characters were made out to be just really good friends, but with that forbidden romance. It was really fun to read. Having written the book this way, Shannon gives us a chance to see the backstories of the characters. I don’t want to give it away, but Jess’s story of her mom’s death was so heart-wrenching. It made me tear up a bit and I could feel my heart hurting. Pietr’s home life isn’t the best either, and they are able to share stories and sympathize with one another. It definitely makes them closer, better friends, in my opinion. The secondary characters were all really great, too. I loved Jess’s best friend Amy. She’s the kind of girl who is brutally honest to Jess, which is exactly what she needs. Jess tries to fool herself and Amy smacks her in the face with a big pile of reality. It may be tough for Jess, but Amy does the right thing and she’s always there for her. They have an awesome relationship. I also liked Jess’s sister and Pietr’s sister. They were both cute characters who always added a bit of something to the scene’s they were in. Overall, I love the way Shannon outlined her story by really developing the characters and their relationships. Allowing us to see into their pasts gives us a better outlook on the characters themselves and why they act the way they do. Everything climaxed perfectly in the end and it was very suspenseful. Because I felt like I knew Jess so personally, I worried about her a lot in those last few chapters. Shannon left 13 to Life on a cliffhanger, which makes me really want to read the next one. Thankfully, Secrets and Shadows just came out last week, so I can go pick it up this week! If you’d like to read 13 to Life, pick up a copy for yourself!

The Russian mob and werewolves? The book lost a bit of steam near the end but on the whole it was an intriging take on the whole werewolf mythology and I am looking forward to reading the next installment in the series.

I picked out this book out of randomness at chapters, and honestly, I didn't think it would be this good. The mix of werewolves and Russian mafia was a great one. Shannon Delany does know how to make it hot. Can't wait for the next one!

I must admit, I had a difficult time trying to figure out what kind of ranking to give this novel. When I bought the novel, I was quite eager to begin it but in the back of my mind as I read, a small part of me was worried it wouldn't quite live up to the admittedly high expectations I had set for it. Sadly, I was right. Now don't get me wrong, 13 to Life proved to be quite exciting at times (mostly towards the later portion of the novel) and this new take on the werewolf genre is most intriguing. Delany does a wonderful job steadily building up to quite the climatic ending, giving you enough to leave you wanting more once finished. But, and there is a but, I did have so concerns about it while reading. Jessie is a strong heroine who doesn't fall for her main lead right off the back. Nope, she doesn't understand the immediate swoon factor which Pietr Rusakova seems to have right have the bat with her female classmates- a quality I really liked. She's independent and smart, but after I learned the kind of forgiveness she was willing to give others... I felt she was too self-sacrificing and not believable anymore. My respect for her went down a notch and I couldn't quite relate to her anymore. As well, I would have liked to learn more about her family and friends to give more of a background, but Delany never really offered to much information to the past... only slowing cluing us in with the bare essentials when the time came. The pacing was slow sometimes, but at others, it picked up again. When Jessie finally can't deny the attraction she feels toward Pietr, the novel takes a more interesting turn though and you can just feel that some sort of excitement will finally be in store. While I can't say 13 to Life was as good as I expected it to be, I wouldn't hesitate to say I did enjoy the story. Delany has laid down the foundations in her debut novel and I'll be looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Secrets and Shadows, when it is released sometime in February 2011. You can also check out the review here: http://midnightbloomreads.blogspot.com/2010/07/13-to-life-werewolfs-tale-by-shannon.html