Creatures of the Night by Grace Collins
Publisher: Wattpad Books
Special thanks to Raincoast Books for sending a copy for review.
Summary:
Milena’s twentieth birthday, the day she would join the ranks of her village’s hunters, should have been the most exciting day of her life. Being a hunter meant she would be able to help protect her village from the murderous wolves who take human form—the creatures of the night. But a chance encounter with Elias, the enigmatic leader of the creatures, leaves her questioning everything she has ever believed to be true.
Up until now, Elias has managed to protect the creatures of the night and keep the secrets of his past well hidden. Now, as tensions between the groups grow, Elias is forced to make hard decisions: ones that will cost lives. Nobody is safe, especially Milena, the person he is inexplicably drawn to even though it could destroy them both (Goodreads).
Thoughts: (This review contains some spoilers)
Betrayal: the feeling Milena experienced from families, friends, and the people who she thought truly cared for her, but who coldly turned their backs on her. Everyone who is a part of her life became ruthless and coldhearted. In The Creatures of the Night by Grace Collins, this book is about a romance that cannot happen, the confusion between the best friend’s treachery, and Milena’s struggle to trust. These issues all deepen the reader’s experience.
When the closest relatives tried to kill Milena and innocent people died, I was not only shocked but also sorrowful; the story is still thrilling and full of imagination despite that. The story’s first scene is Milena’s everyday life. Everything is just like a normal teenager’s life. She then escapes to an entirely new world with creatures that has glowing eyes and changes forms, and has other super powers such as shifting, sensitive hearing and sight. The characters are described in detail and the climax is breathtaking and frightening; however, the story ends in a rush with Elias’s fake death. The author might have created Elias’s fake murder because she isn’t convinced about how she will conclude her story.
Some characters in the story are cruel, like when “[The woman] slices the machete across [an innocent boy’s] throat” (234), and “the woman carelessly drags [his] limp body across the ground behind her, his blood leaving a trail behind him” (235). Even with these violent images, I don’t dislike any of the characters in this book since almost all of them murder for their own self-interest.
Milena is valiant and affectionate. She courageously fights her guardian and she tries not to show any sign of weakness. On the contrary, there is a seed inside her that hopes her friends doesn’t know about her guardian’s murder plan. She truly loves and cares for her friends and family even after their betrayal. Between the people she loved before and the individuals she learns to care for, she chooses her new friends and lovers. She is willing to sacrifice herself to her loved ones, even if she is irritated by the treachery. Collins establishes her characters well with descriptive words that will leave deep impressions on readers; she brings her characters to life. You can see this in the scene where Milena says, “My childhood flashing against my eyes –red hair and tear-stained, freckled cheeks filled my vision. Flo.” Her looks and movement were all shown in one phrase. At the same time, I feel Collins could have emphasized the relationships between the characters more. Halfway through the book, I was confused about the relationships between Cassie (one of Milena’s new friends) and Elias (Milena’s lover).
I rated this book 4/5 because even though the story was interesting to read, there were still some parts of the book that were confusing to understand; the rushed ending, the relationship between some characters, and some pointless conversations prevented a 5/5 rating. I wasn’t sure if Milena’s guardian truly cared about her as he wanted her to leave and escape, but was also trying to kill her. The author could improve on eliminating some of the useless conversations and make the relation between the characters clearer. Other than that, the story was full of imagination and I really enjoyed reading this. There were many interesting ideas in this tale with many descriptive phrases that established the characters and scenes. This book would appeal to anyone who likes fiction from 12 to 17 years old. The whole story is magical and enchanting. I look forward to the second book if there will be one. One isn’t enough!
Reviewed by Isabella Z.