But only a few teen authors have adopted Meyer’s secondary mythical character, the werewolf, as their protagonist. Moonlight, the first novel in the Dark Guardian series by Rachel Hawthorne, is one of the few. This teen fantasy book follows Kayla as she discovers the magical truth about her ancestry. Even though it’s not a teenage vampire book, the titles in this series mirror Stephenie Meyer’s phases of the moon.
Moonlight Summary
When she was just five-years-old, Kayla’s parents were killed by hunters who claimed they saw two wolves in the woods. Now, just before her seventeenth birthday, Kayla is back in the very same forest, working as a wilderness guide for the summer. Her shrink believed that revisiting the site of her parents’ death would help her deal with her burden. Kayla didn’t mind the idea at all. She loves the wilderness. In fact, she feels more at home stranded in the middle of the woods than she does back home in Dallas, where she lives with her adoptive parents.
Becoming a Wilderness Guide
As a wilderness guide, Kayla works with a team of other teenage guides called Sherpa’s. All the Sherpa’s grew up together, so they know each other, and the woods, like the backs of their hands. Naturally, Kayla feels like a bit of an outsider. But in the same respect, she’s drawn to the woods, and can’t ignore the overwhelming feeling of belonging.
Studying Werewolves
For her first expedition, she and the other Sherpa’s lead an anthropologist named Dr. Keane and five of his students deep into the forest where they plan to camp and study wolves. But they’re not interested in the average carnivorous wolves—they’re seeking werewolves. Kayla can’t believe Dr. Keane would waste his time studying mythical creatures. It’s ludicrous. Werewolves don’t exist. Right?
Love Triangle
During the hike, Kayla is caught in the middle of an intense battle of the scowls between Mason, Dr. Keane’s son, and Lucas, the head Sherpa. Kayla is attracted to both guys. Mason is cute, outgoing and uncomplicated. Lucas, on the other hand, took Kayla’s breath away the moment she laid eyes on him. He’s sexy, intense and dangerous. He’s the quiet confident type, keeping himself at a distance, yet always watching with knowing, protective eyes. He’s nineteen, two years older than Kayla, but his maturity and authority make him seem much older than that.
Teenage Deception
When they reach the camp, one wilderness guide must stay behind with Dr. Keane and his students. Mason convinces Kayla to stay. Reluctantly, Lucas agrees. But in only a few days, Kayla learns the truth about Dr. Keane, Mason and the others. They use Kayla as bate to capture a wolf that they’re convinced is Lucas in wolf form.
Rachel Hawthorne’s second novel in the Dark Guardian series, Full Moon, is now available in stores.
(Moonlight by Rachel Hawthorne | Harperteen | May, 2009 | ISBN: 9780061709555)
Related Articles:
 |
