Rating: 4-Star
Genre: Supernatural thriller
ASIN: B00DSY8YHQ
File Size: 1168 KB
ISBN-10: 1481748718
ISBN-13: 978-1481748711
Pages: 436

Imagine how difficult it would be as a teenager to lose your family in an accident and then find out that your bloodline is key to saving the world—by coupling with a werewolf. That is what happens to the protagonist in Bloodline Gypsy: Jook and Gypsies Vol. 1 by Shirley A. Martin.

After the death of her mother and grandparents, Susannah Henika meets her father for the first time when social workers take her to live with him. Of course, there is the evil stepmother, but she is incidental to the story, except perhaps to be a wedge between the father and daughter.

After Susannah moves in with her father, see meets a strange woman, Madalina Sadrinovic  who introduces her to Luca, her brother. As the story unfolds, we discover that the Sadrinovic family are good werewolves fighting bad ones, and both types of werewolves are seeking Susannah.

Ms. Martin creates a realistic teenager, one who confides in her best friend as she tries to understand how she fits in the world. But even her best friend does not know Susannah’s secrets, which she herself does not understand until she learns about her gypsy ancestors.

Little by little, the author reveals the secrets, and the plot explodes. There is a lot of sex and gore, vis-a-vis the rogue werewolves. If either of these is offensive this is not a book for you.

There are a lot of characters, some better developed than others. Since Bloodline Gypsy is volume 1 in the “Jook and Gypsies“ series, we may see these characters come into play in future books. Otherwise, I’m not sure what their purpose was. Once such character is Billie, Susannah’s ski board instructor. Other than to highlight what Susannah’s life might have been had she not become involved with the werewolves or to accentuate what she left behind, I see no purpose for this character.

The book just ends with the story unresolved. Having vested time in reading this lengthy book, I would have preferred a resolution (does she escape or not) and then a cliff-hanger. Instead, the story continues in the second volume.

The story and characters are developed well enough that I am willing to overlook the editing errors and purchase the second book. I just have to find out what happens to the Jook and Gypsies.