Early Review of Whispers at Moonrise (Shadow Falls, #4) by C.C. Hunter

• Title: Whispers at Moonrise (Shadow Falls Novel (Quality))
• Classification: Young Adult (Ages 12 and up)
• Genre: Paranormal
• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (October 2, 2012)
• ISBN-10: 1250011914
• ISBN-13: 978-1250011916

Author's Website: http://www.cchunterbooks.com/
Notes: I'm one of C.C. Hunter's Street Team

"Why does my life need to be so damn hard?"

Kylie Galen thought finding out what she was would make things better, but it didn't. If anything it just complicated things even more. She has finally discovered what type of supernatural she is, well, sort of. She knows the name, but not exactly what it truly entails. She is a chameleon and no one seems to know exactly what that is, but Kylie's hopeful it doesn't involve a tail and a really long tongue. Perhaps it explains her crazy brain pattern and why everyone has been having so much trouble reading it? She's still coming into her powers, and while she now knows what she is, she is about to discover what she is truly capable of, and it's quite spectacular. Chameleons are known for changing their colors to blend in, so you have to wonder what a supernatural chameleon can do?

Meanwhile, her ghost whispering skills are once again being called upon, but this ghost is the scariest by far because it looks like someone Kylie knows...and they're not dead! Is she now able to speak to people's ghosts before they've passed? If so, can she prevent their death? One thing Kylie knows from her previous experiences is that listening to a ghost can sometimes determine whether someone lives or dies.

Additionally, her father stated before he faded back into the land of the unliving that they'd find out what being a chameleon meant together. Does that mean she is going to die too?  So many questions, but the answers are forthcoming. One question posed toward the beginning of the book will gain more significance toward the end...

"Have you ever known the right thing to do, but couldn't do it?"

Kylie will need to make a difficult decision she wishes she didn't have to make. The irony is that the person who posed the question will be the one to finally make her see there truly is only one right choice for her and push her one step closer to finding her destiny. She'll come to realize, 'Life could still hurt like a paper-cut right across the heart...Every new day was about opportunities. You couldn't always control life, just your response to it.'

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This was such a fun book with so much revealed yet leaving so much more yet to be discovered. I truly can't wait to see what the next, and sadly last, book of the series will hold. Is there anyway to sign a petition to extend the series? Each book seems to pull me deeper and deeper into the story.

In Whispers at Moonrise, Kylie will finally get to meet her paternal grandfather. He holds the answers she craves. She'll learn what a chameleon is and some of what one can do. She still hasn't gained her full powers and hasn't yet gained total control over those she currently possesses. New powers seem to randomly appear, but she'll find they aren't as random as she thought, and begin learning how to control them.

Lucas will show aspirations of gaining a seat on the were Council. He wants to make a difference. To do so, however, he has to gain his father's approval. He's secretive about what that entails, but asks Kylie to have faith in their relationship and in him.

Kylie will once again be haunted by a ghost and need to put her protective powers to use to save someone. The difference with this ghost is that it looks like someone Kylie knows and cares for. Holiday says sometimes ghosts can have an identity crisis and put on the face of someone else, but is that what is truly going on? She'll have to sort things out to get to the bottom of who the ghost is trying to warn her about before it's too late.

Why is the book named Whispers at Moonrise? I believe it has to do with this:
'Moonrise, she thought. She felt again the whispers echoing in her mind. Whispers she couldn't understand, whispers that both lured her and frightened her.'
Something is whispering for Kylie to come and join them in the forest. She'll need to decide whether to refrain from the compulsion or give in to it.

Overall, I gave this one 4 1/2 out of 5 roses. I loved the drama involved with the ghost. I loved the difficulty involved with Kylie's decision to stay or to go with her grandfather. I enjoyed the interaction with Holiday and seeing Kylie's powers go astray. I loved pretty much everything that went on, but felt things were a teeny bit dragged out when it came to discovering what a chameleon was. I thought enough clues were given at the end of Taken at Dusk to give everyone a good idea, but I did love some of the humor that went with the speculation. Action and emotion go hand in hand in this one, and I can't wait to see what Ms. Hunter has up her sleeve for the next book. This one will leave you craving for the next book, Chosen at Nightfall. I keep hoping for a spin-off series.

Order of Series:

Coming October 2nd: