Bitten

by Jordan Stephanie Gray

Review

This book hooked me from the very first chapter and managed to keep me fully entertained straight through to the end—and that’s one of the highest compliments I can give. The story delivered plenty of twists, turns, and last-minute revelations. Some of them I was able to predict, but others genuinely caught me off guard thanks to how seamlessly they were woven into the narrative. Vanessa, the main character, was especially interesting to follow. At first, I thought she was going to be a bold, badass lead, but throughout the book my opinion shifted more than once, at times finding her strong and other times feeling she leaned into a whiny, juvenile side. By the end, I wasn’t completely sure which version of her I believed in most—but that actually felt like part of her internal struggle and her growth arc.

What stood out most to me was the unique take on the werewolf structure. I’m used to reading werewolf books set either fully in the modern world or with wolves roaming wild while still blending into everyday communities. This book, however, carved out something fresh by adding a layer of witchy magic and placing the wolves in an alternate pocket-like space. I thought this twist on worldbuilding was really fun. The school setting, combined with royal and clan hierarchies, added extra intrigue and tension to the story. That said, I do wish there had been more interaction with the real world woven into the plot. Hopefully, that’s something we’ll see expanded upon in future books, because I’m curious to see how those two sides connect.