Review : Willowgrove by Kathleen Peacock

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : Willowgrove (Hemlock #3)
Author : Kathleen Peacock
Publication Date : January 6th 2015
Publisher : Katherine Tegen Books
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Willowgrove is Kathleen Peacock's riveting conclusion to the Hemlock trilogy, a dark, romantic, paranormal suspense series that pits friendship against survival, and trust against love.

Ever since Mac's best friend, Amy, was murdered, Hemlock has been a dangerous place. But now that Mac, her boyfriend, Kyle, and Amy's ex, Jason, have investigated a mass breakout from Thornhill, a werewolf "rehabilitation" camp, the danger has only grown. Fear of the infection spreading is now at an all-time high, and anyone with a scar is suspected of being a wolf.

What makes Mac even more afraid, though, are the dark experiments that the warden of Thornhill was performing on wolves in a secret asylum called Willowgrove. Uncovering the truth about what happened may be the only way for Mac to save everyone she loves and end her nightmares for good.

Personal Thoughts

It's always so hard to say goodbye to a series because it's like saying goodbye to group of friends you have gotten to know over the course of the books. It's especially bittersweet to say adieu to the Hemlock trilogy because it's one that I started very early during my blogging years. While I may be upset, I firmly believe that Kathleen Peacock gave readers an ending that was hopeful and memorable with Willowgrove.  


Like I said, I have grown very emotionally attached to these characters. I've watched them go through one obstacle after the other, but I am so proud of them for everything they have accomplished. Mac, as a main character, has especially grown throughout this series. In Willowgrove, you could tell that she was no longer that sad and grieving young girl that she was in Hemlock. She had found a positive outlet for her grief over her best friend's murder. I truly admired her for her resilience and her positive attitude through every hurdle she had to jump over. Kyle, her love interest, continued to flourish as a character as well. I loved he too had become tough and had accepted who he was at the core. We saw him struggle considerably with his identity over the past two books, but in Willowgrove, he was a different person, tenacious and secure with what he was. Kyle has always been a sweet guy and he never wavered from that personality trait. You can't help but fall in love for this beautiful boy and his kind heart. The secondary characters too really shined in Willowgrove. I was especially impressed by the development of Serena's character. She had gone through hell in the second book and she was still fragile from the events, but with the help of Jason she slowly started to get on her feet. Speaking of Jason, he was one character I struggled with a few times during the series, but he too has grown to become a much more decent person and I was proud of who he had become.

The plot in Willowgrove took some time to gain its momentum, but once it did, it was fast-paced, gory and terrifying. Kathleen Peacock really did not hold back with the deaths and bloodshed. My heart was racing so fast throughout Willowgrove, worried about what would happen to these characters I had grown to cherish so much. The author did manage to punch me in the heart multiple times and it left me teary eyed. We also learn a lot more about the lupine disease that struck the town and there were some horrifying moments. Never have I hated the villains so much as I did with this series and I wanted nothing more than to watch their downfall. The romance between Kyle and Mac was super sweet as well. It was one that grew slowly in the first book and while it's had a few down moments, Mac and Kyle have been supportive of each other and they have worked together to jump through many of their problems. There were times during this series where I worried that a love triangle would pop up, but Peacock makes sure to eliminate every doubt in the first book itself. Kathleen Peacock is a really talented author and she has the ability to write some very compelling stories that grab your attention from the very start. I also really liked how she was able to put real life themes into this book, primarily discrimination, and she tackled them very aptly.

A werewolves story that is compelling and gripping in multiple ways, the Hemlock series is not one to be missed out on. As a trilogy ending, Willowgrove was satisfying in every way. I can't wait for more by Kathleen Peacock.


Rating

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5

Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Teen for the e-ARC of Willowgrove.