Betrayals by: Lili St. Crow

From Goodreads:
She’s no angel...

Poor Dru Anderson. Her parents are long gone, her best friend is a werewolf, and she’s just learned that the blood flowing through her veins isn’t entirely human. (So what else is new?)

Now Dru is stuck at a secret New England Schola for other teens like her, and there’s a big problem—she’s the only girl in the place. A school full of cute boys wouldn’t be so bad, but Dru’s killer instinct says that one of them wants her dead. And with all eyes on her, discovering a traitor within the Order could mean a lot more than social suicide...

Can Dru survive long enough to find out who has betrayed her trust—and maybe even her heart?

My Thoughts:

Betrayals, the second novel in Lili St. Crow’s Strange Angels series is a wonderful follow up to the first novel. It picks up right where readers were left in the first book. It doesn’t start off as fast paced at the first novel did, but rather it offers a slow build to an upcoming event-like a volcano. Crow’s use of anticipation and tension within the start of the book add to the build, making readers anxious to get to the next chapter. 

The story is still told from main character Dru Anderson’s perspective-and thank goodness for that! She has such an incredibly strong voice and it is completely authentic to the YA genre. In this novel we find Dru in quite a predicament-she is totally out of her element in this one. Dru’s good at handling the strange, weird, and creepy things that go bump in the night (fight off a hoard of vampires? no problem. Run from a demented shape-shifter? piece of cake) but settling into a reform school for supernatural beings like herself? Not so simple. For one-the classes they place her in are useless and cover subjects she already knows-they in no way help train her to battle the uber-vamp that is currently tracking her down and chomping at the bit to kill her. Secondly-the professors there are sketchy at best and keep her isolated as much as possible. And thirdly-Dru isn’t getting answers about her past, answers she was assured she’d find here. This, plus conflicting feelings between two interesting male lead characters, leaves Dru trapped in a world she doesn’t quite no how to function in.

All supernatural intrigue aside, this storyline should be easily relatable to anyone going through high-school adolescence. It’s similar in the sense of being tossed into a new world and having people just expect you to understand how to operate within it. Dru doesn’t disappoint either, she carries her strong-willed, sharp-tongued attitude with gusto, never letting anyone temper her passion. This, to me, is a wonderful example for young readers, showing that you don’t have to conform to be accepted and that staying true to who you are (no matter who that may be) is always a better option than faking for the masses. 

The pace of the novel picks up in the middle and mimics the break-neck speed of the first book-one disaster after another pile up around Dru and each time she learns something new about herself and the people around her. Crow’s use of revealing character through action is phenomenal and a much more enjoyable discovery than if she simply told us who these characters are and what they stand for. 

The romantic tension is amped up slightly in this novel but not as much as I would prefer (hey what can I say I love romance) but I feel that Crow is using her skills of building tension in order to keep readers panting for more from the relationships between Dru, Graves, and Christophe. The love triangle is present, but not the driving force in the novel, so it isn’t as cliche as it has become in the market. It is offered in a natural way as opposed to a forced one. 

The language and voice stays true to the original and continues to make me laugh and gasp at different times. Following Dru through the many obstacles she is presented with (whether that be boy problems, supernatural beings trying to kill her, or attempting to uncover the mystery of her past) is a thrill ride-one I can’t wait to continue throughout the rest of the series.