Review: The Arena Wars by Samantha Hoffman

The Arena Wars (Arena Wars #1) 

by Samantha Hoffman
Rating: 3 out of 5 wine glasses

Samantha Hoffman combines the paranormal world with really life dilemmas - such as physical handicaps and Alzheimer's. I see some reoccurring themes between her novels - The Arena Wars and Zombieland. The protagonist's love interest is never perfect and deals with a physical determent somewhere in the novel. The love interest always teases the protagonist about hot he is.

My favorite part of the book is the story about how werewolves are created. First to turn into a werewolf you have to first have werewolf genes. Second you must get bit by a vampire and if your werewolf genes fight off the vampire infection successfully then you can transform into a werewolf at your own discretion. If your body can't fight off the vampire infection then you die. Also once you become a werewolf you no longer age so werewolves are all different ages depending on when they turned -so a child could stay a child forever if that is when the change takes affect.

I think this novel would be a good teen read since reader's get to experience the heroine's internal conflicts on life, love and between what is wrong and right.

The Goodreads' book synopsis gives too much of the story line away but I liked the unexpected twist at the end. I was a little confused on why Roger and Elias had scars if they could completely heal, but I got over this discrepancy. Hopefully, there will be more background on Elias' plan with Alanna and devolve the vampire encounter that turned  Alanna into a werewolf in the next book, War of Hearts.