From Goodreads: I killed a girl last night.  I did it with my bare hands and an old piece of pipe I found lying next to the dumpster.  But that’s not the part that got me.  The part that scared me, the part I can’t seem to wrap my head around and still has me reeling, was that when she charged me, her body shifted – and then she was a wolf.  All snapping teeth and extended claws.  But by the time I stood over her lifeless body, she was a girl again.  That’s about the time I went into shock…  And that was the moment he showed up. 

Now, all I can do is accept the truths that are staring me in the face.  One, Werewolves do exist.  And two, I was born to kill them.

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Dirty Blood is a really great YA novel, and I enjoyed every minute of it.  I was enamored from the very first page and found the overall story of hunters and weres fascinating and fast paced.  I love a good story with plenty of action, and Dirty Blood does not disappoint.  Tara is a very head strong protagonist, and though I wanted to shake her a few times, due to her ill decision making skills, I love that she is, in fact, a wonderful representation of many teens today.  Her self reliant, stubborn demeanor creates a very strong female lead juxtaposed with the tall, dark, and handsome Wes as he tries to help Tara understand her hunter instincts and the danger they bring—to her, and everyone she knows.  Of course, like all of us thrown into a situation we do not understand, Tara struggles with herself and her newfound abilities, and I loved watching her come of age as the novel unfolded.

The action was ever present and I had a hard time putting the novel down to attend to life duties, as I was so enamored with the novel.  While I did find some similarities to the Twilight series, I think Hildenbrand does a great job making this story her own and creating wonderful characters and situations for readers to latch on to.  The idea of a half were, half hunter was intriguing, and I really enjoyed it.  Four stars.

I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.