Reader, I was born. That mightn’t surprise you, but I’m sure it surprised me. It certainly surprised me, fifteen and a half years later, when I learned how I was born: less ‘peaceful-home-birth’ than I’d imagined; more ‘giant-cage-in-the-basement-birth’ – my terrified mom wielding a scalpel while my bio-parents… well, we’ll get to that. The important thing here is that I was born. And that, growing up, all I knew about the other stuff was this: I was adopted (true); and I’d inherited my bio-mom’s red hair (true) and super-dangerous, ultra-rare diabetes (less true).
Arriving in Brightside with her sister and on the run from a stalker, Evie Wilder is stunned to discover she’s a werewolf and her sister (Kate) has always known… and not only that, they’re in Brightside as it was the last place their mom was seen before vanishing. With the help of the manager at their guesthouse, Kevin, the sisters investigate the increasing animal attacks in the area and all those missing local teens. A supernatural showdown is brewing…
When Lesley Parr recommends a book, I always give it a go and as a massive Buffy the Vampire Slayer and horror fan, Big Bad Me was the perfect read so she was right once again! It’s a perfect teen read coupled with supernatural and probably your next step if you’ve read Bite Risk by S.J. Wills. What I loved about Big Bad Me is the close relationship between the protagonists, sisters Evie and Kate Wilder. Right from that flashback opening, you’re hooked by a child born to a werewolf mother and then the resulting, strong bond between the sisters reminded me of one of my favourite shows, Supernatural (I did chuckle at the reference to this show Kate uses to describe Kevin earlier on in the story!). For readers, particularly teen girls, the sisters represent empowerment and will inspire them to fight for their rights, definitely reminiscent of Buffy the Vampire Slayer herself.
I just mentioned about being hooked instantly with Big Bad Me and the pace is as fast as a werewolf’s speed: an absolute twist-filled rollercoaster that doesn’t even let up, even when it says ‘The End’ at the end! A surprising death left me stunned but equally reminded me of the rebirth of ditzy Harmony from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Caroline from The Vampire Diaries as it further developed their character’s arc for the rest of the book. It’s certainly a story I believe would make an addictive tv show and I really hope there’s more to come from the Wilder sisters and their monster gang – with some dangling plot threads at the end, I can see so much more scope for these characters and readers will definitely be invested in more. If like me, you’re a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, True Blood, The Vampire Diaries mixed with Teen Wolf and (the better parts of) Twilight then you must read Big Bad Me!
Suggested reading age: 13+
Big Bad Me is written by Aislinn O’Loughlin and is published by Little Island. It’s available to buy now so what are you waiting for? Get your copy today here.
Check ‘Em Out Books 