{Review} of Red Dawn (Crossroads Academy) by J.J. Bonds

Red Dawn by J.J. Bonds
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

GENRE: YA Paranormal
THEME: Vampire, Romance
RECEIVED: Author
AUTHORS BLOG: J.J. Bonds' Site

BLURB:

Katia’s done running. She’s fought fiercely to protect her identity, her secrets, and those she loves most. And while it hasn’t been easy, she’s finally making peace with the past. Katia’s even looking forward to the start of a new school year at Crossroads Academy.

Too bad things at Crossroads are going to be a little different this fall. There are new rules, new students, and new relationships. Katia quickly discovers that navigating the halls of Crossroads is as complicated as ever.

When a friend’s life is at stake, Katia will be forced to choose between the safety of Crossroads and an enemy more dangerous than any she’s ever faced. Will Katia have the courage to risk it all -including her life- for a friend?

REVIEW:
Second book in the J.J. Bonds Crossroads Academy was full of action and focused on Katia’s determination to help her closest friend. Once again Bonds sucks her readers into this unique vampire world, full of romance, adventure and a new conspiracy.

Red Dawn follows Katia who is just starting up her next semester at Crossroads Academy. She is now rooming with her best friend Shaye and also is starting to build a close relationship with Nik. Everything seems to be going smoother, except when the only thing that can save her friend Shaye from dying gets stolen from a lab. Katia is determined to track down the thief and save her friend before its too late, no matter what dangers lie ahead.

Katia I enjoyed much more that in the first book, as she was so closed off and a bit too gloomy for me. Now friends surround her and even those who she didn’t get along with before, kind of have an understanding…well in a way. She is still trying to control her abilities and even turns into a bit of a sleuth by uncovering a very big conspiracy. She shows her tough side a bit more and gets her hands a bit dirty. Her relationship with Nik has grown a lot more; they even go off on their own to help Shaye, along with Shaye’s boyfriend Keegan. I liked that Bonds took her characters away from the academy for a while, and the readers get to see more supernatural.

Nik didn’t really change much, but he wants to develop something more with Katia and we do get some steamier scenes with them. He trusts her judgment and sometimes I feel doesn’t understand the fact that this girl can take care of herself. However I still don’t understand how he’s friends with Jade, she is just one annoyingly rude person.

Shaye doesn’t have as big of a part in this book as she did the previous, even though it’s highly focused on helping her. Katia goes off with Nik and Keegan to New Orleans to find out more on who stole the cure for Shaye. Shaye is getting worse and Katia knows she doesn’t have much time left.

Overall the Crossroads series still has me hooked and I look forward to finding out more on the conspiracy Katia uncovered. I’m also curious as to Katia abilities and if she’s growing stronger, it seems her visions are now getting under control. One other tidbit that has bothered me from the beginning is the headmaster Pratt, I’m not sure why he keeps getting away with treating Katia so horrible, but I’m hoping for some more explanation. Or I’m hoping that he gets some major punishment in the future, that guy is just plain rude. This story seemed to be a bit shorter and carried a much faster pace than the pervious, I wish it was a bit longer. I can’t wait to see what happens next and watch Katia kick butt some more in the future books, it seems like the series is getting a bit darker and I love it.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult novel that keeps on surprising you throughout the story. Fans of Heather Hildrenbrands Dirty Blood series and Jennifer Armentrouts Covenant series will love Re Dawn by J.J. Bonds.

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