Review: Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

I was very excited to read this book even before I read the synopsis.  Many bloggers were abuzz and all I wanted to do was read the book that much more.  Finally, I found this pretty at my local book store and nabbed it before someone could yell at me for making a B line to the check-out counter.  That's how badly I wanted to read Hemlock, and it did not let me down.

The Synopsis:
Mackenzie and Amy were best friends.
Since then, Mac's life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac's hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy's killer:
A white werewolf.
Lupine syndrome--also known as the werewolf virus--is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.
Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy's murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy's boy-friend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.
Kathleen Peacock's thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spell-binding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

My Thoughts:
Right from the very beginning, I was hooked by the very dark and creepy feel I got from it.  I'm actually kind of not sure what to say about this book.  It's as if all interlligable words have left my mouth and mind.  So, I must apologize if the review is short and sweet.
Mac, I thought was a difficult character to understand.  I liked her and enjoyed her internal dialogue, but I felt as if I really didn't get to know who she truly is, besides that fact she's not a fan of the Trackers and she's got some daddy issues.  She would do things that would surprise me, and I felt as if they were not entirely part of her true character.  But otherwise, I thought she was a strong protagonist that was appropiate for the book.  In other words, I thought her character overall fit the book.
I really liked Kyle.  No.  I'm not sure if you're getting this.  I really liked Kyle.  Like, seriously.  He wore an Arcade Fire tee shirt.  Insta-love for me, if you ask.  He was protective and kind to Mac and was there for her for most of the book.  Sometimes he could be a complete and total jerk, like most guys, but it was only briefly and his personality compensated for that.  And he cared for Mac.  I say he's a done deal for me.
The story I thought was pretty good.  The town of Hemlock was a small one located on the water.  It kind of reminded me where I live, in a way.  But the town has dark secrets and I imagined most of the town to be a bit creepy and rundown looking, except for where all the rich people live.  I don't think that the imagery was the best, though.  It was better than some books I've read, but it wasn't particularly amazing and poetic imagery--not that I was looking for poetic, but I'm just giving an example here.
Overall, it was a great tale; a lovely spinoff of our feared canines, werewolves.  It was creative and very original, and surprisingly very dark.  I like dark.  I gave this book four out of five stars.  I hope that everybody will get a chance to read this book because it truely was an entertaining read, keeping me hooked all the way to the very end.

WARNING: You may exhibit slight paranoia if Hemlock is read outside when the light of the waning sun is barely enough to sustain visibility if you are alone.