REVIEW: Slayer (#1) - Kiersten White*

Title: Slayer (#1)
Author: Kiersten White
Series: Slayer
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's UK
Format: Paperback
Pages: 401 Pages
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

*RECEIVED FROM NETGALLEY FOR AN HONEST REVIEW - PAPERBACK COPY BOUGHT BY MYSELF WITH MY OWN MONEY*

Goodreads Blurb

Into every generation, a Slayer is born…

Nina and her twin sister, Artemis, are far from normal. It’s hard to be when you grow up at the Watcher’s Academy, which is a bit different from your average boarding school. Here teens are trained as guides for Slayers—girls gifted with supernatural strength to fight the forces of darkness. But while Nina’s mother is a prominent member of the Watcher’s Council, Nina has never embraced the violent Watcher lifestyle. Instead, she follows her instincts to heal, carving out a place for herself as the school medic.

Until the day Nina’s life changes forever.

Thanks to Buffy, the famous (and infamous) Slayer that Nina’s father died protecting, Nina is not only the newest Chosen One—she’s the last Slayer, ever. Period.

As Nina hones her skills with her Watcher-in-training, Leo, there’s plenty to keep her occupied: a monster fighting ring, a demon who eats happiness, a shadowy figure that keeps popping up in Nina’s dreams…

But it’s not until bodies start turning up that Nina’s new powers will truly be tested—because someone she loves might be next.

One thing is clear: Being Chosen is easy. Making choices is hard.

Thoughts

When I heard that this is book was part of the Buffy canon, that was it I needed this book in my hands. I was quite lucky to receive this from NetGalley, but I also ended up buying this in Paperback (the love for Buffy is real).

I really did not know what to expect when I started reading this, and I will admit the start of the book was slow-going, as White is building up the story of what has happened, why magic has disappeared and Nina's back story.

I found Nina at the start of the book to be a bit whiny, all she did was complain about Buffy and blame her for everything ( don't be starting on Buffy or we will have a falling out), but I was glad to see character growth in Nina, as she realised that being a Slayer comes with difficult choices, and it isn't just black and white.

I was very surprised by how much I loved this book and found once all the characters backstories were explained I just breezed through this book. I loved the character growth through this book and found that the book did flow really well everything just fitted together by the end and you weren't left with any unanswered questions.

My favourite part is a section near the end (once you read the book you will know what I am talking about), and it just brought a little tear to my eye.

Overall this was just a fantastic book, and I really can't wait to read the sequel