Hemlock

Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

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 boyfriend, 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. -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads

I've read a few YA werewolf books this year (the other two being Raised by Wolves and Nightshade) and this one is probably my favorite of the three. That being said, it reads very much like a CW drama, just not one quite up to the standards of The Vampire Diaries. There's plenty to like- side characters are well-drawn, the friendships/relationships of the characters are believable, and most of all, Peacock has delved pretty deeply into what might happen to werewolves in our world, including detention centers, anti-wolf propaganda, a political group/cult/Westboro-Baptistish group of hunters (think more Texan border patrol wingnuts than actual, capable, Winchestery hunters). In fact, I think I would rather have read the story that focused more on that and a bit on the mystery of Amy's death, rather than leaning so heavily on the romance that teetered dangerously close to a love triangle at times. But that's ok.

Also, if this author isn't a major Veronica Mars fan, I would be shocked. The town is painfully divided between the haves and the have nots (there's even a well-intentioned/honorable in his own way gang kid *coughWeevilCough*), a Damaged Pretty Rich Boy whose past/present relationship dynamics seem oddly familiar (rhymes with Wogan), and frequent visions of the departed best friend character urging the protagonist to solve her murder (oh, and also, she had been dating the DPRB). Hmm. None of this is meant as a criticism, really, it just seemed extremely familiar.