Review: Other by. Karen Kincy

Title: Other
Author: Karen Kincy
Publication Date: July 1st 2010
Pages: 326
Genre: Paranormal/Romance
Rating: 9/10

Synopsis from Goodreads:  Seventeen-year-old Gwen hides a dangerous secret: she’s Other. Half-pooka, to be exact, thanks to the father she never met. Most Americans don’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for Others, especially not the small-town folks of Klikamuks, Washington. As if this isn’t bad enough, Gwen’s on the brink of revealing her true identity to her long-time boyfriend, Zack, but she’s scared he’ll lump her with the likes of bloodthirsty vampires and feral werewolves.
When a pack of werewolves chooses the national forest behind Gwen’s home as their new territory, the tensions in Klikamuks escalate-into murder. It soon becomes clear a serial killer is methodically slaying Others. The police turn a blind eye, leaving Gwen to find the killer before the killer finds her. As she hunts for clues, she uncovers more Others living nearby than she ever expected. Like Tavian, a sexy Japanese fox-spirit who rivals Zack and challenges her to embrace her Otherness. Gwen must struggle with her own conflicted identity, learn who she can trust, and-most importantly-stay alive.

Review:  Other is a paranormal mystery combined with the best kind of romance. Not only that, but we are introduced to two new creatures of the para, the Pooka and the Kitsune. Other- a paranormal creature including vampires, werewolves, fox spirits, and...pooka??? Yes the beloved Pooka. Shape shifting pookas. It so refreshing to have a whole new paranormal creature thrown into the mix. And not just any kind of shape shifters, an anything goes kind of shape shifter. Sounds like my kind of people.

I don't know about you guys, but for me when I'm picking a paranormal romance, I love to know that the romance is up to par, especially when its supposed to be a love triangle. And Other delivers, big time. Sometimes I find it is hard to pick between two guys in a book with a love triangle, usually because there really isn't anything distinguishing the two, but Other does not have that problem. There is the original hot and...hot Zach, and then there's the witty, sexy, intelligent, Japanese fox-spirit, supportive Tavian. Would you say it's a hard choice? Tavian had a real distinct personality that made him a favorite character of mine and you could easily see the romance and chemistry blossoming between him and Gwen in the book.

Someone is killing Others, and Gwen could be next. And when the killings take a turn for the personal, she decides to get involve and try to save the lives of more Others, including herself. I actually didn't see the ending from a mile away. In my mind the killer's identity changed about 5 times throughout the book. What else could you ask for in a mystery book. The book was fast paced and had absolutely no filler pages or chapter. Every page is needed in developing either the romance or giving clues to the mystery murderer. Not only that but I like how the fact that Gwen wasn't only a paranormal creature but also a teenager didn't get lost in the book. The things any other average teenager would go through, Gwen also has to deal with. 

Overall, I loved this book. It took me right out of my reading slump within a day. Everything intermingled great. It wasn't one of those books where there's action, then wait there's a little romance randomly added, then back to the action. The action and the romance mended nicely which made the book flow perfectly. I really enjoyed this book and was very satisfied with the ending. Though I wouldn't mind a little more Pooka, Kitsune action maybe in a sequel...wishful thinking! 

Recommendations: I recommend this book to all romance and paranormal fanatics. Also if you interesting in adding another paranormal to vampire and werewolf list of favorites, definitely give this book a try!


Overall: 9/10 

Characters: 10/10 
Plot: 9/10
Originality: 10/10 
Entertainment: 9/10 
Ending: 10/10 
Writing Style: 10/10 
Cover: 9/10

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Currently Reading: Moby Dick by. Herman Melville

 

Moby-Dick, the white whale: emblem of nature yet unnaturally pale, tender and violent, god and demon, an enigma to which Ahab is bound by ropes of vengeful obsession. The Pequod: whaler out of Nantucket, with its polyglot world crew bound upon a voyage for spermwhale, a ship of the damned driven by its ungodly captain to the edge of the void. Ishmael: named for a Biblical outcast, narrator, masthead philosopher, sole survivor.

Currently, my summer is coming to an end. I can tell by how my summer homework seems to be much much more than it was when I saw it at the beginning of the summer. Part of my AP English Composition summer homework is to read Moby Dick which is what I am currently doing. And to my immense surprise it is going pretty good. Though I am not even 1/3 of the way through the book it is still going better then expected. And it has cannibals, yes cannibals. I am fascinated yet disturbed, creeped out yet intrigued, (doesn’t that tell a whole lot about my personality?) just take a gander at this excerpt:

“I then asked Queequeg whether he himself was ever troubled with dyspepsia… he then began to tell me of a time..it was a great  feast given by his father the king, on gaining a great battle wherein fifty of the enemy had been killed by about 2 o’clock, and all cooked and eaten that very evening…

he told me that it was custom, when a great battle had been gained there, to barbecue all the slain in the yard or garden of the victor…”

My favorite quotes of the entire book by far. Interesting, very very interesting. Can’t wait to get on with that essay!

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In My Mailbox #15

In My Mailbox is a bookish meme hosted by Kristi The Story Siren and inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.

Bought:

The Seven Rays by. Jessica Bendinger

I put this book off for a very long time since pretty much all of the reviews I read were negative, and I really didn’t want to read it after that. But I found it on a site for 99 cents plus free shipping, and in hardcover, and I couldn’t resist the pretty, shining, bright gold cover. And my inner book buying addict succumb to the pressure and here it is. I am probably going to put off reading it for a while, but I still hope it wasn’t a total waste.

Gifted (sort of):

My Soul To Save by. Rachel Vincent.

I received this book courtesy of the Harlequin Teen Panel. Which is just a great place for teen girls to talk and discuss books and other miscellaneous things. They sometimes send you surveys in you inbox to do, which is how I got this book. I was just completing this survey on my favorite book covers and at the end they asked me what book I wanted to receive. Oh yeah, fun times!

So that sums it all up. I also got quite a few workbooks and reading material for school, but even I didn’t want to open those up when I got them so I doubt anyone else would want to see them :). Don’t forget to tell me what you guys got in your mailboxes!

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Waiting on Wednesday #18 -Wake Unto Me

Waiting On Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Wake Unto Me

Release Date: March 31, 2011

Publisher:  Speak
Paranormal/Ghosts

A haunted castle, a handsome young man dead for four hundred years, one heck of a scary portrait of a witch, and a treasure hunt -- not to mention a princess for a roommate! -- all await 15 year old American girl Caitlyn Monahan when she earns a scholarship to a French boarding school. There are secrets behind the stone walls of Chateau de la Fortune, buried for centuries along with the mystery of who killed Raphael, the charming ghost who visits Caitlyn at night. But as Caitlyn unearths the history of the castle, nothing scares her as badly as the secret she learns about herself, and the reason she was chosen to come to the Fortune School. And nothing breaks her heart as badly as falling in love with a dead guy.

I blame Meg Cabot's mediator series for my new infatuation with ghost books. They sound so intriguing and I love the different ways a love story can play out when one of the characters happens to be dead...ooh, ahh, interesting!

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Posted in: ghosts,paranormal romance,Waiting On Wednesday

Monday's Question of The Day!!!

This meme was started by Eleni over at /- LA FEMME READERS -/.

This Monday's question is: 

Do you prefer reading a series or a stand-alone book?

This one is a no brainer for me. Of course I prefer series! I thoroughly enjoy reading books that are a part of a series a lot more than stand alone. About 80% of all the books I read are apart of a series. Especially if there is wonderful character development so I get really attached to the characters, of course I would love for the story to go on with more books. If you check out my Top 10 Favorite Books post, you'll see that only one of those books out of ten were not a part of a series. There are so many books that I love out there that I would have loved to have a sequel. Without a doubt, series any day!

So tell me, which do you prefer: series, or stand-alone books? I would love to hear your opinions so don't hesitate to leave a comment!    

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Review: Shiver by. Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #1)  
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Age Range: 14+
Publication Date: August 1, 2009 Scholastic 
Pages: 392
Genre: Paranormal, Romance
Rating: 10/10

Synopsis from Goodreads: For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human ... until the cold makes him shift back again. Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

Initial Reaction: "Let's see if this book will live up to all the hype."
End Reaction: "Now that's a romance done right! I loved the ending, I didn't think it needed a sequel though, hope's its as good."

Review: Usually I am more than a little hesitant to read a book that has received nothing but the best reviews. I was especially hoping that Shiver would live up to the hype, and that it did. Engaging romance, and a unique pretense surrounding the werewolves make for a great combination in this fascinating novel.

When I look back at this book, the one thing I remember most is, of course, the romance. It was just beautiful. Even though the romance did start early in the book, and it may have seen a little sudden, it worked out perfectly. Once you read the prologue and the emotions that went between Grace and Sam even before Grace even knew that Sam was a human being, you can tell that the love between them is so real. I can't even describe how intense to me it was. And to go through the whole book not knowing whether this romance could last between the two of them made me so eager to get to the end to see what happens, at the same time wanting the book to last forever!

The struggle in this book is what really gave it something extra than just the romance which could have stood on its own anyway. There was the time restraint the characters were constantly on. Not just Grace and Sam but the other supporting characters. Grace and Sam are fighting to fit in all the time they can together and say all they want to say within one season WHILE dealing with Sam's restrictions and a renegade werewolf threatening what may be the only winter Sam and Grace may have together. 

This book was incredibly. The reviews said it was one of the best books of the year, and it still surpassed my expectations. Even though I loved the ending of Shiver and didn't think a sequel was needed (just because I don't want it to spoil the ending of Shiver), I am still awaiting the day I finally get to read Linger.

Recommendations: I recommend this book to paranormal, romance, and werewolf fanatics everywhere! 


Overall: 10/10 

Characters: 10/10 
Plot: 10/10
Originality: 10/10 
Entertainment: 10/10 
Ending: 10/10 
Writing Style: 10/10 
Cover: 10/10

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