Otherkin Review

Title:  Otherkin (Otherkin #1)
Author: Nina Berry
Release Date: July 31st 2012
Publisher: KTeen
Source: ARC for review from author
Rating: 4




I thought I knew myself. Then I met Caleb.

Dez is a good girl who does as she’s told and tries not to be noticed.
Then she rescues a boy from a cage, and he tells her secrets about herself.
Now inside her burns a darkness that will transform her.

Everything is about to change -- and neither Caleb, nor the Otherkin, nor those who hunt them are prepared for what Dez will unleash.

Review:

Going into Otherkin I expected to really enjoy this shifter book, based on the summary and the fact the shapeshifter/werewolf books are my favourite in the YA paranormal genre. Otherkin was everything I exepcted it to be and more. I really recommend checking out this book this summer.

Right from page ones no time is wasted getting right into the story and intense action filled plot. Right off the bat you are intrigued by a hot guy in a cage, and your interest stays throughout the rest of the book. There are 2 types of Otherkin, there the shifter like Dez and Callers who can manipulate the shadows and make objects shift. The story behind the Otherkin and the Othersphere is a amazing, intriguing and detailed one.

Before the book takes place, Dez wheres a back brace because she has a curvature in her back, which makes her a unique character and we get to see her develop though the book becoming the mythical creature she didn't kow she was and moving away from the "freak" who wore a brace. Depending on who you ask, she becomes a who different kind of freak. I felt that maybe took the idea that she was an Otherkin who could shift into a tiger and the whole world behind it maybe a bit too easily. If it were we I would be freaking out, thinking I'm crazy, and having a major case of denial.

I really loved this book, everything seemed to be well thoughout and explained so well that it's easy to understand. It also has amazing world building. All the characters are great, and all have different personalities. The take on shapeshifters it totally unique if you're looking for a shifter book that's not your average book.

So many questions left unanswered, and so many emotional feeling I want to see carry out between Caleb and Dez. I really can't wait to read the next book, Othermoon, I'm sure it will be just as good maybe better. Definitely check out this book, I stongly recommend it to anyone of any gender, there's something for everyone. Plus as we all know Kensington punlishes some amazing teen book.

The Calling Review

The Calling

Kelley Armstrong

Doubleday Canada (HarperTeen)

April 10th 2012

* A copy was provided for review by Random House Canada. Thanks!

Summary:

Maya Delaney's paw-print birthmark is the mark of what she truly is--a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly everyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it's only a matter of time before she's able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents.

Now, Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Then they're kidnapped, and after a chilling helicopter crash, they find themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home

Review:

Kelley Armstrong wasted no time in getting right back into the story where we were left off with a cliffhanger in The Gathering. The plot line is very fast paced right from the first chapter, there a deaths, injuries, and many more chaotic things that occur with this book. In other words there is never a dull moment. Readers will be satisfied with character development, revelations revealed, and of course the fastness of the plot.

There were two things I was really looking forward to discovering when I finally got my hands on a copy of The Calling. 1) Who/what killed Serena, and 2) What powers do Maya's friends have. I am both pleased and disappointed in what happened or didn't happen with these two things. There is a suspect to who/what killed Serena in the lake, but no finalised answer which I am dying to figure out. Only two of Maya's friends, Daniel and Sam, supernatural abilities are revealed in The Calling. I'm still curious to see what Cory, Hayley and Nicole are, but I guess we'll have to see in the last book in the trilogy. I have some suspicions but again I would like to have those finalised.

As always Kelley delivers a well written, and well thoughout and exicuted read. I don't think I've read a book of hers that Í haven't loved (I've read all but one). All the characters are likable expecially Maya and Daniel, and Rafe depending on who you ask. I really love how in this trilogy that the experiment is trying to revived extinct supernatural creatures rather than just enhancing their abilities like in The Darkest Powers series.Of course the Canadian setting and mix on native american culture also peaks my interest. For me I could not put down this book until I was finished, but now sadly I have to wait over a year to see what happens...

Of course I miss that characters from The Darkest Powers trilogy *cough* Derek *cough* but from what I see we'll be seeing our fare share of Chloe and the gang in the next insallment. I hope to see more Rafe since he wasn't a huge character in The Calling. Overall this is a truely amazing read that you must read or at least try out . Action non stop and an amazingly written story is what awaits you in The Calling.