Title: Other
Series: Other #1
Author: Karen Kincy - Website
Available: Now
Reading Level: YA
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Description from Goodreads:
Gwen Williams has been hiding a strange and fantastic secret: she's a shapeshifter. Although society may tolerate vampires, centaurs, and "Others" like Gwen, there are plenty of folks in her small Washington town who don't care for her kind.
When a new werewolf pack moves into the area, tensions rise—and Others start showing up dead, including someone close to Gwen. Despite the methodical murders, the police are ignoring evidence that suggests a serial killer. In the midst of terrible loss and danger, Gwen—along with a mysterious and sexy guy who happens to be a Japanese fox spirit—risks her life to find the murderer. But Gwen is already the killer's next target . . .
My thoughts:
Other explores shapeshifters not often seen in Young Adult or Adult paranormal novels. I don't think I had ever heard of a Pooka until reading the synopsis of Other. Add in the mysterious guy who can turn into a fox, and I was immediately intrigued by the uniqueness of this book.
Other features a nice mix of mystery, suspense, and romance. I did find the identity of the serial killer predictable, but I still felt the need to keep reading in order to confirm my suspicions. At times I felt like the author was trying too hard to make all the secondary characters look guilty, but it still didn’t help to prevent me from figuring out the whodunit element early in the novel.
I did really like Gwen. Some might find her insecurities and judgmental attitude frustrating, but I thought her feelings and emotions made her genuine. She is struggling with normal teen issues as well as learning about her Pooka side. With her birth father absent and a mother and stepfather who are 100% human, she had no one to turn to for answers. I can’t even imagine how overwhelming that must be. I also adored foxy boy Tavian. He was just so sweet. The sweet guys rarely win my affections, but this time I was smitten. I also liked seeing the side of Gwen he brought out. It was obvious how desperately she needed someone who understood her otherness in her life.
I really enjoyed the author’s descriptive style of writing when it came to describing places, people, and action, but found some of the dialogue a little awkward. It just didn’t flow as nicely as the rest of the novel, and I found the need to re-read some scenes. It seemed like I was reading what Gwen was saying, but what she was thinking wasn’t clear. The conversations also ended abruptly at times, and the author would move to another scene before the previous one felt complete.
I did have a few minor issues with Other, but I still enjoyed the characters and the fascinating world the author created quite a bit. I liked how different this novel was from others in the same genre. I’ll definitely read the next in the series, and I won’t have to wait long to experience more because Bloodborn releases on September 8th.
Cover Thoughts: I have to comment on how perfect this cover is for Gwen’s story. It is such an amazing match not only for Gwen’s appearance, but also the descriptions of the town she lives in.
Other features a nice mix of mystery, suspense, and romance. I did find the identity of the serial killer predictable, but I still felt the need to keep reading in order to confirm my suspicions. At times I felt like the author was trying too hard to make all the secondary characters look guilty, but it still didn’t help to prevent me from figuring out the whodunit element early in the novel.
I did really like Gwen. Some might find her insecurities and judgmental attitude frustrating, but I thought her feelings and emotions made her genuine. She is struggling with normal teen issues as well as learning about her Pooka side. With her birth father absent and a mother and stepfather who are 100% human, she had no one to turn to for answers. I can’t even imagine how overwhelming that must be. I also adored foxy boy Tavian. He was just so sweet. The sweet guys rarely win my affections, but this time I was smitten. I also liked seeing the side of Gwen he brought out. It was obvious how desperately she needed someone who understood her otherness in her life.
I really enjoyed the author’s descriptive style of writing when it came to describing places, people, and action, but found some of the dialogue a little awkward. It just didn’t flow as nicely as the rest of the novel, and I found the need to re-read some scenes. It seemed like I was reading what Gwen was saying, but what she was thinking wasn’t clear. The conversations also ended abruptly at times, and the author would move to another scene before the previous one felt complete.
I did have a few minor issues with Other, but I still enjoyed the characters and the fascinating world the author created quite a bit. I liked how different this novel was from others in the same genre. I’ll definitely read the next in the series, and I won’t have to wait long to experience more because Bloodborn releases on September 8th.
Cover Thoughts: I have to comment on how perfect this cover is for Gwen’s story. It is such an amazing match not only for Gwen’s appearance, but also the descriptions of the town she lives in.
My Rating:
Books in the series:
