Nov 4, 2011

Book Review: Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Release Date: December 27, 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA; 336 pages

Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She's human.

And then every day in between . . .She's something else entirely.

Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive. . .and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.

This book started out kind of slow for me. Once I got a few chapters in, that was a different story. I’m a big fan of Jennifer Lynn Barnes; the RAISED BY WOLVES series is one of my favorites. Such an amazing series, and as a wolf girl – it makes me happy. So when I heard she had another book I knew I had to read it.

Kali is different from any girl. Kali is human one day and the next she’s something else. She doesn’t know what she is but all she knows is she wants to hunt. To kill. She kills hell-hounds, zombies, dragons, basilisk’s – you name it and I’m sure she kills it. But only every other day. At Dawn she changes back to being human. Back to feeling pain, getting hurt or even the possibility of dying.

The concept is amazing; to be someone who has to go back and forth between two different things. Now, don’t misunderstand – Kali never changes forms it’s just the blood coursing through her changes. Everything inside her changes and it happens every day at dawn.

Kali is the definition of loner. She’s never had a friend in her life, never had a relationship with her father and really, never even knew her mother except in her dreams where she remembers a few different memories. She’s never cared for anyone in her life and never had a reason to. And then she’s suddenly surrounded by the ‘school slut’ Skylar Hayden; the popular cheerleader Bethany Davies; Bethany’s boyfriend (and Skylar’s older brother), Elliot Hayden. She struggles opening up to them and letting them in. She struggles with the fact that she needs to lean on them when she’s never needed any one in her life until now.

Skylar is my absolute favorite character. For being pegged the ‘school slut’ she holds her head extremely high. Her personality is so positive and bubbly; you can’t help but have her good mood rub off on you. And, you know, she’s sometimes physic. (Once you read the book, that might make you chuckle…) Skylar becomes Kali’s first true friend and what a friendship they make. With everything Skylar finds out, like who or rather what Kali really is to the fact that she can’t die – she takes it all in stride and she’s still there, standing beside Kali. That is a friend you always wanted to have. One who takes the good with the bad and never judges you, regardless.

Then – my heart breaks. But you must read this book to find out why. But your heart will break, too; I’m sure.

I recommend this book if you’re looking for another YA fantasy book to entertain you. And this one is different. You’ve got zombies and dragons and demons…and you’ve got a 17 year old girl who is only human, every other day. That, in itself, is different. It’s not as good as her werewolf series, Raised by Wolves, but it’s definitely one I’d recommend to my friends.


No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...