Last week I had the pleasure in interviewing Karen Kincy, the author of the Other series on her birthday. If you missed my interview, you can read it here. As part of the Bloodborn tour, I am reviewing the first book in the Other series. Other is an interesting blend of paranormal romance along with a "who done it" murder mystery. 

Description (from author's website): 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: In Other, Karen Kincy has created an interesting world. Shape-shifters, vampires, werewolves, and various other creatures are called "Others," and humans are well aware of their existence. Gwen is an Other with a human mother and a Pooka father (a Welsh shape-shifter spirit). Gwen and her mother prefer she keep her otherness a secret in fears of receiving backlash from their small town where Others are not quite so welcome as in large urban areas.
  When Gwen and her boyfriend Zack are on a date, they stumble upon dead Others. Given the way they have been killed and their bodies displayed, Gwen has a strong feeling that Others are being targeted and murdered. As more Others are found dead, it wouldn't surprise her if a serial killer may be on the prowl. One death in particular is too close for comfort for Gwen and she can't shake the eerie feeling that someone is constantly watching her and knows who she really is. Knowing that the police isn't doing their best to search for the killer, Gwen searches for answers with an unexpected friend, all the while unsure of whom to trust and what exactly it means to be Other.
  Other was an enjoyable read, but I did have a few qualms about the book. While Gwen does seem to be an ordinary teen girl who faces common insecurities about her identity and has her share of boyfriend drama, she is very reckless and presumptuous.  She spends most of the book complaining how unfair Others are being mistreated and misidentified as criminals on her anonymous blog yet she applies the same generalizations and stereotypes to Bloodborns (those who are Others via being bitten by an Other creature such as a werewolf or a vampire). She clearly makes a distinction between these two types of Others and fails to realize that the plight of both groups are the same. Thankfully, her view of Bloodborns changes as she becomes more involved with the ongoing murder investigation and actually socializing with Bloodborn. I found her epiphany in a few pages a bit hard to believe and rushed.
  Unlike Gwen, I really liked Tavian, the sexy Johnny Deep lookalike Japanese foxfire. He was spunky, quirky, and just a pleasure to meet. I wish we got to learn more about him early on. He appears about halfway in the book as a marginal character but becomes a strong character towards the latter half of the book.
  As a paranormal romance, Other falls rather short. Half of the book is dedicated to Gwen and Zack's relationship. She is constantly debating on whether or not she should reveal her identity to her human boyfriend whose family is very religious and opinionated about Others. Gwen's fears are realized when she does in fact tell Zack the truth, but you can't blame his reaction. Zack didn't really do much for me. He definitely was a catalyst to the story, but he was just there. I was a bit surprised how quickly Gwen jumped into another relationship as her first one ends, especially when it seems she is so deeply hurt by Zack. Unlike the realistic relationship Gwen shared with Zack, her relationship with Tavian is just too perfect. Gwen and Tavian are connected by their secret otherness and instant attraction; however, I never really felt a spark in their relationship. I was a bit surprised how fast they both declared their love for one another.
  Other does, however, excel at a suspenseful mystery. The mystery of who is behind killing the Others and the specific victims are well played out. It's actually the mystery that kept my attention. While avid mystery readers can probably figure out the killer early on, I thought the clues were spread out and come together quite nicely. The short chapters and quick pacing should work well for reluctant readers. Other by Karen Kincy would be a good introduction to the urban fantasy genre. Kincy is a promising writer and I look forward to reading her other books. 

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong language, underage drinking, as well as a semi explicit sex scene in the book. Recommended for Grades 9 and up.


If you like this book try: Blood and Chocolate by Annette Klause Curtis, Bloodborn (Other #2) by Karen Kincy, or the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs

  I wanted to write a post about reading for quite some time, but I wasn't completely sure where to start. I began to reflect on my own literacy autobiography, wondering how I transformed from someone who wouldn't give a book a second thought to someone who is constantly reading. Looking back on my childhood, I would definitely label myself as a reluctant reader. In fact I didn't really develop a love for reading until about fourth or fifth grade. Believe it or not, I would actually get reprimanded for not reading. My journey from a reluctant reader to an avid reader is not very different from other stories I've heard or witnessed while working at a library. I'm dedicating this post on the Top 5 things I've learned about my own journey and including some tips to help out struggling parents or readers themselves.

  I've fallen a bit behind in my reading pile. Thankfully, this is a long weekend for me so I can get caught up or better yet, get ahead. Thanks to the awesome Interlibrary Loan staff at my public library, I was able to get my hands on Black Butler Vol 4 and Black Butler Vol 5! This manga series is so unusual from the ordinary manga series that I've read so far. If you are looking for something that's a bit dark, mysterious, and funny, do check this series by Yana Toboso out!

Description (from Amazon): London - the capital of the Great Empire - is once again under siege, as a string of bizarre attacks on British citizens returned from India sends rumors flying and casts a pall upon Queen Victoria's rule. Sent in by Her Majesty, young Earl Phantomhive and his most capable butler, Sebastian, follow a trail that collides head-on with an Indian youth who claims to be a prince. And this prince possesses an extraordinary butler of his own! As an intense rivalry between the two butlers begins to form, will the kitchen be the dueling duo's final battleground?!

Review: I've really been enjoying the Black Butler series. The art is amazing, the characters are consistent, mysterious, brooding, and aren't only what they appear. Each volume I've read so far mixes serious moments with humor and a thrilling and engaging plot. Although I felt the Jack the Ripper story arc ended a bit too quickly for me, I was curious which direction the author was going to take the story when she introduced two Indians at the very end of Volume 3. 
  As most of you know, Victorian England was at the height of the British Empire. Imperalistic viewpoints of class and racism are evident. The author tackles the same issues in volume 4. When we begin this volume, we are faced with a series of attacks where British citizens returning from India are stripped and hung upside-down outside Indian pubs in London. Attached to each victim is a letter insulting the English. Since these attack point out the weakness of the royal family, Scotland Yard and Earl Ciel Phantomhive are on the case to solve the mystery.
  Readers discover that the Phantomhive family works as a shadow, detective-like agency for the Queen and uses the "dark" magic to effectively eliminate the problem without bringing it to the attention of the public. We also learn about the two Indian men who take front stage of this volume, Prince Soma and his loyal butler Agni. Prince Soma and Agni work well contrasting Ciel and Sebastian. Whereas the 12 year old Earl is aloof, responsible, and introverted, Prince Soma is flamboyant, childish, and solely focused on bringing back a servant girl named Meena back to India. Sebastian is a butler with dark supernatural powers yet Agni seems to have somewhat supernatural powers of his own. 
  I was captivated by how well the author incorporates some aspects of Hinduism and Indian culture in this volume, which she brings to life as she delves a little deeper into Agni's background of how he became Prince Soma's butler. This manga is very quirky and unpredictable so the shift between a serious hate crime quickly unfolds to a cooking contest between the two butlers didn't really surprise me all that much but I'm sure it shocked Sebastian a little bit! Sebastian has finally found a competent competitor. I"m looking forward to how the cooking contest unfolds. May the best cook win! 

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language and violence. Rated OT for Older Teens.


If you like this book try: Black Butler Vol 5 by Yana Toboso, Godchild or the Cain Saga by Kaori Yuki

  Most of the books that I've read about India have taken place in the northern region. Kamala Nair's debut novel, The Girl in the Garden, is my first venture out to Southern India which I really don't know much about. The book's description intrigued me so I decided to pick it up and read it for my Southeast Asian Reading Challenge.

Description: When Rakhee Singh is ten years old, her mother takes her from their Minnesota home to visit relatives in India. There she discovers a family secret that will haunt her. Only as a woman on the verge of marriage does Rakhee find the strength to confront the events of that summer and face the price of secrets.

Review: The Girl in the Garden is part of a coming of age tale and part of a family drama. As the book opens, Rakhee is an adult and has been recently engaged. One night she decides that she must go to India. She writes a letter to her fiance explaining her abrupt departure and deciding that accepting the marriage proposal was a bad idea. She explains why she has been so evasive to the questions about her mother. Rakhee's letter soon becomes a confession as she recounts her youth and her travel to India for the very first time.
   The Girl in the Garden began nicely, with a quick attention grabber. Nair's use of Rakhee addressing her  fiance, who we never see or get to know, as simply "you" immediately heightens her intensity and desperation. Unfortunately, the novel's pace slows considerably when we are shown Rakhee's mundane daily activities as a young child. She sees her parents bicker, become distant, and fears that they may have a divorce. Things slightly get more interesting when Rakhee visits her distant relatives, who are mostly strangers to her, in India. In India she begins to struggle with identifying herself, not quite American nor Indian but walking that fine line but the two cultures. She also learns that her mothers has kept secrets from her and her father. Curiosity gets the best of Rakhee as she tries to connect the little bits of information she gathers from overhearing conversations.
  While I enjoyed learning about the culture of South India and getting a sense of its rich ambiance, I couldn't really connect to any of the characters. The only character that was a bit mysterious was the title character, however, her identity and story were revealed to quickly to make any lasting impression. Nair is a promising author and I would be interested to see what she writes next. Perhaps I'm so saturated with the whole "family's dark secrets/drama" plot line that I felt bored with this book. I could easily put the book down and completely forget about it. I would, however, recommend this book to readers who are interested in reading about India without wanting to be overwhelmed too much by the culture, dialect, and many characters. The book would serve as a good introduction to Indian writers and to the Southeast Asian region. As someone who is really interested in this region and have read quite a bit about it, I was left wanting more.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There is some minor language and allusion to sex. Marketed towards adults, however, I think older teens interested about India would find this book interesting.

If you like this book try: The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett or The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri or The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigar

  Many thanks to Teen Book Scene in allowing me to participate in Karen Kincy's Bloodborn book tour and letting me host Karen on my blog today. So, who is Karen Kincy you ask? Karen grew up in Snohomish, Washington and was homeschooled along with her two sisters by her mom. She wanted to become a novelist at 13 years old. Karen has BA in Linguistics and Literature from The Evergreen State College, and is studying toward a Master’s in Computational Linguistics. Her Other series, an urban fantasy series, is a planned trilogy. The first book, Other, was selected by the American Library Association in 2011 as the Top Ten Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults. Bloodborn, the second book in the Other series but not a direct sequel, will be released on September 8th. Foxfire, the third book in the series, will be released September 2012. Karen mentioned on her website that though Bloodborn is chronologically after Other, you can still read each book as a standalone.
 When I contacted Karen with my questions, I found out that today is Karen's birthday! I had a chat with her about birthdays. I hope you enjoy our interview and check back next Wednesday for my review of Other!

 Welcome Karen and thank you so much for being here! Since today is your birthday, Happy Birthday!, I hope you don't mind me asking you some birthday related questions.  What is the earliest birthday you can remember?

Oh, wow, I’m not sure… they have all sort of blurred together into a frenzy of ripping presents open and gorging on cake. I do remember when I was turning ten years old, and I suddenly realized that I got double digits for my age. Wow. Such an amazing thing! It may have been in part because my mom often used those plump number-shaped candles on top of my cakes, and suddenly I had two.

*Laughs and nods* I remember thinking that too when I was young. Some birthdays represent milestones in your life. Do you have a memorable birthday that you will never forget?

I like to think all my birthdays have been pretty memorable, in a similar sort of way. Some of the most memorable involved going to the Evergreen State Fair for my birthday, since the fair was usually winding down around then. (Yes! The Evergreen State Fair, which makes an appearance in both Other and Bloodborn, is 100% real.) Anyway, this one year I had entered their photography contest, and I remember walking into the building and looking for my photo on the wall with all the rest, then not finding it—only to see it inside a display case with a big purple-and-gold Best in Show rosette that was probably half as long as I was tall. That was certainly a nice birthday surprise!

Okay, confession time. What is the best and worst birthday gift you've ever received?
 
Best? Worst? Hmmm. I’m not sure I want to divide up my gifts into good and bad piles, for fear of making the gift-givers feel slighted. Also, I’ve gotten some pretty awesome stuff, in general, which I’ll also refrain from bragging about.

Your quite the diplomat. Alright, then tell us what is the one gift you hoped you would get for your birthday but never got?
 
A werepuppy! Seriously, I know they don’t exist, but if somebody gave me a sweet little drooly werepuppy with clumpy gray fur and a stubby tail, I would love it forever. Well, at least until it grew up into a full-size werewolf. That would be weird. Also, not sure how diapers would work when the werepuppy transformed into a baby.
 
I don't know. There are some werewolves out there that I wouldn't mind having. *Grins*. If your characters threw you a party what would the party theme be? Who would they invite? 
The party theme would be, “Live to Celebrate Another Birthday!” because I can be quite mean to my characters. Many of them have come rather close to dropping dead or getting killed, so they would likely find it ironically amusing to give their author a taste of her own medicine. Hopefully they would at least serve Devil’s Food Cake and other sinful delights. They would probably invite all the werewolves I’ve ever mentioned to guard the exits, and a certain pooka would stare meaningfully at me with golden eyes until I promised to give them a vacation from serial killers, crazy sheriffs, and other trouble.

If you could invite anyone, past or present, to come and celebrate your birthday with you who would it be?
 
I would invite Alexander Skarsgård, who plays Eric in True Blood, and Daniel Craig, who plays the latest James Bond, to stand around with their shirts off and pose as statuary in the garden. They don’t have to talk. Just pose. 

*Laughs* I think there are other people out there would have to agree with you. Peopel are pretty particular when it comes to birthday cakes. What's your favorite?

 Chocolate mint cake, baked by my mom. Mmm. Deliciously chocolaty, with as much chocolate as possible crammed into one cake. I think one year she melted baking chocolate, chocolate candy bars, and chocolate chips for the cake. The only downside to this cake is that it’s so rich it can be hard to eat more than a sliver, though I’ve tried!

Yeah, there is no way I would be able to stop at a sliver. A sliver is what I call a taste test. What food would you request to have at your birthday party?
 
Pizza or pasta. Though not a pasta pizza, because that sounds revolting. Actually, something involving macaroni and cheese might not be too horrible…

Would you prefer a large party at a big venue or a small intimate party?
 
Small party, with my closest friends and family. So there’s more cake to go around. (Because that is, of course, my primary motivation for birthday parties.) Okay, okay, in truth it’s because I’m something of an introvert and a writerly hermit. I do like to meet new people, and I’m not shy about it, but I don’t want any parties of mine to get too rowdy or crowded. I like to spend time with my closest companions.

I'm the exact same way. In your opinion, what makes the best birthday?
 
One where you remember all the good things that have happened since your last birthday, and look forward to everything before your next! This birthday I will be hoping that Bloodborn does well on its book birthday, and that readers love it. I will also be looking forward to seeing how Foxfire turns out as I work on it with my publisher, and planning its book birthday next year.


I'm definitely looking forward to reading your books, Karen. Thanks again for stopping by on your birthday! Readers, if you would like to learn more about Karen, please visit her at her website, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads!




Bloodborn, Book 2 by Karen Kincy