Every Other Day Review

Title: Every Other Day
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Publish Date: December 27, 2011
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 336
Source: Publisher

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.

Kali could very well be your everyday average teenage girl, if it weren't for the fact that she lives one day as a human and the next as a savage, butt-kicking hunter of all things supernatural. She doesn't know why she is the way she is, but she's learned to cope and live with it. Perhaps it's a gift, or maybe it's a curse, but it's her life, and she deals with it the best she can - even if that means spending a day in her real life and a day on the warpath. But when a curveball is thrown her way, Kali must save someone in her human form - but it's dangerous, and she could very well die trying.

Every Other Day is girl-power, action, grit and drama into one very action-packed book. The brainchild of author, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Every Other Day features a kickass protagonist who just so happens to have the very best human qualities, as well - a quality that is often lacking in the genre these days. Every Other Day is rife with action and tension from start to finish, featuring Barnes' signature and descriptive prose that allows you access to the characters' innermost thoughts while opening up a whole new world of adventure. Above all else though, Every Other Day is gripping and tense, never letting you go until well after the last page.

I have to be honest, I was getting a very strong Buffy vibe while I was reading Every Other Day. Well, if you combined Buffy with Same & Dean Winchester, that is. Truthfully though, Kali was a fantastic protagonist. She was a strong, independent and resilient girl that just so happened to be able to kill supernatural beings every other day. At the same time, however, she didn't lose her humanity or the vulnerability that made her likable and real. Kali's character was flanked by two seemingly polar opposites - Bethany, the cheerleader that's snooty yet snarky and Skylar, the kooky one who you can't help but love. The trio of characters is unstoppable, and their character chemistry fuels the already-gripping plot even more so. I also have to mention the elusive Zev, who just so happens to be a voice in Kali's head, yet he's more when she needs him to be. He's a bit of a mystery, to be honest, but his scenes were powerful and captivating because you just want to understand him. I have to say that the pacing of Every Other Day, however, was the true strength. We're given highs and lows, searing action and gory battles, but then we'll have a lull that leads us to that false sense of calm just in time to shock us again. It's a teasing pace, but it's endlessly addicting.

All in all, Every Other Day was a really fun and entertaining book to read. I did feel that I wanted more of a satisfying answer to Kali's condition though, but that's personal opinion, of course. I give it a 4 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy paranormal tales.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.