Other

by Karen Kincy

Book Overview

Shapeshifting can be a beautiful and deadly secret. Gwen craves the forbidden rush of leaping from her bedroom window and transforming into an owl, but she could lose it all if anyone caught her. Most... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0738719196
• ISBN13: 9780738719191
• Release Date: July 2010
• Publisher: Flux
• Length: 326 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.6" x 7.9"
• Age Range: 12 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 7 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Refreshing Paranormal Debut

Other is a refreshing read that isn't quite like anything else you've ever read. It's really an awesome debut. I loved how unique Other's plot was. It wasn't really along the beaten path of all the paranormal out there, which was very cool. Karen Kincy does a great job of leading you to think you know exactly what is going on. The entire book, I'm like "Oh it's THIS person. I'm right, I've got to be." Then I got to the end, and, guess what, I was wrong and totally shocked. The diversity of all the creatures in Other was creature, and especially how Karen Kincy used all sorts of creatures you don't hear much about. Yes, there were your common creatures such as werewolves, but also kitsunes, pookas and dryads. I loved it! The writing was fantastic. It really made you feel as if you were right next to Gwen. Gwen goes through a lot, and Kincy portrays this very well and really makes you feel for Gwen. There's a perfect balance between describing everything and dialogue. The world she creates is just awesome. In Gwen's world, "Others" are known everywhere and live among humans - in one scene, she sees a centaur shopping and it's totally normal. I thought that was so interesting and really gave a lot of points to consider to the story. There were a few parts where Gwen's interactions with either Zack or Tavian felt very awkward to me. It made me not quite sure what to think. Those few parts aside, I did love all the Gwen and Tavian scenes. They felt so free and real. This is one I would whole heartedly suggest. It is a fantastic debut set in a rich world and filled with a full scale of creatures and wonderful characters! Karen Kincy is definately an author to watch, I can't wait for more from her!

Other by Karen Kincy

I got my copy of this book when I was at ALA and I actually got to meet the author too and she signed my book. She was so friendly and she even had a little pooka with her. I on the other hand was a total dork and got nervous and called the pooka a boy instead of a girl. Yeah, that was embarrassing!! I still get nervous in front of authors, they are my version of meeting a rock star so I sometimes freeze up. Hopefully, if I meet her again, I will not say something stupid again. Knowing me though, it is bound to happen :) Alright onto the book. This is the story about a girl named Gwen, who is an "other." An "other" is basically any paranormal being that you can think of, all of them fall into this label. Some others inherit their unique qualities, like Gwen who is half pooka. While some others are infected, like a bite from a vamp or a werewolf. Gwen inherited her pooka heritage from her biological father, who she has not met and has no idea who he is. She lives with her mother, sister, and step father in a very small town in Washington. While others are known about in the world, they are frowned upon and not really accepted in society as they should be. It mimics racism, just in a different form and is a constant theme woven throughout the story. As an outsider it is infuriating to see how Gwen and those like her are treated, and probably more upsetting because unfortunately we see these things happen in our society every day. Another problem Gwen faces is telling her boyfriend, Zack what she is. She has dating him for over a year and she has still not revealed her true identity to him. The secret has stared to come between them and Zack has been noticing that Gwen has been pushing away lately. When the moment finally comes for Gwen to tell Zack I found myself crossing my fingers for her because I wanted so much for her to get her happy ending. Of course I am not going to tell you how that goes down, because I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I am sure you will have some intense opinions on the situation, just like I did. A little side note story about this. When I was at BEA, a book blogging friend and I were talking about the love triangle situation that seems to appear in books so often and how we decided which team we were on. She remarked that most of the time you root for the guy you meet first, because you are introduced to him first and get to know him before the new guy comes into play. Normally, this is very true with me, I am with Edward (Twilight), Marc (Shifters), or Dimitri (Vampire Academy) you see my point, right? In this book I thought I might be rooting for Zack, until we meet Tavian. I am totally with Tavian, he is so sweet and I love how he treats Gwen. He really took me by surprise, because I did not think I would end up liking him, but he blew Zack out of the water, very quickly. I did enjoy all the different types of others that were incorporated into this book. There are dryads, and water sprites, and leprechauns

Fun and unique urban fantasy

I LOVED this book! I had a feeling it was my kind of story, and it really was! I love that there are Others 'out' in the world and that they live among humans. Even if they do have to hide what they are in order to not be persecuted. I liked Gwen's personality and felt like I could connect with her. I actually felt like that with all the characters but I have to say that Tavien is definitely my favorite character. I also liked that her parents seemed more present then some YA books. The story moved along smoothly but as I was reading there were things that bothered me a little. But now that I finished it a few hours ago and loved it so much those little things have slipped my mind. Although I do remember that as I started the book I felt like it had a different 'feel' to it. It was easy to get into it, but the writing style was just different. Not bad, just different. Overall I loved this book and wish the book was longer. I would have loved to read more about Gwen and Tavien. So I can't wait for the next book!

An Interesting and Original Look into a Paranormal World...

Gwen was a great character. I loved that there were different sides to her personality and some of it was negative. She was also a strong character with fierce beliefs and her realistic emotions. Zack, Tavian, and Chloe were all realistic and well developed. Zack was cute at times and I liked that he was trying to become more open mind. Tavian was really interesting. He was also really sweet and cared about Gwen a lot. I felt that their romance was developed really well. Chloe was really sweet and was a different dryad then what I am used to. I loved how Kincy created such great characters. The plot of Other was interesting. I kept on wanting to know what was next in the mystery that Kincy crafted with such skill. I wasn't sure who did it, until the great reveal happened. I found Kincy's world to be extremely unique and interesting. I could not put down this book. Kincy creates a great book that is exciting and with a touch of romance. I would recommend this book to paranormal fans.

Can't Wait for the Sequel!

Other was a fantastic and enthralling debut that had me glued to the pages from the start. I loved Gwen, she was a strong character and wasn't afraid to show her true emotions. The other characters; Zack, Tavian, Chloe- they all were well developed and likable. Everyone had their place in this story and seemed completely realistic and believable. The plot was fast paced and there was never a slow moment. I loved the idea of "Others" living among regular people and that there are so many different kinds. Werewolves and vampires are only the beginning. The main character, Gwen, is half-human/half-pooka. She can shape shift into any animal at all. I love the scenes when she transforms into an animal, they are so magical and awesome, and at times her "Otherness" saves her life. Throughout the novel Gwen is dealing with a lot, not many people know she's an Other, and there are quite a few people (like her boyfriend Zack) that would turn on her if they found out. This was just one of many sub plots in the book. The main plot was the murders. Someone was slowly and brutally murdering Others and no one knew why. The police are portrayed really negatively because they are careless about trying to find the killer, since Others are not their priority. I love how Gwen and her friend Tavian take it into their own hands to solve the mystery. There is a lot of suspense and mystery throughout the book, and the killer isn't revealed until the end. Other drew a lot of emotions out of me and I was surprised to see how much time had passed when I had sat down to read for just a few minutes. Other will draw you in right from the start and you will be cheering on Gwen as she fights for both her life and "Others" like her. Some creepy and disturbing things occur in this novel and at times I had to stop reading because I was getting so freaked out! Karen Kincy is a terrific writer and I loved every minute of Other. There is romance where you least expect it and Karen Kincy did a terrific job of developing their relationship. With an engaging and exciting plot, romance, and terrific characters, Other is a debut I'd recommend to just about anyone. It ended in a way where a sequel isn't necessary, but I'm still very excited to read Bloodborn! Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars