"Carrie" Meets "Cat People"
586432
I'm a cat lover so I couldn't resist the premise of this book. The story is about a ravaged teenage girl named Felicia who gets revenge through a unique form of witchcraft. I loved the character of the witch. Although she's really old she's not a cliched crone, but more like a kindly grandmother. But there's also room for doubt concerning her motives, which leads to anxiety for Felicia once she starts getting revenge as a feral shapeshifting avenger.

The violence is pretty hardcore with some gruesome descriptions. If you liked the Cat People movie with Nastassia Kinski and remember the scene where the panther rips a man's arm off, well, there's a lot of that here. But there's also a really good story with interesting characters. Felicia's relationship with her parents rings especially true, with her liberal dad trying to be her buddy and her mom a bit more difficult. I also liked the other shapeshifter characters and the townspeople and hunters. All the characters have clear and unique personalities. Like Felicia's friend Crystal who stutters because of her insecurity. You really feel for her as if she were a real person. You even feel sorry for the worst of the boys at times, when you learn a little something about their lives.

I could go on about the Sheriff's relationship with his delinquent son, the greedy businesswoman trying to snooker the witch out of her property, Felicia's star-crossed love affair and other plot twists but suffice to say, I could not put this book down. If you're a cat person and horror fan like me, I'd bet you're going to really enjoy this book as I did.
713573
This was a nice bit of background for Adam & Carrie.

Wow, friends - you can't live with them and you can live without them.
3056839
First read Stacy Horn's "Imperfect Harmony". Am equally impressed with this book. Like the way she brings in humor. the book is making the rounds of my human cat friends.
Enjoy.
Metta john
3826507
Thanks to Kensington and Netgalley for allowing me an advanced readers copy of this book. This is the second book by Alex Erickson that I have read and absolutely loved it.

Krissy Hancock is roped into replacing an elf at the local Pine Hills theater after one becomes sick. Things become a lot more interesting though when someone is found murdered backstage. Being the nosy person she is, Krissy decides to try and step in to investigate what happened. Her list of suspects is quite long so she has a bit of digging to do.

The book is written well and is easy to follow and read. The imagery is done well and I especially relate to the aspects of the cats Misfit and Trouble. It flowed well and kept me on my toes.
3951531
Seventeen-year-old Carrie Bradshaw has finally arrived in New York, the city of her dreams --- and she feels like an entirely different person. After all, she is now in the true center of the universe. But Carrie's clock is ticking. She has just 60 days to figure out how she can manage to remain in what should be her forever home instead of going off to college at Brown University, as her father expects her to do.

After suffering a stolen purse upon her arrival, Carrie had called the cousin of a friend from Castlebury. The New York cousin is Samantha Jones, who hauls wide-eyed Carrie off to quite the introduction to the big city in the form of a wild all-night party. When Carrie finally does arrive at her own "apartment," she's appalled to see the size of her little cubicle and how weird her new landlady acts.

At least her friend George from Castlebury is in the city, too. George has a summer job at the New York Times. But when Carrie meets with him, he gives her bad news. He's being sent away to Washington D.C., where he can do some "real reporting." This leaves Carrie feeling both deserted and strangely liberated since she'd expected George to acclimate her to the big city as they'd planned. George does give her advice before he leaves, telling her to go to her writing class, work hard --- and avoid crazy people (like that's going to happen!)

The next morning, a stranger calls Carrie, announcing she discovered her stolen bag in a garbage can. The two agree to meet in front of Saks so Carrie can retrieve it. Carrie is a bit taken aback when the stranger turns out to be an outspoken young woman with short, dyed red hair who is protesting porn. Carrie doesn't get her name, but (not so unexpectedly, but quite satisfyingly for fans of the TV series) Miranda Hobbes has not vanished forever from Carrie's life.

Carrie freely admits that her curiosity frequently trumps her better judgment. That's why she agrees to visit a man she encountered at her very first New York City party. This new friend/crush is the handsome, older Bernard Singer, who happens to be a famous playwright. Their relationship is soon convoluted, complicated by Carrie's recent ambition to also write a play.

This is another highly satisfying addition to the Carrie Bradshaw backstory. As we might expect, the plot centers on guys and romance, writing and ambition, plus the strong friendships Carrie is genius at (along with her unique and colorful fashion sense). These might be predictable subjects for a Carrie Bradshaw book, but they are somehow handled freshly, making for yet another purely enjoyable and gripping read. Meeting up with the young versions of Samantha and Miranda underscores the knack Candace Bushnell has for creating endearing characters true to their essences; they seem like flesh-and-blood people. Readers will surely relate to Carrie's sympathetic but sassy commentary on New York City in the '80s.

We can only hope that we get the opportunity to vicariously enjoy another of Carrie's adventures soon.

  --- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon
2687365
This book has tied Carrie Vaughn with Ilona Andrews as my favorite, never dissapoint authors. Kitty agrees to go on a reality show where a big brother type household of supernatural creatures try to convince Conrad, the world's greatest skeptic that there is magic and other creatures out there.  It becomes apparent that this really isn't why they were brought together when one by one they begin to die.  Kitty and the others are stranded in the middle of nowhere and without any means of contact with the outside world.  Who is doing this to them and why?  How can they use their otherly abilities to get out of there?  This book was excellent, every page a turner, and not a word to waste. Ben is absent for much of the book as he has gone to try to will Cormac's good behaviour release from prison.  We do get to meet up with some new characters in the 'house of horrors' as well as see some of the others we have met along the way.  My favorite if the magician from Kitty and the Dead Man's hand, Odysseus Grant.  What Carrie Vaughan has done is removed Kitty from the world we know already and has spiced things up by giving us a change of scenery and some different supporting characters.  Sure we can't wait to get to more of Ben and Cormac, but thats the great thing!  We know that there is more to them to come.  This book is such a strong story with such a different feel that it just reminds us that Vaughan stands out as unique when so many other series are failing due to 'same old, same old' syndrome.  Kitty's series is definitely fresh and in fact this book may be the most exciting yet.  Kitty remains Kitty and reminded me several times in this story why I like her so much.  I smiled many times when Kitty did some crazy, and Kitty-like in the story.  A quick example:  the supernatural group is hiding in the house and they know that they are surrounded by snipers, and Kitty literally jumps out to talk to them. She looks fear in the face, and yet she is so proctective and caring by instinct. And I love every bit of her snark....  This was an A+ tale from an A series and I hope that if you are an urban fantasy fan, you don't hesitate to start this series if you haven't already.  It has grown by leaps and bounds from the first book, "Kitty and the Midnight Hour".
4270817
This is an odd combination that the cats are crazy about.
2420999
Carrie Bradshaw. If you know the name, then you know the hit HBO series, Sex and the City; a show I began to love in high school, and still do, even though it ended years ago. Now, you can read what Carrie was like before she moved to the Big Apple. The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell features Carrie's life in Connecticut, in a small farming town.

Carrie, an aspiring writer, is a senior who attends Castlebury High with her best friends: Walt, "The Mouse," Lali, and Maggie. Also in attendance are the two Jens and Donna LaDonna, the popular girls. This year, there's a new guy in town, Sebastian. Everyone who's anyone wants to date Sebastian, but Carrie has a secret, she has met Sebastian before, through her mother. Her mother and his morther went to school together and Carrie met him once at their house. Sebastian recognizes Carrie too, but just can't remember why. It's a race to see who will date Sebastian first, even though everyone thinks Donna LaDonna will win.

Carrie and her friends spend senior year going to parties, crying, laughing, and pretending that college isn't as close as it actually is. The Mouse is the smart one of the bunch who plans on going to Yale, Walt is the guy all girls want to be friends with, Maggie is a drama queen, and Lali is Carrie's oldest and closest friend. Carrie is the oldest of three girls; her mother passed away a few years ago, leaving their father to raise them alone.

Carrie begins to fall for Sebastian shortly after the start of the school year, and he, in return, begins to fall for her. The only problem is, Sebastian is not a one girl kind of guy. Then there's George, Carries new friend from Brown, the college she plans on attending after high school. Perfect George is every father's dream of a boyfriend, except Carrie doesn't like him in that way. Carrie learns that growing up isn't always about getting what you want, but getting what you need. She realizes that all you need during your last year of high school are good friends and a strong drink.

I hated the first chapter of this book. I thought, "Oh great, another YA novel about high school, with bad writing." But once the first chapter ended, I realized it is a YA Sex and the City, except it is more like Sex and the Suburbs. These kids are nuts, but hilarious. I really enjoyed reading about the crazy adventures of Carrie and her friends. Carrie and her friends don't care about if they are popular or if they have the coolest clothes, all they care about is having a good time and making the most out of their senior year.

What shocked me about this novel was how much drinking went on in high school. I thought to myself, "Did kids actually drink that much when I was in high school?" I certainly didn't. I was astounded by how these kids got into bars, ordered drinks, and chain smoked like it was their job. But then again, the Carrie Bradshaw we all know and love from TV drinks like a fish and smokes like a camel. I guess she had to start somewhere, and that somewhere is high school.

The Carrie Diaries touches on a lot of typical high school subjects: sexuality, drinking, drugs, promiscuity, and bad drivers. All the stuff you learn about in health class rolled into one page-turning book. Carrie's writing aspirations are inspiring, she knows what she wants and even though she hasn't written anything important until her senior year, she knows she wants to be a writer. Reminds me of my senior year, and my dreams of becoming a writer; the dream is still out there, waiting for me to make it happen.

The last line of the book is what makes it an awesome read. I wish I could say more, but I don't want to spoil it. For a big Sex and the City fan, the ending is spectacular.
685958
Carrie is a novel that is often unfairly branded with the horror label because it was written by Stephen King. It's not a blood-and-guts, gory type of monster or ghost story, it's a drama/thriller with supernatural elements that would probably be labeled a tragedy if that was a term used for novels. The oppression suffered by the title character at the hands of her merciless classmates and fundamentalist mother seems all too realistic, and a good part of the book focuses on her torment in facing these real-life ordeals. The inclusion of her telekinesis, which finally empowers her to lash out at those who cause her misery, could be attributed to the fantasies of a young writer who had faced bullying and harassment himself in school hallways. Carrie is one of several stories King wrote about the bitterness and resentment young people experience as a result of social awkwardness and anxiety, including Christine and the Richard Bachman novel Rage. Carrie's most tragic quality comes from how King allows the character a brief moment of knowing how wonderful life can be, giving her a glimmer of hope that she can have the same happiness as everyone else, then subjecting her to traumatic pubic humiliation and the murderous religious fervor of her mother. Their deaths, and those of most of the town's graduating senior class, bring the tragedy to a close and leave the reader to ponder the cruelty and worthlessness of ostracizing or harassing people simply for being different. Carrie teaches a lesson as necessary today as it was 37 years ago when the book was published.
735972
If you like erotic thrillers and shapeshifting horror, you should like cat people.  Gary Bradners Howling trilogy combided horror thrills and erotic ones witch seems to be Bradners clam to fam. He does a good job doing that with cat people, But not as well as he did in the Howling Trilogy. Cat people is a remake of a horror classic. Its about a woman who has a dark secret. She belleves she is the last of a cat human half bread. When she gets turned on she turns into a lepord. This creats problems with her love life. Things get realy twisted when her brother shows up and wants her to breed with him and recreat there species. Basicly Bradner updates it and explores the erotic ellements of the story. The end result is an entertaning supernatural erotic thriller. Its at times inventive, Never exellent, but allways fun if your into this kind of thing. Good light read for a warm summer night. Its a fun book that you should read if it looks fun to you. If it does not don't Have fun fellow readers. Made into a decent film.
139205
I've read a lot , and I must admit I couldn't predict much at all about this book. I love cats , I have two and I must say, the cats in this story are quite like cats (So to speak). This story was a creative one,  from a creative perspective.
3061639
This installment in the S.A.S.S. series features Caitlin Wilcox, a student who is spending her summer in Mexico with the Students Across the Seven Seas program. Cat can't wait to spend time in Mexico, with its sunshine and clear blue ocean, to reunite with her best friend Sabrina, after spending the past few months with her mom and new stepdad in Boston rather than her sunny former home of New Mexico, and to practice her Spanish, a language she loves. Nothing, however, turns out as planned.

Sabrina has brought along her boyfriend, Brian, whose existence Cat hadn't even known of, and it's more difficult than it should be for Cat to get some face time with her best friend. Luckily, Cat quickly begins to make new friends; Aidan, Rachel, and Pete are all friendly fellow students.  Even Izzie, Cat's host sister with whom she gets off to a rather rocky start with, turns into a friend. Spending her days building a school for orphans in the hot, humid weather of Oaxaca will be tough, but it'll be a lot of fun, especially with great friends!

When they're not working on the school, the students are doing their learning by traveling to nearby rain forests and museums. Cat and her friends are having a lot of fun, but she can't help but wish she had more time with Sabrina. Cat's even starting to suspect that Brian isn't as great as he seems, but she couldn't raise that issue with Sabrina...right? Cat's got her own boy troubles as well. Are she and Aidan just friends, or is there more to it than Cat would like to admit?

HEART AND SALSA is a fun read that will have readers wishing to escape to sunny Mexico right along with Cat! It's full of adventure in a foreign country, likeable characters, and romance. Cat is a character to whom readers will be able to relate, especially anyone who has ever had to move away from friends and family.  The only reason Cat's mother agreed to let her go to Mexico was because they had just moved to Boston from New Mexico a few months ago, and adjusting is tough for Cat. While Suzanne Nelson's book is an entertaining, quick read, it's not particularly remarkable; it won't earn a place on my favorites shelf, but it was certainly worth reading!

Reviewed by:  Jocelyn Pearce
3746189
Absolutely amazing! Characters are so well done and the story is a delight to uncover. The relationship with cats is very original too!
913375
Cats and mysteries go together like tea and crumpets, but this is no Miss Marple fare.

Set in the not-too-distant future, when biotech firms engineer freaky half-breeds and mythical creatures and getting arrested means you'd better hire an agent for your appearances on the reality Cop Network, it features characters like a gun-toting cat fancier, a mama's boy drug-dealer, and a genetically engineered azure feline.

The author has a knack for vivid depictions of characters, time and place while keeping the plot moving apace. I guessed one of the cat's secrets easily, but there were plenty more surprises in store.

If you're not a cat lover, no worries, the feline is missing (kidnapped) for a good chunk of the book and there's still a good story. If you do like cats, you'll find the animal an admirable example of his species.

Disclaimer: I know the author personally and received a free copy of the book.
977308
I am really enjoying this book ! I see many of my cats (who have now gone to wait for me in Heaven ). in the Antics . You get a glimpse of what we cat lovers already know ...they are a special gift to us who appreciate them.
4846363
This has been, and hopefully continue to be, well written, filled with a cast of interesting and diverse people (+ a large lazy cat) as well as good plots. The killers are quite diverse in many ways as they pursue and kill their prey. The murder method is different , yet needs research and practice.

Meanwhile the primary victim is also unique. She is does extensive research on each. She blackmails them with diversity. Her rewards are carefully protected.

Whether a fan anxiously awaiting the next to be printed or new to the series, it will be so enjoyable that you can't out down.
4117848
I read this as part of a collected series, described as a cozy mystery, so I didn't know I'd be expected to suspend disbelief for not only ghosts, but intelligent cats who understand English (do their counterparts in Germany understand German?), and have regular meetings in order to figure out how to help humans. AS IF! I love my cats, but I'm glad they don't understand what's going on in my life or connive behind my back to interfere. It's bad enough they like to do that thing where they freeze and stare wide-eyed at the door as if a knife-wielding burglar is about to burst through it. I shudder to imagine what they'd do if they had the abilities of the cats in this story.

So why did I give this four stars? Because I enjoyed it despite the silly ghosts and sillier cats. Those aspects could have been completely erased and I would have enjoyed it more. (Especially ghosts who apparently can't flit around figuring out their own murders instead of relying on someone limited by the mortal plane.) I liked the protagonist immensely and many of the quirky characters who surround her. Her ability to see and speak to ghosts was definitely not needed to make her interesting and I wish that had been left out. The hint of romance was fun and believable. Honestly, I wouldn't have picked this up if I knew there were going to be ghosts involved (why not leprechauns or unicorns while we're at it?) but it was an enjoyable read and a cut above many of its ilk in that a competent proofreader was obviously involved.