It’s been a while since I’ve done a review. Between NaNoWriMo 2012 and releasing a couple of works in December, I’ve been behind… WAY behind on reading and reviews. Well, it’s time to mend my ways. 
So here we have Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I picked up a copy from NetGalley. I have to say, the Netgalley program is treating me right. How about a blurb before the review, just like old times.
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.
One thing I have to say about Every Other Day, the story line was unique to me. If anything, that alone kept me in the story.
The novel is set in an alternate reality where paranormal elements (zombies, hellhounds, dragons, etc) were discovered by Darwin way back when. Not only are the paranormal creatures a part of the world, but they’re also protected as endangered species. Too bad for them, Kali is a natural born hunter during her “non-human” cycle.
The bulk of the story follows Kali, the main character, during a 48-72 hour time span. All the while, Kali’s internal clock provides a countdown until her next cycle.
For the most part, this was an okay read. Like I said, the story was unique. Early on, I was a bit confused about the Darwin theory, but eventually it was explained. Other parts were a bit predictable, but my biggest gripe was Kali’s near invincibility.
On her “non-human” days she was like Spider-man in the areas of strength and reflexes and Wolverine when it came to rejuvenation, but she felt no pain and was A LOT harder to incapacitate.
Meanwhile, all she had to do was lay low on her human days and voila! she was back in action. As such, it lacked any real stakes.
Normally I like to talk about side characters, and there were quite a few with varying importance in the story. However, the relationships Kali seemed to form with them seemed rather shallow, making it difficult to care for anyone in particular.
I give the story an A+ for uniqueness, but the execution could have been better. If a sequel does happen, it’s a story I may or may not seek depending on mood. Overall, 3/3.5 out of 5 stars.
As a side note: I never did figure out how she managed school on her non-human days.
Available at: Barnes & Nobles and The Book Depository
On the run from an Empire he once served, Lord Questioner Petyr Ocyna stumbles across the mutilated body of a young woman in the middle of the forest, not far from a strange barrier known as the Fringe. Despite the urgings of his companion Alec, Petyr chooses to risk a possible trip to the gallows in order to discover the killer. But the truth he uncovers in the small logging town of Dunsriver might not only lead to the end of his own life, it justmight lead to the destruction of the Empire.
The year is quickly coming to an end. It’s time to spotlight my favorite reads of 2011.
