Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title:  Every Other Day

Author:  Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Genre:  Young Adult Paranormal

Publisher:  Egmont, USA

Format:  NetGalley/Kindle

Release Date:  December 27, 2011 (subject to change)

It seems just about everyone loves to read stories about the mythological world. But what if the things we consider the preternatural—beyond what is normal or natural—was actually a possibility, a normal way of life?  Things like zombies, dragons and hellhounds roam the streets, are studied in school and live in zoos. Some of these creatures are even considered endangered and it’s illegal to kill or hunt them.  This is the world Kali D’Angelo lives in, a world where Darwin found more than he ever imagined possible while sailing on the HMS Beagle. But Kali isn’t your everyday normal girl either. Every other day, she is more than human, with an overwhelming instinct to hunt and destroy the preternatural creatures every one else regards as a normal part of life.  Kali has no idea why it happens or even what she really is; she just knows what she must do. Then one day, a day when she is just human, Kali sees a mark on a cheerleader, a mark that means she will be dead within hours, thanks to one of those protected preternatural creatures. Kali is not sure she can help, not when she’s normal, but she’ll risk it all to try.

At the risk of sounding clichéd, this book grabbed me on page one and took me on a ride I never would have expected.  It is an exceedingly well-written, thrill-a-minute novel, full of unexpected surprises, great characters and a fantastically original story. I totally fell for this book and the people in it—Kali, Skylar and her brothers, and even the ice queen, Bethany. And who would have thought I could fall for Zev, even though all I heard was his voice for most of the book? This book gives a twist to all those old stories of kelpies, hellhounds and zombies; it pulls them into the real world and forces us to look at them anew. I for one will never look at zombies quite the same again.

I absolutely loved this book and I highly recommend it to everyone. I will be picking up a copy for my girls once it is released. I will also be checking out some of Jennifer Lynn Barnes other novels, because if Every Other Day was this awesome, I expect the others must be pretty good, too. And Ms. Barnes, if you happen to read this, could you tell me if there will be a sequel? I would love to read some more about Zev!