Every Other Day

October 31, 2011
Barnes (the Raised by Wolves books) delivers a gory urban fantasy that balances confident world-building, action, and strong character development. The sharp-tongued 16-year-old narrator, Kali D’Angelo, wields strange, superhuman powers, but only every other day, during which times she secretly goes out and slays various supernatural creatures. (In this world, such creatures were discovered by Charles Darwin and have long been known to human society.) On one of the days when she’s merely human, Kali discovers that her uptight cheerleader classmate, Bethany, has the always-fatal mark of the chupacabra and contrives to transfer the mark to herself. The combination of Kali’s powers and the supernatural creature is bad enough, but it’s soon clear that there are rogue scientists and other dangers to both girls and a third classmate, the potentially psychic Skyler. The conspiracies and supernatural threats vie for time with lone-wolf Kali’s attempts to deal with two potential friendships; all of the conflicts come to a head in an extended but gripping climax. Fans of adult-oriented urban fantasy should enjoy this as much as teens looking for a contemporary Buffy. Ages 12–up.

November 1, 2011
Dial up the suspense in this series opener about a girl superhero who battles monsters. Kali lives with her indifferent father, who doesn't seem to notice that every other day his daughter isn't home. Kali's blood changes every 24 hours to something not human, giving her superpowers and a lust to slaughter the hellhounds, dragons and basilisks that plague humankind but that are protected as endangered species. When she sees that a girl in school has become infected with a parasite that will kill her, Kali deliberately attracts the worm into her own body, hoping she can survive until her inhuman, monster-killing blood kicks in to destroy it. All doesn't go as expected, however, when Kali actually makes friends who help her track down the evil corporation that appears to be genetically altering the monsters. During her superhuman day she also tries to find Zev, whose voice she has been able to hear in her head ever since she absorbed the killer parasite. She'll also learn something she didn't want to know: just how she herself came to be. This science-fiction story adopts a fairly standard mad-scientist premise but ends up coming across just as much a paranormal adventure, with its focus on monsters and telepathy. Lonely Kali's responses to her new friends add some pathos to the story, but the main focus remains on suspense, well delivered. Some good thrills. (Science fiction. 12 & up)

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January 1, 2012

Gr 6 Up-Every other day Kali is a normal 16-year-old. On the alternate days, she is not sure what she is. She knows only that she has an irresistible urge to hunt and kill supernatural demons and hellhounds. When she spots a strange mark on Bethany's back, she knows that the girl has been marked for death. As Kali fights to save her, the two pair up with the endearing school pariah, Skylar, to unravel a Machiavellian scheme in which unknowing teens are being injected with chupacabra serum. Kali is a likable, compelling heroine. Her dual existence rings true to normal teen angst about getting along with parents, making friends, and surviving high school: "Even without my powers, I would gladly have faced down hellspawn over high school mean girls any day." Elements of the supernatural come across organically in Kali's modern, everyday world: Darwin's seminal work is The Demon's Descent and hellhounds are a government-protected endangered species. Barnes keeps readers engaged with a steady plaiting of suspense, action, and atmospheric description. Subplots build tension and prompt more questions: What does Bethany's dad's work in gene therapy have to do with her mother's emotional fragility? Should Kali trust Zev, the being she lured from Bethany's body into her own? Just how much does Kali's absentminded professor dad know about his daughter? A satisfying conclusion leaves enough room for a sequel.-Jennifer Prince, Buncombe County Public Library, NC

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