Thursday 21 October 2010

Stray - Book Review


Stray by Rachel Vincent (Shifters #1)

What is it about:
I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.
Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.

I'd been warned about Strays -- werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female, and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.
This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back . . . for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever -- and whoever -- I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays -- 'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them . . .


What did I think of it:
Another book that I'm in two minds about. The writing is good, the story suspenseful, emotional and with some powerful action. So far so good. It's two things that hold me back from embracing this series however.

First there's Faythe, the lead character.
While I can understand her half of the time and feel for her, the other half she's just not thinking and doing stuff no one in their right minds would do. It kept me from really liking her.

Second there's the cats.
The males kept frolicking (for a lack of better word) with each other and while I understand this was meant to display the playful side of cats, I myself have never seen adult male cats act anything close to playful or frolicky towards each other. Now this might be just me and maybe male cats are more playful than the cats I've been around, but it just didn't feel real to me.

So all in all I did enjoy the story and the writing, but I don't think I will be picking up the next book in this series.

Why should you read it:
It's a well written, suspenseful Urban Fantasy story.

8 comments:

Michelle Greathouse said...

Frolicking? That is too funny. :)

This is one of my favorite series and I hate that it ended.

I completely understand how you feel about Faythe, and I hate to say - but she doesn't get any better as the books move along. She is forever putting herself in harms way - but she thinks she is doing it for all the right reasons. :) I hope you come to like her a little better.

M

Birdie said...

*giggle* I love the bit about the cats. I don't think this is one that I'll be really getting into. I can't deal with willful stupidness--I have enough "I didn't think about it" in my classes.
Thanks for the review!

Patti (@TheLoveJunkee) said...

This is one of my fave series too. Keep reading - Faythe does a lot of changing in teh books; it's one of the things I love about the series.

Danielle said...

THANK YOU! I hated Faythe so much that I stopped reading after 2 books, but then everyone raved about the romance in later books and I went back to reading... but I never, *ever* grew to like Faythe. I just wanted to hit her, repeatedly.

Carrie at In the Hammock Blog said...

I can see how those two things would keep you from liking the book!! I don't think I could've handled the cats either!

Sullivan McPig said...

Thanks for your comments everyone. I think I will only continue this series if I could borrow the books. Won't be buying them anyway

M.A.D. said...

McPig Gal,
I be stoppin' by jes t'warn about them there aliens crawlin' round Tiny Trailer Town of late.
Ain't no good gonna be comin' from this.

No good a'tall.

Better keep yer eye out, girly ...

Unknown said...

hmmmmm I'll tell you this... this series just gets better and better! =D