Book Review: The Childe
The Childe
By: C.A. Kunz
By: C.A. Kunz
Published by C.A. Kunz
Release Date: Feb. 18, 2011
Genre: Young Adult
My thoughts:
Wow, this one is a tough review to write. My love for an original, fun paranormal tale is at war with my inner language arts teacher.
The Childe is, in some ways, a classic coming of age story. The main character discovers that she is not who she has always believed herself to be, and her world turns upside down. That main character, Cat, is engaging and elicits empathy. She enjoys a great social life with several really good friends, and a loving, supportive family. She is probably the strongest asset of this novel.
The pacing of the story, for me, was a little off. Well over one hundred pages described Cat's regular, normal life as a high school student before much happened to push the conflict forward. Even then, it was difficult to follow the story arc; it seemed to lack clear direction.
While I enjoy many of the book's supporting characters, there really are a lot of them to try to keep track of. I often found myself confused about which character was speaking- and frankly- why some of them were even there.
My biggest complain about The Childe is the problems with punctuation. Direct address commas are practically nonexistent, quotation marks don't always get closed, and apostrophes are sometimes used incorrectly. I realize that these issues won't bother every reader, but as someone trained to look for those mistakes, they distracted me from the fun elements of the story.
My favorite thing about The Childe is the fresh spin on the usual paranormal storyline. Without spoiling it much for you, I can say that there are two distinct worlds colliding in this book; one is everyday reality, and the other has a comic book-like texture, featuring Old World mythical creatures. The combination of the two, in the context of this plot, is light and fun.
While I have my pet peeves about the book, I still think that, for someone looking for a read that is clean and fun, without a heavy emotional undertone or a breakneck pace, this would be a fun read.
Know that, as part of the blog tour, there is a giveaway involved here- a Kindle Fire!- and all you have to do to enter is to comment on any of the tour posts (like this one), including your email address. It's that easy! In addition to the shiny new Kindle, there are weekly giveaways comprised of a signed paperback copy of The Childe and a swag pack, which is open internationally.
A list of all the blog tour stops appears at the bottom of this post.
Wow, this one is a tough review to write. My love for an original, fun paranormal tale is at war with my inner language arts teacher.
The Childe is, in some ways, a classic coming of age story. The main character discovers that she is not who she has always believed herself to be, and her world turns upside down. That main character, Cat, is engaging and elicits empathy. She enjoys a great social life with several really good friends, and a loving, supportive family. She is probably the strongest asset of this novel.
The pacing of the story, for me, was a little off. Well over one hundred pages described Cat's regular, normal life as a high school student before much happened to push the conflict forward. Even then, it was difficult to follow the story arc; it seemed to lack clear direction.
While I enjoy many of the book's supporting characters, there really are a lot of them to try to keep track of. I often found myself confused about which character was speaking- and frankly- why some of them were even there.
My biggest complain about The Childe is the problems with punctuation. Direct address commas are practically nonexistent, quotation marks don't always get closed, and apostrophes are sometimes used incorrectly. I realize that these issues won't bother every reader, but as someone trained to look for those mistakes, they distracted me from the fun elements of the story.
My favorite thing about The Childe is the fresh spin on the usual paranormal storyline. Without spoiling it much for you, I can say that there are two distinct worlds colliding in this book; one is everyday reality, and the other has a comic book-like texture, featuring Old World mythical creatures. The combination of the two, in the context of this plot, is light and fun.
While I have my pet peeves about the book, I still think that, for someone looking for a read that is clean and fun, without a heavy emotional undertone or a breakneck pace, this would be a fun read.
Know that, as part of the blog tour, there is a giveaway involved here- a Kindle Fire!- and all you have to do to enter is to comment on any of the tour posts (like this one), including your email address. It's that easy! In addition to the shiny new Kindle, there are weekly giveaways comprised of a signed paperback copy of The Childe and a swag pack, which is open internationally.
A list of all the blog tour stops appears at the bottom of this post.
Summary from GoodReads:
Cat Colvin
Average Teenager?
Or Something Else Entirely?
Cat Colvin is pretty much your typical run-of-the-mill teenager. Sure, she’s taller than most girls, has a mane of fiery red hair that’s impossible to tame, is left-handed, and her eyes are two different colors, but that’s where the differences end... unless you include the minor detail of her slow transformation into a Childe.
High school can definitely be challenging, and for Cat it’s no different. This is especially true when she’s faced with the daunting task of trying to hide her budding Childe traits as they begin to reveal themselves at the most inopportune times. To make matters worse, her family is oddly dead set against Ryan, the boy she grows to like. But everyone has their secrets: is Ryan really what he seems to be, and what is Cat’s family not telling her?
The Childe is the first book in this coming-of-age fantasy series which follows Cat's life through the twists and turns toward finding out whom and what she really is. Come and take the plunge with Cat into a world filled with mystery, biting humor, and the paranormal.
Thursday, Jan. 12th – Amethyst Daydreams (Guest Post: Playlist with Book Scenes)
Friday, Jan. 13th – Mundie Moms (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days) AND Fiktshun (Character interview: Cat Colvin)
Tuesday, Jan. 17th – Blethering Book Worm (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days) AND Reading Lark (Guest Post: Why we write YA paranormal)
Wednesday, Jan. 18th – Katelyn Torrey (Sample chapter post from The Childe/Teaser of Dark Days)
Thursday, Jan. 19th – Bookish Babes (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)
Friday, Jan. 20th – Mundie Moms (Guest Post: Cast Our Book) AND Me and Reading (Review of The Childe)
Tuesday, Feb. 7th – Insane About Books (Character Interview: Ryan Beckford) AND Happy Twilighter (Link to Review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)
W ednesday, Feb. 8th – All Things Books (Link to Review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)
Thursday, Feb. 9th – Words 2 Follow (Our Favorite Reads: Traditionally Published)
Friday, Feb. 10th – Forever Lost In My Own World (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)
Saturday, Feb. 11th – Books Complete Me (Special Post and Last chance to enter Kindle Fire giveaway)
Thursday, Feb. 9th – Words 2 Follow (Our Favorite Reads: Traditionally Published)
Friday, Feb. 10th – Forever Lost In My Own World (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)
Saturday, Feb. 11th – Books Complete Me (Special Post and Last chance to enter Kindle Fire giveaway)
Cat Colvin
Average Teenager?
Or Something Else Entirely?
Cat Colvin is pretty much your typical run-of-the-mill teenager. Sure, she’s taller than most girls, has a mane of fiery red hair that’s impossible to tame, is left-handed, and her eyes are two different colors, but that’s where the differences end... unless you include the minor detail of her slow transformation into a Childe.
High school can definitely be challenging, and for Cat it’s no different. This is especially true when she’s faced with the daunting task of trying to hide her budding Childe traits as they begin to reveal themselves at the most inopportune times. To make matters worse, her family is oddly dead set against Ryan, the boy she grows to like. But everyone has their secrets: is Ryan really what he seems to be, and what is Cat’s family not telling her?
The Childe is the first book in this coming-of-age fantasy series which follows Cat's life through the twists and turns toward finding out whom and what she really is. Come and take the plunge with Cat into a world filled with mystery, biting humor, and the paranormal.
You might also be interested in visiting the other Tour stops; remember, comments = giveaway entries. For your convenience, here is a complete listing of the blog tour stops.
Sunday, Jan. 8th – Books Complete Me (Opening Post: Cover Reveal for Dark Days and Blog Tour Details)
1st Week:
Monday, Jan. 9th – A Diary of a Book Addict (Review of The Childe)
Tuesday, Jan. 10th – Book Love (A Unique Mother (Tiffany King) and Daughter (Ashlynn King) Review of Dark Days)
Wednesday, Jan. 11th – Book Bite Reviews (Author This or That Post) AND Intoxicated by Books (Review of The Childe)
2nd Week:
Monday, Jan. 16th – Reading Away The Days (Character This or That: Ryan Beckford) AND Jowanna Reads (Review of The Childe)
3rd Week:
Monday, Jan. 23rd – Me Myshelf and I (Guest Post: Being A Part of an Indie Group – The Paranormal Plumes) AND Insane About Books (Review of The Childe)
Tuesday, Jan. 24th – Katelyn Torrey (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)
Wednesday, Jan. 25th – Blethering Book Worm (Character spotlight: Robert Craven) AND Words 2 Follow (Review of The Childe)
Thursday, Jan. 26th – Fiktshun (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days) AND All Things Books (Guest Post: Our Writing Method)
Friday, Jan. 27th – Page Flipperz (Character This or That: Cat Colvin)
4th Week:
Monday, Jan. 30th – Book Bite Reviews (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)
Tuesday, Jan. 31st – Me and Reading (Teaser Tuesday for Both The Childe and Dark Days) AND Page Flipperz (Review of The Childe)
Wednesday, Feb. 1st – Reading Lark (Review of The Childe)
Thursday, Feb. 2nd – Books Complete Me (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)
Friday, Feb. 3rd – Bookish Babes (Favorite reads: Indie published) AND Jowanna Reads (Guest Post: Author Interview)
5th Week:
Monday, Feb. 6th – Amethyst Daydreams (Review of The Childe) AND Reading Away The Days (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)
Thanks for your honest review. The book sound very good.
ReplyDeletebn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
I'm so lovin' these reviews n Character interviews! I love The Childe n will soon be readin' Dark Days.Adam n Carol are Awesome Authors!! tina_rintn@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up about the punctuation, as it is a pet peeve of mine.
ReplyDeleteVIVA LA OXFORD COMMA!!!
queenjane0 at sbcglobal dot net
I have just started this book, so I am very interested in how I will feel when I am done.
ReplyDeletemanders_20_00@hotmail.com
I love The Childe n am looking forward to reading Dark Days,your interview n pet peeves were interesting.I thought I had commented,but guess not,anyway lovin' the tour n meeting new bloggers.tina_rintn@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see a different take on this book. While everything I've heard others say is amazing, I like to know that even a seemingly flawless book will always have it's faults. It's still sounds like a wonderful book that I can't wait to read, but at least I won't go into it expecting perfection. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate an honest review. Thank you! Poor punctuation would bother me. I'd also have trouble with too many characters. That is distracting to me at times, especially if they're function is unclear.
ReplyDeletecatherinelee100[at]gmail[dot]com
SO we have reached 5 comments...here is your Kindle Fire giveaway question:
ReplyDeleteWhat was this reviewers favorite thing about The Childe?
Remember to send your answers to kindlefirechilde@gmail.com
Thank you for all your comments everyone and for continuing to follow along with the tour! You're all wonderful :D
I'm a few days behind, but I made it. Been a brutal week at work, but hey, that's job security right?
ReplyDeleteGFC follower of this blog & CA Kunz: Kathy Merkel
FB liked CA Kunz & The Child pages: Kathryn Anne Merkel
drainbamaged.gyzmo at gmail.com