Chameleon by Kelly Oram (Blog Tour & Giveaway)

Summary:
For small-town rebel Dani Webber magic and monsters are no more real than the Easter Bunny… until the day she accidentally stops time. Dani quickly discovers that not only do supernaturals exist, but she herself is one of them. This is great news for her life-long best friend Russ, who can finally come clean about his own supernatural status and his undying love for her. Before the two can start to enjoy the long overdue relationship, Dani is taken by a powerful council of supernaturals who believe she is the Chosen One destined to save them from extinction.

As if being kidnapped and expected to save the world isn’t bad enough, an ancient prophecy warns of the Chosen One’s dark nature: “Only the truest love will keep her an agent for good.” The council believes they know who this “true love” is and, unfortunately, that person isn’t Russ. The mysterious, powerful and devastatingly handsome Seer is the last person Dani wants in her life, but when she starts having visions of a horrific future, she has no one else to turn to for help.

Soon Dani finds herself torn between two very different boys with two very different opinions of whom she can trust. With the visions getting worse and time running out, Dani is forced to put aside her feelings and work with both the Seer and Russ before an ancient evil is unleashed upon the earth. (from GoodReads)

Review:
I'm a huge fan of Kelly Oram and I've previously read her two contemporary novels: Serial Hottie and V is For Virgin. So Chameleon is the first fantasy novel I've read by this author. While I enjoyed Chameleon, I think I like her contemporary books better.

There were both things I liked and disliked in Chameleon. First, I thought Dani was a kick-ass heroine. She's super powerful (but doesn't know it until her abilities manifest) and thrown into the supernatural world so she has no idea what's going on. Even so, she remains a strong and tough protagonist. She's intent on doing the right thing and is able to navigate this new environment while trying to figure out who to trust.

The supernatural world of Chameleon was very interesting and features the creatures we're used to seeing in other YA books, such as fairies, vampires and warlocks. However, Dani is the most powerful creature there is because she can change forms when she touches a different being - a so-called "chameleon." I liked that spin and the fact that there are "Seers" who get visions of the future. The mystery of who is killing the supernatural beings was interesting and I was caught off guard by who the villain ended up being. I was not expecting that twist at all!

The only thing I disliked in Chameleon was the love triangle between Dani, Russ and Gabriel. Russ is Dani's childhood friend who also happens to be a warlock and Gabriel is a Seer that Dani is "married" to by the Council in order to forge a powerful supernatural bond. Naturally this doesn't sit well with Russ, who believes that Dani belongs to him. I thought the triangle was a distraction from the actual story and made the novel unnecessarily long. It didn't help that I didn't like the two love interests: Russ acted like a jerk and Gabriel was too formal and proper. I would have much rather read about the new supernatural creatures we're introduced to and spent more time on the actual plot.

Overall, I enjoyed Kelly Oram's spin on the popular fantasy genre. She always writes great female leads who are strong and kick butt throughout the story! I can't wait to read more of her work.

Rating: 7 out of 10.
FTC: PDF sent by author

2013/Bluefields/356 pages

The rest of the blog tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

V is For Virgin by Kelly Oram

Summary:
When Val Jensen gets dumped for her decision to stay a virgin until marriage, the nasty breakup goes viral on YouTube, making her the latest internet sensation.

After days of ridicule from her peers, Val starts a school-wide campaign to rally support for her cause. She meant to make a statement, but she never dreamed the entire nation would get caught up in the controversy.

As if becoming nationally recognized as “Virgin Val” isn’t enough, Val’s already hectic life starts to spin wildly out of control when bad boy Kyle Hamilton, lead singer for the hit rock band Tralse, decides to take her abstinence as a personal challenge.

How can a girl stay true to herself when this year’s Sexiest Man Alive is doing everything in his power to win her over? (from GoodReads)

Review:
I read V is For Virgin a few months ago, so my review will not be super detailed. But I do remember that I absolutely loved it! This is the second book by Kelly Oram that I've read so far and she is a fantastic author! I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

The story is pretty interesting - Val makes a cafeteria confession that she is a virgin and plans to stay that way. Not surprisingly, someone records it and puts it on YouTube. Instead of cowering and being embarrassed, Val decides to use this as an opportunity to start an abstinence campaign. Even though readers may not agree with Val's decisions, her reasoning is sound and I like how she thinks critically about sex (something that most teenagers don't do). I also thought it was awesome how her campaign becomes recognized nationally and Val becomes a celebrity. Luckily Val doesn't let fame go to her head and for the most part remains grounded and down-to-earth.

The biggest part of V is For Virgin is the relationship between Val and Kyle, who is the lead singer of a popular band. He wants Val but she is obviously not looking for a sexual relationship. He writes a hit song about her, which adds to Val's celebrity status. The tension between them was always sizzling and I was wondering if Val was ever going to give into Kyle's numerous charms.

Overall, V is For Virgin was a fun book about a somewhat serious and important topic. I think many readers will enjoy this book and I definitely recommend it to fans of contemporary fiction.

Rating: 9 out of 10.
FTC: ebook provided by author

2012/Bluefields/360 pages.

Serial Hottie by Kelly Oram

Summary:
Hockey-obsessed tomboy Eleanor Westley has never been the object of a guy's affection before. So when the hottest boy she's ever seen moves in across the street and starts treating her like she's the center of his universe, naturally she's going to be a little skeptical. But everything starts to make sense when girls who look just like Ellie start dying all around the city. Obviously the new guy is the killer, and of course he only likes her because he wants to slice her into tiny pieces. Right? The more Ellie gets to know Seth the more she's convinced he's a psychopathic killer. Problem is, he's the sweetest psychopathic killer she's ever met. Not to mention he's brutally hot. No matter how hard she tries, she can't help but fall for him. Will Ellie find true love, or will her summer of firsts turn out to be a summer of lasts? (from GoodReads)

Review:
I was excited to read Serial Hottie because I thought it sounded different from other books I've recently read. It also seemed so relatable. Many people (including me) have probably observed their neighbors and found out some interesting things. However, most people don't think their neighbor is a serial killer, so that's what made Serial Hottie so unique.

The thing about Seth, who is the potential love interest/mass murderer, is that he's actually creepy! He takes an unhealthy interest in Ellie and seems to be obsessed with her. He also has a knife collection, reads about serial killers and is an expert in self-defense. Seth's character was bordering on being too weird, even if he wasn't the killer. The thing about Seth that makes him easier to stomach is that he had early-life trauma and might have a personality disorder. So his heart is in the right place most the of the time and with some therapy, he might actually be able to tone it down. What's interesting that we just started personality disorders in my abnormal psych class, so in a few days I might be able to figure out with one Seth fits into.

Ellie is now one of my favorite female characters! I love that she is a tomboy who doesn't mind playing rough with the boys. She was definitely a good match for Seth's intensity because she's just as quick to throw a punch as any guy. Ellie was also hilarious and there were times where I found myself laughing out loud at some of things that occur in Serial Hottie.

The mystery was one of the best parts, especially trying to figure out if it was Seth. Serial killers have to have neighbors somewhere, so you never know what the people next door may be getting into.

Serial Hottie is one of those books you want to immediately reread as soon as you finish. Though I wish Seth wasn't as intense and creepy, it was definitely a change from the Gary Stus we're sometimes subjected to. For those who want something different in their YA, I definitely recommend Serial Hottie!

Rating: 8 out of 10.
FTC: ebook sent by author.

2012/Bluefields/374 pages.