Book Review: WHISPERING HILLS by Taryn Browning

Whispering Hills (Whispering Hills #1)

Author: Taryn Browning

Publication Date: March 19th 2012

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance

Summary | Add to TBR

Life and death, love and hate, friends and enemies...

For as long as she can remember, 17-year-old Alexis Forbes can hear the thoughts of others. Most recently, she is disturbed by the dark, unfamiliar voice of a frightening killer: callous, cunning, charismatic…and dead.

She hears his every sinister thought. But she can’t tell anyone. No one would believe her. Alexis is suddenly being haunted by a terrifying past she doesn’t remember, and a ghost with a serious score to settle. Even Chance, the gorgeous new guy she’s falling for, has his own ghostly secret. He’s definitely not like any guy she’s ever met. Alexis soon discovers she has a connection to the dead and it runs much deeper than she could ever imagine. And if the sociopathic entity has his way, she’ll finally be sentenced to the fate she escaped thirteen years ago.

My Thoughts:

When I started this book, I didn't quite know exactly what to expect. There's a girl who can hear people's thoughts, a mysterious boy who dress like he was from different generation, a gothic friend with unique abilities, and some mysterious ghost that gave me creeps. The characters are interesting enough that you would want to read more about them. There are also lots of mysteries to unravel and and you wouldn't truly understand unless you read the story up to the end. It will keep you guessing all through out the book and you can not just put it down without knowing what will happen next. It was suspenseful and thrilling and sometimes creepy. 

I guess the only problem I had is the relationship between Alexis and Chance. It felt a bit rushed to me and I just couldn't feel their connection. There were also times that I was bothered by Alexis' attitude toward Chance. I was looking for something deeper between the two main characters and I hope that the next book will deliver what I felt was lacking in the first book. The supporting characters however gave this book a little more spice with their snarky and badass personalities. Overall, this book is an enjoyable read--interesting and original.

My Rating:

Also by Taryn Browning: Seeker Series

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Book Review: DARK SEEKER by Taryn Browning

Dark Seeker (Seeker, #1)
Author: Taryn Browning
Publication Date: October 14th 2011
Publisher:
Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy

Summary on Goodreads:

For 17-year-old Seeker, Janie Grey, ridding the Baltimore streets of the undead is an inherited duty passed down from her Cherokee ancestors. Seeker Training Lesson #1: Never trust the undead. After her father’s tragic death, Janie creates her own life lesson: Love isn’t worth the risk. Both lessons are easy to follow until she encounters the flawed Kai Sterdam. At first, she believes he is the hybrid she is trained to hunt. But, when he has human traits, she determines she doesn’t know what he is. As Janie’s intrigue over who Kai is pushes her deeper into his mysterious past, she discovers a shocking truth that is even more harrowing than the evil they are up against. It’s a secret Kai wants to keep hidden, especially from Janie.

My Thoughts:

"Will you ever tell me why your heart beats?"
"No--" His green eyes turned steely.
"You know I'm going to ask you again," she pushed.
"I know, you're annoyingly persistent. My answer's going to be the same." His voice deepened, making it obvious he wasn't playing around.
She continued anyway. "One day you'll tell me."
Kai's face tightened. "We won't ever be that close."

I'll start my review with Janie Grey because I know that most of us like strong and effective heroines. As much as possible we like them to be smart, independent and sensible. Janie certainly fits those description. She doesn't only know how to kick butts, but she's smart and sexy at the same time. Not all main characters are like her. She's definitely one of the most kick ass heroine I've ever met.

The story started with Janie fighting with a demon at Baltimore. Well, that's basically her job as a Seeker--to get rid of demons including vampires. She's quite good at her job as a Seeker, in fact, she's more than committed to her job. Then he met Kai, a mysterious guy who always appear out of nowhere, and who always end up saving her. Dark, mysterious, good looking and swoon-worthy. Aside from his good looks and oozing sex appeal, he's also funny and sarcastic *grin*. Janie and Kai are perfect match since they compliment each others personality thus, making them very likable and fun to read about. They're both tough and sensible and most of all, they're not annoying.

This might not be the first and only book about vampires and demons and demon-killing heroes. But this book isn't just "another" book. Though it has the same flavor that you can find in other urban fantasy stories, I'd say that there are still lots of reasons to enjoy it. It's action-packed, full of suspense and with lots of humor! There's no way you'll get bored to death when reading this book. I was giggling a lot of times because Kai and Janie are so fun and good together. They'll make sure that you'll be entertained by their snarky conversations and sweet, delicious romance. My only concern was the narrating style which I find a bit confusing, but other than that I find the book really enjoyable and definitely worth my time.

"I told you to come in. What else do you want me to do? I don't beg to get a girl." He glanced down at hid bare chest and smirked. "They come willingly." - Kai

"I'll help you to the couch."

"Is that what you're doing?" she said. "It feels more like you're dragging me." - Janie

With strong, butt-kicking heroes and interesting storyline, this book will keep you rooted on your seat until the last page. The book is very hard to put down! And the ending? Very satisfying.

My Rating: