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Oddily #1
Oddily
There are three things the shy, awkward Oddily knows for sure.
She would rather be anyone other than herself…
She wants to fit in at school…
And strange things are happening to her.
For Oddily, she tries to keep an open mind…
But what she discovers is too unbelievable to think about…
Too magical too consider, and too dangerous to ignore.
Oddily becomes trapped in an adventure like no other.
She would rather be anyone other than herself…
She wants to fit in at school…
And strange things are happening to her.
For Oddily, she tries to keep an open mind…
But what she discovers is too unbelievable to think about…
Too magical too consider, and too dangerous to ignore.
Oddily becomes trapped in an adventure like no other.
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 16, 2011
14 people are currently reading
3215 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
October 17, 2012
Synopsis
Oddily is a foster child that is teased and tortured each day by everyone. All this changes, however, when she meets the super hot Maxim. Suddenly everyone, including Maxim, inexplicably likes her.
Review
I straight up did not like this book. I feel like it was still in a draft state, and hadn't reached a narrative level that was ready to be published.
First of all, the writing in the book is odd and stilted. I understand that Maxim and Nexa are different from everyone else, and it makes sense that the way that they talk may be different. Unfortunately, I don't believe that they would talk in overly simplistic sentences with no contractions. Plus the statements that they make were just weird. Combining that with the internal conversation between Nexa and Maxim made the book both confusing and overly simplistic at times.
The characters were very flat and I couldn't bring myself to care about them. For instance, Oddily is seriously tortured through the first half of the book, but it didn't really seem to matter other than being part of the story.
Plot - This novel fell in to the overly cheesy YA romance trap. Maxim meets Oddily and just loves her. There's no preamble, no reason what so ever, he just loves her. For ever and ever and ever. And she loves him back. Even though he takes over her life, controlling every single aspect of it. The plot is overly simplistic and chunky. Things just suddenly happen, with no reasoning or build up. For instance, on kid decides to go from tormentor to friend on an apparent whim. And Oddily is cool with it, she lets him go from devil to bestie in a paragraph.
Finally the conclusion of the book. There isn't one. The story just cuts off in the middle of a scene and directs you to the next book. I attempted to read the next book, but wasn't able to make it more than a couple of chapters.
Side note - think of the Watchmen if you read the book and tell me if you notice any similarities.
My Recommendation
I didn't like this book. Though I forced myself to continue reading in the hopes that the story got better, it didn't. I give it 1/5- Not worth the effort
Oddily is a foster child that is teased and tortured each day by everyone. All this changes, however, when she meets the super hot Maxim. Suddenly everyone, including Maxim, inexplicably likes her.
Review
I straight up did not like this book. I feel like it was still in a draft state, and hadn't reached a narrative level that was ready to be published.
First of all, the writing in the book is odd and stilted. I understand that Maxim and Nexa are different from everyone else, and it makes sense that the way that they talk may be different. Unfortunately, I don't believe that they would talk in overly simplistic sentences with no contractions. Plus the statements that they make were just weird. Combining that with the internal conversation between Nexa and Maxim made the book both confusing and overly simplistic at times.
The characters were very flat and I couldn't bring myself to care about them. For instance, Oddily is seriously tortured through the first half of the book, but it didn't really seem to matter other than being part of the story.
Plot - This novel fell in to the overly cheesy YA romance trap. Maxim meets Oddily and just loves her. There's no preamble, no reason what so ever, he just loves her. For ever and ever and ever. And she loves him back. Even though he takes over her life, controlling every single aspect of it. The plot is overly simplistic and chunky. Things just suddenly happen, with no reasoning or build up. For instance, on kid decides to go from tormentor to friend on an apparent whim. And Oddily is cool with it, she lets him go from devil to bestie in a paragraph.
Finally the conclusion of the book. There isn't one. The story just cuts off in the middle of a scene and directs you to the next book. I attempted to read the next book, but wasn't able to make it more than a couple of chapters.
Side note - think of the Watchmen if you read the book and tell me if you notice any similarities.
My Recommendation
I didn't like this book. Though I forced myself to continue reading in the hopes that the story got better, it didn't. I give it 1/5- Not worth the effort
September 28, 2011
In my opinion, any story that can make my heart literally ache is a good book. All throughout Oddily, I wanted to cry for the main character whose name is Oddily :) The only thing that bothered me about this book was how stiff the dialogue was. I understand that Maxim (being who, and what, he is) would speak in a way that makes him seem older than a teen. But Oddily speaks in the same manor, and given the life she has been dealt, I would think she would be a little less stiff. Other than that, I loved the book. I was a little bummed at how abrupt the ending was, but I'll get over that as soon as the second book, Maxim, is out.
April 7, 2012
This is a very strange book. The narrative reads like you threw a fairy tale and a YA romance into a blender.
Like most paranormal YA romances, this happens quickly and with little effort on the part of Maxim or Oddily. Maxim is more likeable than most YA love interests - he has a personality, albeit one that needs to be established more beyond 'protect Oddily' - and divided loyalties, to his sister and Oddily. A standard complaint in YA romance is that the characters need more interaction before they fall in love - it stands for this novel as well.
Oddily is an odd character, as well. I really wanted to like her, and I sort of did. But she was just so weak and down on herself that it gets boring after awhile. She's too innocent in a world populated with caricatures of people, like Starla's parents.
There were a lot of grammar and punctuation mistakes in the Kindle copy I got off Amazon. The font on the cover is a truly odd choice.
The story has potential, but ultimately the reader is too distant to the characters; there's not a lot to engage the reader with. I think the narrative style needed more fine tuning and that the story itself needed to be fleshed out. I haven't decided whether I'll read the next one.
Like most paranormal YA romances, this happens quickly and with little effort on the part of Maxim or Oddily. Maxim is more likeable than most YA love interests - he has a personality, albeit one that needs to be established more beyond 'protect Oddily' - and divided loyalties, to his sister and Oddily. A standard complaint in YA romance is that the characters need more interaction before they fall in love - it stands for this novel as well.
Oddily is an odd character, as well. I really wanted to like her, and I sort of did. But she was just so weak and down on herself that it gets boring after awhile. She's too innocent in a world populated with caricatures of people, like Starla's parents.
There were a lot of grammar and punctuation mistakes in the Kindle copy I got off Amazon. The font on the cover is a truly odd choice.
The story has potential, but ultimately the reader is too distant to the characters; there's not a lot to engage the reader with. I think the narrative style needed more fine tuning and that the story itself needed to be fleshed out. I haven't decided whether I'll read the next one.
June 1, 2011
I just finished this book a few minutes ago and I really enjoyed it. I spent most of the book with my heart in my mouth as I read of the cruelties that Oddily had to face from the shallow students at her school and my heart went out to her all the way through the book.
Oddily was a cute and adorable heroin (and truly lived up to her name) who was so quiet that she tended to let others walk all over her and bully her without really fighting back. I got a great sense of satisfaction at the end when she finally made a stand for herself. But I thought it was nice that it wasn't concern for herself that prompted her actions but concern for someone else.
Maxim was an OK hero, he grew on me the further I read. He really cares for Oddily and it as refreshing for him to know when he had botched something up and for him to try his level best to fix it.
The science fiction/fantasy element of the book was pretty good and unexpected and added a great twist to the read without being too crazy.
Really enjoyable read.
Can't wait for the second instalment!
Oddily was a cute and adorable heroin (and truly lived up to her name) who was so quiet that she tended to let others walk all over her and bully her without really fighting back. I got a great sense of satisfaction at the end when she finally made a stand for herself. But I thought it was nice that it wasn't concern for herself that prompted her actions but concern for someone else.
Maxim was an OK hero, he grew on me the further I read. He really cares for Oddily and it as refreshing for him to know when he had botched something up and for him to try his level best to fix it.
The science fiction/fantasy element of the book was pretty good and unexpected and added a great twist to the read without being too crazy.
Really enjoyable read.
Can't wait for the second instalment!
August 26, 2012
I won Oddily (Oddily, #1) by Linda Pohring in a giveaway for free on Goodreads First-Reads. I enjoyed this story- however their were a couple small things that bugged me, but not enough to discourage my 5-star rating*** The writing was simple at times~ and about 3/4 way through~ I almost began to get annoyed with the main character- Oddily - but in the end Oddily got it together. (I was beginning to think she was always going to feel sorry for herself) Overall this was a great story and I would recommend as a great read and also a quick/fun summer read. I was hooked in the story from the first page wondering what was going to happen to Oddily and where this story was leading. I'm so happy to have been a part of reading Oddily by Linda Pohring. (I will be ordering the second in the series Maxim) I plan on continuing on with this series until it's finished. It seems the second book is where all the excitement will happen* and this series will take off. Thank You for the opportunity to review this book- I've added to my favorite list and it will be a 2012 favorite. Reesa***
August 16, 2012
What the hell did I just read? Or try to, anyway?
A book with a good idea that was HORRIBLY executed through illogical scenes, wooden dialogue, childish characters and bad prose that had me grimacing a lot.
Ugh.
A book with a good idea that was HORRIBLY executed through illogical scenes, wooden dialogue, childish characters and bad prose that had me grimacing a lot.
Ugh.
May 13, 2011
Most people have had an experience or two with bullying. However, Oddily finds herself on the neverending receiving line of he foster sister's angst and harassment. No! that is not right she is not being harassed, she is being battered and abused. "Oddily" is an incredible story from start to finish about how someone who is meek and kind finds happiness where she least expects it.
This is the most unusual paranormal YA romance I have read in a very long time. Before you ask, there are no werewolves, vampires, pixies or witches but the villains are horrific and I wanted to jump into my Kindle and batter them with my fists. Oddily, the protagonist is sweet, unassuming and makes you feel empathy for all she has endured in her short 18 years. I just loved the hero in this story, an unusual boy by the name of Maxim. He was endearing and sweet.
There was something a little old fashion in the telling of this tale and I just loved it. Yes, at times this is somewhat of a fairy tale but I must admit, I am a sucker for a story where the good guys come out on top. This was my first exposure to the writings of Linda Pohring and I must say that I was quite impressed. She knows how to weave a great tale and pull the reader right into her world. I will say that there are a few proofreading errors in the book; however, they do not interfere with the readers enjoyment of the story. Don't even hesitate in downloading this book. It truly is a great read.
This is the most unusual paranormal YA romance I have read in a very long time. Before you ask, there are no werewolves, vampires, pixies or witches but the villains are horrific and I wanted to jump into my Kindle and batter them with my fists. Oddily, the protagonist is sweet, unassuming and makes you feel empathy for all she has endured in her short 18 years. I just loved the hero in this story, an unusual boy by the name of Maxim. He was endearing and sweet.
There was something a little old fashion in the telling of this tale and I just loved it. Yes, at times this is somewhat of a fairy tale but I must admit, I am a sucker for a story where the good guys come out on top. This was my first exposure to the writings of Linda Pohring and I must say that I was quite impressed. She knows how to weave a great tale and pull the reader right into her world. I will say that there are a few proofreading errors in the book; however, they do not interfere with the readers enjoyment of the story. Don't even hesitate in downloading this book. It truly is a great read.
June 7, 2015
If your looking for ACT/SAT verbiage you wont find it here. Me personally lack of verbiage or misspellings do not bother me. I am able to get passed it as long as the story hooks me. Also if you notice all of my reviews are 5 stars because all the books that I read have moved me in some way. You try writing a book, and see how easy it is. Any who I am in love with this book. So refreshing, and humorous. I loved how Oddily was so deep into her own little world that she was clueless about her present. Oddily is an innocent soul, filled with love. Maxim the Hero of the story is to die for. He is stitched together by all the hopes and dreams of a woman. A true gentleman. Linda Pohring has won me over. I already started reading book #2 Maxim: A new type of human, and I am loving it. A must Read! Honestly I, know the year has just started, so I have many more books to read, but I am going to go out on a limb here and say that The "Oddily Series" is now my favorite. This is not an in depth soul searching book. Yet the storyline and characters have captured my imagination, and most importantly my heart. As I read I cannot stop grinning, laughing, feel giddy, and tear up at times... and that to me is a WINNER... Thank you Linda Pohring for making my drab days turn into excitement as I turn the pages of Oddily.
I own a Nook and the book is 140 pages, but it ended well.
I own a Nook and the book is 140 pages, but it ended well.
April 27, 2016
Oddily is about a unusual girl named Oddily who lives her life miserable, sad and bullied. One day she stumbles on a secret she should not know and she meets two twins a boy and a girl. Weird things start to happend and Oddily and the boy spend much time together. But the boy Maxim has a secret that nobody, bot even Oddily can know about.
It is hard to explain what the story is about without spoiling it so the explanation will have to do. I have wanted to read this book for a very long time and I must say I was a bit disappointed. The book wasn’t bad but I had expected more. The story and the character are entertaining, but they could have been more evolved. I am fascinated buy the characters and the technology in the story, and I want to know more. I did not feel like I got to know the characters very well, and I hardly know anything about them.
Overall the story was good and it kept me reading. The book took up a couple of important subjekts like bulling and not having parents and things like that. I like how some of the characters evolved I hope to see more of that.
It is hard to explain what the story is about without spoiling it so the explanation will have to do. I have wanted to read this book for a very long time and I must say I was a bit disappointed. The book wasn’t bad but I had expected more. The story and the character are entertaining, but they could have been more evolved. I am fascinated buy the characters and the technology in the story, and I want to know more. I did not feel like I got to know the characters very well, and I hardly know anything about them.
Overall the story was good and it kept me reading. The book took up a couple of important subjekts like bulling and not having parents and things like that. I like how some of the characters evolved I hope to see more of that.
August 18, 2011
I want to first say THANKS to Linda Pohring the author of Oddily!!! I actually won a copy of the book from the Goodreads giveaway which was AWESOME!!! I just finished the book and I can't wait to read the sequel. Oddily had me intriged from the very beginning. My heart broke for her & everything she endured at the hands of Mean Girls & Boys. The author put a interesting twist on the subject of bullying and added a mix of fantasy. It was a nice change from the typical paranormal genre. Linda Pohring created a very interesting and exciting new world with the characters Maxim & Nexa and their super abilities. Also, Maxim made a great Prince Charming!!! I would definetly recommend this book to both teens & adults a like. I think both age groups could relate and enjoy this wonderful new series!!!
September 29, 2011
I loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I work for a high school as the Library Media Clerk and Oddily reminds me of some of the students here. My heart goes out to them and I help them as much as I can but it is so sad because Bullying is so real. Starla and Kip got under my skin they made so angry and I am so glad that Oddily finally found her voice and to Starla exactly what kind of person she was. I was glad that no one laughed when Starla put her down after Oddily told her what she thought. Maxim is such a wonderful guy and even though he has speacial things that he could do he is exactly what Oddily needed. She was all alone in this world and he came to her at the right time and gave her the love that she so needed. Loved the book and would totally recommmend it and I am putting it on my list for books to order for this school year.
July 8, 2012
I didn't know a book could be this bad. I gave it one star when i really mean ZERO. Sorry, it was really really really bad. They was they (the characters) talked was SOOOO unrealistic. They are in HIGH SCHOOL-IN LOVE-it was REALLLLLLY bad. It was and array of 'oh im so ugly' 'oh im in a virtual game when nothing can happen to me' 'lalala im so innocent even if i talk more uptight than the senator of the freakin universe' 'oh i dont know what love is' 'oh my feelings for you have "SHIMMERED TO THE SURFACE"'
It was bad bad bad. It wasnt even cute. It was BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD. Like four thumbs down bad.
The cover was so cute though-HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. complete waste of $.99
Im so proud that i didnt cuss :)
It was bad bad bad. It wasnt even cute. It was BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD. Like four thumbs down bad.
The cover was so cute though-HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. complete waste of $.99
Im so proud that i didnt cuss :)
March 23, 2011
This book was refreshing and light. A different twist on time travel and an innocent first love. I enjoyed the storyline and look forward to the 2nd in the series!
January 7, 2012
So bad I couldn't even finish it. Just awful - the plot, the characters: all of it. Don't bother.
February 9, 2013
Great book with a great plot line but it was kind of rushed and messy, I would have liked to see a lot more.
August 26, 2016
This felt weird and disjointed at times. Oddily was supose to be almost 18 but she behaved like she was 13.This was a struggle for me. DF.
September 12, 2023
Seventeen year old, Oddily has been bullied her entire life. Her latest foster home with her foster sister, Starla is just the latest in a long line of pain and heartbreak. She longs for the chance to escape the dreariness of her life but until she can she spends her time daydreaming about being someone else.
Maxim and his sister Nexa shouldn't exist - in this timeline at least - and so they keep to themselves, unwilling to accidentally influence or alter something they're not meant to. Right up until Starla bullies Oddily into trespassing on their home, the Stafford Estate and the twins become involved in Oddily's life.
This is a quirky young adult science fiction novel with a lot of potential. Unfortunately it needs a good editor. It's clunky to start with and some of the transitions between scenes don't quite make sense.
Maxim and Nexa are meta humans and identical twins who were born to a father who is a time traveller. The father fell in love with a "primitive" woman while travelling to a different time stream. The woman died giving birth to Maxim and Nexa. Apart from the twins powers, they have advanced technical gadgets like virtual reality glasses and high tech medical equipment. They keep to themselves in order to avoid discovery by scientists and governments who would undoubtedly study them.
Nexa is the most interesting character. Considered to be an angel by Oddily, she's also kind, smart and has the power to read and manipulate minds. Although interesting she spends most of her time on the peripheral of the novel.
Maxim is your cliche romance hero with little personality, great looks and lots of money. That said he is very kind and thoughtful and considerate of Oddily and horrified by the bullying that she encounters at school. He has the power to erase fragments and entire parts of memories and thoughts.
Oddily is the heroine of the novel and was found in a wrecked car as a baby. Since then she has lived in various foster homes. Oddily is an amusing, naive and very young seventeen year old who has an innate goodness about her. She struggles with severe bullying but is still kindhearted, generous and willing to forgive and forget on the off chance someone is willing to talk with her. It was actually kind of heartbreaking. She can be a little stupid and is extremely emotional over everything.
Oddily's romance with Maxim is terrible and is actually pretty painful to read. Every cliche you can think of is thrown at this relationship. It's total instalove, super sweet fluff and will likely be a pleasant read for young tweens but for those that are after a bit more substance it was over the top ridiculous.
But as young and ridiculous as it could be, I actually quite enjoyed Oddily. The story was interesting and kept me interested in finding out more about Oddily, Maxim and Nexa - particularly what happened to the twins father and Oddily's mother.
The use of the advanced technology and how it was incorporated into the story was good, if a bit thin on details. I would've liked to see more world building particularly in regards to the technology and some further detail on the twins' powers and time travel. But it was sufficient to keep me curious. The bullying storyline is wrapped up with Oddily coming to the realisation that she feels sorry for Starla and Kip - not particularly realistic but hopeful for those struggling with it themselves. And the end finds Maxim bringing Oddily home to the Stafford Estate where he'll answer some of her questions.
It's not a perfect novel but it has potential to be a good one with a decent editor. 3 stars.
Maxim and his sister Nexa shouldn't exist - in this timeline at least - and so they keep to themselves, unwilling to accidentally influence or alter something they're not meant to. Right up until Starla bullies Oddily into trespassing on their home, the Stafford Estate and the twins become involved in Oddily's life.
This is a quirky young adult science fiction novel with a lot of potential. Unfortunately it needs a good editor. It's clunky to start with and some of the transitions between scenes don't quite make sense.
Maxim and Nexa are meta humans and identical twins who were born to a father who is a time traveller. The father fell in love with a "primitive" woman while travelling to a different time stream. The woman died giving birth to Maxim and Nexa. Apart from the twins powers, they have advanced technical gadgets like virtual reality glasses and high tech medical equipment. They keep to themselves in order to avoid discovery by scientists and governments who would undoubtedly study them.
Nexa is the most interesting character. Considered to be an angel by Oddily, she's also kind, smart and has the power to read and manipulate minds. Although interesting she spends most of her time on the peripheral of the novel.
Maxim is your cliche romance hero with little personality, great looks and lots of money. That said he is very kind and thoughtful and considerate of Oddily and horrified by the bullying that she encounters at school. He has the power to erase fragments and entire parts of memories and thoughts.
Oddily is the heroine of the novel and was found in a wrecked car as a baby. Since then she has lived in various foster homes. Oddily is an amusing, naive and very young seventeen year old who has an innate goodness about her. She struggles with severe bullying but is still kindhearted, generous and willing to forgive and forget on the off chance someone is willing to talk with her. It was actually kind of heartbreaking. She can be a little stupid and is extremely emotional over everything.
Oddily's romance with Maxim is terrible and is actually pretty painful to read. Every cliche you can think of is thrown at this relationship. It's total instalove, super sweet fluff and will likely be a pleasant read for young tweens but for those that are after a bit more substance it was over the top ridiculous.
But as young and ridiculous as it could be, I actually quite enjoyed Oddily. The story was interesting and kept me interested in finding out more about Oddily, Maxim and Nexa - particularly what happened to the twins father and Oddily's mother.
The use of the advanced technology and how it was incorporated into the story was good, if a bit thin on details. I would've liked to see more world building particularly in regards to the technology and some further detail on the twins' powers and time travel. But it was sufficient to keep me curious. The bullying storyline is wrapped up with Oddily coming to the realisation that she feels sorry for Starla and Kip - not particularly realistic but hopeful for those struggling with it themselves. And the end finds Maxim bringing Oddily home to the Stafford Estate where he'll answer some of her questions.
It's not a perfect novel but it has potential to be a good one with a decent editor. 3 stars.
February 26, 2012
This was a very good book. It was the storyline that got me the whole time, it was very unexpected with a very unexepcted paranormal side to the novel that we didn't see coming.
What did annoy me was Oddily. The way that she was so easy to give away her trust, especially to those who had made her life a living hell for most of her life since living with the family. She just let them all walk straight over her, that she didn't realise the extent of her believing them and doing everything they say just made her life worse. Her constant thoughts on how they could change their attitude towards her and actually become her friend because they're trying to make her belive that so they can make it more torturing for her in the end. She is too innocent and doesn't realise the extent of their tormenting that makes her very gullible and a heroine which we don't want to really get to know because we are too caught up in wanting to shake her that much so that she realises that they don't want to be her friend, they don't want to know her, and no matter what they say to not believe them. We do feel sorry for Oddily, but in many ways her constant trust of everyone just puts her tormenting on herself. That thing we see many times in the book called a conscience is what we want her to believe, not ignore and act like she can't change it or has no control over what she does. She does have control over herself.
I really do want to slap this girl half the time, especially when she is in her own little world She is such a child! you would think that her constant moving around home to home and being a foster child wouldn't make you like this. You would think that she would have trust issues and not give it out freely to everyone! You would not act like a child and be so utterly rediculous.
When we meet Maxim and his sister, we want to know the truth about them. Who they really are and the secrets they are keeping. When we are in Maxim's perspective we see things differently on their side of the fence. We see his evergrowing love for Oddily and all that he wants to do for her. When we learn one of the biggest secrets that involves both Oddily and Maxim's family we see the what really happens and that this is some sort of fate in their world from what happened. It leaves us on a cliffhanger for what is to come in the next novel and if there will be a meeting. The excerpt at the end of Oddily of the next novel then leaves us with an even bigger cliffhanger because we know who is there, yet we don't know what will happen when he realises what they have done to the little world they have created. Especially who he brings back to the house.
What did annoy me was Oddily. The way that she was so easy to give away her trust, especially to those who had made her life a living hell for most of her life since living with the family. She just let them all walk straight over her, that she didn't realise the extent of her believing them and doing everything they say just made her life worse. Her constant thoughts on how they could change their attitude towards her and actually become her friend because they're trying to make her belive that so they can make it more torturing for her in the end. She is too innocent and doesn't realise the extent of their tormenting that makes her very gullible and a heroine which we don't want to really get to know because we are too caught up in wanting to shake her that much so that she realises that they don't want to be her friend, they don't want to know her, and no matter what they say to not believe them. We do feel sorry for Oddily, but in many ways her constant trust of everyone just puts her tormenting on herself. That thing we see many times in the book called a conscience is what we want her to believe, not ignore and act like she can't change it or has no control over what she does. She does have control over herself.
I really do want to slap this girl half the time, especially when she is in her own little world She is such a child! you would think that her constant moving around home to home and being a foster child wouldn't make you like this. You would think that she would have trust issues and not give it out freely to everyone! You would not act like a child and be so utterly rediculous.
When we meet Maxim and his sister, we want to know the truth about them. Who they really are and the secrets they are keeping. When we are in Maxim's perspective we see things differently on their side of the fence. We see his evergrowing love for Oddily and all that he wants to do for her. When we learn one of the biggest secrets that involves both Oddily and Maxim's family we see the what really happens and that this is some sort of fate in their world from what happened. It leaves us on a cliffhanger for what is to come in the next novel and if there will be a meeting. The excerpt at the end of Oddily of the next novel then leaves us with an even bigger cliffhanger because we know who is there, yet we don't know what will happen when he realises what they have done to the little world they have created. Especially who he brings back to the house.
May 20, 2013
Full post @Book-Marks the Spot
Oddily has been from foster home to foster until she ends up with one family that actually keeps her. The only bad thing is that they have a daughter, Starla, who makes it her life’s mission to hurt Oddily. Oddily takes it all with silence. That is until Maxim shows up. He is strange, smart, and beautiful-everything Oddily know she can’t have. Or can she. Maybe he will be the one to get Oddily out of her shell. But nothing is that simple when Maxim is hiding a secret. Will he tell Oddily or will he walk away?
It’s time for Oddily to take charge.
I don’t know whether to give this book a 2.5 or a 3. I liked it well enough. I thought this book was going to be awesome because I’ve been dying to read it since I read an excerpt. I probably didn’t like it much because Oddily was always putting herself down and not standing up for herself. The writing itself was alright, but there was certain times when I thought about not finishing the book. The reason I did finish was because I wanted to know what happens. Also, everything didn’t feel believable to me. I mean a whole school is not going to be after one girl, am I right. And the deal with the sister and brother...well I feel like the author just put that in there to give the book some flare.
Overall, I liked it, but it was severely lacking in certain areas. I would recommend that you check this out at the library before you buy it.
Oddily- I don’t know whether to feel sorry for her or to berate her. During the entire book, she let’s people run over her. She is always telling herself she is ugly because that’s what she's always been told. Frankly, I just got tired of it all. She was just so gullible and leaning towards stupid. I mean really. All these people hurt her and yet she trusts them and always falls for there tricks. SIGH
Starla- She made me sick to my core. THAT IS ALL.
Maxim- He was too good to be true. Yes, he is a nice guy and there is nothing wrong with him, but that’s the problem. He was flawless. At least give me a crocked tooth or something. The only thing I can probably tell you about him is that he obsessed with protecting Oddily.
Nexa- She was by far my favorite character in the book and we hardly get to see her. She was the only one with sense and she was pretty bad A**. LOL
Oddily has been from foster home to foster until she ends up with one family that actually keeps her. The only bad thing is that they have a daughter, Starla, who makes it her life’s mission to hurt Oddily. Oddily takes it all with silence. That is until Maxim shows up. He is strange, smart, and beautiful-everything Oddily know she can’t have. Or can she. Maybe he will be the one to get Oddily out of her shell. But nothing is that simple when Maxim is hiding a secret. Will he tell Oddily or will he walk away?
It’s time for Oddily to take charge.
I don’t know whether to give this book a 2.5 or a 3. I liked it well enough. I thought this book was going to be awesome because I’ve been dying to read it since I read an excerpt. I probably didn’t like it much because Oddily was always putting herself down and not standing up for herself. The writing itself was alright, but there was certain times when I thought about not finishing the book. The reason I did finish was because I wanted to know what happens. Also, everything didn’t feel believable to me. I mean a whole school is not going to be after one girl, am I right. And the deal with the sister and brother...well I feel like the author just put that in there to give the book some flare.
Overall, I liked it, but it was severely lacking in certain areas. I would recommend that you check this out at the library before you buy it.
Oddily- I don’t know whether to feel sorry for her or to berate her. During the entire book, she let’s people run over her. She is always telling herself she is ugly because that’s what she's always been told. Frankly, I just got tired of it all. She was just so gullible and leaning towards stupid. I mean really. All these people hurt her and yet she trusts them and always falls for there tricks. SIGH
Starla- She made me sick to my core. THAT IS ALL.
Maxim- He was too good to be true. Yes, he is a nice guy and there is nothing wrong with him, but that’s the problem. He was flawless. At least give me a crocked tooth or something. The only thing I can probably tell you about him is that he obsessed with protecting Oddily.
Nexa- She was by far my favorite character in the book and we hardly get to see her. She was the only one with sense and she was pretty bad A**. LOL
January 17, 2012
Title: Oddily
Author: Linda Pohring
Number of Pages: 264
Date of Release: April 25th, 2011
Summary From Goodreads:
There are three things the shy, awkward Oddily knows for sure.
She would rather be anyone other than herself…
She wants to fit in at school…
And strange things are happening to her.
For Oddily, she tries to keep an open mind…
But what she discovers is too unbelievable to think about…
Too magical too consider, and too dangerous to ignore.
Oddily becomes trapped in a love story like no other.
Review: That cover is so gut wrenching in a way. I love the girl on it and how vulnerable she looks, coincidentally this tied right into the story. While I enjoyed Oddily, I had a few things that kind of made it a tad bit boring. So much so that I read super fast, instead of savoring every word.
I really liked Oddily, but I did not like the situations she was written in to. Her character itself, was done very well, but the world she was inserted into lacked the depth that was needed to draw me in. Although I do like Oddily, I did not like the way even after she was transformed, she kept saying how ugly she was, it was kind of taken too far and got to be very annoying. Maxim was written super well also, he had the emotion, and depth that I love in make characters, the best part was his sincerity. He handled the world he was inserted into well, but really could have been taken to another level, I just didn’t see it.
So I really liked the characters for the most part. This novel has the making to be brilliant. It has a great concept, except it went off into the wrong direction. I think that really if you stripped the concept and characters down to the bare minimum and wrote your own story around that, the it would be brilliant. What would probably also fix the novel, was if it had been edited more extensively and had more beta readers. That being said, I enjoyed the originality and cannot wait to see what Linda dreams up next.
Author: Linda Pohring
Number of Pages: 264
Date of Release: April 25th, 2011
Summary From Goodreads:
There are three things the shy, awkward Oddily knows for sure.
She would rather be anyone other than herself…
She wants to fit in at school…
And strange things are happening to her.
For Oddily, she tries to keep an open mind…
But what she discovers is too unbelievable to think about…
Too magical too consider, and too dangerous to ignore.
Oddily becomes trapped in a love story like no other.
Review: That cover is so gut wrenching in a way. I love the girl on it and how vulnerable she looks, coincidentally this tied right into the story. While I enjoyed Oddily, I had a few things that kind of made it a tad bit boring. So much so that I read super fast, instead of savoring every word.
I really liked Oddily, but I did not like the situations she was written in to. Her character itself, was done very well, but the world she was inserted into lacked the depth that was needed to draw me in. Although I do like Oddily, I did not like the way even after she was transformed, she kept saying how ugly she was, it was kind of taken too far and got to be very annoying. Maxim was written super well also, he had the emotion, and depth that I love in make characters, the best part was his sincerity. He handled the world he was inserted into well, but really could have been taken to another level, I just didn’t see it.
So I really liked the characters for the most part. This novel has the making to be brilliant. It has a great concept, except it went off into the wrong direction. I think that really if you stripped the concept and characters down to the bare minimum and wrote your own story around that, the it would be brilliant. What would probably also fix the novel, was if it had been edited more extensively and had more beta readers. That being said, I enjoyed the originality and cannot wait to see what Linda dreams up next.
May 22, 2011
This was a unique story.
I'm not entirely sure I understand exactly 'what' Maxim and Nexa are. I'm sure the mysteries of their 'race' will be further developed in the next book. =)
From the get go, I was intrigued about this story and it's characters. The plot is good, the idea is amazing. Oddily frustrated me at times, as I found her naivety and what seems like 'weakness' annoying. But, on the other hand, I could see that the author was trying to show someone who was young at heart, innocent in life, and generally a good person, with a true heart. And I will admit, she was an endearing character!
Maxim dumbfounds me. I really love being able to read the story from his perspective, and see the world through his eyes. It allows the reader to see another side of Oddily, and for once understand the male perspective. I like the aspect of his intelligence and language.
Overall, the story is good. I don't like talking too much about an actual storyline in my reviews, because it ruins it for other readers. I think that the storyline could be stream-lined slightly. At times the rapid chain of events seems almost confusing. I think also that the editing needs to be revised. Not to be harsh - but there were notably a few words used out of context, as well as grammatical errors. The flow between switching character point of views was confusing. There was no clear change of character narrator, but the story simply changed in the space of a sentence. This was confusing at times, and made me feel a little dizzy.
I absolutely loved the story, and appreciated the idea. The characters create a lovable world, and I am excited to read the next book.
I'm not entirely sure I understand exactly 'what' Maxim and Nexa are. I'm sure the mysteries of their 'race' will be further developed in the next book. =)
From the get go, I was intrigued about this story and it's characters. The plot is good, the idea is amazing. Oddily frustrated me at times, as I found her naivety and what seems like 'weakness' annoying. But, on the other hand, I could see that the author was trying to show someone who was young at heart, innocent in life, and generally a good person, with a true heart. And I will admit, she was an endearing character!
Maxim dumbfounds me. I really love being able to read the story from his perspective, and see the world through his eyes. It allows the reader to see another side of Oddily, and for once understand the male perspective. I like the aspect of his intelligence and language.
Overall, the story is good. I don't like talking too much about an actual storyline in my reviews, because it ruins it for other readers. I think that the storyline could be stream-lined slightly. At times the rapid chain of events seems almost confusing. I think also that the editing needs to be revised. Not to be harsh - but there were notably a few words used out of context, as well as grammatical errors. The flow between switching character point of views was confusing. There was no clear change of character narrator, but the story simply changed in the space of a sentence. This was confusing at times, and made me feel a little dizzy.
I absolutely loved the story, and appreciated the idea. The characters create a lovable world, and I am excited to read the next book.
December 27, 2011
Talk about feeling like the redheaded step-child, this is literally how Oddily feels. For example the poor kid has an Odd name, and not to make matters worse, she has been adopted into a snotty rich family to make themselves look good for election purposes.
Oddily does not know love. She does not know kindness, she knows no respect. Starla - her nemesis/adoptive-sibling treats her like she is the scum of the earth. Makes fun of her at school and looks for ways to make her existence miserable every day.
Kip, one of Starla's minions is always tormenting Oddily as well. That is until they have Oddily sneak into an estate to take pictures. Once she does, she finds some unlikly friends.
Maxim and Nexa, a set of twins that hide from the world, live in the Manor and encounter Oddily. Maxim becomes strangely infatuated with her and makes it his duty to protect her from everyone, even herself. Watch as Oddily's new life unfolds before your eyes and see her evolve with love.
YA Paranormal Recommended.
Oddily does not know love. She does not know kindness, she knows no respect. Starla - her nemesis/adoptive-sibling treats her like she is the scum of the earth. Makes fun of her at school and looks for ways to make her existence miserable every day.
Kip, one of Starla's minions is always tormenting Oddily as well. That is until they have Oddily sneak into an estate to take pictures. Once she does, she finds some unlikly friends.
Maxim and Nexa, a set of twins that hide from the world, live in the Manor and encounter Oddily. Maxim becomes strangely infatuated with her and makes it his duty to protect her from everyone, even herself. Watch as Oddily's new life unfolds before your eyes and see her evolve with love.
YA Paranormal Recommended.
March 19, 2012
Revamping part of my review. I am at least grateful for this book in one way: taking an unconventional beauty and having someone find her irresistible. To Maxim, Oddily is breathtaking though she's not what anyone else considers beautiful. This aspect of the book is beautiful and thats what I want to read!
I am a sucker for romances. Call me crazy? This book had plenty of that from the main boy, Maxim. However, the main character, Oddily, was supposed to be 18 and acted more twelve than 18. Even the writing was a little immature. She whined like a child and spoke to Maxim about him being her prince and complained that he couldn't like her because her breasts were small. Seriously? I did feel for her though considering all the bullying she went through. Someone wrote a review saying it was extreme and not realistic. They must never have been bullied because it seemed realistic to me. It explains her insecurity.
It wasn't that bad for the low price of 99 cents. I am just glad it didn't cost more than that.
I am a sucker for romances. Call me crazy? This book had plenty of that from the main boy, Maxim. However, the main character, Oddily, was supposed to be 18 and acted more twelve than 18. Even the writing was a little immature. She whined like a child and spoke to Maxim about him being her prince and complained that he couldn't like her because her breasts were small. Seriously? I did feel for her though considering all the bullying she went through. Someone wrote a review saying it was extreme and not realistic. They must never have been bullied because it seemed realistic to me. It explains her insecurity.
It wasn't that bad for the low price of 99 cents. I am just glad it didn't cost more than that.
November 2, 2013
Oddily was an interesting read, I didn't really know what to expect when I started reading it but it soon drew me in and captured my attention.
The story intrigued me and I thought the whole idea of the book was great.
I genuinely liked Oddilys character and really felt for her throughout the book, wishing I could jump in and help her. Oddily and Maxims relationship was touching and heart warming.
Maxim and Nexa were also great characters and I enjoyed the mystery behind them both.
Sadly, this book was let down hugely by its writing style. I felt it was disjointed and generally badly written and I also spotted more than one spelling mistake which in my opinion is not acceptable.
I also felt some of the story was over the top and therefore came across as ridiculous. I don't want to give away any spoilers so I wont go into any detail, but at one point I was rolling my eyes and groaning in disbelief!
I would recommend trying Oddily but wouldn't suggest you will be blown away by it.
The story intrigued me and I thought the whole idea of the book was great.
I genuinely liked Oddilys character and really felt for her throughout the book, wishing I could jump in and help her. Oddily and Maxims relationship was touching and heart warming.
Maxim and Nexa were also great characters and I enjoyed the mystery behind them both.
Sadly, this book was let down hugely by its writing style. I felt it was disjointed and generally badly written and I also spotted more than one spelling mistake which in my opinion is not acceptable.
I also felt some of the story was over the top and therefore came across as ridiculous. I don't want to give away any spoilers so I wont go into any detail, but at one point I was rolling my eyes and groaning in disbelief!
I would recommend trying Oddily but wouldn't suggest you will be blown away by it.
October 12, 2011
It was an okay read. Light and cute, not heavy on drama or action. It has some cliches like instant love connection and a lot of resemblence to Cinderella story.
It also has time travelling bit and I love any book with time travelling. And it also has a feel of SciFi in it.
3 Negatives about this book:
1. Book is written in 3rd person, but is written in so many peoples POVs it's hard to know whos head we are in.
2. MC (oddily) is too timid and shy. But her timidness is justified though, since she has abandonment issues. For an MC and the series being named after her, she doesn't have much role so far.
3. The whole book seems like a prequel. A lot of world building and not much action yet, though I think we can expect quite a bit of action in the next book.
If you think those 3 negatives won't bother you, I'd recommend this for a cute, short and light read. And I am pretty sure I'd read the sequel too.
It also has time travelling bit and I love any book with time travelling. And it also has a feel of SciFi in it.
3 Negatives about this book:
1. Book is written in 3rd person, but is written in so many peoples POVs it's hard to know whos head we are in.
2. MC (oddily) is too timid and shy. But her timidness is justified though, since she has abandonment issues. For an MC and the series being named after her, she doesn't have much role so far.
3. The whole book seems like a prequel. A lot of world building and not much action yet, though I think we can expect quite a bit of action in the next book.
If you think those 3 negatives won't bother you, I'd recommend this for a cute, short and light read. And I am pretty sure I'd read the sequel too.
January 21, 2013
2.5 stars maybe... It had potential to be a Lenore type of book....a picked on heroine who is sweet and good, that is cliche Lenore. But unfortunately it was all over the place. It started off pretty good...I mean, I didn't necessarily like the writing style...it was simplistic or something. I guess it just reminded me of my own writing, like it had potential but needed more polish. So yeah, it started off not bad with a more contemporary feel....got to like Oddily. Heck, even the introduction of Maxim and Nexa and the game glasses was pretty good and had me intrigued...and the "shopping" part was hilarious. But then it just went in a gagillion different directions from there. It was like the author had a lot of great ideas for stories, and put them all together in one...which may work for some people, but for me it just became messy and hard to follow and I lost interest. Oh well. As Macklemore says, "it was 99 cents!"
February 15, 2013
Ok well....Oddily which the oddest name i've ever read =) lol is an orphaned girl since she was a baby. Now, we all know the "issues" that these character have. You root for her and you are angry for her, but man is she dense sometimes. I can only stand so much self pitty. Anyway, she does get it together towards the end but man! I wanted to stangle her sometimes. Max i like, he does have that "edward cullen" syndrome of "protect" her, but i still like him. What was slightly creepy for me is the relationship he and his twin sister Nexa have. Maybe it's just me.
Her forster sister, Skyla (love her name) was great because she played that evil step-sister character great all the way through. The more annoying person in this book is Paul. He has no reason to act the way he does other than he is a total wimp and i so hope they don't end up together. This book gave me a vibe of different types of genre within in. Left me feeling odd... lol
Her forster sister, Skyla (love her name) was great because she played that evil step-sister character great all the way through. The more annoying person in this book is Paul. He has no reason to act the way he does other than he is a total wimp and i so hope they don't end up together. This book gave me a vibe of different types of genre within in. Left me feeling odd... lol
August 8, 2012
Some great ideas and colorful details are evident in this novel; however, it needs SEVERE editing not only for language conventions but also for cliches, redundancy, credibility and rambling. This seems like a very rough draft of a novel, which is frustrating to read. I know paying for editing is expensive, but even if the author had simply asked some friends to read through it and make corrections, this would have made a world of difference. I could even have my 9th-grade English students proof it as an assignment. I gave this more stars than it deserves because it has the POTENTIAL to be very good. I would not pay money for this book as is. And I wouldn't encourage my students to read it (except to correct it) because I'm afraid it would teach them how to write, spell, punctuate etc. incorrectly. Sorry!
September 25, 2011
Oddily was such a sad book at first, I couldn't help but become so invested in her life and torment by the hands of bullies!! I loved how Oddily remained true to being a good person rather than turn into someone just as spiteful and vindictive as those around her. I loved how Maxim cared for her and wanted to keep her safe and protected. As a reader I could understand his desire to nurture her broken heart so I could just as easily relate to Maxim as I did to Oddily.
I loved the book and can't wait to read the next one. This book certainly surprised me because I didn't think I'd enjoy it quite as much as I did but in the end, I couldn't put it down until I finished. I'll definitely purchase the second book for my Kindle when it comes out and I'm looking forward to continuing the journey started by Oddily and Maxim!
I loved the book and can't wait to read the next one. This book certainly surprised me because I didn't think I'd enjoy it quite as much as I did but in the end, I couldn't put it down until I finished. I'll definitely purchase the second book for my Kindle when it comes out and I'm looking forward to continuing the journey started by Oddily and Maxim!
February 12, 2012
From the 1st page you are pulled into Oddily's world. You feel sorry for her & want to help & protect her. You fall in love with this sweet, beautiful, innocent girl who just wants to be loved. Her foster sister is a horrible person with an ugly soul that just lives to torment Oddily.
When Oddily meets Maxium her world changes for the better but can she trust it. Is he just there to trick her. Maxium's wolrd changes for the better as well in a lot of ways because of Oddily but also puts him & his sister Nexa in a lot of danger. Their existance must stay a secret & helping Oddily means they are no longer a secret.
The ending of this story is a cliff hanger so of course I have already downloaded the next book in the series. I hope everything turns out alright for Oddily, Nexa, & Maxum.
When Oddily meets Maxium her world changes for the better but can she trust it. Is he just there to trick her. Maxium's wolrd changes for the better as well in a lot of ways because of Oddily but also puts him & his sister Nexa in a lot of danger. Their existance must stay a secret & helping Oddily means they are no longer a secret.
The ending of this story is a cliff hanger so of course I have already downloaded the next book in the series. I hope everything turns out alright for Oddily, Nexa, & Maxum.
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