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When Destiny Knocks
16 year old Karlie has had a pretty normal life... But when her Mom dies she is forced to move over 1,000 miles away to live with her Dad. That's when things start getting weird.
She can't explain the earthquakes that nobody else feels, or why she no longer sleeps. But most of all she doesn't know why she trusts Shane so much, even though his Dad wants her dead.
Suddenly, Karlie's normal life is turned upside down and she enters a world she never dreamed could really exist.
She can't explain the earthquakes that nobody else feels, or why she no longer sleeps. But most of all she doesn't know why she trusts Shane so much, even though his Dad wants her dead.
Suddenly, Karlie's normal life is turned upside down and she enters a world she never dreamed could really exist.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 23, 2011
2 people are currently reading
673 people want to read
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did-not-finish
June 4, 2019As bad as I hate to, I'm calling a DNF on When Destiny Knocks.
I have a couple different reasons. First, the premise. An almost-17yo girl moves to a new town(more about that in a minute), new school. She's not happy about this move. She meets a new guy. They have an instant connection, there are sparks when they touch. She finds out that she has a secret destiny and the boy plays a part. They are on opposite sides. He is willing to sacrifice his family (offering, with a smile, to kill his dad). And here is where I stopped.
Second, about the town. The story is set in Jonesboro, Arkansas. I used to live there, so perhaps I'm a bit (okay, a lot)biased. Jonesboro is actually a great place. I know compared to Manhattan, that's like one city block, but it does have over 65,000+ people, not exactly a hole in the wall.
Lastly,I had an issue with something mentioned about the high school. The main character enrolls at West Side, and made a snarky internal remark about the school having a metal detector. As if she couldn't believe people in Arkansas needed it. And this did not sit well with me. For starters, a lot of guys in Arkansas carry pocket knives. All the guys I knew carried them to school. Not a big deal in 1996 (gasp!I'm old) but a huge deal now.
But here's the big deal with that statement. A lot of people may not remember the March 1998 West Side Middle School Massacre. It got overshadowed by the Columbine shooting in 1999.(Here's a great article about the story, http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net..., where I got all my facts because my brain was fuzzy on the subject.) Anyway, two students pulled a fire alarm and murdered one teacher and four students as they evacuated. One other teacher and nine more students were injured. It was devastating, to say the least. I guess what I'm saying is: Either have another student explain to the mc about the shooting or pick another school (there are a lot to choose from in Jonesboro) to set it at because honestly, I couldn't concentrate on the story after that remark.
I will say,if the subject is further addressed and explained later in the story, then I apologize and would happily add that to my review.
No matter what I've said, my feelings are my own. There are a lot of people who've enjoyed the story. I encourage you to check out their reviews as well.
I have a couple different reasons. First, the premise. An almost-17yo girl moves to a new town(more about that in a minute), new school. She's not happy about this move. She meets a new guy. They have an instant connection, there are sparks when they touch. She finds out that she has a secret destiny and the boy plays a part. They are on opposite sides. He is willing to sacrifice his family (offering, with a smile, to kill his dad). And here is where I stopped.
Second, about the town. The story is set in Jonesboro, Arkansas. I used to live there, so perhaps I'm a bit (okay, a lot)biased. Jonesboro is actually a great place. I know compared to Manhattan, that's like one city block, but it does have over 65,000+ people, not exactly a hole in the wall.
Lastly,I had an issue with something mentioned about the high school. The main character enrolls at West Side, and made a snarky internal remark about the school having a metal detector. As if she couldn't believe people in Arkansas needed it. And this did not sit well with me. For starters, a lot of guys in Arkansas carry pocket knives. All the guys I knew carried them to school. Not a big deal in 1996 (gasp!I'm old) but a huge deal now.
But here's the big deal with that statement. A lot of people may not remember the March 1998 West Side Middle School Massacre. It got overshadowed by the Columbine shooting in 1999.(Here's a great article about the story, http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net..., where I got all my facts because my brain was fuzzy on the subject.) Anyway, two students pulled a fire alarm and murdered one teacher and four students as they evacuated. One other teacher and nine more students were injured. It was devastating, to say the least. I guess what I'm saying is: Either have another student explain to the mc about the shooting or pick another school (there are a lot to choose from in Jonesboro) to set it at because honestly, I couldn't concentrate on the story after that remark.
I will say,if the subject is further addressed and explained later in the story, then I apologize and would happily add that to my review.
No matter what I've said, my feelings are my own. There are a lot of people who've enjoyed the story. I encourage you to check out their reviews as well.
July 9, 2012
(This review was also posted on my blog, Melissa's Midnight Musings http://midnight-orchids.blogspot.com/...)
I recently reviewed one of White's other books, My Fairytale Life, and wasn't too pleased with it.
White sent me When Destiny Knocks before I'd even read or reviewed my Fairytale Life. After reading My Fairytale Life, I was really hesitant to even read When Destiny Knocks because I was afraid of not liking it. But, I pushed that aside because I really wanted to give her another chance. I had hoped that maybe the issues that I had with the previous book would be smoothed out with this book.
Unfortunately, I was wrong.
The main issue with the story is the editing. Or, in my opinion, the lack thereof. There were errors present in my Fairytale Life as well, but I think there were even more errors here. From the first page I found myself editing the book both in my head and making notes within my Kindle application. And I'm not talking a word or two every ten pages, but a word, phrase, or tense change multiple times on some pages. The characters often switched back and forth between tenses in the same sentence! Also, there were multiple characters dialogue in the same paragraph. As far as I know, when a new character starts speaking, a new paragraph should be started. It's not a good sign when you have to edit as you read. A reader wants to get lost in the story, not edit it.
The lack of editing may be the result of White's fast paced publication schedule. When Destiny Knocks was published Dec 24, 2011. My Fairytale Life w as published 5 weeks later on January 30 2012. The next book in the Destiny series, When Destiny Strikes was published earlier this month. And the author has yet another book scheduled for publication in June 2012. This author seems to be too focused on publication and not focused enough on the quality of their work.
I understand that stories come quickly. And I know that it must be really exciting to say that you published another book. But, just because you want to publish a book doesn't mean that you should let the quality of your work suffer.
The pacing of this novel is fast. Though, I was pleased to see that this time the story takes place over the course of a few months rather than a few weeks, like My Fairytale life. That is one positive that I noted.
The characters, though, are lacking. There's not enough background information for me to become involved with them, or invested in their journey. Especially with Karlie. She's the chosen one. Of course, as a reader, I want to know why? I want to know what makes her so special. I understand that White is trying to keep the suspense up for the readers, but if you don't give us something, we're going to lose interest. The characters all keep telling Karlie that she's special, but that it isn't safe to tell her why or what her powers are. Well why not? Why isn't there more interaction about this between the supporting characters? I think if the supporting characters played a bigger role, the story could have been shaped and paced a lot better
When we do eventually find out what Karlie's powers are, there isn't much explanation to them. They're just stated briefly, without detail, and it's on to the next event in the story. I want details! I want to be able to imagine myself inside the story, to be awed at the scope of her importance, and her powers. and I wasn't able to do that here.
There's another love triangle in this story, so those who like them will be happy. This time I was at least happy to see that the love triangle characters weren't a vampire and a werewolf. This time they were an angel and a demon. That is slightly less cliche.
I will say that White does a decent job of ending her books on cliffhangers. Sadly, my slight interest in the next book isn't because I want to see what happens to the characters so much as I want to see just how far off track the author will take the story next.
Suffice it to say it's highly likely that I will not be reading any more books by this author.
You never know, you may end up really enjoying this book. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes a quick read, or who likes love triangles.
I recently reviewed one of White's other books, My Fairytale Life, and wasn't too pleased with it.
White sent me When Destiny Knocks before I'd even read or reviewed my Fairytale Life. After reading My Fairytale Life, I was really hesitant to even read When Destiny Knocks because I was afraid of not liking it. But, I pushed that aside because I really wanted to give her another chance. I had hoped that maybe the issues that I had with the previous book would be smoothed out with this book.
Unfortunately, I was wrong.
The main issue with the story is the editing. Or, in my opinion, the lack thereof. There were errors present in my Fairytale Life as well, but I think there were even more errors here. From the first page I found myself editing the book both in my head and making notes within my Kindle application. And I'm not talking a word or two every ten pages, but a word, phrase, or tense change multiple times on some pages. The characters often switched back and forth between tenses in the same sentence! Also, there were multiple characters dialogue in the same paragraph. As far as I know, when a new character starts speaking, a new paragraph should be started. It's not a good sign when you have to edit as you read. A reader wants to get lost in the story, not edit it.
The lack of editing may be the result of White's fast paced publication schedule. When Destiny Knocks was published Dec 24, 2011. My Fairytale Life w as published 5 weeks later on January 30 2012. The next book in the Destiny series, When Destiny Strikes was published earlier this month. And the author has yet another book scheduled for publication in June 2012. This author seems to be too focused on publication and not focused enough on the quality of their work.
I understand that stories come quickly. And I know that it must be really exciting to say that you published another book. But, just because you want to publish a book doesn't mean that you should let the quality of your work suffer.
The pacing of this novel is fast. Though, I was pleased to see that this time the story takes place over the course of a few months rather than a few weeks, like My Fairytale life. That is one positive that I noted.
The characters, though, are lacking. There's not enough background information for me to become involved with them, or invested in their journey. Especially with Karlie. She's the chosen one. Of course, as a reader, I want to know why? I want to know what makes her so special. I understand that White is trying to keep the suspense up for the readers, but if you don't give us something, we're going to lose interest. The characters all keep telling Karlie that she's special, but that it isn't safe to tell her why or what her powers are. Well why not? Why isn't there more interaction about this between the supporting characters? I think if the supporting characters played a bigger role, the story could have been shaped and paced a lot better
When we do eventually find out what Karlie's powers are, there isn't much explanation to them. They're just stated briefly, without detail, and it's on to the next event in the story. I want details! I want to be able to imagine myself inside the story, to be awed at the scope of her importance, and her powers. and I wasn't able to do that here.
There's another love triangle in this story, so those who like them will be happy. This time I was at least happy to see that the love triangle characters weren't a vampire and a werewolf. This time they were an angel and a demon. That is slightly less cliche.
I will say that White does a decent job of ending her books on cliffhangers. Sadly, my slight interest in the next book isn't because I want to see what happens to the characters so much as I want to see just how far off track the author will take the story next.
Suffice it to say it's highly likely that I will not be reading any more books by this author.
You never know, you may end up really enjoying this book. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes a quick read, or who likes love triangles.
May 1, 2012
When Destiny Knocks is one of the worst books I've ever read. It seems to have been reviewed well so far, but I have no idea why. This books needs better editing, more fleshed out characters and more interesting settings and baddies.
The Good: The only thing I have good to say about When Destiny Knocks is that the action is fast-paced and short.
The Bad: When Destiny Knocks is full of typos and grammatical errors. The author has done a disservice to indie authors as a whole by releasing her book without the polish is deserves. This type of writing is what gives indie authors a bad reputation. The Kindle edition has grammar errors or typos on nearly every page. The narrator also can't seem to decide whether to use past or present tense verbs, sometimes even within the same sentence.
Even with grammar errors aside, the writing isn't very good. The setting is flat, the characters are either cliches or flat, the monsters are definite cliches, and the heroine is a whiny brat that everyone feels like they have to protect (which they apparently aren't very good at).
Relationships form at the drop of a hat and for no particular reason. Everyone loves the heroine even though all she ever does is whine and have super powers. Most of her whining has to do with really vapid things. Even though ostensibly her mother has just died, she spends most of time whining about how she can't be with a character she just met but apparently can't live without.
Whenever the action gets slow, the author just throws in another monster cliche for good measure. None of the monsters are created in interesting ways and piling them on one after the other is just imaginative laziness.
The Bottom Line: This is some of the worst writing I've ever read. I won't be reading the sequel.
The Good: The only thing I have good to say about When Destiny Knocks is that the action is fast-paced and short.
The Bad: When Destiny Knocks is full of typos and grammatical errors. The author has done a disservice to indie authors as a whole by releasing her book without the polish is deserves. This type of writing is what gives indie authors a bad reputation. The Kindle edition has grammar errors or typos on nearly every page. The narrator also can't seem to decide whether to use past or present tense verbs, sometimes even within the same sentence.
Even with grammar errors aside, the writing isn't very good. The setting is flat, the characters are either cliches or flat, the monsters are definite cliches, and the heroine is a whiny brat that everyone feels like they have to protect (which they apparently aren't very good at).
Relationships form at the drop of a hat and for no particular reason. Everyone loves the heroine even though all she ever does is whine and have super powers. Most of her whining has to do with really vapid things. Even though ostensibly her mother has just died, she spends most of time whining about how she can't be with a character she just met but apparently can't live without.
Whenever the action gets slow, the author just throws in another monster cliche for good measure. None of the monsters are created in interesting ways and piling them on one after the other is just imaginative laziness.
The Bottom Line: This is some of the worst writing I've ever read. I won't be reading the sequel.
Read
July 9, 2012Wow this author had one of the worst reactions to a review I've ever seen, and the reviews weren't malicious, uninformed, or disrespectful to the author in anyway. So basically the chick went bat-shit crazy and started bullying reviewers for no good reason.
I however, will not EVER be reading anything by this author because I refuse to support people who act so completely childish and hurtful when they don't like what someone has to say about their book. As an author you go into it knowing full well that not everyone in the world is going to love what you write. Period. So that kind of behavior is totally inexcusable in my opinion.
I however, will not EVER be reading anything by this author because I refuse to support people who act so completely childish and hurtful when they don't like what someone has to say about their book. As an author you go into it knowing full well that not everyone in the world is going to love what you write. Period. So that kind of behavior is totally inexcusable in my opinion.
February 18, 2012
More reviews at Rondo of a Possible World: YA Book Reviews
I received this book from Heather herself to read and the synopsis drew me in from the start. I anticipated a refreshing paranormal tale but sadly I wasn't wooed or even the least bit enthralled with the characters, the story, or the writing style.
Karlie's life really wasn't all that different from most YA protagonists nowadays. Deceased family member, the other is never home because of a job. No siblings. New girl at school. And that mysterious boy that catches her eye and, unfortunately, has her heart swooning and mind turning without even knowing his name. The fatal flaw of insta-love brought my expectations down. Even so, Karlie did have a strong voice that kept me reading onward. Her actions though made me want to put the book down right away. The constant back and forth motion of which guy she thinks she has feelings for
I wanted to stop reading after the insta-love and the indecisive protagonist but the part of me that believes in better endings wanted me to read further. The story does progress and the cliffhanger of an ending does entice but if I can't stand the main character then I won't enjoy another book with her narrating. I wished there was some more back story with the "guardian angels" of Karlie's or even more of Shane's sister but hopefully there is more to them in the sequel.
I received this book from Heather herself to read and the synopsis drew me in from the start. I anticipated a refreshing paranormal tale but sadly I wasn't wooed or even the least bit enthralled with the characters, the story, or the writing style.
Karlie's life really wasn't all that different from most YA protagonists nowadays. Deceased family member, the other is never home because of a job. No siblings. New girl at school. And that mysterious boy that catches her eye and, unfortunately, has her heart swooning and mind turning without even knowing his name. The fatal flaw of insta-love brought my expectations down. Even so, Karlie did have a strong voice that kept me reading onward. Her actions though made me want to put the book down right away. The constant back and forth motion of which guy she thinks she has feelings for
I wanted to stop reading after the insta-love and the indecisive protagonist but the part of me that believes in better endings wanted me to read further. The story does progress and the cliffhanger of an ending does entice but if I can't stand the main character then I won't enjoy another book with her narrating. I wished there was some more back story with the "guardian angels" of Karlie's or even more of Shane's sister but hopefully there is more to them in the sequel.
will-never-read
July 10, 2012No. Just no.
January 31, 2012
Unfortunately, I was unable to finish this book. The storyline seemed interesting, but the writing itself just didn't get the job done for me.
July 21, 2012
I’m not entirely sure how to begin this review. Why don’t I start by stating my first thought after reading When Destiny Knocks? That thought is: this is a really bad book. This is the worst book that I’ve read in a long time. This is possibly the worst book that I’ve read since Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. And at least that one had pictures.
When Destiny Knocks wasn’t awful because of the crappy plot, the shallow characters, or even the spray tan romance—although these things did help. No, it was awful largely because of the terrible editing. (This is the part where you say: what editing?)
Classic mistakes, such as confusing ‘should have’ with ‘should of’ or ‘staring’ with ‘starring’, I can take. The painfully evident lack of contractions, which makes characters sound robotic and staged, I can take. Dialogue coming from a variety of characters mashed into the same paragraph, I can take. I take these with difficulty, but I can take them.
However, when it gets to such a point that our narrator goes from the present tense, to the past
tense, and back to the present tense in the same sentence, I refuse to sit and take it. Did Miss White honestly not have anyone proofread her novel? A middle school student could have prevented a lot of the mistakes that she made.
Actually, a middle school student could have also come up with When Destiny Knocks’s plot. Instantaneous romance aside, I knew I was in for it when characters were chained to walls at the hands of the antagonist and happily offered to kill family members without hesitation—all of this in the name of love, of course. If I had to describe this plot in one word, that word would definitely be ‘juvenile’.
Another huge issue that I have with this novel is the world building. When you write a paranormal romance, you can’t just get caught up in the cheesy romance and forget the whole paranormal bit. You have to realize that readers are not going to be satisfied unless they know the basic why’s and how’s behind the existence of your supernatural phenomena. But we aren’t given any information when it comes to Karlie’s protectors or who sent them, why she’s the ‘Chosen One’, or even the extent of her powers. Every aspect of When Destiny Knock’s world building seems unplanned and developed solely for convenience.
When Destiny Knocks’s characters are also terribly shallow. The supporting cast consists entirely of flat clichés; our bad guy is apparently soulless—for some reason, this makes him wholly predictable—and Karlie, our protagonist, has two things going for her: her cryptic super powers and her pity card (her mother died and it’s unfair that she can’t be normal, so she has the right to whine 24/7).
With all of these attractive qualities it’s no wonder that not one, but two characters fell head over heels in love with Karlie. When she saw Shane for the first time she felt drawn to him, as though through some magnetic force. She couldn’t keep him out of her head and wanted to find out more about him despite her friends’ warnings. After a few weeks of attending the same school, I had thought that Karlie and Shane were a sealed deal—but then Karlie met Alex, and they hit off as well. Honestly, what does a girl do with two gorgeous guys like that? Well, if you’re a reader of When Destiny Knocks, you say: “fake.”
As much fun as it is to write snarky reviews, I can’t get through this without highlighting When Destiny Knocks’ fine points (however limited these are). I read this novel in one sitting, so I can safely say that the action was fast-paced and there were very few periods where this pacing lagged. Moreover, the cliffhanger ending was gripping, unpredictable and well done.
When Destiny Knocks deserves 1/5 stars. The editing was non-existent; the plot was juvenile; the characters were shallow; the romance was artificial. You might enjoy this one if you have a predilection for cliffhangers or fast reads, but I personally did not in the slightest.
I’ll keep you posted,
When Destiny Knocks wasn’t awful because of the crappy plot, the shallow characters, or even the spray tan romance—although these things did help. No, it was awful largely because of the terrible editing. (This is the part where you say: what editing?)
Classic mistakes, such as confusing ‘should have’ with ‘should of’ or ‘staring’ with ‘starring’, I can take. The painfully evident lack of contractions, which makes characters sound robotic and staged, I can take. Dialogue coming from a variety of characters mashed into the same paragraph, I can take. I take these with difficulty, but I can take them.
However, when it gets to such a point that our narrator goes from the present tense, to the past
tense, and back to the present tense in the same sentence, I refuse to sit and take it. Did Miss White honestly not have anyone proofread her novel? A middle school student could have prevented a lot of the mistakes that she made.
Actually, a middle school student could have also come up with When Destiny Knocks’s plot. Instantaneous romance aside, I knew I was in for it when characters were chained to walls at the hands of the antagonist and happily offered to kill family members without hesitation—all of this in the name of love, of course. If I had to describe this plot in one word, that word would definitely be ‘juvenile’.
Another huge issue that I have with this novel is the world building. When you write a paranormal romance, you can’t just get caught up in the cheesy romance and forget the whole paranormal bit. You have to realize that readers are not going to be satisfied unless they know the basic why’s and how’s behind the existence of your supernatural phenomena. But we aren’t given any information when it comes to Karlie’s protectors or who sent them, why she’s the ‘Chosen One’, or even the extent of her powers. Every aspect of When Destiny Knock’s world building seems unplanned and developed solely for convenience.
When Destiny Knocks’s characters are also terribly shallow. The supporting cast consists entirely of flat clichés; our bad guy is apparently soulless—for some reason, this makes him wholly predictable—and Karlie, our protagonist, has two things going for her: her cryptic super powers and her pity card (her mother died and it’s unfair that she can’t be normal, so she has the right to whine 24/7).
With all of these attractive qualities it’s no wonder that not one, but two characters fell head over heels in love with Karlie. When she saw Shane for the first time she felt drawn to him, as though through some magnetic force. She couldn’t keep him out of her head and wanted to find out more about him despite her friends’ warnings. After a few weeks of attending the same school, I had thought that Karlie and Shane were a sealed deal—but then Karlie met Alex, and they hit off as well. Honestly, what does a girl do with two gorgeous guys like that? Well, if you’re a reader of When Destiny Knocks, you say: “fake.”
As much fun as it is to write snarky reviews, I can’t get through this without highlighting When Destiny Knocks’ fine points (however limited these are). I read this novel in one sitting, so I can safely say that the action was fast-paced and there were very few periods where this pacing lagged. Moreover, the cliffhanger ending was gripping, unpredictable and well done.
When Destiny Knocks deserves 1/5 stars. The editing was non-existent; the plot was juvenile; the characters were shallow; the romance was artificial. You might enjoy this one if you have a predilection for cliffhangers or fast reads, but I personally did not in the slightest.
I’ll keep you posted,
January 5, 2012
When Destiny Knocks is a book you will not be able to put down. It grabs you and takes you on a ride you can not stop until the end and then when it does end you start screaming for more!
Heather has created a world where all creatures exsist and have one goal in mind and that goal is to kill the choosen one. But what happens when the choosen one does not know their true identity and when they do find out they have a hard time dealing with it.
This story is about a girl named Karlie who lives in New York with her mother. Her mother dies and she is sent to live with her father who she has no relationship with. Plus to make matters worse she has to move to the middle of no where Arkansas to start a new life and make new friends and worst of all she has to start a new school. What can be worse than that you say, well you will have to read the book to find out! hehehe no spoilers from me but I will give you some back ground on some pretty awesome characters in the story that all have one goal and that is to save the choosen one from being killed before they turn 17.
Karlie is a laid back girl who starts school on the first day and makes friends quickly. She is learning her way around school when she gets to her PE class and meets the most georgous guy in the school Shane. She soon finds out that no one speaks to Shane because he is considered a loner but Karlie decides she is going to talk to him and strike up a friendship. They soon become friends but Karlie feels like there is something not quite right with him. As their friendship grows she finds herself really liking him and wanting to spend more time together and wanting to really kiss him.
Then Karlie meets Mr Normal Alex and she is thrown for a loop because she feels something for Alex but she loves Shane. Alex is normal and home schooled and takes her bowling. Karlie craves for the normal attention because her friends seem to like Alex over Shane. The thing is who will be right for Karlie? Will it be bad boy Shane or Mr Normal Alex?
Karlie soon realizes that she can not stay away from Shane and she is not sure why so she decides to ask him. Shane isn't giving away any information other than the fact that he does like her and he wants to be with her. Karlie and Shane soon see weird things happening and Karlie is getting a little annoyed with her new best friends at school because they try and keep her away from Shane. What is a girl to do when she is in love for the first time and people are trying to keep them apart? Why are there so many weird things happening to her and around her? Why are her friends sticking by her and never allowing her to do anything?
Come along for a ride of a life time with Jessica, Savannah, Jarrod, and Mark. Will they be able to save Karlie from whatever is out there lurking in the dark? Will they think she is crazy? Or will they help her out in the end?
Heather has created a world where all creatures exsist and have one goal in mind and that goal is to kill the choosen one. But what happens when the choosen one does not know their true identity and when they do find out they have a hard time dealing with it.
This story is about a girl named Karlie who lives in New York with her mother. Her mother dies and she is sent to live with her father who she has no relationship with. Plus to make matters worse she has to move to the middle of no where Arkansas to start a new life and make new friends and worst of all she has to start a new school. What can be worse than that you say, well you will have to read the book to find out! hehehe no spoilers from me but I will give you some back ground on some pretty awesome characters in the story that all have one goal and that is to save the choosen one from being killed before they turn 17.
Karlie is a laid back girl who starts school on the first day and makes friends quickly. She is learning her way around school when she gets to her PE class and meets the most georgous guy in the school Shane. She soon finds out that no one speaks to Shane because he is considered a loner but Karlie decides she is going to talk to him and strike up a friendship. They soon become friends but Karlie feels like there is something not quite right with him. As their friendship grows she finds herself really liking him and wanting to spend more time together and wanting to really kiss him.
Then Karlie meets Mr Normal Alex and she is thrown for a loop because she feels something for Alex but she loves Shane. Alex is normal and home schooled and takes her bowling. Karlie craves for the normal attention because her friends seem to like Alex over Shane. The thing is who will be right for Karlie? Will it be bad boy Shane or Mr Normal Alex?
Karlie soon realizes that she can not stay away from Shane and she is not sure why so she decides to ask him. Shane isn't giving away any information other than the fact that he does like her and he wants to be with her. Karlie and Shane soon see weird things happening and Karlie is getting a little annoyed with her new best friends at school because they try and keep her away from Shane. What is a girl to do when she is in love for the first time and people are trying to keep them apart? Why are there so many weird things happening to her and around her? Why are her friends sticking by her and never allowing her to do anything?
Come along for a ride of a life time with Jessica, Savannah, Jarrod, and Mark. Will they be able to save Karlie from whatever is out there lurking in the dark? Will they think she is crazy? Or will they help her out in the end?
March 16, 2012
WHAT THE HECK?!?!?! Crazzzzy ending!!! & this cover rocks even more after reading the book...review to come soon!
**********
When Destiny Knocks was everything I could've imagined! It has kick-butt heroine, an awesome paranormal world, and a SWOON worthy dude. This book really had it all!
Karlie's mom unexpectedly dies and she is forced to move from New York to a little town in Arkansas to stay with her un-involved, workaholic, awkward dad. I really loved experiencing the move with Karlie, and it was entertaining when Karlie was getting accustomed to Southern culture and Heather definitely portrays it perfectly! This is just one of the many changes that Karlie has to face.
It seems like the catalyst for these changes is when Karlie lays eyes on Shane! SWOON! I mean how can you not fall head-over-heels for a dark-haired, green eyed guy!!! But as you can probably tell from the summary a lot of problems arise from the star-crossed love, and now Shane has to figure out a way to keep Karlie safe from his own father.
Now for the paranormal! You've got deamons, angels, trolls, ogres, werewolves, vampires, shape shifters, and witches. Heather pretty much got it all in there! The paranormal aspect of this book was definitely unique! The focus wasn't really on all these creatures but more so what Karlie is becoming and how these creatures are either trying to kill her, or save her before she reaches the age of 17 and is able to reach her full power. Karlie's powers are totally cool y'all! She can do everything from teleportation to reading peoples minds! She would be invincible if she was 17 but in the few months before her birthday she gets pretty close to death's door many times. Karlie and her friends really kick- butt in this book and they are all really awesome (especially Shane, not Alex)
This action-packed romance is a must for anyone who loves the paranormal, a strong female lead, and a HOT guy! And it will leave you dying for the sequel When Destiny Strikes coming out April 15th!
**********
When Destiny Knocks was everything I could've imagined! It has kick-butt heroine, an awesome paranormal world, and a SWOON worthy dude. This book really had it all!
Karlie's mom unexpectedly dies and she is forced to move from New York to a little town in Arkansas to stay with her un-involved, workaholic, awkward dad. I really loved experiencing the move with Karlie, and it was entertaining when Karlie was getting accustomed to Southern culture and Heather definitely portrays it perfectly! This is just one of the many changes that Karlie has to face.
It seems like the catalyst for these changes is when Karlie lays eyes on Shane! SWOON! I mean how can you not fall head-over-heels for a dark-haired, green eyed guy!!! But as you can probably tell from the summary a lot of problems arise from the star-crossed love, and now Shane has to figure out a way to keep Karlie safe from his own father.
Now for the paranormal! You've got deamons, angels, trolls, ogres, werewolves, vampires, shape shifters, and witches. Heather pretty much got it all in there! The paranormal aspect of this book was definitely unique! The focus wasn't really on all these creatures but more so what Karlie is becoming and how these creatures are either trying to kill her, or save her before she reaches the age of 17 and is able to reach her full power. Karlie's powers are totally cool y'all! She can do everything from teleportation to reading peoples minds! She would be invincible if she was 17 but in the few months before her birthday she gets pretty close to death's door many times. Karlie and her friends really kick- butt in this book and they are all really awesome (especially Shane, not Alex)
This action-packed romance is a must for anyone who loves the paranormal, a strong female lead, and a HOT guy! And it will leave you dying for the sequel When Destiny Strikes coming out April 15th!
March 17, 2012
Hate to say it but I didn't finish this book, it started out really good and the plot seemed intresting enough but the way it was written didn't draw me in and I ended up finishing it about half way ; (
May 27, 2014
Not for me
January 10, 2012
The book was a fabulous paced, "short" novel. I love how the author didn't focus that much on school life drama and conversations because I find that conversations can be boring and long. Liked I mentioned, the book was paced marvellously. It wasn't fast for a 200 pages book and it wasn't slow and boring. Some might disagree saying the pace is too fast but I enjoyed it. I blaze through the chapters.
I enjoyed the plot very much. I really like how everyone was acting strange, like her friends and dad, so it was not just the main boy that was "weird". I love how everyone knew something but she didn't. This made me want to know of the secret!
I actually didn't hate any of the characters. Karlie wasn't annoying like most YA novels' main characters. Shane and Alex were smoking! ;) Karlie's friends were nice and relate-able. I mean the jealous flirting, mmmmm, yes please! I laughed SOOOOO hard!
This is the first book that I think I'm going to say that doesn't have enough descriptions, therefore, goes by a little fast. I wanted more, the story was SOOOO good. The story reminds me of Classandra Clare's series. The writing is not quite not up there, but I see a lot of potential! I want to read more from Heather, brilliant.
I have to say the little tingled that the characters felt when they touch is a little cliché, but I get it. One more thing that is cliché about this book is that the main girl's mom died and she have to move to live with her dad, but in a sense, it was tiny bit different. The dad was gentle and nice and commendable to the girl. The girl actually loves her dad unlike other books where the girl was a "victim" of no love from their dad. Oh boo hoo. Writing a daughter and father relationship is great, it eliminated a lot of the whiny in most YA novels.
PS: I think I spotted some Supernatural references, Heather ;). I think you will love this book if you love the show Supernatural.
Overall, 5 out of 5 stars!
I enjoyed the plot very much. I really like how everyone was acting strange, like her friends and dad, so it was not just the main boy that was "weird". I love how everyone knew something but she didn't. This made me want to know of the secret!
I actually didn't hate any of the characters. Karlie wasn't annoying like most YA novels' main characters. Shane and Alex were smoking! ;) Karlie's friends were nice and relate-able. I mean the jealous flirting, mmmmm, yes please! I laughed SOOOOO hard!
This is the first book that I think I'm going to say that doesn't have enough descriptions, therefore, goes by a little fast. I wanted more, the story was SOOOO good. The story reminds me of Classandra Clare's series. The writing is not quite not up there, but I see a lot of potential! I want to read more from Heather, brilliant.
I have to say the little tingled that the characters felt when they touch is a little cliché, but I get it. One more thing that is cliché about this book is that the main girl's mom died and she have to move to live with her dad, but in a sense, it was tiny bit different. The dad was gentle and nice and commendable to the girl. The girl actually loves her dad unlike other books where the girl was a "victim" of no love from their dad. Oh boo hoo. Writing a daughter and father relationship is great, it eliminated a lot of the whiny in most YA novels.
PS: I think I spotted some Supernatural references, Heather ;). I think you will love this book if you love the show Supernatural.
Overall, 5 out of 5 stars!
December 26, 2011
A very cute, short read that had me chuckling.
It had the vibe of Carrie Jones 'Need'. Not that it was about Pixies or that storyline, but it had that feel to it. Like the group of friends, the fast love between Shane and Karlie, and the evil parents, love triangle where the guys are enemies. I liked it.
Alex was the sweetest and Shane was Mr. Protective. Love them!
Mix of all sorts of mythical creatures that kept my attention and a massive cliffhanger.
Of course, there could have been more love between Shane and Karlie and even with Karlie and Alex, but I can never have enough of that stuff ;)
4 solid stars from me! Delightful debut!
It had the vibe of Carrie Jones 'Need'. Not that it was about Pixies or that storyline, but it had that feel to it. Like the group of friends, the fast love between Shane and Karlie, and the evil parents, love triangle where the guys are enemies. I liked it.
Alex was the sweetest and Shane was Mr. Protective. Love them!
Mix of all sorts of mythical creatures that kept my attention and a massive cliffhanger.
Of course, there could have been more love between Shane and Karlie and even with Karlie and Alex, but I can never have enough of that stuff ;)
4 solid stars from me! Delightful debut!
January 23, 2012
This is one of those books that has you guessing what is going on here, but also keeps you flipping the pages to find out. When you do well, it's not a let down! When Destiny Knocks is an exciting, action packed romance.
The characters are well developed and likable. Karlie: I really liked her and cannot wait to see what's in store for her next.
Shane: brooding, loner oh how I adore you. I cannot tell you much more on either of them without giving stuff away :( so READ IT!
Even the secondary characters *and some not so secondary* are a great part of the story. The world itself is weird, fun, exciting and more.
The characters are well developed and likable. Karlie: I really liked her and cannot wait to see what's in store for her next.
Shane: brooding, loner oh how I adore you. I cannot tell you much more on either of them without giving stuff away :( so READ IT!
Even the secondary characters *and some not so secondary* are a great part of the story. The world itself is weird, fun, exciting and more.
April 23, 2012
I absolutely LOVE this book :) Karlie was very kick butt, unlike other heroins I've seen lately. I love the romance, it's really sweet. Shane is AWESOME, and though I had my doubts about him, he turned out amazing in the end! Alex, wow! What more can I say? He is soooooooo sweet!!! But I like Shane more! ;) I loved all the secondary characters as well, they really all came together and made the story AWESOME!
I have mixed feelings about the ending! I loved it, but I hated it - such a cliff hanger!!! I had to buy When Destiny Strikes right after!!! AMAZING!
5 awesome stars! :D
I have mixed feelings about the ending! I loved it, but I hated it - such a cliff hanger!!! I had to buy When Destiny Strikes right after!!! AMAZING!
5 awesome stars! :D
don-t-read-vault
July 9, 2012See Comments
April 9, 2016
Originally posted on the blog: What the Cat Read
This is a hard book for me to review and even now as I write this I’m still not entirely sure what my paw rating is really going to be. On the one paw, I felt that the story idea was awesome and I enjoyed the characters immensely. Also, this was a fast read full of non-stop action. But on the other paw, I couldn’t get past the errors in editing, or lack there of, and the instantaneous attraction between Karlie, Shane, and Alex. It wasn’t exactly a love triangle, but it was close enough to have me shaking my head. I’ll admit, I’m tired of the insta-love books. So as I said, I’m struggling with this one because I want to be fair, but I also want to be honest.
I liked White’s story concept. One girl destined to save the world from all dark paranormal creatures must learn to find a balance between the life she knows and the life she must learn to accept. Yeah, okay, there was a moment where I found myself remembering Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but White really did do a good job at taking that idea and giving it a new twist. I also liked how the story kept moving. There were no massively slow moments. As I said, it was non-stop action. Just when you think Karlie has a chance to breath, she’s stuck having to fight again. You really can’t afford to skip ahead with this book.
But unfortunately the problems with the editing was a real show stopper for me. There are too many tense changes for this feline to be comfortable giving it more than a two paw rating. Karlie would consistently switch back and forth between tenses within the same paragraph. Now if this had been scattered here and there throughout the book, I’d have not had a problem. But this was every page! It got to a point where I almost didn’t want to finish the book. Sigh
So in all fairness, I have to give this book two paws and a tail wave for effort.
This is a hard book for me to review and even now as I write this I’m still not entirely sure what my paw rating is really going to be. On the one paw, I felt that the story idea was awesome and I enjoyed the characters immensely. Also, this was a fast read full of non-stop action. But on the other paw, I couldn’t get past the errors in editing, or lack there of, and the instantaneous attraction between Karlie, Shane, and Alex. It wasn’t exactly a love triangle, but it was close enough to have me shaking my head. I’ll admit, I’m tired of the insta-love books. So as I said, I’m struggling with this one because I want to be fair, but I also want to be honest.
I liked White’s story concept. One girl destined to save the world from all dark paranormal creatures must learn to find a balance between the life she knows and the life she must learn to accept. Yeah, okay, there was a moment where I found myself remembering Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but White really did do a good job at taking that idea and giving it a new twist. I also liked how the story kept moving. There were no massively slow moments. As I said, it was non-stop action. Just when you think Karlie has a chance to breath, she’s stuck having to fight again. You really can’t afford to skip ahead with this book.
But unfortunately the problems with the editing was a real show stopper for me. There are too many tense changes for this feline to be comfortable giving it more than a two paw rating. Karlie would consistently switch back and forth between tenses within the same paragraph. Now if this had been scattered here and there throughout the book, I’d have not had a problem. But this was every page! It got to a point where I almost didn’t want to finish the book. Sigh
So in all fairness, I have to give this book two paws and a tail wave for effort.
February 1, 2012
Karlie is moving from New York to small town Arkansas after her mother dies, and going to live with her father who she hasn’t seen in years. Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in Arkansas. Or does it? Strange things start happening and no one will give Karlie answers. And then on the first day Karlie is drawn to Shane and can’t stop thinking about him and his green eyes. She knows he holds the answers to her questions but he won’t tell her anything. And why is everyone else so set on keeping her away from him?
When Destiny Knocks was an interesting short read. I wasn’t blown away with the story as a whole but really enjoyed it. I just thought it started off a little too much like Twilight. I don’t know, that’s just my opinion. But the rest of the story held its own and was very different than most of what I have read lately. And I did like that its based out of a town that I know. I am from Arkansas, and while the author makes it seem like it only has a few people in the town it is actually one of the bigger towns in the state. It’s just neat seeing a story with a town that I am actually familiar with.
Fan of angels, demons, and humans who are meant to save mankind from the clutches of evil? Love stories with a crazy cliffhanger endings? Then this book is for you!
When Destiny Knocks was an interesting short read. I wasn’t blown away with the story as a whole but really enjoyed it. I just thought it started off a little too much like Twilight. I don’t know, that’s just my opinion. But the rest of the story held its own and was very different than most of what I have read lately. And I did like that its based out of a town that I know. I am from Arkansas, and while the author makes it seem like it only has a few people in the town it is actually one of the bigger towns in the state. It’s just neat seeing a story with a town that I am actually familiar with.
Fan of angels, demons, and humans who are meant to save mankind from the clutches of evil? Love stories with a crazy cliffhanger endings? Then this book is for you!
July 30, 2012
I have to admit, I was looking forward to reading this book, it sounded like it had everything I enjoy in a book. However, I am very disappointed and found many faults which allowed me, sadly, not to enjoy it.
When Destiny Knocks is set in the USA, where a 16 year old Karlie is forced to move in with her Dad after her Mum (or Mom, since this an American book ;p) passes away. After a few days, everything begins to get weird. She is able to control the weather with her emotions, experience visions and she doesn't sleep for weeks. She meets Shane, a boy she can't stop thinking about but everyone tells her to stay away from him. Not knowing why, she is tempted to discover more. She finds out that she in fact 'the chosen one', and that Shane's dad is out to kill her. A normal life is no longer available for Karlie, but can she at least stay alive?
First of all, I definitely need to bring up the lack of editing for this book. I accept that this is a self-published novel, so it is harder to correct mistakes, but it seems that every paragraph there is at least one grammar mistake! Some punctuation is miss used and the tenses are all muddled up. I was able to make sense of what was happening in the book, but I think that if this book was reviewed more before it was published, I think I would have given it another star rating.
Another thing I need to mention is the big clichés. They are everywhere! Some I found quite Disney-Channel like was the blonde cheerleaders and the loner boy which the new girl is attracted too. Personally, this made it less unique. Also, Karlie discovers that demons, ogres, trolls etc exist and Shane's dad, a demon, is out to kill her. I liked the way she was the chosen one, but all of these monsters have been done before. Maybe a new monster, or just one of the typical ones, would have been better because it seems too cliché and not interesting. However, if you like clichés, then maybe you should try it!
The author uses an interesting way of setting out the time. I don't know how else to put it! The book carried out over months and I found it quite annoying! I mean, one chapter it was Christmas and then in the next it was the summer holidays! Also, if there was a demon out to kill her, he wouldn't wait, would he?
Despite this fairly negative review so far, I did find some parts enjoyable. I liked the romance, and found Shane so intriguing! I instantly wanted to know what his story is and why he is 'dangerous'. There is also a love triangle - cue Alex! I carried on with this book until the end because I wanted to know who she ended up with. The ending is quite predictable - until the last sentence! Wow, what a killer! That is probably the biggest cliff hanger I've read, and it's definitely a way to get the reader to read the sequel.
Overall, I didn't like When Destiny Knocks, but I didn't hate it. It has a basic linear plot which I think could have been more original to make it interesting, but I like the use of characters and how a person related to someone Karlie loves wants to kill her. Don't read this if your pet peeve is bad grammar, it will be your worst enemy! I enjoyed the romance, and the love triangle. Although the cliffhanger is very unexpected and suspenseful, I won't be reading the sequel. I don't recommend it. Consequently, this is purely my opinion and take on the book. Check out more reviews here, on Goodreads. If someone else has read this, do you agree with my review?
Thank you to the author for sending me this copy in exchange for an honest review.
When Destiny Knocks is set in the USA, where a 16 year old Karlie is forced to move in with her Dad after her Mum (or Mom, since this an American book ;p) passes away. After a few days, everything begins to get weird. She is able to control the weather with her emotions, experience visions and she doesn't sleep for weeks. She meets Shane, a boy she can't stop thinking about but everyone tells her to stay away from him. Not knowing why, she is tempted to discover more. She finds out that she in fact 'the chosen one', and that Shane's dad is out to kill her. A normal life is no longer available for Karlie, but can she at least stay alive?
First of all, I definitely need to bring up the lack of editing for this book. I accept that this is a self-published novel, so it is harder to correct mistakes, but it seems that every paragraph there is at least one grammar mistake! Some punctuation is miss used and the tenses are all muddled up. I was able to make sense of what was happening in the book, but I think that if this book was reviewed more before it was published, I think I would have given it another star rating.
Another thing I need to mention is the big clichés. They are everywhere! Some I found quite Disney-Channel like was the blonde cheerleaders and the loner boy which the new girl is attracted too. Personally, this made it less unique. Also, Karlie discovers that demons, ogres, trolls etc exist and Shane's dad, a demon, is out to kill her. I liked the way she was the chosen one, but all of these monsters have been done before. Maybe a new monster, or just one of the typical ones, would have been better because it seems too cliché and not interesting. However, if you like clichés, then maybe you should try it!
The author uses an interesting way of setting out the time. I don't know how else to put it! The book carried out over months and I found it quite annoying! I mean, one chapter it was Christmas and then in the next it was the summer holidays! Also, if there was a demon out to kill her, he wouldn't wait, would he?
Despite this fairly negative review so far, I did find some parts enjoyable. I liked the romance, and found Shane so intriguing! I instantly wanted to know what his story is and why he is 'dangerous'. There is also a love triangle - cue Alex! I carried on with this book until the end because I wanted to know who she ended up with. The ending is quite predictable - until the last sentence! Wow, what a killer! That is probably the biggest cliff hanger I've read, and it's definitely a way to get the reader to read the sequel.
Overall, I didn't like When Destiny Knocks, but I didn't hate it. It has a basic linear plot which I think could have been more original to make it interesting, but I like the use of characters and how a person related to someone Karlie loves wants to kill her. Don't read this if your pet peeve is bad grammar, it will be your worst enemy! I enjoyed the romance, and the love triangle. Although the cliffhanger is very unexpected and suspenseful, I won't be reading the sequel. I don't recommend it. Consequently, this is purely my opinion and take on the book. Check out more reviews here, on Goodreads. If someone else has read this, do you agree with my review?
Thank you to the author for sending me this copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 15, 2016
Full review here: http://zodiacbookreviews.blogspot.com...
I've read quite a few books lately with the heroine having some kind of special destiny or purpose and they can tend to all run together because of their similarities. Although there are commonalities between When Destiny Knocks and those other stories, there's something about this story that stands out from the crowd. For me, what set When Destiny Knocks apart was the characters and their interactions and relationships with each other; as well as the intricacies and circumstances of Karlie's abilities and new job.
Karlie has had a normal life until her mother dies and she's sent to live with her father in Arkansas. Once she arrives strange things start happening--earthquakes no one seems to notice, she's not sleeping anymore, and she's having visions that show her that sinister things are afoot. She also has an instant attraction to Shane and she can't understand why she feels she can trust him, especially when her friends Savannah, Jessica, Jarrod, and Mark all warn her to stay away from him. Not to mention all the scary spooks of nightmares that are attacking her left and right, front and back.
Turns out that Karlie is the "chosen one" who is tasked with fighting and protecting the world from the evils of Hell. Creatures such as demons, vampires, werewolves and shapeshifters, are coming out of the woodwork, trying to kill Karlie before her seventeenth birthday when she will receive her full powers. Not only that, but Karlie's friends are actually her "protectors" and Shane is the half-demon son of the demon who wants her dead--and want Shane to be the one to deliver the deathblow! Karlie's simple life has just gotten a lot more complicated.
I'm not usually a big fan of instant love, but if there is something else added to it like some kind of adversity or another love interest, it's a lot more interesting and it adds some reality to the romance. Heather White does both in When Destiny Knocks. Because Shane is the half-demon son of the demon who wants Karlie dead, and wants Shane to be the one to do it, there's definitely adversity and controversy in their relationship. Karlie's family and friends want her to stay away for her own safety, if nothing else. Add in the fact that the angel in town falls in love with Karlie, and we've got ourselves a love triangle! I like to see the couple work toward being together. The love story is more gripping and intense, and the relationship is stronger in the end because of the work they put into it.
One character that I found really interesting was Serenity, the last "chosen one." She's now a ghost because, well, she's dead, and she also has a past with Alex (you could say that he's the "chosen one's" guardian angel). She helps Karlie learn her abilities, but her personality isn't at all what you would expect of humanity's guardian. She's a suspicious entity with questionable motives, and that's made all the more apparent by her actions at the end of the book. I can't wait to see what exactly she has planned.
I've read quite a few books lately with the heroine having some kind of special destiny or purpose and they can tend to all run together because of their similarities. Although there are commonalities between When Destiny Knocks and those other stories, there's something about this story that stands out from the crowd. For me, what set When Destiny Knocks apart was the characters and their interactions and relationships with each other; as well as the intricacies and circumstances of Karlie's abilities and new job.
Karlie has had a normal life until her mother dies and she's sent to live with her father in Arkansas. Once she arrives strange things start happening--earthquakes no one seems to notice, she's not sleeping anymore, and she's having visions that show her that sinister things are afoot. She also has an instant attraction to Shane and she can't understand why she feels she can trust him, especially when her friends Savannah, Jessica, Jarrod, and Mark all warn her to stay away from him. Not to mention all the scary spooks of nightmares that are attacking her left and right, front and back.
Turns out that Karlie is the "chosen one" who is tasked with fighting and protecting the world from the evils of Hell. Creatures such as demons, vampires, werewolves and shapeshifters, are coming out of the woodwork, trying to kill Karlie before her seventeenth birthday when she will receive her full powers. Not only that, but Karlie's friends are actually her "protectors" and Shane is the half-demon son of the demon who wants her dead--and want Shane to be the one to deliver the deathblow! Karlie's simple life has just gotten a lot more complicated.
I'm not usually a big fan of instant love, but if there is something else added to it like some kind of adversity or another love interest, it's a lot more interesting and it adds some reality to the romance. Heather White does both in When Destiny Knocks. Because Shane is the half-demon son of the demon who wants Karlie dead, and wants Shane to be the one to do it, there's definitely adversity and controversy in their relationship. Karlie's family and friends want her to stay away for her own safety, if nothing else. Add in the fact that the angel in town falls in love with Karlie, and we've got ourselves a love triangle! I like to see the couple work toward being together. The love story is more gripping and intense, and the relationship is stronger in the end because of the work they put into it.
One character that I found really interesting was Serenity, the last "chosen one." She's now a ghost because, well, she's dead, and she also has a past with Alex (you could say that he's the "chosen one's" guardian angel). She helps Karlie learn her abilities, but her personality isn't at all what you would expect of humanity's guardian. She's a suspicious entity with questionable motives, and that's made all the more apparent by her actions at the end of the book. I can't wait to see what exactly she has planned.
April 20, 2012
Title: Destiny
Author: Heather M. White
Number of Pages: 200
Date of Release: December 24th, 2011
Summary From Goodreads:
16 year old Karlie has had a pretty normal life... But when her Mom dies she is forced to move over 1,000 miles away to live with her Dad. That's when things start getting weird.
She can't explain the earthquakes that nobody else feels, or why she no longer sleeps. But most of all she doesn't know why she trusts Shane so much, even though his Dad wants her dead.
Suddenly, Karlie's normal life is turned upside down and she enters a world she never dreamed could really exist.
Review: I knew when I saw the sword on the cover that I would love this book. I found that I could easily drop myself into this world and I really liked it. Heather M. White has built an enticing world and filled it with spellbinding characters.
I really get bored when the mc in novels just fall in love and then the whole story revolves around the fact they can’t be together. Then though they go through some big change and walla they can be together. Karlie though not only finds time to explore the concept of love, she also has the time to hone her skills and stand on her own. I loved that and I don’t want to go into any more details, because I hate when reviewers tell you all the interesting bits! Also I think we need to mention how very hot Shane is and how much I so did not trust him! But his looks blinded me whole book and I was unable to make a decision! Well now that you know that I am team Shane I also need to just say that Alex holds a spot in my heart as well.
The concept surrounding Destiny has been done before. BUT White puts her own spin on it and you really can’t even tell the similarities, because you are so enraptured in the characters and their emotions. The love triangle is fun and not at all annoying! I couldn’t put Destiny down, and with every flip of the page, my mind was blown. Needless to say I need to read book two right away!
Author: Heather M. White
Number of Pages: 200
Date of Release: December 24th, 2011
Summary From Goodreads:
16 year old Karlie has had a pretty normal life... But when her Mom dies she is forced to move over 1,000 miles away to live with her Dad. That's when things start getting weird.
She can't explain the earthquakes that nobody else feels, or why she no longer sleeps. But most of all she doesn't know why she trusts Shane so much, even though his Dad wants her dead.
Suddenly, Karlie's normal life is turned upside down and she enters a world she never dreamed could really exist.
Review: I knew when I saw the sword on the cover that I would love this book. I found that I could easily drop myself into this world and I really liked it. Heather M. White has built an enticing world and filled it with spellbinding characters.
I really get bored when the mc in novels just fall in love and then the whole story revolves around the fact they can’t be together. Then though they go through some big change and walla they can be together. Karlie though not only finds time to explore the concept of love, she also has the time to hone her skills and stand on her own. I loved that and I don’t want to go into any more details, because I hate when reviewers tell you all the interesting bits! Also I think we need to mention how very hot Shane is and how much I so did not trust him! But his looks blinded me whole book and I was unable to make a decision! Well now that you know that I am team Shane I also need to just say that Alex holds a spot in my heart as well.
The concept surrounding Destiny has been done before. BUT White puts her own spin on it and you really can’t even tell the similarities, because you are so enraptured in the characters and their emotions. The love triangle is fun and not at all annoying! I couldn’t put Destiny down, and with every flip of the page, my mind was blown. Needless to say I need to read book two right away!
April 30, 2012
Sixteen year old Karlie has been living in New York with her mom. When her mom dies unexpectedly, Karlie suddenly finds herself moving 1000 miles away to live with her dad in Arkansas. She hasn't spent a lot of time with her dad in recent years, and despite his aloofness and workaholic tendencies, he really does want the best for Karlie, trying to make her transition as easy as he is capable of doing. Karlie starts high school and finds herself with several new friends, which are sweet, but also seem very overprotective, and there is just something about them she just can't quite put her finger on. She meets Shane, who she is immediately drawn to, but who her friends don't approve of. She finds herself unable to stay away from him, and the feeling is mutual. Shane is super hot, with the most beautiful green eyes, but he also has secrets of his own. Things just keep getting weirder from this point, and Karlie finds herself in the middle of a paranormal world that she had no clue even existed. As destiny knocks on Karlie's door, she finds her normal teenage life is a thing of the past, and in the world of the supernatural, there is never a dull moment.
When Destiny Knocks is actioned packed and fast paced. If you love the paranormal, the book is filled with all kinds of creatures, vampires, demons, angles, ogres, trolls, werewolves, witches and zombies, oh my! Heather White adds her on twist to this world, and throws in a hot guy, a little romance, and some swooning. The story is fun, exciting, and has a kick-butt heroine. Overall, it is a great read.
When Destiny Knocks is actioned packed and fast paced. If you love the paranormal, the book is filled with all kinds of creatures, vampires, demons, angles, ogres, trolls, werewolves, witches and zombies, oh my! Heather White adds her on twist to this world, and throws in a hot guy, a little romance, and some swooning. The story is fun, exciting, and has a kick-butt heroine. Overall, it is a great read.
March 1, 2012
Summary:
When Karlie’s mom dies, she’s forced to leave New York to go live with her dad in Arkansas. Not everything is as it seems in her new town. She meets Shane and is swept off her feet by the connection they share. Strange things begin to happen that seem to be oddly tied to her emotions. As Karlie discovers her new talents, she must also learn who she can and can’t trust.
My Take:
The beginning of the book had me hooked. There was a clear development of plot and characters early on. I liked Karlie’s spunk and the fact that she handled adversity well. I’m still suspicious of Shane, but he grew on me once he proved his loyalty to Karlie. I really liked Alex, but he’s also a bit suspect. Serenity seems a bit wicked and I am curious to see what happens with her character in the next book. I'd also like to see more of her relationship with her father. I think there is more to their story. The ending left me saying “WHAAAAA….just happened here?” So needless to say, I’m looking forward to the next book in the series! This book was a fast read for me. So, if you're looking for something that is a fast read with building storyline, this is the book for you! There are parts of the story that are a bit raw, but I feel that as a new author, Heather has a great imagination and a lot of potential. Looking forward to seeing more of her work.
http://www.autumnreview.com/2012/03/w...
When Karlie’s mom dies, she’s forced to leave New York to go live with her dad in Arkansas. Not everything is as it seems in her new town. She meets Shane and is swept off her feet by the connection they share. Strange things begin to happen that seem to be oddly tied to her emotions. As Karlie discovers her new talents, she must also learn who she can and can’t trust.
My Take:
The beginning of the book had me hooked. There was a clear development of plot and characters early on. I liked Karlie’s spunk and the fact that she handled adversity well. I’m still suspicious of Shane, but he grew on me once he proved his loyalty to Karlie. I really liked Alex, but he’s also a bit suspect. Serenity seems a bit wicked and I am curious to see what happens with her character in the next book. I'd also like to see more of her relationship with her father. I think there is more to their story. The ending left me saying “WHAAAAA….just happened here?” So needless to say, I’m looking forward to the next book in the series! This book was a fast read for me. So, if you're looking for something that is a fast read with building storyline, this is the book for you! There are parts of the story that are a bit raw, but I feel that as a new author, Heather has a great imagination and a lot of potential. Looking forward to seeing more of her work.
http://www.autumnreview.com/2012/03/w...
April 19, 2012
At first When Destiny Knocks reminded me of Twilight. Girl moves to a new city to live with her somewhat estranged father. Girl meets and is immediately drawn to a boy that is somehow 'apart' from the rest of the school. But that's where the similarities ended and Karlie became much less Bella Swan and much more Buffy Summers!
Karlie went very quickly from being a grieving teen to a kick-butt heroine. Lucky for her, she has a very awesome group of friends, not to mention the love of her life, who turn out to be almost as kick-butt as she is. But Karlie's troubles go way beyond the odd zombie or vampire. She must face off with the nasty demon Paymon, who is bound and determined to start an all-out war!
Karlie was a straightforward, uncomplicated heroine, interested in trying to have as normal of a life as possible while still kicking baddie butt, but there was one major point in the first book where I wanted to shake her. If one day you're practically planning your wedding with one guy, you don't get to flirt with another guy two weeks later. Not cool. But luckily she got her act together shortly after and I liked her from then on.
The writing in the Destiny series took me a while to get used to. It's kind of stream-of-conciousness, all the things that Karlie thinks, as she thinks them. It's not a literary or lyrical as most books, but it's probably pretty close to how I thought and spoke when I was seventeen. It just took so getting used to.
Karlie went very quickly from being a grieving teen to a kick-butt heroine. Lucky for her, she has a very awesome group of friends, not to mention the love of her life, who turn out to be almost as kick-butt as she is. But Karlie's troubles go way beyond the odd zombie or vampire. She must face off with the nasty demon Paymon, who is bound and determined to start an all-out war!
Karlie was a straightforward, uncomplicated heroine, interested in trying to have as normal of a life as possible while still kicking baddie butt, but there was one major point in the first book where I wanted to shake her. If one day you're practically planning your wedding with one guy, you don't get to flirt with another guy two weeks later. Not cool. But luckily she got her act together shortly after and I liked her from then on.
The writing in the Destiny series took me a while to get used to. It's kind of stream-of-conciousness, all the things that Karlie thinks, as she thinks them. It's not a literary or lyrical as most books, but it's probably pretty close to how I thought and spoke when I was seventeen. It just took so getting used to.
July 3, 2016
(Originally posted on Suppa Gurl Books)
I should start by letting you know this book has kept me on edge from chapter one. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, but be prepared to be intrigued, surprised and amazed by this story and its characters. I found myself needing to keep reading so I could answer the little questions piling up in my mind.
Angels, ghosts, demons, werewolves, witches, vampires and ogres were daily creatures in this kick-butt heroine’s life.
Besides all the action, which is a lot, there is romance in there. This could be taken as a spoiler but I have to inform you, you will fall in love with Shane. This green eyed, dangerous and sweet boy is going to make you rethink your boyfriend standards.
With a mortal enemy, a bunch of new and special friends, a forbidden love and an army after Karlie, the story twists, turns and builds to an action-packed ending. Speaking of which, no matter how good your guesses are, they won’t get even close.
Heather M. White is a really talented addition to the YA genre. With the ability to create a whole new world in the middle of Arkansas, she'll get you hooked from page one.
If you have enjoyed When Destiny Knocks, you should get ready and be already holding your breath for When Destiny Strikes. It’s going to blow your mind and knock your socks off.
I should start by letting you know this book has kept me on edge from chapter one. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, but be prepared to be intrigued, surprised and amazed by this story and its characters. I found myself needing to keep reading so I could answer the little questions piling up in my mind.
Angels, ghosts, demons, werewolves, witches, vampires and ogres were daily creatures in this kick-butt heroine’s life.
Besides all the action, which is a lot, there is romance in there. This could be taken as a spoiler but I have to inform you, you will fall in love with Shane. This green eyed, dangerous and sweet boy is going to make you rethink your boyfriend standards.
With a mortal enemy, a bunch of new and special friends, a forbidden love and an army after Karlie, the story twists, turns and builds to an action-packed ending. Speaking of which, no matter how good your guesses are, they won’t get even close.
Heather M. White is a really talented addition to the YA genre. With the ability to create a whole new world in the middle of Arkansas, she'll get you hooked from page one.
If you have enjoyed When Destiny Knocks, you should get ready and be already holding your breath for When Destiny Strikes. It’s going to blow your mind and knock your socks off.
April 29, 2012
When Destiny Knocks is about Sixteen year old Karlie. After her mother's death, New Yorker Karlie is forced to move to a small town in Arkansas, to live with her Dad. Thinking her life will now become extremely boring, Karlie suddenly realizes that there is a whole new world she never knew existed.
I loved When Destiny Knocks! It was fast paced and totally got my attention from page one. I was instantly hooked and couldn't put it down! The concept was interesting and I enjoyed the writing style. When Destiny Knocks does have a cliffhanger which I normally frown upon, but I didn't. And there was some "instant love" which also usually bugs me, but again -It didn't! This was a fun, action packed read and I can't wait to read more from Heather M. White
Special Thanks to Heather M. White for providing an mobi. copy in exchange for an honest review.
I loved When Destiny Knocks! It was fast paced and totally got my attention from page one. I was instantly hooked and couldn't put it down! The concept was interesting and I enjoyed the writing style. When Destiny Knocks does have a cliffhanger which I normally frown upon, but I didn't. And there was some "instant love" which also usually bugs me, but again -It didn't! This was a fun, action packed read and I can't wait to read more from Heather M. White
Special Thanks to Heather M. White for providing an mobi. copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 30, 2012
I am so happy that I was able to read this book! This book was AMAZING!!! The cover to this book is amazing!! HUGE cliffhanger ending that has you ready to jump right into book #2! Great description of characters that has you feeling like you have been best friends with them for forever. Awesome describing of surroundings that makes you feel your right there with the characters. Lots of paranormal beings from angel, demons, shape shifters, werewolves, vampires,and Karlie" the chosen one". I recommend that EVERYONE reads this book!! I have book #2 and I am so excited to dive right into reading it!!!
February 9, 2012
WOW! That is all I can say. This book is so creative and unique, the writing is excellent and the story is just AMAZING. I love the romance between Karlie and Shane, and even loved Alex! I can't wait to see what happens next in this series!
Warning: It has a major cliff changer ending! I can't wait for book 2!
Warning: It has a major cliff changer ending! I can't wait for book 2!
March 12, 2012
The book was good but short. Just when things were getting good bam it ended. I glad it s a series but can't wait to find out what happens. I love Shane and Karlie. I love her "protectors" and I love how important she is. I just don't love the cliffhanger ending. ;)
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