What do you think?
Rate this book
ExtraNormal #1
ExtraNormal
Mira Johns is pretty much like any other teenage girl. Except that she knows how to harness electro-magnetic energy to communicate without words. And she's really, really far from home. Her assignment as an emissary to Earth sounds fairly simple: blend in, observe, and stay away from the planet’s primitive males. But after she finds one mysterious boy too irresistible for stupid rules, she realizes the real reason she's supposed to keep her distance: mates from her world can die if separated. But a series of serious accidents make it clear that someone wants to force her return. Mira decides her only hope is to uncover the truth to why she, the most mediocre of candidates, was actually chosen for this assignment—before the agency discovers her secret and sends her back home.
370 pages, Paperback
First published April 2, 2012
25 people are currently reading
3411 people want to read
About the author
Suze Reese
1 book62 followersLibrarian Note: Also writes under the pen name Suzanne V. Reese.
Author of YA paranormal romance ExtraNormal. In real life I fight pirates, travel to outer space and am trained in lethal jiu jitsu. In my imagination I sit in front a computer all day writing and eating peanut m&ms. Or maybe its the other way around. I get confused. I have published in a different genre, but this one is way way more fun. I have a degree in communications. Which I guess means I know how to communicate good.
Author of YA paranormal romance ExtraNormal. In real life I fight pirates, travel to outer space and am trained in lethal jiu jitsu. In my imagination I sit in front a computer all day writing and eating peanut m&ms. Or maybe its the other way around. I get confused. I have published in a different genre, but this one is way way more fun. I have a degree in communications. Which I guess means I know how to communicate good.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
October 12, 2011
The author of this book is a friend of mine and asked our bookclub to edit it for her earlier this year. It will be published and available to buy in January 2012. So I began reading it as a favor for her and was blown away by how AWESOME it was!!! Seriously so, so good! It was a definite page turner and I couldn't set it down untiI I had finished the entire thing! The author does an amazing job with creating a unpredictable yet believable plot which is tricky to do. I can't wait for the next book to come out and to also read this one again once it is published!!!! LOVED IT!!!
July 9, 2013
This book was not as bad as it could have been, especially considering its an indie publication. (I know how snobbish that sounds.) The grammar and mechanics aren't as good as they really should be, but it isn't as bad as some.
As far as good things about the novel: Jesse, our main character's love interest, is pretty inoffensive and sweet. It's a nice change from all the emotionally abusive, he-man type characters out there. He's not all that well-developed or complex, but neither is Mira, our main character and narrator.
Mira's parents are also present in the novel, though not really as much as they should be, considering they're all visiting aliens from another planet. They do make an effort at actually being involved, though, which is nice to see. Too many authors take the lazy way out and ignore or kill off the parents.
Now, the bad: in the beginning of the novel, Ms. Reese utilizes a pretty cheap plot device. It's offensive, and dropped this rating down to one star. Mira, a supposedly super-strong alien, is nearly raped, until her love interest jumps in to save her. Because despite being a super-strong and superior alien, Mira needs a Real Man to protect her.
I don't like rape as a plot device at the best of times, and it's never addressed again by Mira, which is infuriating. She's creeped out by the stranger checking her out in her bathing suit, but the fact that her first sexual encounter was almost a rape has no impact on her. No nightmares, no flashbacks, and it certainly doesn't affect her interactions with Jesse in any way. She just moves on, because everybody knows rape isn't a real issue with actual repercussions or anything. It's just how you get a man.
The other big problem with this novel is the central villain and would-be rapist, Everett. He does things that have no rhyme or reason to them, and is little more than a cardboard cutout of a bad guy. At one point, Everett interrupts Mira's departure from Earth by kidnapping Jesse. His explanation for this is that he wants to make sure Mira returns to her home planet, except she was already leaving. To confuse matters further, Everett admits he knew this but says he had to "make sure". Make sure she does what, exactly, miss her flight home?
I wouldn't really recommend ExtraNormal, since I felt the negatives far outweighed the positives. It's also apparently supposed to be a series, which makes me wonder what cheap plot devices Ms. Reese plans on using in the second book. I doubt I'll ever find out, though, since I have no plans to continue the series.
ETA: As a quick follow-up, I wanted to mention my decision to return this for a refund. I actually do that pretty rarely, but this book is NOT worth $6, the current kindle price.
As far as good things about the novel: Jesse, our main character's love interest, is pretty inoffensive and sweet. It's a nice change from all the emotionally abusive, he-man type characters out there. He's not all that well-developed or complex, but neither is Mira, our main character and narrator.
Mira's parents are also present in the novel, though not really as much as they should be, considering they're all visiting aliens from another planet. They do make an effort at actually being involved, though, which is nice to see. Too many authors take the lazy way out and ignore or kill off the parents.
Now, the bad: in the beginning of the novel, Ms. Reese utilizes a pretty cheap plot device. It's offensive, and dropped this rating down to one star. Mira, a supposedly super-strong alien, is nearly raped, until her love interest jumps in to save her. Because despite being a super-strong and superior alien, Mira needs a Real Man to protect her.
I don't like rape as a plot device at the best of times, and it's never addressed again by Mira, which is infuriating. She's creeped out by the stranger checking her out in her bathing suit, but the fact that her first sexual encounter was almost a rape has no impact on her. No nightmares, no flashbacks, and it certainly doesn't affect her interactions with Jesse in any way. She just moves on, because everybody knows rape isn't a real issue with actual repercussions or anything. It's just how you get a man.
The other big problem with this novel is the central villain and would-be rapist, Everett. He does things that have no rhyme or reason to them, and is little more than a cardboard cutout of a bad guy. At one point, Everett interrupts Mira's departure from Earth by kidnapping Jesse. His explanation for this is that he wants to make sure Mira returns to her home planet, except she was already leaving. To confuse matters further, Everett admits he knew this but says he had to "make sure". Make sure she does what, exactly, miss her flight home?
I wouldn't really recommend ExtraNormal, since I felt the negatives far outweighed the positives. It's also apparently supposed to be a series, which makes me wonder what cheap plot devices Ms. Reese plans on using in the second book. I doubt I'll ever find out, though, since I have no plans to continue the series.
ETA: As a quick follow-up, I wanted to mention my decision to return this for a refund. I actually do that pretty rarely, but this book is NOT worth $6, the current kindle price.
August 3, 2012
One of the most magical things about literature is its ability to create the impossible.
J.K. Rowling brought us collapsible buildings and cloaked train stations. C.S. Lewis introduced us to a wardrobe that opened into a unknown world filled with Ice Queens and talking lions. J.M. Barrie, a land where boys never grew up and pirates fight crocodiles.
Imagination is what books are made of, and an author’s ability to create new and stunning worlds is what draws us to them.
Aliens make up a fairly large portion of fantastical literature. “They” ARE the unknown, so they are free to interpretation. Some write them as little green men; some as elaborate machines that morph into cars at the first sign of trouble. Suze Reese? She chose to make her aliens human.
Not exactly what you were expecting to hear right? Me either, which is why “ExtraNormal” called to me like a Greek Siren.
“Mira Johns is pretty much like any other teenage girl. Except that she knows how to harness electro-magnetic energy to communicate without words.
And she’s really, really far from home.
Her assignment as an emissary to Earth sounds fairly simple: blend in, observe, and stay away from the planet’s primitive males.
But after she finds one boy too irresistible for stupid rules, she realizes the real reason she’s supposed to keep her distance: mates from her world can die if separated.
Mira’s only hope is to uncover the truth to why she, the most mediocre of candidates, was actually chosen for this assignment–before the agency discovers her secret and sends her back home.”
I’m not going to say this is the best “YA Alien” book I have read to date (that title goes to Obsidian) but I will say it was one of the more interesting ones.
How so?
Well, for starters it read more like a murder mystery (with a little voodoo juju) than an “aliens-are-taking-over-the-planet-tuck-and-roll-people” leap into sci-fi land. (Dang that was a mouth full.) There was a down to Earth (no pun intended) quality about this book (and it’s incredibly engrossing cast of characters) that made me second guess my natural need to dismiss erratic behavior as “crazy.”
I know, I know…”What the Sam-hell are you talking about!?”
First of all, don’t get your panties in a wad. I may be slow, but I’ll get to the point.
In Reese’s “extraterrestrial” world she made the unique decision to create her aliens in the likeness of humans. So much so that “they” are called humans and “we” are called “neohumans.” They (as a race) chose to accept the supernatural instead of burn it at the stake (literally…there is even a witchcraft reference.) and because of this they have become a much more advanced planet than Earth. (AKA they can make long distant calls without the use of a phone, and food? Pffft…who needs it! Take this veggie cube and get on with your day.) But with all of their differences (I say that like there is a ton, but from what I understand Mira still needed to use the potty like the rest of us.) the similarities are what draws you into the story.
Mira IS human. She is awed by beauty. She gets nervous and self conscious the same as we do. She loves, and she hurts for the same reasons. These are the reasons to read the book.
The story (in short form) focus on Mira and her quest to find answers. (Think of her as an alien spy.) There are some rogue aliens on Earth and she is there to smoke them out. The only problem? A boy gets in the way. (Damn, I hate it when that happens.) Because she is so “human” (for all of the reasons I listed above.) She makes poor decisions (as far as her “job” is concerned) and it’s those decisions that thrust the plot into a mad dash to learn what is right and what is wrong.
The most important thing to understand about this book though?
It’s all about sacrifice.
How far would you do to protect your planet? What would you do to protect the ones you love? Could you take a bullet if it meant saving an entire race?
Reese explored all of these questions while at the same time adding a sense of humor. (I’m an alien!! I don’t freaking know how to put on a seatbelt!)
Fantastic characters. Amazing, fast past engrossing plot, and enough drama to fill the Rose Bowl. Just what the Neohuman doctor ordered.
Recommended for paranormal lovers, sci-fi lovers, and pretty much anyone that is a fan of YA lit. (Especially fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout)
Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: “I don’t believe that there are aliens. I believe there are really different people.” – Orson Scott Card.
J.K. Rowling brought us collapsible buildings and cloaked train stations. C.S. Lewis introduced us to a wardrobe that opened into a unknown world filled with Ice Queens and talking lions. J.M. Barrie, a land where boys never grew up and pirates fight crocodiles.
Imagination is what books are made of, and an author’s ability to create new and stunning worlds is what draws us to them.
Aliens make up a fairly large portion of fantastical literature. “They” ARE the unknown, so they are free to interpretation. Some write them as little green men; some as elaborate machines that morph into cars at the first sign of trouble. Suze Reese? She chose to make her aliens human.
Not exactly what you were expecting to hear right? Me either, which is why “ExtraNormal” called to me like a Greek Siren.
“Mira Johns is pretty much like any other teenage girl. Except that she knows how to harness electro-magnetic energy to communicate without words.
And she’s really, really far from home.
Her assignment as an emissary to Earth sounds fairly simple: blend in, observe, and stay away from the planet’s primitive males.
But after she finds one boy too irresistible for stupid rules, she realizes the real reason she’s supposed to keep her distance: mates from her world can die if separated.
Mira’s only hope is to uncover the truth to why she, the most mediocre of candidates, was actually chosen for this assignment–before the agency discovers her secret and sends her back home.”
I’m not going to say this is the best “YA Alien” book I have read to date (that title goes to Obsidian) but I will say it was one of the more interesting ones.
How so?
Well, for starters it read more like a murder mystery (with a little voodoo juju) than an “aliens-are-taking-over-the-planet-tuck-and-roll-people” leap into sci-fi land. (Dang that was a mouth full.) There was a down to Earth (no pun intended) quality about this book (and it’s incredibly engrossing cast of characters) that made me second guess my natural need to dismiss erratic behavior as “crazy.”
I know, I know…”What the Sam-hell are you talking about!?”
First of all, don’t get your panties in a wad. I may be slow, but I’ll get to the point.
In Reese’s “extraterrestrial” world she made the unique decision to create her aliens in the likeness of humans. So much so that “they” are called humans and “we” are called “neohumans.” They (as a race) chose to accept the supernatural instead of burn it at the stake (literally…there is even a witchcraft reference.) and because of this they have become a much more advanced planet than Earth. (AKA they can make long distant calls without the use of a phone, and food? Pffft…who needs it! Take this veggie cube and get on with your day.) But with all of their differences (I say that like there is a ton, but from what I understand Mira still needed to use the potty like the rest of us.) the similarities are what draws you into the story.
Mira IS human. She is awed by beauty. She gets nervous and self conscious the same as we do. She loves, and she hurts for the same reasons. These are the reasons to read the book.
The story (in short form) focus on Mira and her quest to find answers. (Think of her as an alien spy.) There are some rogue aliens on Earth and she is there to smoke them out. The only problem? A boy gets in the way. (Damn, I hate it when that happens.) Because she is so “human” (for all of the reasons I listed above.) She makes poor decisions (as far as her “job” is concerned) and it’s those decisions that thrust the plot into a mad dash to learn what is right and what is wrong.
The most important thing to understand about this book though?
It’s all about sacrifice.
How far would you do to protect your planet? What would you do to protect the ones you love? Could you take a bullet if it meant saving an entire race?
Reese explored all of these questions while at the same time adding a sense of humor. (I’m an alien!! I don’t freaking know how to put on a seatbelt!)
Fantastic characters. Amazing, fast past engrossing plot, and enough drama to fill the Rose Bowl. Just what the Neohuman doctor ordered.
Recommended for paranormal lovers, sci-fi lovers, and pretty much anyone that is a fan of YA lit. (Especially fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout)
Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: “I don’t believe that there are aliens. I believe there are really different people.” – Orson Scott Card.
April 27, 2012
Umm… Could the ending get any more cheesier? Everything in the end was so perfect and hard to digest after all the troubles that Mira thought she was dealing with.
First off, the book started with a blunder. The Backstreet Boys album’s named Millennium not Millennia and I think the lyrics were wrong. Then there was that mistake with Lacey’s name. If I ignore this, there are so many other things that left me with a lot of eye-rolling and yawning. So Mira is an alien and is on this special mission from her planet with her mom on Earth. They are supposed to keep an eye on a couple named Stones who are currently high-school teachers. The said couple is planning to take over the world or something along the lines because of the superior powers that these aliens have over us Earthians. They haven’t done anything that could down-right get the authority’s attention but there is definitely something fishy going on.
So, this is the main plot and it isn’t even that interesting. I wanted to read this book because it had something to do with another planet and worm-hole. So, this planet that Mira is from is like Earth, the third planet from the Sun having the same dimensions and stuff, but the people there are highly evolved and use a lot of magnetic power and are superior to the people on Earth because they can stream each other and can control and compel other humans and can feel emotions. I’m no master in the complexities of the Universe, in fact no one is, and even though there is a likelihood of such a solar system existing, the thing about the species there and here sharing the same DNA was just too much fantasy. I would have understood if it was put up like a parallel universe theory but it wasn’t.
Moving on, there wasn’t much suspense building up. Many times the book felt predictable, many times I had no idea what was going on. Becca felt like a useless addition and her parents were AWOL most of the times. Then there was her brother, whose name was Trevor, and I have no idea how Mira got his name when she never really had a conversation with Becca about anything. It just felt like one of the glitches out of many other in this book. There was so less info about Mira’s life in her planet. All we get to know about is a few random facts about the planet, a little history, a little about food and the ethnicity. Geery, Mira’s best friend seemed like the only sane person. The whole you-cannot-contact-a-male was too much and her parents pushed it to a limit. Their reasons weren’t convincing enough. Also, I simply hate it when there is this love-at-first-sight involved in books. I didn’t feel any romance through this entire book. Mira just falls for the guy and Jesse, the guy, just falls for her. The whole opposite poles attracting each other like a magnet theory being the reason for their mutual attraction at first sight was plain stupid. There never was any real conversation between them. I still don’t know why Everett choked Mira when she went to that party. I don’t know how Jesse miraculously appeared at that party to save her ass. I don’t even know why Jesse bothered up with all the secrets and how he so easily believed that Mira was from another planet. Also, it felt like he took his being a half-breed alien pretty well. Maybe he had time to cope up but there was no anguish or curiosity or anything that we get to see from Mira’s POV. Mira’s relationship with her friends and everything felt forced and it was like she never had any homework and she never needed much sleep. Also, another glitch was the time zone in the planets. We have no idea how many light years away Mira’s planet is and sure the revolution and rotation around their Sun is same like Earth’s but still, all of it felt so weakly put up. It feels like the author just put loose fragments into a story without giving much thought to anything.
The only scene I liked was when Everett finally confessed to being a nafarian and was torturing Jesse. Jesse was on okay guy only being creepy in the beginning and a love-sick dumb-ass the rest of the time and I didn’t enjoy him being tortured but that was the only scene where something happened. The ending felt too rushed up and then there was all rainbows and stars and merry news and shit.
I am not going to read the sequels and I’m very disappointed and I did not like this book if it wasn’t clear from the rest of my review. So only 2 stars.
First off, the book started with a blunder. The Backstreet Boys album’s named Millennium not Millennia and I think the lyrics were wrong. Then there was that mistake with Lacey’s name. If I ignore this, there are so many other things that left me with a lot of eye-rolling and yawning. So Mira is an alien and is on this special mission from her planet with her mom on Earth. They are supposed to keep an eye on a couple named Stones who are currently high-school teachers. The said couple is planning to take over the world or something along the lines because of the superior powers that these aliens have over us Earthians. They haven’t done anything that could down-right get the authority’s attention but there is definitely something fishy going on.
So, this is the main plot and it isn’t even that interesting. I wanted to read this book because it had something to do with another planet and worm-hole. So, this planet that Mira is from is like Earth, the third planet from the Sun having the same dimensions and stuff, but the people there are highly evolved and use a lot of magnetic power and are superior to the people on Earth because they can stream each other and can control and compel other humans and can feel emotions. I’m no master in the complexities of the Universe, in fact no one is, and even though there is a likelihood of such a solar system existing, the thing about the species there and here sharing the same DNA was just too much fantasy. I would have understood if it was put up like a parallel universe theory but it wasn’t.
Moving on, there wasn’t much suspense building up. Many times the book felt predictable, many times I had no idea what was going on. Becca felt like a useless addition and her parents were AWOL most of the times. Then there was her brother, whose name was Trevor, and I have no idea how Mira got his name when she never really had a conversation with Becca about anything. It just felt like one of the glitches out of many other in this book. There was so less info about Mira’s life in her planet. All we get to know about is a few random facts about the planet, a little history, a little about food and the ethnicity. Geery, Mira’s best friend seemed like the only sane person. The whole you-cannot-contact-a-male was too much and her parents pushed it to a limit. Their reasons weren’t convincing enough. Also, I simply hate it when there is this love-at-first-sight involved in books. I didn’t feel any romance through this entire book. Mira just falls for the guy and Jesse, the guy, just falls for her. The whole opposite poles attracting each other like a magnet theory being the reason for their mutual attraction at first sight was plain stupid. There never was any real conversation between them. I still don’t know why Everett choked Mira when she went to that party. I don’t know how Jesse miraculously appeared at that party to save her ass. I don’t even know why Jesse bothered up with all the secrets and how he so easily believed that Mira was from another planet. Also, it felt like he took his being a half-breed alien pretty well. Maybe he had time to cope up but there was no anguish or curiosity or anything that we get to see from Mira’s POV. Mira’s relationship with her friends and everything felt forced and it was like she never had any homework and she never needed much sleep. Also, another glitch was the time zone in the planets. We have no idea how many light years away Mira’s planet is and sure the revolution and rotation around their Sun is same like Earth’s but still, all of it felt so weakly put up. It feels like the author just put loose fragments into a story without giving much thought to anything.
The only scene I liked was when Everett finally confessed to being a nafarian and was torturing Jesse. Jesse was on okay guy only being creepy in the beginning and a love-sick dumb-ass the rest of the time and I didn’t enjoy him being tortured but that was the only scene where something happened. The ending felt too rushed up and then there was all rainbows and stars and merry news and shit.
I am not going to read the sequels and I’m very disappointed and I did not like this book if it wasn’t clear from the rest of my review. So only 2 stars.
June 23, 2012
Mira isn't sure why she was chosen for the assignment, but she's pretty excited. She comes from another planet that is superior to Earth but very similar. She grew up watching American television and eighties rock hits. She and her best friend Geery are always trying to outwit one another with trivia.
She's never eaten normal food - her nutrition comes in the form of a cube. They don't have cellphones or televisions, they don't need them. In her world, they communicate by Stream, a form of mind communication. She knows she isn't to look at a male or she'll be sent right back home before her mission is complete. In her world, link mates bond for life, as their electro-magnetic powers re pattern themselves.
She's to watch a couple of teachers that have blended in, also from her own planet, to see if anything is going on that isn't legal on her planet. However, when Mira meets Jessie, she knows she has sealed her own fate. He is everything she wants in a male, even though he is human. She tries to keep her secret as she knows it is the only way to keep him safe. If she is caught, it is instant death for him and possible death for him. However, they instantly are attracted to one another and keep their relationship secret.
Everett, a new boy at school, seems to be instantly popular but he really creeps Mira out. Something isn't right about him and she can't put her finger on it. But when he attacks her, she learns to keep her distance. But when he attacks someone she loves, all niceties are gone and she begins a thorough investigation into his life - even if it means she will forfeit hers.
ExtraNormal is a fun romp! Aliens, romance, action and suspense all mesh together into a great start to a new young adult series. It was magical watching Mira try her first piece of chocolate, learning how to use text, and a whole lot of other firsts that aren't available on her home planet. She and Jessie's relationship builds as the story unfolds and the quirkiness of her father had me smiling. It wraps up rather well, but with a bit of a cliffhanger that will definitely have me picking up the next in the series.
She's never eaten normal food - her nutrition comes in the form of a cube. They don't have cellphones or televisions, they don't need them. In her world, they communicate by Stream, a form of mind communication. She knows she isn't to look at a male or she'll be sent right back home before her mission is complete. In her world, link mates bond for life, as their electro-magnetic powers re pattern themselves.
She's to watch a couple of teachers that have blended in, also from her own planet, to see if anything is going on that isn't legal on her planet. However, when Mira meets Jessie, she knows she has sealed her own fate. He is everything she wants in a male, even though he is human. She tries to keep her secret as she knows it is the only way to keep him safe. If she is caught, it is instant death for him and possible death for him. However, they instantly are attracted to one another and keep their relationship secret.
Everett, a new boy at school, seems to be instantly popular but he really creeps Mira out. Something isn't right about him and she can't put her finger on it. But when he attacks her, she learns to keep her distance. But when he attacks someone she loves, all niceties are gone and she begins a thorough investigation into his life - even if it means she will forfeit hers.
ExtraNormal is a fun romp! Aliens, romance, action and suspense all mesh together into a great start to a new young adult series. It was magical watching Mira try her first piece of chocolate, learning how to use text, and a whole lot of other firsts that aren't available on her home planet. She and Jessie's relationship builds as the story unfolds and the quirkiness of her father had me smiling. It wraps up rather well, but with a bit of a cliffhanger that will definitely have me picking up the next in the series.
January 11, 2012
This book was such a breath of fresh air. I grew up watching Star Trek and I have always been a sucker for aliens and space travel. It's not straight out sci-fi, but there are many cool concepts. I thought the love story was super sweet and the ideas that are introduced with the aliens and how they have linkmates was really cool!
Another thing that was quite interesting about this book is that the alien planet thinks of itself as a Utopian society, but from an earthlings perspective they look more like a Dystopian society. This is explored a little in this first installment and I'll be interested to see how that plays out through the rest of the books. Some of the cutest scenes come from when Mira experiences new things: cheeseburgers, the ocean, riding on a Ferris wheel. All of these things have been denied to people from her world.
The ending is rapped up nicely, but gives way to one of the reasons I gave this book 5 stars. There is SO much potential for this to be an awesome series full of all the things I love about space, spies and anything that is geeky.
Another thing that was quite interesting about this book is that the alien planet thinks of itself as a Utopian society, but from an earthlings perspective they look more like a Dystopian society. This is explored a little in this first installment and I'll be interested to see how that plays out through the rest of the books. Some of the cutest scenes come from when Mira experiences new things: cheeseburgers, the ocean, riding on a Ferris wheel. All of these things have been denied to people from her world.
The ending is rapped up nicely, but gives way to one of the reasons I gave this book 5 stars. There is SO much potential for this to be an awesome series full of all the things I love about space, spies and anything that is geeky.
May 27, 2012
I received this book in a goodreads first reads giveaway, and at first, after reading some reviews, I wasn't sure what I was going to think of it. I love to read, but normally aliens do not slip into my genres. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that on the first page, I found the story's heroine in a choir class. Being a musician, I was a sucker for this setting, and set down all others books that I was reading.
As I continued, the story only continued to impress me, always providing some sort of twist and turn that I couldn't pinpoint. Many may find it predictable, but there are too many twists and turns to make it so. I wasn't able to put the book down. I couldn't even set a goal on when to finish it, because of it's addicting quality.
The dynamics between the plot, and it's cast of characters is truly remarkable. it's a great read, and should be read by many more! I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a good read. It's a great story, and I hope to follow up on it, if more books come out, making the series!
As I continued, the story only continued to impress me, always providing some sort of twist and turn that I couldn't pinpoint. Many may find it predictable, but there are too many twists and turns to make it so. I wasn't able to put the book down. I couldn't even set a goal on when to finish it, because of it's addicting quality.
The dynamics between the plot, and it's cast of characters is truly remarkable. it's a great read, and should be read by many more! I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a good read. It's a great story, and I hope to follow up on it, if more books come out, making the series!
May 16, 2014
The most insta-loves of all insta-loves ever written. The alien girl has never even spoken to the boy before he is completely in love, and after a several word conversation, she is willing to die for him.
April 23, 2012
2.5 stars
This book started really great but then about halfway through, it became a little too formulaic for my taste. There is a beautiful protagonist. A misunderstood boy. A smart and cheesy sidekick. The dreaded insta-love. And so on. The premise of ‘Extranormal’ really grabbed my attention (and so did the original cover, although why did they feel the need to change it I really don’t know…) : I haven’t read many books about aliens in YA so I was really curious and excited to start reading it. And it did not disappoint. At first. Obviously, I really enjoyed the beginning of the book as well as reading it from Mira’s POV. BUT, as soon as THE boy entered the picture it started being way too cliche to my liking. I knew there was going to be some kind of love story after reading the synopsis but the author clearly favored the romance above anything else and did not focus nearly as much on the whole sci-fi aspect of the story, which just plain annoyed me. The whole streaming idea and the fact that the nefarians are able to read emotions off of people was beyond cool. I would have liked SR to delve just a tiny bit further into it or for her to have at least included those details at the forefront of the story rather than the other way around.
I didn’t buy Jesse and Mira’s relationship either and didn’t like how their connection was played out, although it is explained at the end. I thought these two lacked some serious chemistry; I guess that Jesse might be considered cute and nice by others but was a very dull character to me. And, as previously mentionned, I really hate it when the romantic elements overwhelm the actual plot in books. And this one felt particularly forced.
Plotwise, the story lacked intensity and that at-the-edge-of-your-seat feeling of trepidation that I expected from a somewhat sci-fi novel. I was looking forward to super creepy villains and big shows of extraterritorial superpowers and felt cheated when I didn’t get any of those. OK so maybe I watch too many movies but I’ll be honest and say I was expecting a LOT MORE excitement. I gritted my teeth in anticipation every time something remotely interesting started happening only to be let down in the end. There was also a lot of telling and not enough showing and it was frustrating because I simply could not connect to any of the characters which resulted in me feeling rather detached from the whole story.
Another thing I wasn’t particularly fond of was how slow the pacing was. The ending especially dragged on forever and could have easily been cut in half. I skipped more than a few lines to get to it. But what really bothered me is that it also ended way too abruptly : there was no real closure and the best I can describe it was anti climactic and dissatisfying. Only the mystery surrounding some of the characters and what their actions exactly entailed kept me interested enough to keep on reading ; I also thought the writing was good and Mira definitely was a worthy heroine. She really was interesting – I enjoyed watching her ‘struggle’ to act as a human : moments when she was interacting with the other students, trying out food for the first time or deciphering the language were fun to read about – and a smart and mature girl. I’m afraid that’s all I can really say about it though.
I might read book 2 when it comes out. I'm still undecided. It will really depend on the summary and whether it will focus on Mira+Jesse or Geery.
This book started really great but then about halfway through, it became a little too formulaic for my taste. There is a beautiful protagonist. A misunderstood boy. A smart and cheesy sidekick. The dreaded insta-love. And so on. The premise of ‘Extranormal’ really grabbed my attention (and so did the original cover, although why did they feel the need to change it I really don’t know…) : I haven’t read many books about aliens in YA so I was really curious and excited to start reading it. And it did not disappoint. At first. Obviously, I really enjoyed the beginning of the book as well as reading it from Mira’s POV. BUT, as soon as THE boy entered the picture it started being way too cliche to my liking. I knew there was going to be some kind of love story after reading the synopsis but the author clearly favored the romance above anything else and did not focus nearly as much on the whole sci-fi aspect of the story, which just plain annoyed me. The whole streaming idea and the fact that the nefarians are able to read emotions off of people was beyond cool. I would have liked SR to delve just a tiny bit further into it or for her to have at least included those details at the forefront of the story rather than the other way around.
I didn’t buy Jesse and Mira’s relationship either and didn’t like how their connection was played out, although it is explained at the end. I thought these two lacked some serious chemistry; I guess that Jesse might be considered cute and nice by others but was a very dull character to me. And, as previously mentionned, I really hate it when the romantic elements overwhelm the actual plot in books. And this one felt particularly forced.
Plotwise, the story lacked intensity and that at-the-edge-of-your-seat feeling of trepidation that I expected from a somewhat sci-fi novel. I was looking forward to super creepy villains and big shows of extraterritorial superpowers and felt cheated when I didn’t get any of those. OK so maybe I watch too many movies but I’ll be honest and say I was expecting a LOT MORE excitement. I gritted my teeth in anticipation every time something remotely interesting started happening only to be let down in the end. There was also a lot of telling and not enough showing and it was frustrating because I simply could not connect to any of the characters which resulted in me feeling rather detached from the whole story.
Another thing I wasn’t particularly fond of was how slow the pacing was. The ending especially dragged on forever and could have easily been cut in half. I skipped more than a few lines to get to it. But what really bothered me is that it also ended way too abruptly : there was no real closure and the best I can describe it was anti climactic and dissatisfying. Only the mystery surrounding some of the characters and what their actions exactly entailed kept me interested enough to keep on reading ; I also thought the writing was good and Mira definitely was a worthy heroine. She really was interesting – I enjoyed watching her ‘struggle’ to act as a human : moments when she was interacting with the other students, trying out food for the first time or deciphering the language were fun to read about – and a smart and mature girl. I’m afraid that’s all I can really say about it though.
I might read book 2 when it comes out. I'm still undecided. It will really depend on the summary and whether it will focus on Mira+Jesse or Geery.
April 21, 2012
The low rating's just a case of me being way outside the intended audience of this book. For anyone who actually liked Jennifer Armentrout's Obsidian, skip to the end of this review and just substitute your rating of that book here, factoring in this book basically being Obsidian-lite. Otherwise, or if you've never heard of Obsidian, read on and I'll do what I can.
Anyway, like Obsidian, this book's a romance nominally involving an alien and a human, emphasis on romance. Is there a plot involving evil aliens trying to take over the world? Sure, but it's really, really slow and takes a backseat in ninety percent of this book to Mira's alien observations of high school behavior that kinda made me rather uncomfortable as a guy, some cheesy moments involving Mira wolfing down human food for the first time and generally learning to be human, and Mira trying to stay away from Jesse (the human) so she doesn't get sent back to her planet by the alien authorities who look down on that sort of thing (interracial romance). Honestly, not the thrilling kind of plot I was hoping for, guess I should've taken the summary more at face value.
The bad guys, two aliens with mind control powers disguised as high school teachers and a new kid Mira suspects of being an alien, are in plain sight the entire time - besides one twist not involving the villains, my predictions based just on the setup nailed everything that happened. I liked Mira's alien best friend, Geery, who has a good repartee with Mira (though come on, Star Trek Voyager is lame, Deep Space Nine is the way better series), but the human characters that Mira befriends besides Jesse really didn't play as big a role and sort of feel wasted. At least Mira's mother and father got stuff to do, although needless to say, the plot just took too long before any of these characters did anything of substance.
So what do I mean by Obsidian-lite? Well, Obsidian basically has the same premise (with the genders of the main characters reversed) and so-so plot that bored me just as much, but I'm told the chemistry between the leads made that book. This one's a little less serious all around, initially chock full of scenes of Mira being the awkward alien and probably less banter between Mira and Jesse, but yeah, read this if the idea of Obsidian-lite sounds appealing I guess. It's just not the book for me.
Anyway, like Obsidian, this book's a romance nominally involving an alien and a human, emphasis on romance. Is there a plot involving evil aliens trying to take over the world? Sure, but it's really, really slow and takes a backseat in ninety percent of this book to Mira's alien observations of high school behavior that kinda made me rather uncomfortable as a guy, some cheesy moments involving Mira wolfing down human food for the first time and generally learning to be human, and Mira trying to stay away from Jesse (the human) so she doesn't get sent back to her planet by the alien authorities who look down on that sort of thing (interracial romance). Honestly, not the thrilling kind of plot I was hoping for, guess I should've taken the summary more at face value.
The bad guys, two aliens with mind control powers disguised as high school teachers and a new kid Mira suspects of being an alien, are in plain sight the entire time - besides one twist not involving the villains, my predictions based just on the setup nailed everything that happened. I liked Mira's alien best friend, Geery, who has a good repartee with Mira (though come on, Star Trek Voyager is lame, Deep Space Nine is the way better series), but the human characters that Mira befriends besides Jesse really didn't play as big a role and sort of feel wasted. At least Mira's mother and father got stuff to do, although needless to say, the plot just took too long before any of these characters did anything of substance.
So what do I mean by Obsidian-lite? Well, Obsidian basically has the same premise (with the genders of the main characters reversed) and so-so plot that bored me just as much, but I'm told the chemistry between the leads made that book. This one's a little less serious all around, initially chock full of scenes of Mira being the awkward alien and probably less banter between Mira and Jesse, but yeah, read this if the idea of Obsidian-lite sounds appealing I guess. It's just not the book for me.
March 6, 2012
I feel so sorry about this book... it wasn't a bad book... it was a bad book for me...
The synopse and cover seemed very appealing to me, but when I started reading... it feel really long and sometimes boring. I felt that I wasn't going anywhere...
I really find myself giving a chance finishing this book several times...
Maybe is the subject or maybe it was the pace of the story or maybe I didn't feel connected to the characters... the thing is that I do not enjoy much this book even though I tried and tried...
The synopse and cover seemed very appealing to me, but when I started reading... it feel really long and sometimes boring. I felt that I wasn't going anywhere...
I really find myself giving a chance finishing this book several times...
Maybe is the subject or maybe it was the pace of the story or maybe I didn't feel connected to the characters... the thing is that I do not enjoy much this book even though I tried and tried...
October 13, 2011
Ok, I LOVE this book. It was fun, suspenseful, interesting, fast paced, and has a healthy dose of romance. It's a really cool spin on the "utopian society". The characters are interesting and mysterious. In all, it's a great read for everyone from the Tweens crowd on up.
Want to read
May 7, 2012Kindle free download 5/7/12.
November 15, 2019
What I Loved: The main character, Mira is from another planet and is integrating into Earth. Her thoughts are hilarious and I loved them. She is educated in the culture and slang of Earth, but she hasn’t quite gotten the hang of it yet. She titles the popular, mean girls, the “Skinnies”, and I just found it adorable. Overall, I loved watching her become a part of Earth’s high school routine. Experiencing things for the first time, like a cafeteria lunch, which she is extremely excited to try. It all just rounded out for a fun read.
How I Felt: I was rooting for Mira to make it through this book! I wanted to know everything that was happening. The book had so many twists and turns as the plot unfolded, it kept me interested from start to finish! There are a few parts that feel a bit clunky, but overall I was able to overlook that as the overall story was a good read.
To Read or Not To Read: If you enjoy science fiction and YA, this is a perfect mix for you!
I was provided this ARC for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
All of my reviews can be found at: https://shejustlovesbooks.com/
How I Felt: I was rooting for Mira to make it through this book! I wanted to know everything that was happening. The book had so many twists and turns as the plot unfolded, it kept me interested from start to finish! There are a few parts that feel a bit clunky, but overall I was able to overlook that as the overall story was a good read.
To Read or Not To Read: If you enjoy science fiction and YA, this is a perfect mix for you!
I was provided this ARC for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
All of my reviews can be found at: https://shejustlovesbooks.com/
February 12, 2020
A mix of Urban Fantasy and definitely Sci-Fic, what an exciting new young adult series. I love how the author Suzanne Reese has woven mystery, love, family and teen angst all while being an alien from another planet here on earth. Mira, trying not to stand out and lean all of the teen idiosyncrasy plus fit in is such a hoot, I couldn't stop smiling. Ms. Reese seems to know and write about the teen angst quite well. The characters are well fleshed out, the story line great, it reminds me of the movie Men in Black minus the unusual aliens but all the FBI like intrigue. Book 2 is next I can hardly wait. If you like young adult high,love, school qlicks, aliens and secret agents you'll love this new series.
March 5, 2020
Love me a great 👍 action packed paranormal romance!!!
August 23, 2013
True Rating: 1.5 Stars
Okay...So let's start this off with what I did like about this book.
* It definitely held some unique ideas.
* Some aspects to the plot were interesting.
* I think I might have chuckled a few times.
And...that's about it.
Mira
She was supposed to be an alien. A human...but still an alien. She didn't feel like an alien. I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but I was disappointed. I had been rather interested in reading from an alien's perspective. But I have to say The Hostwas done so much better in this respect.
For being an alien, Mira is very dull. She is held to a lot of restrictions that really don't add up in the grand scheme of things.
Plot
Mira is on Earth on assignment to investigate two other aliens suspected of some kind of wrong doing based on their brain scans before they were allowed to travel to Earth. This is a very weak plot. It leaves the story open for all kinds of questions and conflict.
First of all, if two aliens were cleared to come to Earth, then why would there need to be an investigation at all? Perhaps if this had been brought about as an investigation because someone had reported suspicious behaviour, it would have seemed more likely. But it wasn't. And I was left questioning everything that followed.
Secondly, why would a child ever be considered for this task? There just wasn't a very good reason behind this.
Moving on...Mira is sent to school where she has no idea how to behave. This was odd to me as well. Wouldn't she have been part of some kind of program to teach her how to behave? Wouldn't she have done some kind of studying? Wouldn't she have done some recon to know all about human interaction? How Earth's technology works? Nope, apparently she just goes in blind. Talk about fitting in. So...putting it bluntly, Mira did not come across as a trained agent of any kind.
Keeping with restrictions, Mira is expected not to have any friends or have any contact with any males. This is just so unrealistic. Not having friends or going out of your way to avoid boys is a sure way to stand out. It just didn't belong. Her not having a relationship with boys? Sure...but the rest? No.
I kept waiting for something to happen. Well...nothing exciting actually happens. All of the scenes that are supposed to be suspenseful or major revelations were just extremely anticlimactic.
Romance
I'm sorry, but this was nothing but cheese. The romance between Jesse and Mira was not cute. It was not wistful. It was awkward, creepy, and cheesy. That's all there is to it.
They're in love after a few times of seeing each other. Okay, I get that other books do it, but this is just damn lazy. I suppose the electromagnetic explanation was interesting, and I could see it working in a way, but it actually implies that Jesse and Mira will have an effortless love. There is no such thing as this. Sorry, but dodging bad guys and other obstacles objecting to their love does not substitute for actually working on a relationship.
Anywho, Jesse admits to stalking Mira. And she's fine with this. She also decides it is okay to have him sleep in her house--he's a stranger--right after she's attacked by another boy. Just very unlikely.
Jesse
Was I supposed to like him? I mean, what was there to like about him? He obviously has issues. And not just alien ones. He needs to learn how to not smother the girl he likes. He wasn't romantic. He was psycho. He tried to stay away from Mira, and within 24 hours--that's right, it wasn't even a whole day--he's spewing that god awful line: "It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do." Just no.
Everett
He was the lamest "bad guy" I have read about in a long time. He has no reason for his madness. He's just crazy to be crazy.
Misc
Out of curiosity, how long did it take to get from one world to the other? I was guessing maybe a day? How did this work exactly? I'd think it would at least take months. I mean, you have to get from the planet to a wormhole, then from the wormhole to Earth or visa versa.
So much of this story was just not plausible at all. And I know, I know, it's just a story, and it's fiction, so what ever, but no...I'm not completely okay with this. The biggest problem with this book was how Reese did not pay any attention to the small details. Oddly enough, small details actually make up a great deal of your world building, character development, plot development--your whole book. So I really disliked a lot of this book due to the negligence of small details.
Anyway, it's just not my cup of tea.
Okay...So let's start this off with what I did like about this book.
* It definitely held some unique ideas.
* Some aspects to the plot were interesting.
* I think I might have chuckled a few times.
And...that's about it.
Mira
She was supposed to be an alien. A human...but still an alien. She didn't feel like an alien. I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but I was disappointed. I had been rather interested in reading from an alien's perspective. But I have to say The Hostwas done so much better in this respect.
For being an alien, Mira is very dull. She is held to a lot of restrictions that really don't add up in the grand scheme of things.
Plot
Mira is on Earth on assignment to investigate two other aliens suspected of some kind of wrong doing based on their brain scans before they were allowed to travel to Earth. This is a very weak plot. It leaves the story open for all kinds of questions and conflict.
First of all, if two aliens were cleared to come to Earth, then why would there need to be an investigation at all? Perhaps if this had been brought about as an investigation because someone had reported suspicious behaviour, it would have seemed more likely. But it wasn't. And I was left questioning everything that followed.
Secondly, why would a child ever be considered for this task? There just wasn't a very good reason behind this.
Moving on...Mira is sent to school where she has no idea how to behave. This was odd to me as well. Wouldn't she have been part of some kind of program to teach her how to behave? Wouldn't she have done some kind of studying? Wouldn't she have done some recon to know all about human interaction? How Earth's technology works? Nope, apparently she just goes in blind. Talk about fitting in. So...putting it bluntly, Mira did not come across as a trained agent of any kind.
Keeping with restrictions, Mira is expected not to have any friends or have any contact with any males. This is just so unrealistic. Not having friends or going out of your way to avoid boys is a sure way to stand out. It just didn't belong. Her not having a relationship with boys? Sure...but the rest? No.
I kept waiting for something to happen. Well...nothing exciting actually happens. All of the scenes that are supposed to be suspenseful or major revelations were just extremely anticlimactic.
Romance
I'm sorry, but this was nothing but cheese. The romance between Jesse and Mira was not cute. It was not wistful. It was awkward, creepy, and cheesy. That's all there is to it.
They're in love after a few times of seeing each other. Okay, I get that other books do it, but this is just damn lazy. I suppose the electromagnetic explanation was interesting, and I could see it working in a way, but it actually implies that Jesse and Mira will have an effortless love. There is no such thing as this. Sorry, but dodging bad guys and other obstacles objecting to their love does not substitute for actually working on a relationship.
Anywho, Jesse admits to stalking Mira. And she's fine with this. She also decides it is okay to have him sleep in her house--he's a stranger--right after she's attacked by another boy. Just very unlikely.
Jesse
Was I supposed to like him? I mean, what was there to like about him? He obviously has issues. And not just alien ones. He needs to learn how to not smother the girl he likes. He wasn't romantic. He was psycho. He tried to stay away from Mira, and within 24 hours--that's right, it wasn't even a whole day--he's spewing that god awful line: "It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do." Just no.
Everett
He was the lamest "bad guy" I have read about in a long time. He has no reason for his madness. He's just crazy to be crazy.
Misc
Out of curiosity, how long did it take to get from one world to the other? I was guessing maybe a day? How did this work exactly? I'd think it would at least take months. I mean, you have to get from the planet to a wormhole, then from the wormhole to Earth or visa versa.
So much of this story was just not plausible at all. And I know, I know, it's just a story, and it's fiction, so what ever, but no...I'm not completely okay with this. The biggest problem with this book was how Reese did not pay any attention to the small details. Oddly enough, small details actually make up a great deal of your world building, character development, plot development--your whole book. So I really disliked a lot of this book due to the negligence of small details.
Anyway, it's just not my cup of tea.
September 25, 2012
Well to start things off, this was a cute book. I liked the story and the characters were very sweet. When I started reading ExtraNormal I really didn't know what I expected. It was a refreshing tale about an alien girl who comes to Earth to find out information regarding two of the teachers at her new school. I enjoyed the story, I fell in love with Jesse. He was such a beautiful amazing guy, total fangirl here! He's a boy you just can't help but love. Mira was lucky to have him. I had fun reading Mira's thoughts, as a teenage alien on a different planet, Ms. Reese did a great job her creation. I loved that Mira was confused and she had a hard time with people touching her or being so close to her. It wasn't all "hey I am an alien but I get all things earthly". This was a good story, though I have to say it is more a sweet romantic story than a thrill ride.
I am not going to go into the story as the summary kinda explains it and I don't really want to give away too much about the plot. Sometimes with a story like this it is best to stick to talking about how much I liked the characters. This way I don't feel like I have given the whole story away.
So we have this alien named Mira. Yeah that's right she's the alien, for some reason when I bought this book I thought she was going to another world and was human. Ha ha I was totally wrong, but I can tell you I am glad I was wrong. Mira made an awesome alien right down to her enjoyment of human food. I laughed so hard when I was reading about her eating food. It was so funny. Not to mention her comments to Geery about the way human "males" smell, totally priceless! Not that this book was all fun and games. There is a lot of intrigue and mystery to it as well. After all Mira was sent there for a reason.
Jesse, oh you super cute sweetie you. I loved Jesse. He was a great match for Mira. I loved how he trusted her despite the fact that he knew she was keeping things from him. He never let his faith in her fail, never gave up even when it looked like things were impossible. I liked how he waited for her to tell him the truth, and his reaction to it, wow, what a guy. Could he be anymore perfect, umm yeah he can, but I won't go into that. He he. Just trust me you will love Jesse!
Geery is a Mira's friend from her home planet. I loved her interaction with Mira, it was hilarious. I love her "human" quotes from movies, she definitely added the right kind of flavour to ExtraNormal. She is the type of friend you want with you for life. She was a great support character and I can't wait to see if or when Ms. Reese writes a story about her. I really hope she does.
Now we get to the annoying boy you just can't stand, you know the one that makes you want to slap him. Everett, wow what a jerk! I hated this boy from the first moment I read about arrival. I just wanted to reach out and slap him so hard, at least I was not alone in this feeling. You go, Mira! I really enjoyed that she never let him push her around unless it might hurt someone close to her. Everett just plain sucks.
All in all, it was a good read, one I definitely enjoyed. I can't to see what happens next. Hopefully Geery's story is next in line. It would be nice to see her fall for a human after her telling Mira what she was doing was wrong. Oh how the mighty will fall, or at least I hope so. Well it's time to go, another assignment awaits. *Spy music plays*
I am not going to go into the story as the summary kinda explains it and I don't really want to give away too much about the plot. Sometimes with a story like this it is best to stick to talking about how much I liked the characters. This way I don't feel like I have given the whole story away.
So we have this alien named Mira. Yeah that's right she's the alien, for some reason when I bought this book I thought she was going to another world and was human. Ha ha I was totally wrong, but I can tell you I am glad I was wrong. Mira made an awesome alien right down to her enjoyment of human food. I laughed so hard when I was reading about her eating food. It was so funny. Not to mention her comments to Geery about the way human "males" smell, totally priceless! Not that this book was all fun and games. There is a lot of intrigue and mystery to it as well. After all Mira was sent there for a reason.
Jesse, oh you super cute sweetie you. I loved Jesse. He was a great match for Mira. I loved how he trusted her despite the fact that he knew she was keeping things from him. He never let his faith in her fail, never gave up even when it looked like things were impossible. I liked how he waited for her to tell him the truth, and his reaction to it, wow, what a guy. Could he be anymore perfect, umm yeah he can, but I won't go into that. He he. Just trust me you will love Jesse!
Geery is a Mira's friend from her home planet. I loved her interaction with Mira, it was hilarious. I love her "human" quotes from movies, she definitely added the right kind of flavour to ExtraNormal. She is the type of friend you want with you for life. She was a great support character and I can't wait to see if or when Ms. Reese writes a story about her. I really hope she does.
Now we get to the annoying boy you just can't stand, you know the one that makes you want to slap him. Everett, wow what a jerk! I hated this boy from the first moment I read about arrival. I just wanted to reach out and slap him so hard, at least I was not alone in this feeling. You go, Mira! I really enjoyed that she never let him push her around unless it might hurt someone close to her. Everett just plain sucks.
All in all, it was a good read, one I definitely enjoyed. I can't to see what happens next. Hopefully Geery's story is next in line. It would be nice to see her fall for a human after her telling Mira what she was doing was wrong. Oh how the mighty will fall, or at least I hope so. Well it's time to go, another assignment awaits. *Spy music plays*
March 7, 2017
1.5
Meh.
Meh.
August 5, 2016
ExtraNormal is a book that I had been waiting to read for a long time now. I finally got to read it and to say that it was awesome would be an understatement. It was infinitely better. I took my time writing this review and talking about things I really, really liked in ExtraNormal. So here I go.
ExtraNormal jumped right into the story from the first page. Mira is an alien from the planet Nreim which is exactly like Earth, the differences being in their far advanced technology and a permanent improvment in their genetics and food. She was selected out of 603 other applicants to go on a mission to observe the Alisons high school teachers and married. Mira is to report on them and to work on the doubts the Council has regarding them.
Everything is provided for by the Council and her Mom, being a part of the government, is sent with Mira on another mission. Mira does not have any knowhow of how cell phones work and why does she find cafeteria food to be highly palatable. She makes friends in school and eight years old Becca, her neighbor, is thrust upon her quite suddenly.
Then there is Jesse, the boy who stuck in Mira's mind on her first day in Loc Robles High School. However, Mira is prohibited to interact with any males on earth for reasons she doesn't understand. That doesn't really matter because she smells disgusting odor when she is around males anyway. But Jesse is different, deep and interesting. One of the things I really liked about him was how he he clearly disliked sneaking around with Mira.
Everett is a very disturbing character as much as Alisons are creepy. He is ruthless and reeks of hatred for Mira. As time progresses, Mira knows that she has something bigger on her hands than she could ever imagine. And when her Dad arrives to Earth, she just knows she has a very limited time to uncover the truth and not leave Jesse behind.
Being a story involving aliens, ExtraNormal is a little hard to understand with all the technology regarding electromagnetic fields, being able to sense the emotions of other people and Mira's ability to stream with Geery, her BFF, back on Neirm. Their relationships work in a very different way than on Earth. The people on Neirm are linked in their 20s and then they undergo a permanent repatterning in their magnetic fields. Meaning that when her Mom is away from Dad, their Em-fields change and may be fatal if went on for a long time.
So when Mira finds herself being linked to Jesse she is beyond confused as the concept is incomprehensible. The love she feels emanating from him is unlike any other emotion she has witnessed and it makes her feel divine bliss. I really liked Jesse, he is a very sweet, under-valued and mysterious protagonist. The only thing I didn't like was how he followed Mira from school to see that she gets home safely. But otherwise, he is a very lovable character; strong-willed yet soft.
The story of ExtraNormal is very interesting and I loved how it progressed. The pace was perfect and the world building took me on a ride and left me breathless. The concept behind ExtraNormal is extremely innovative and highly interesting to read about. Suze Reese is a genius for creating the world of Mira and Jesse. In other words, I simply adored ExtraNormal.
ExtraNormal jumped right into the story from the first page. Mira is an alien from the planet Nreim which is exactly like Earth, the differences being in their far advanced technology and a permanent improvment in their genetics and food. She was selected out of 603 other applicants to go on a mission to observe the Alisons high school teachers and married. Mira is to report on them and to work on the doubts the Council has regarding them.
Everything is provided for by the Council and her Mom, being a part of the government, is sent with Mira on another mission. Mira does not have any knowhow of how cell phones work and why does she find cafeteria food to be highly palatable. She makes friends in school and eight years old Becca, her neighbor, is thrust upon her quite suddenly.
Then there is Jesse, the boy who stuck in Mira's mind on her first day in Loc Robles High School. However, Mira is prohibited to interact with any males on earth for reasons she doesn't understand. That doesn't really matter because she smells disgusting odor when she is around males anyway. But Jesse is different, deep and interesting. One of the things I really liked about him was how he he clearly disliked sneaking around with Mira.
Everett is a very disturbing character as much as Alisons are creepy. He is ruthless and reeks of hatred for Mira. As time progresses, Mira knows that she has something bigger on her hands than she could ever imagine. And when her Dad arrives to Earth, she just knows she has a very limited time to uncover the truth and not leave Jesse behind.
Being a story involving aliens, ExtraNormal is a little hard to understand with all the technology regarding electromagnetic fields, being able to sense the emotions of other people and Mira's ability to stream with Geery, her BFF, back on Neirm. Their relationships work in a very different way than on Earth. The people on Neirm are linked in their 20s and then they undergo a permanent repatterning in their magnetic fields. Meaning that when her Mom is away from Dad, their Em-fields change and may be fatal if went on for a long time.
So when Mira finds herself being linked to Jesse she is beyond confused as the concept is incomprehensible. The love she feels emanating from him is unlike any other emotion she has witnessed and it makes her feel divine bliss. I really liked Jesse, he is a very sweet, under-valued and mysterious protagonist. The only thing I didn't like was how he followed Mira from school to see that she gets home safely. But otherwise, he is a very lovable character; strong-willed yet soft.
The story of ExtraNormal is very interesting and I loved how it progressed. The pace was perfect and the world building took me on a ride and left me breathless. The concept behind ExtraNormal is extremely innovative and highly interesting to read about. Suze Reese is a genius for creating the world of Mira and Jesse. In other words, I simply adored ExtraNormal.
April 23, 2012
This is a book that is like no other that this reviewer has experienced.
If you are looking for the usually YA fair of weres, vamps, zombies, and the like; you should probably stop reading here. This is not the book for you. Though the characters of this book are decidedly out of the ordinary, they are very much alive and definitely not "extra-furry".
The New Girl
As if being the "new girl" at school is not bad enough, try being the new girl on the planet. This is the predicament in which our reluctant heroine Mira Johns finds herself. Though she comes equipt with some very cool powers; she still has to deal with the very human issues of love, an assault, the responsibilities of
her job as an operative for her home world, her loyalty to her parents, and the hierarchy of the high school social strata.
At the start of the story, Mira is very detached from her surroundings. She is overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, and most interestingly the smells of the people around her. Her speech is very clinical and matter of fact as she refers to boys as "males" and people as "humans". This is such a welcome change from the books in which the special beings come to our meager planet already fully ready to assimilate our speech patterns and culture as easily as they would slide into a pair of new jeans. A major part of Mira's likeability comes form the fact that she, along with her long-distance gal pal Geary, have to "grow into" Neoearth and all of its primitive quaintness.
Jesse
He is the "perfect" guy. At least he's perfect for Mira. He's so perfect that she begins to fall for him on the first page of the book. In the interest of time and blog space; all mention of his swoon worthy actions will be summed up thusly.
He saves the princess too many times to count, is a completely gentleman, and is willing to do anything for the love of his lady!
Oh yeah, he's cover model gorgeous and has a rep for being mental institution CRAZY!
OK so perfect is a relative term!
The Baddies
There are quite a few. This is where the story really starts to get interesting and where this blogger clams up. Let's just say that there is a certain sleazeball that is a little more than meets the eye and that his apple didn't fall too far from the sleazeball tree. (Cue mysterious music here.)
Parents In YA...WTF???
Yes, people Mira has parents! In fact, she and everyone in the book have them. It comes as a pleasant surprise that the mates of her world can not stand to be parted for long periods of time because their pair bond is so strong. Mira's parents although busy, make an effort to put her first and be there for her whenever possible. This is not to say that they get things right all the time, but they do try. Oh, and try not to get on the bad side of Mira's mom. She has guns! LOL!
In Short
If you want a read that will touch your heart mind and funny bone all at the same time; this is the read for you
It is so well written that and the story so fleshed out that it can stand alone as a singular story. Thanks be to Suze Reese and all of her muses that this is just the first book in a fabulous journey to worlds unknown.
*This review was cross posted from my blog.*
If you are looking for the usually YA fair of weres, vamps, zombies, and the like; you should probably stop reading here. This is not the book for you. Though the characters of this book are decidedly out of the ordinary, they are very much alive and definitely not "extra-furry".
The New Girl
As if being the "new girl" at school is not bad enough, try being the new girl on the planet. This is the predicament in which our reluctant heroine Mira Johns finds herself. Though she comes equipt with some very cool powers; she still has to deal with the very human issues of love, an assault, the responsibilities of
her job as an operative for her home world, her loyalty to her parents, and the hierarchy of the high school social strata.
At the start of the story, Mira is very detached from her surroundings. She is overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, and most interestingly the smells of the people around her. Her speech is very clinical and matter of fact as she refers to boys as "males" and people as "humans". This is such a welcome change from the books in which the special beings come to our meager planet already fully ready to assimilate our speech patterns and culture as easily as they would slide into a pair of new jeans. A major part of Mira's likeability comes form the fact that she, along with her long-distance gal pal Geary, have to "grow into" Neoearth and all of its primitive quaintness.
Jesse
He is the "perfect" guy. At least he's perfect for Mira. He's so perfect that she begins to fall for him on the first page of the book. In the interest of time and blog space; all mention of his swoon worthy actions will be summed up thusly.
He saves the princess too many times to count, is a completely gentleman, and is willing to do anything for the love of his lady!
Oh yeah, he's cover model gorgeous and has a rep for being mental institution CRAZY!
OK so perfect is a relative term!
The Baddies
There are quite a few. This is where the story really starts to get interesting and where this blogger clams up. Let's just say that there is a certain sleazeball that is a little more than meets the eye and that his apple didn't fall too far from the sleazeball tree. (Cue mysterious music here.)
Parents In YA...WTF???
Yes, people Mira has parents! In fact, she and everyone in the book have them. It comes as a pleasant surprise that the mates of her world can not stand to be parted for long periods of time because their pair bond is so strong. Mira's parents although busy, make an effort to put her first and be there for her whenever possible. This is not to say that they get things right all the time, but they do try. Oh, and try not to get on the bad side of Mira's mom. She has guns! LOL!
In Short
If you want a read that will touch your heart mind and funny bone all at the same time; this is the read for you
It is so well written that and the story so fleshed out that it can stand alone as a singular story. Thanks be to Suze Reese and all of her muses that this is just the first book in a fabulous journey to worlds unknown.
*This review was cross posted from my blog.*
September 18, 2014
I was kindly provided an ebook version for free by the author.
ExtraNormal is exactly my kind of YA. It's fast-paced, it's smartly written, it's got a love story that leaves you sighing, and (the icing on the literary cake) it's paranormal.
ExtraNormal sucks you in from the start, throwing you right in the middle of Mira's struggles to blend in with the human students at Los Robles High School. She knows the rules for her mission, but sticking to them proves to be a challenge. Luckily, her best friend Geery is only a stream (a sort of telepathic communication) away. Although Geery is back home on Nreim, she keeps Mira company from afar.
Despite Mira's resolve to avoid interaction, especially with human guys, she keeps running into one guy in particular: Jesse Mecham. He's a bit of an outcast, due to a mysterious situation at school last year, but Mira sees past everyone else's apprehension and becomes friends with him. Good friends. And even though she tries to resist, she can't help falling in love with him. Which is a huge deal for a nafarian like Mira, because Jesse's a human, and human-nafarian matches are a big, life-threatening no-no.
The romance between Mira and Jesse is a big part of the book, and I loved every moment of it. But another major part of the book is the mystery that starts building almost as soon as Mira arrives, which becomes more involved and more dangerous as each day passes. I really don't want to give away anything that has to do with the plot, because it's so exciting to learn it piece by piece along with Mira. As she starts putting the clues together, she finds they involve those around her: the teachers, Dr. Alison and Dr. Tom; the nextdoor neighbor, Becca; the annoying guy at school, Everett, who always seems to be around when trouble arises. The plot builds and builds until it all comes to an exciting, dramatic end, and you're not sure until the very last moment if Mira's going to come away as a hero or a failure. The conclusion leaves things wide open for the next books in the series; it could go pretty much any direction from here, which makes it all the more intriguing and makes me wish the next book was out NOW.
ExtraNormal is one of the best YA books I've read in a long while; it's got well-crafted relatable characters, an innocently passionate love story, a strong storyline that keeps you compulsively flipping pages, and an ending that leaves you dying for more. I'll definitely be snagging the next book in the ExtraNormal series as soon as it hits shelves and/or ereaders!
Full review originally posted on my blog, PidginPea's Book Nook.
ExtraNormal is exactly my kind of YA. It's fast-paced, it's smartly written, it's got a love story that leaves you sighing, and (the icing on the literary cake) it's paranormal.
ExtraNormal sucks you in from the start, throwing you right in the middle of Mira's struggles to blend in with the human students at Los Robles High School. She knows the rules for her mission, but sticking to them proves to be a challenge. Luckily, her best friend Geery is only a stream (a sort of telepathic communication) away. Although Geery is back home on Nreim, she keeps Mira company from afar.
Despite Mira's resolve to avoid interaction, especially with human guys, she keeps running into one guy in particular: Jesse Mecham. He's a bit of an outcast, due to a mysterious situation at school last year, but Mira sees past everyone else's apprehension and becomes friends with him. Good friends. And even though she tries to resist, she can't help falling in love with him. Which is a huge deal for a nafarian like Mira, because Jesse's a human, and human-nafarian matches are a big, life-threatening no-no.
The romance between Mira and Jesse is a big part of the book, and I loved every moment of it. But another major part of the book is the mystery that starts building almost as soon as Mira arrives, which becomes more involved and more dangerous as each day passes. I really don't want to give away anything that has to do with the plot, because it's so exciting to learn it piece by piece along with Mira. As she starts putting the clues together, she finds they involve those around her: the teachers, Dr. Alison and Dr. Tom; the nextdoor neighbor, Becca; the annoying guy at school, Everett, who always seems to be around when trouble arises. The plot builds and builds until it all comes to an exciting, dramatic end, and you're not sure until the very last moment if Mira's going to come away as a hero or a failure. The conclusion leaves things wide open for the next books in the series; it could go pretty much any direction from here, which makes it all the more intriguing and makes me wish the next book was out NOW.
ExtraNormal is one of the best YA books I've read in a long while; it's got well-crafted relatable characters, an innocently passionate love story, a strong storyline that keeps you compulsively flipping pages, and an ending that leaves you dying for more. I'll definitely be snagging the next book in the ExtraNormal series as soon as it hits shelves and/or ereaders!
Full review originally posted on my blog, PidginPea's Book Nook.
March 1, 2012
Spanish Review
No se muy bien como iniciar esta reseña por dos razones: la primera es simplemente que este libro no es malo, pero por alguna extraña razón no me dejo sintiendo nada (estoy completamente neutra, a falta de otra palabra) y la segunda es que casi todas mis reseñas se basan en lo anterior, en como me siento al terminar un libro, y no se muy bien que poner acerca de este... Pero bueno, espero que salga bien.
Desde que vi la portada y leí la sinopsis sabia que tenia que leer este libro, por lo mismo que incluye ciencia ficción y últimamente me ha gustado bastante el genero, pero hubo algo en este libro que no termino de llenarme y la verdad es que sigo sin poder decir que fue...
La historia es bastante revolucionaria para el genero juvenil y me encanto que (gracias por esto!) no hubiera un triangulo amoroso con el que lidiar, ya que en el planeta de Mira, Nreim, que se podría decir es como el hermano gemelo de la Tierra pero mucho mas "avanzado" (porque tienen reglas que ni al caso), cuando llegas a ser adulto te "emparejas" con alguien para siempre, y este vinculo es tan fuerte que estar lejos de la persona te puede causar un dolor muy profundo, incluso llegar a matarte... Todo esto, junto con una historia de amor tierna y pura, le dan algunos puntos al libro y fue lo que me hizo seguir leyendo hasta el final...
Por parte de los personajes, la verdad no pude conectarme con Mira, por mas que lo intente y por mas que quería que de verdad me agradara como protagonista, simplemente no se pudo... La encontré bastante común, sin nada que la hiciera resaltar, a excepción de la forma tan infantil y sin malicia en que llegaba a disfrutar las cosas que le estaban prohibidas en su mundo (como ir a la playa o comer galletas con chispas de chocolate)... Pero Jesse, mi querido Jesse, supongo que el fue la otra razón por la que seguí leyendo; simplemente me encanto su forma de ser y sus valores, y la forma en que se siente hacia Mira me hizo suspirar muchas veces (yo también quiero un Jesse!)
El misterio también es otro punto fuerte de la historia, porque hay algunos que vienen desde Nreim que quieren conquistar la Tierra, y Mira debe descubrir sus planes antes de que los lleven a cabo; aunque he de decir, que encontré al villano demasiado insoportable ¬¬ Me daban ganas de golpearlo!
Pues supongo que eso es todo... He leído muchas reseñas en Goodreads que lo ponen muy bien, pero tal vez este libro no era para mi... Recomiendo que si tienen la oportunidad lo lean, vale la pena y tal vez a ustedes les guste mas que a mi, porque ya saben lo que dicen "El gusto se rompe en Géneros"
No se muy bien como iniciar esta reseña por dos razones: la primera es simplemente que este libro no es malo, pero por alguna extraña razón no me dejo sintiendo nada (estoy completamente neutra, a falta de otra palabra) y la segunda es que casi todas mis reseñas se basan en lo anterior, en como me siento al terminar un libro, y no se muy bien que poner acerca de este... Pero bueno, espero que salga bien.
Desde que vi la portada y leí la sinopsis sabia que tenia que leer este libro, por lo mismo que incluye ciencia ficción y últimamente me ha gustado bastante el genero, pero hubo algo en este libro que no termino de llenarme y la verdad es que sigo sin poder decir que fue...
La historia es bastante revolucionaria para el genero juvenil y me encanto que (gracias por esto!) no hubiera un triangulo amoroso con el que lidiar, ya que en el planeta de Mira, Nreim, que se podría decir es como el hermano gemelo de la Tierra pero mucho mas "avanzado" (porque tienen reglas que ni al caso), cuando llegas a ser adulto te "emparejas" con alguien para siempre, y este vinculo es tan fuerte que estar lejos de la persona te puede causar un dolor muy profundo, incluso llegar a matarte... Todo esto, junto con una historia de amor tierna y pura, le dan algunos puntos al libro y fue lo que me hizo seguir leyendo hasta el final...
Por parte de los personajes, la verdad no pude conectarme con Mira, por mas que lo intente y por mas que quería que de verdad me agradara como protagonista, simplemente no se pudo... La encontré bastante común, sin nada que la hiciera resaltar, a excepción de la forma tan infantil y sin malicia en que llegaba a disfrutar las cosas que le estaban prohibidas en su mundo (como ir a la playa o comer galletas con chispas de chocolate)... Pero Jesse, mi querido Jesse, supongo que el fue la otra razón por la que seguí leyendo; simplemente me encanto su forma de ser y sus valores, y la forma en que se siente hacia Mira me hizo suspirar muchas veces (yo también quiero un Jesse!)
El misterio también es otro punto fuerte de la historia, porque hay algunos que vienen desde Nreim que quieren conquistar la Tierra, y Mira debe descubrir sus planes antes de que los lleven a cabo; aunque he de decir, que encontré al villano demasiado insoportable ¬¬ Me daban ganas de golpearlo!
Pues supongo que eso es todo... He leído muchas reseñas en Goodreads que lo ponen muy bien, pero tal vez este libro no era para mi... Recomiendo que si tienen la oportunidad lo lean, vale la pena y tal vez a ustedes les guste mas que a mi, porque ya saben lo que dicen "El gusto se rompe en Géneros"
May 6, 2012
Originally posted @ Book Whales
This book is different for me, in a good way that is. I’ve read a lot of YA books about vampires, werewolves, fairies, ghosts, you name it! But I’ve only come across very few novels about aliens. (And no, I haven’t read Obsidian yet) Yep! This is one of them. Usually, the “aliens” are the “love interests” of our dear heroine, but this time, it’s the other way around, which is pretty cool for me.
We follow Mira, our “alien” heroine who was given a special mission to Earth. It was really hard for her at first because she had to adapt and pass as being “human” and had to deal with a lot of new things (like cheeseburgers!), plus she has to avoid all the “males” as she always call them. She thought it was easy, until she met Jesse. No matter how hard Mira tries to avoid him, her attraction for him was enough for her to break the rules.
I really had fun reading this and I just couldn’t put it down. Mira is a great character. I love her reactions whenever she comes across some things/foods on Earth, especially when she eats the foods. She’s a strong heroine who’s independent and will do anything for the greater good. Her best friend Geery is also a great character and I can easily say she’s my favorite. One of the exciting parts of the book is when Mira is communicating with Geery. She’s funny and a very loyal friend and I can’t wait to see more of her in the second book. Jesse is a sweet guy who’ll do anything for Mira, while Everett, well, let’s just say that I don’t like him at all. He’s pretty much annoying throughout the whole book.
Extranormal is a really great read and I definitely recommend it to YA lovers, especially those who like books that involve Aliens. I really can’t wait for the next book, especially with that cliffhanger ending! I hope there will be more Geery! *crosses fingers*
Rating:
This book is different for me, in a good way that is. I’ve read a lot of YA books about vampires, werewolves, fairies, ghosts, you name it! But I’ve only come across very few novels about aliens. (And no, I haven’t read Obsidian yet) Yep! This is one of them. Usually, the “aliens” are the “love interests” of our dear heroine, but this time, it’s the other way around, which is pretty cool for me.
We follow Mira, our “alien” heroine who was given a special mission to Earth. It was really hard for her at first because she had to adapt and pass as being “human” and had to deal with a lot of new things (like cheeseburgers!), plus she has to avoid all the “males” as she always call them. She thought it was easy, until she met Jesse. No matter how hard Mira tries to avoid him, her attraction for him was enough for her to break the rules.
I really had fun reading this and I just couldn’t put it down. Mira is a great character. I love her reactions whenever she comes across some things/foods on Earth, especially when she eats the foods. She’s a strong heroine who’s independent and will do anything for the greater good. Her best friend Geery is also a great character and I can easily say she’s my favorite. One of the exciting parts of the book is when Mira is communicating with Geery. She’s funny and a very loyal friend and I can’t wait to see more of her in the second book. Jesse is a sweet guy who’ll do anything for Mira, while Everett, well, let’s just say that I don’t like him at all. He’s pretty much annoying throughout the whole book.
Extranormal is a really great read and I definitely recommend it to YA lovers, especially those who like books that involve Aliens. I really can’t wait for the next book, especially with that cliffhanger ending! I hope there will be more Geery! *crosses fingers*
Rating:
March 15, 2013
“Mira Johns is pretty much like any other teenage girl. Except that she knows how to harness electro-magnetic energy to communicate without words. And she's really, really far from home.
Her assignment as an emissary to Earth sounds fairly simple: blend in, observe, and stay away from the planet’s primitive males. But she quickly learns that nothing about this assignment is as easy as it seems.”
I really enjoyed Ms. Reese’s unique, innovative story line and the sci-fi components. I loved how the author worked all the uses of electro-magnetic energy into the alien society. What was most intriguing was how and why the alien civilization had eliminated or controlled certain sociological and environmental elements, which we take for granted, believing they were providing a better quality of life for their species. They infiltrated our society, which was easy to do because they were humanoid, with the intent to aid us along our evolutionary path. I can only hope that perhaps we aid them on a path of de-evolution in the future books of this series.
Mira’s task seemed simple enough; little did anyone realize the depths some leaders are willing to go to advance themselves, not necessarily for the greater good. Mira faced similar decisions putting herself, her family, and her friends at risk as she unravels and tries to piece together the mystery she finds herself in the midst of. I found the story a little tedious in the middle as Mira struggles with all the lies she has to tell repeatedly. However, I was greatly entertained with her conversations with Geery, her best friend back home, through thought streams. Everett was truly frightening with his abilities of mind control and Jesse, provided the perfect flawed romantic lead. He is a mystery at first, but as his character unfolds, you will be blown away. I thought the story ended on a nice note and sets up the next adventure quite well.
I think this is going to be a great series, probably for older teens because of the angst that was dealt with. The romantic element was YA appropriate and heartwarming. I found no significant editing errors or issues.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. ** March 8, 2013
Her assignment as an emissary to Earth sounds fairly simple: blend in, observe, and stay away from the planet’s primitive males. But she quickly learns that nothing about this assignment is as easy as it seems.”
I really enjoyed Ms. Reese’s unique, innovative story line and the sci-fi components. I loved how the author worked all the uses of electro-magnetic energy into the alien society. What was most intriguing was how and why the alien civilization had eliminated or controlled certain sociological and environmental elements, which we take for granted, believing they were providing a better quality of life for their species. They infiltrated our society, which was easy to do because they were humanoid, with the intent to aid us along our evolutionary path. I can only hope that perhaps we aid them on a path of de-evolution in the future books of this series.
Mira’s task seemed simple enough; little did anyone realize the depths some leaders are willing to go to advance themselves, not necessarily for the greater good. Mira faced similar decisions putting herself, her family, and her friends at risk as she unravels and tries to piece together the mystery she finds herself in the midst of. I found the story a little tedious in the middle as Mira struggles with all the lies she has to tell repeatedly. However, I was greatly entertained with her conversations with Geery, her best friend back home, through thought streams. Everett was truly frightening with his abilities of mind control and Jesse, provided the perfect flawed romantic lead. He is a mystery at first, but as his character unfolds, you will be blown away. I thought the story ended on a nice note and sets up the next adventure quite well.
I think this is going to be a great series, probably for older teens because of the angst that was dealt with. The romantic element was YA appropriate and heartwarming. I found no significant editing errors or issues.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. ** March 8, 2013
May 22, 2012
*An ARC was provided by Valarian Press in exchange for an honest review*
I was super-excited to read this book. I loved the cover and the summery made it seem like a really original, interesting book. Sadly, it was the complete opposite.
I really wanted to like this book, I really did. But I just couldn’t. It was so clichéd and dramatic and…dumb. I couldn’t stand it. First off, I had no idea what Mira was. Reeze didn’t explain ANYTHING. She just assumed we already knew everything. The writing was good, the idea was good, but the story line was horrible. I feel like Reeze was trying a bit too hard. I don’t watch any of the mystery shows out today like CSI or Cold Case or anything, but I’m pretty sure that if I did I would feel like I was reading this book. There was no originality; it was just the typical mystery drama. And speaking of drama, I hated the romance. It was way too dramatic, and kind of creepy. Jesse thought Mira was helpless and followed her home every night. That’s not romantic, that’s creepy. He’s like a stalker. I just think it was way overdone. Here’s a quote about the romance:
“Listen Jesse, if I do have to leave…and I promise to try to let my pattern go back to how it was…will you promise to do the same? To move on and find someone else?”
“No. I can’t even imagine…”
“Neither can I. But if I’m willing to try …”
That’s what the entire book was like: drama drama I’ll never get over you and more drama.
I really really wish I could say that I liked Jesse even a little bit, but I can’t. He was so annoying. He stalked her every night, thought she was weak and couldn’t take care of herself, and was just downright annoying.
Same for Mira. Way to dependent on Jesse.
I really wish I had liked this book more, and I really tried to, but I just couldn’t. The clichés and annoying romance was just too much to overlook.
~Emily @ Emily's Crammed Bookshelf
I was super-excited to read this book. I loved the cover and the summery made it seem like a really original, interesting book. Sadly, it was the complete opposite.
I really wanted to like this book, I really did. But I just couldn’t. It was so clichéd and dramatic and…dumb. I couldn’t stand it. First off, I had no idea what Mira was. Reeze didn’t explain ANYTHING. She just assumed we already knew everything. The writing was good, the idea was good, but the story line was horrible. I feel like Reeze was trying a bit too hard. I don’t watch any of the mystery shows out today like CSI or Cold Case or anything, but I’m pretty sure that if I did I would feel like I was reading this book. There was no originality; it was just the typical mystery drama. And speaking of drama, I hated the romance. It was way too dramatic, and kind of creepy. Jesse thought Mira was helpless and followed her home every night. That’s not romantic, that’s creepy. He’s like a stalker. I just think it was way overdone. Here’s a quote about the romance:
“Listen Jesse, if I do have to leave…and I promise to try to let my pattern go back to how it was…will you promise to do the same? To move on and find someone else?”
“No. I can’t even imagine…”
“Neither can I. But if I’m willing to try …”
That’s what the entire book was like: drama drama I’ll never get over you and more drama.
I really really wish I could say that I liked Jesse even a little bit, but I can’t. He was so annoying. He stalked her every night, thought she was weak and couldn’t take care of herself, and was just downright annoying.
Same for Mira. Way to dependent on Jesse.
I really wish I had liked this book more, and I really tried to, but I just couldn’t. The clichés and annoying romance was just too much to overlook.
~Emily @ Emily's Crammed Bookshelf
March 8, 2013
“Extranormal” by, Suze Reese
Mira Johnson is a normal teenage girl who just happens to be from another planet. She is part of an alien race from the planet Nreim (The Nreim race is also a human race, just much more advanced) and she has been sent to earth on a mission. Mira’s job is to observe and record any information she finds out about two teachers in Los Robles High School. (The school that she starts attending after coming to Earth with her mother) The two teachers are from Mira’s planet and they are suspected of breaking Nreim laws.
Mira spent a lot of time studying Earth in preparation for her assignment and she is very excited to get started. However, the reality of trying to blend in with a different race is much more complicated than Mira expected and as the days pass she begins to realize how unprepared she really is.
I have to start out by saying that I really loved this book! I enjoy discovering new authors and when I saw “Extranormal” on Goodreads I was immediately drawn to the beautiful cover. As lovely as the cover is, the story inside is the real treasure. “Extranormal” is a teen romance beautifully woven together with science fiction. (Two of my very favorite things!) Mira is a very relatable character and I loved that she thought things through. She’s not whiny or insipid like so many of the lead females you find in teen books.
Jesse is our hero and a very sweet one at that. Honest, kind, and protective; Jesse is sure to make any girl’s heart race. The chemistry between Mira and Jesse starts out slow and grows at a nice pace. (For the people who might wonder, the romance is clean and appropriate for teens and young adults.) I found this story to be a very nice change from a lot of the books that are out there right now.
“Extranormal” is a very sweet romance mixed with science fiction and mystery. I loved it and I can’t wait to read more from Suze Reese.
Mira Johnson is a normal teenage girl who just happens to be from another planet. She is part of an alien race from the planet Nreim (The Nreim race is also a human race, just much more advanced) and she has been sent to earth on a mission. Mira’s job is to observe and record any information she finds out about two teachers in Los Robles High School. (The school that she starts attending after coming to Earth with her mother) The two teachers are from Mira’s planet and they are suspected of breaking Nreim laws.
Mira spent a lot of time studying Earth in preparation for her assignment and she is very excited to get started. However, the reality of trying to blend in with a different race is much more complicated than Mira expected and as the days pass she begins to realize how unprepared she really is.
I have to start out by saying that I really loved this book! I enjoy discovering new authors and when I saw “Extranormal” on Goodreads I was immediately drawn to the beautiful cover. As lovely as the cover is, the story inside is the real treasure. “Extranormal” is a teen romance beautifully woven together with science fiction. (Two of my very favorite things!) Mira is a very relatable character and I loved that she thought things through. She’s not whiny or insipid like so many of the lead females you find in teen books.
Jesse is our hero and a very sweet one at that. Honest, kind, and protective; Jesse is sure to make any girl’s heart race. The chemistry between Mira and Jesse starts out slow and grows at a nice pace. (For the people who might wonder, the romance is clean and appropriate for teens and young adults.) I found this story to be a very nice change from a lot of the books that are out there right now.
“Extranormal” is a very sweet romance mixed with science fiction and mystery. I loved it and I can’t wait to read more from Suze Reese.
March 24, 2014
Goodreads Synopsis: An extraordinary tale of an ExtraNormal girl.
Mira Johns is pretty much like any other teenage girl. Except that she knows how to harness electro-magnetic energy to communicate without words.
And she's really, really far from home.
Her assignment as an emissary to Earth sounds fairly simple: blend in, observe, and stay away from the planet's primitive males.
But after she finds one boy too irresistible for stupid rules, she realizes the real reason she's supposed to keep her distance: mates from her world can die if separated.
Mira's only hope is to uncover the truth to why she, the most mediocre of candidates, was actually chosen for this assignment--before the agency discovers her secret and sends her back home.
ExtraNormal has characters you'll love, and a story you'll never expect.
My Review: I wasn't totally sure what this book was going to be about when I started reading it. It definitely wasn't what I expected. I'm sure my rating for this book would be higher if the story had more alien parts to it. You would never expect that Mira is an alien unless she's constantly talking about it, like she does, or the story tells you. They don't look different, they don't talk different, they don't act different. They can do different things, but they don't really act like I would expect aliens to act. That's why the rating is low. I would have liked a little more integration into human society, changes, instead of just boom, she's there, and now she can act totally normal and no one will expect a thing. It's a good story, I just wish there was more Alien stuff in it. it just feels like another not so paranormal book to me. I don't know. I liked it, but I feel like I could've liked it a lot more. Check it out and let me know what you think! :P
Thanks for reading, here's a link to my blog: (where this will be posted, along with other reviews.)
radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com
Mira Johns is pretty much like any other teenage girl. Except that she knows how to harness electro-magnetic energy to communicate without words.
And she's really, really far from home.
Her assignment as an emissary to Earth sounds fairly simple: blend in, observe, and stay away from the planet's primitive males.
But after she finds one boy too irresistible for stupid rules, she realizes the real reason she's supposed to keep her distance: mates from her world can die if separated.
Mira's only hope is to uncover the truth to why she, the most mediocre of candidates, was actually chosen for this assignment--before the agency discovers her secret and sends her back home.
ExtraNormal has characters you'll love, and a story you'll never expect.
My Review: I wasn't totally sure what this book was going to be about when I started reading it. It definitely wasn't what I expected. I'm sure my rating for this book would be higher if the story had more alien parts to it. You would never expect that Mira is an alien unless she's constantly talking about it, like she does, or the story tells you. They don't look different, they don't talk different, they don't act different. They can do different things, but they don't really act like I would expect aliens to act. That's why the rating is low. I would have liked a little more integration into human society, changes, instead of just boom, she's there, and now she can act totally normal and no one will expect a thing. It's a good story, I just wish there was more Alien stuff in it. it just feels like another not so paranormal book to me. I don't know. I liked it, but I feel like I could've liked it a lot more. Check it out and let me know what you think! :P
Thanks for reading, here's a link to my blog: (where this will be posted, along with other reviews.)
radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com
January 26, 2015
Ok. So, to begin, let me just say that I was really looking forward to this book. I had such high expectations... And then they were crushed. And for all of one reason....
THE INSTA-LOVE! Like... Why? Suddenly Jesse (the love interest) was in love with her after saying all of two words to her. And it wasn't that I suspected he loved her. No. It was that she could sense his love and obvious affection for her. (Because she can sense emotions. It's part of her electro-magenetic alien powers.) No. And then she goes on to tell him that she's never felt this way, and I'm just sitting here like: Whaaaat just happened. This is your first real conversation together
*Bangs forehead repeatedly*
And what makes this all worse is that it had started out really good and I really liked it. I really liked Jesse. He was so cute and awkward. It was really adorable. But... They hadn't really ever talked. So imagine my surprise. Just out of the blue. BAM! Love. And then he admits that he follows her home after work and she thought it was so noble. And literally all I could thing was:
"Holy crap. He just turned into Edward Cullen."
That's not romantic. It's just plain weird. And stalkerish. I cannot tell you how many times she has felt him watching her. It was (I am not kidding) All. The. Time.
So, it's safe to say that this book took an unexpected turn for the worst. I didn't finish it. I recommend this book to anyone who likes instant love. If that's your thing, go for it. You might really like it.
This book could have been AMAZING had it not been for the insta-love. Oh why cruel fate? Why?
THE INSTA-LOVE! Like... Why? Suddenly Jesse (the love interest) was in love with her after saying all of two words to her. And it wasn't that I suspected he loved her. No. It was that she could sense his love and obvious affection for her. (Because she can sense emotions. It's part of her electro-magenetic alien powers.) No. And then she goes on to tell him that she's never felt this way, and I'm just sitting here like: Whaaaat just happened. This is your first real conversation together
*Bangs forehead repeatedly*
And what makes this all worse is that it had started out really good and I really liked it. I really liked Jesse. He was so cute and awkward. It was really adorable. But... They hadn't really ever talked. So imagine my surprise. Just out of the blue. BAM! Love. And then he admits that he follows her home after work and she thought it was so noble. And literally all I could thing was:
"Holy crap. He just turned into Edward Cullen."
That's not romantic. It's just plain weird. And stalkerish. I cannot tell you how many times she has felt him watching her. It was (I am not kidding) All. The. Time.
So, it's safe to say that this book took an unexpected turn for the worst. I didn't finish it. I recommend this book to anyone who likes instant love. If that's your thing, go for it. You might really like it.
This book could have been AMAZING had it not been for the insta-love. Oh why cruel fate? Why?
May 3, 2012
Cover Thoughts-I love it! It's so unearthly and magnetic just like the book. I pictures Mira just like that!
First Thought-
Aliens? Umm well this is different. I have never read anything about alien romance.
What I liked-ExtraNormal is completely unique. I wasn't sure how much I would like reading about aliens and science stuff but this was not what I expected. It was awesome. This girl gets an opportunity of a lifetime and the first day is already breaking rules like eating Earth food, talking to males, and well falling in love. I love the effects Suze Reese added to Mira's race of people. They can stream which is like talking through mind. They can sense emotions and do basically everything better. So it only makes it harder for Mira to stay on the down-low to keep her mission a secret. She must get evidence that 2 suspecting teachers changed their beliefs in exchange for the Earth ones. She runs into a million different distractions and pieces of information she must put together before she leaves and leaves the love of her life behind as well.
What I disliked-I thought the ending was too happy for my tastes. I wanted a bit of a let down or a cliffhanger or something to get me all riled up for the next in the series. If there is a next one of course I still want to read it but ExtraNormal almost felt like it could be a book without a series. That's about it. I loved it.
Overall Readability-It was unearthly and dream shattering. I was so excited to get to the end because I did not want Mira's love story to end. Uniqueness it what I look most to in books because I hate reading the same thing and this book was totally unique and it was good!
My Final Thought-nanananananaaaaaaaaaaaaannanananaaaaaaaaaaa <-Spy music. Awww what a cute happy ending!
4 out of 5 Haunted Roses
First Thought-
Aliens? Umm well this is different. I have never read anything about alien romance.
What I liked-ExtraNormal is completely unique. I wasn't sure how much I would like reading about aliens and science stuff but this was not what I expected. It was awesome. This girl gets an opportunity of a lifetime and the first day is already breaking rules like eating Earth food, talking to males, and well falling in love. I love the effects Suze Reese added to Mira's race of people. They can stream which is like talking through mind. They can sense emotions and do basically everything better. So it only makes it harder for Mira to stay on the down-low to keep her mission a secret. She must get evidence that 2 suspecting teachers changed their beliefs in exchange for the Earth ones. She runs into a million different distractions and pieces of information she must put together before she leaves and leaves the love of her life behind as well.
What I disliked-I thought the ending was too happy for my tastes. I wanted a bit of a let down or a cliffhanger or something to get me all riled up for the next in the series. If there is a next one of course I still want to read it but ExtraNormal almost felt like it could be a book without a series. That's about it. I loved it.
Overall Readability-It was unearthly and dream shattering. I was so excited to get to the end because I did not want Mira's love story to end. Uniqueness it what I look most to in books because I hate reading the same thing and this book was totally unique and it was good!
My Final Thought-nanananananaaaaaaaaaaaaannanananaaaaaaaaaaa <-Spy music. Awww what a cute happy ending!
4 out of 5 Haunted Roses
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews