Book Review: Bitten

I first read Bitten by Kelley Armstrong back in 2003 when only Bitten and Stolen were available. It caught my eye as I was browsing, and I picked up both titles. I had graduated from high school only a few years earlier and, unfortunately, due to my busy schedule I hadn't had time for reading for pleasure. Everything I had read for years was for school, and I fell out of love with reading.

I devoured this book in only a few days. It starts off kind of slow, but once Elena is thrown back into life with the pack, it really takes off. She is the only female in a world full of men. As far as they know, no other female werewolves exist. Clayton was her mate until she left the pack years ago, to try to live a normal life. But once back with them she can’t ignore Clay. Personally, I’m not a fan of Clay… at all. But the rest of the pack is great.

New US Cover

One thing I love about Bitten is that it was new and different at the time that I first read it. The main character was a normal woman who happened to be a werewolf. She isn’t a blood-thirsty, killing animal, as was the previous norm. Also, it doesn’t pick up when she was bitten… it’s ten or so years down the road. More and more books are being written in the urban fantasy genre that follows those rules, too.

Kelley weaves the paranormal with mystery in a way that constantly leaves you guessing. I know I’ve said it in other reviews, but I’m going to say it again… I love when books leave my guessing what’s going to happen next. I seem to forget the point of reading when I figure out the end in the beginning.

The Women of the Otherworld is one of my favorite series, and in anticipation of book 12 that will be available this summer, I’m re-reading the entire series. If you haven’t picked these up, do it quick! And for those of you who weren't familiar with the series before, the entire series has just been or is in the process of being re-jacketed. (I think the US and UK are still being released, but Canada is done. ;) ) This wonderful book helped me remember why I loved reading. And I can’t thank Kelley enough for that. I'm off to read Stolen.

New UK Cover

Synopsis:

Elena Michaels seems like the typically strong and sexy modern woman, She lives with her architect boyfriend, writes for a popular newspaper, and works out at the gym. She's also a werewolf. 

Elena has done all she can to assimilate to the human world, but the man whose bite changed her existence forever, and his legacy, continue to haunt her. Thrown into a desperate war for survival that tests her allegiance to a secret clan of werewolves, Elena must recon with who, and what, she is in this passionate, page-turning novel.

New Canadian Cover