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Colleen Houck's young adult novel first saw light as a self-published book, but with enthusiastic word-of-mouth backing, it became a bestselling series. With its exotic settings, 300-year-old Indian curse, shape shifting tiger, and plucky teenage girl protagonist, Tiger's Curse puts a spell on us.
— Benjamin Ruby
“Houck cranks the love-o-stat up another notch…Hypersteamy romance...'hot, melty, smoldering' (but still chaste) make-out sessions…” --Kirkus Reviews
“Forget vampires and werewolves, tigers are the new hottest thing…a guaranteed page turner with a huge twist at the end that will leave you breathless.” --RT Book Reviews
An Oregon teenager falls in love with a shape-shifting tiger who turns out to be a hunky Indian prince afflicted with an ancient curse. A job as a temp worker at a local circus turns more challenging for Kelsey when she's hired to accompany Dhiren, a white tiger with whom she has developed a strangely close mutual affinity, back to India. Once there her journey becomes a quest (thanks to the requisite obscure prophecy) through magical realms for four Gifts that will not only break the centuries-old curse that keeps Dhiren in tiger form—except for a few minutes each day, during which he reverts to a sultry lothario "like James Bond, Antonio Banderas, and Brad Pitt all rolled into one"—but may well have broader implications. This entails not only treks through dusty temples and battles with vampire monkeys but frequent aggressive flirting, chaste but passionate snogging and emotional tempests fueled by his tigerlike pride and her artificially low self-esteem. Twilight fans ready for a not-too-radical change of pace are the natural audience for this steamy opener.(Paranormal romance. 13 & up)
Anonymous
Posted October 15, 2010
Extremely entertaining, couldn't put it down. Fell in love with the characters. Felt very connected to the story and the characters while reading, like when they were happy in the story, I was happy; when they were sad, I was sad- it's a great book that can do that to you and make you feel like you aren't just reading a story, but you feel like you are there in real life and it's all very real to you. This book has great characters, excitement, adventures, action, love, everything you need for a great read. I cannot wait to read the whole series!
58 out of 64 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.RaiderLadd1
Posted February 2, 2011
The first part of the book was slow getting into but I instantly started to like it once they had gotten to India. It really started to pick up pace and was thoroughly enjoyable. However, towards the end I felt the need to strangle Kelsey the main character. She completely changed, and went from being a OK nice gal to a angsty, whinny, self-conscious, bitty who was not only annoying but mean to poor ol' Ren. I also hated that it had a 'to be continued' aspect about the ending that made me want to rip my hair out. Don't get me wrong, I liked this book and will be reading the next, I just hope she stops being stupid.
52 out of 66 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I love this book, it's better than Twilight. The characters are encaging, wonderfully witty, the scenes are vivid and the action is amazing! Either boys/men or girls/women would love this book. We follow Kelsey as she starts off by graduating High School and starting a summer job, then to India where all the action takes place. There's romance, but it's not over done. I love this book and the second, Tiger's Quest, and I am eagerly waiting for the third book, Tiger's Voyage to be released sometime this month (we hope). (Just so you know, I don't think they have the right cover for Tiger's Quest, but it's here).
38 out of 43 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 13, 2011
I Also Recommend:
this book is for anyone looking for a good adventure/love story kind of book. it is clean with no cussing or inappropriate parts. im a major reader. i found this books to be one of my favorites. i read it in a little less than two days. theres around 360 pages. it was very easy to get into and kept me guessing; i was sad when it ended :( i cant wait for the second one to come out in June!!!!! i highly reccomend this book.
29 out of 32 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.obscurepseudonym
Posted February 12, 2011
I'm really giving it 2.5 stars. The story has huge potential, but the characters are completely contrived. The dialogue is atrocious, and the supposed 300-year-old tiger is more modern than the main character. There is a rift in Kelsey's personality that I just can't fathom. On one hand, she's incredibly sarcastic and fiery, but on the other hand, she's demure, polite, and ridiculously matronly. She speaks as a grandma would speak. I half expected her to use words like "Dungarees" for jeans or "Frigidaire" for refrigerator like my granny does. (At one point, she uses the phrase "wily scoundrel." I don't know anyone below the age of eighty that would use that phrase.) It just doesn't fit. She's not a well developed character, and the supposed grief she feels for her parents seems fabricated, when it's present. Kelsey has these bouts of intense feeling, then all of a sudden, it's gone. Like when she's mad at Ren and Mr. Kadam for leading her through the jungle. Or better yet, when Ren changes into a human for the first time. There was this huge denial, then resigned acceptance. Nothing in between. Also, Ren and Kishan are completely modern and familiar with modern conveniences, but have been pretty detached from their own humanity for 300 years. There was no working through the animal to become human for either of them. They both automatically adapted to being human. That didn't make any sense, especially for Ren, who had been completely trapped as a tiger. Mr. Kadam is contrived, cliched, and void of anything true. It's like he only has one mood. His interactions with Kelsey, though smooth in the story, would be incredibly awkward to any real person. Kelsey talks about finding these feelings of trust for these people, but gives no reason for it, then she talks about distrust, and gives no reason for it. It just doesn't work. The author clearly has trouble communicating how people really interact. It's like she has an ideal of how things SHOULD be, and tries to force that into a story where that ideal just doesn't fit. She has no notion of how teens speak or act. (I understand keeping things clean, but dialogue can be clean and modern, but if she wants to keep it uber clean, then maybe the characters shouldn't be making out as much as they do.) She obviously doesn't know how to express grief, or much of anything, with words. There are just these huge disconnected parts that don't fit together. I wonder how this book made it past the editing stage. That being said, the story IS interesting. It DOES have huge potential. It just needs a lot of work. A WHOLE lot of work.
28 out of 60 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Step aside all you Vampires! Enter a strong and fiercely passionate Indian prince who will sweep you off your feet and have your heart racing. Great story that will have you hooked in moments and a love story that will actually have you squealing out loud. (And yes ladies and gentlemen, he does have a brother! ;)
28 out of 33 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 14, 2010
I loved this book! I couldn't put it down and kept thinking about the characters. I am an avid reader and this is by far one of my favorites. It has everything: adventure, fantasy, magic, romance and I love the Oregon references and the imagination. This series is better, IMO, then the ever so popular Twilight Series. Great for young adults: no swearing, sex or inappropriate material at all! Thanks and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!
23 out of 27 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 1, 2011
This book is full of romance and adventure,love and risks. I am not soeoe who likes romance novels but this book caught my eye and I couldn't stop after starting.The adventure in the book made it non-boring like other romance novels.If you love adventure and romance you'll read this book front to back in 1 day!!!!!
18 out of 20 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 15, 2011
When I first heard the premise of this book, I was excited. Instead of werewolves, there were tiger "shapeshifters". I thought this would be refreshing. Unfortunately, the writing of this book ruined what could have been a fantastic idea. Like another reviewer said, it sounded like the author telling the story instead of the character telling her story. Almost none of what the character thought or said sounded like anything close to what a seventeen year old girl would say, instead it was what a grown woman seemed to think a seventeen year old would say/think. Even if you get past the main character's dialogue issues, the characters themselves were horribly cliche. The girl had self-esteem issues and the boy was perfect, it was even said over and over again in the book. Although sometimes the book can be redeemed from poor characterization by an excellent writing style, unfortunately the book lacked this as well. Even the writing style itself was horribly cliche. So all in all the book gets two stars for what was a good idea, but very poorly executed.
18 out of 58 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I loved this book. It is a great adventure but it is also a great story. I could not put this book down, it keeps you turning page after page after page. I love the main characters. Kelsey is brave and she knows what she wants. Ren is sweet, kind and all around amazing.The style of writing is very interesting. This book is filled with unexpected twists and turns that will have you very surprised. This is a really good book and i can't wait for the next book in the series to come out.
18 out of 19 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 2, 2011
I LOVED this book! Tiger's Curse moved quickly from the first page to the last. It was hard to put down at night and sleep. I woke early to read more before my kids got out of bed. This was not your typical Teen romance. To me it felt more adult and something most girls have gone through and asked themselves while dating at any age. There is danger around every corner and a couple of princes to boot! I loved how the characters seemed like real ppl, very down to earth and would just tell it like it is and not beat around the bush! I found myself feeling everything the characters felt and did. You feel like you are there with them and not many books have been able to do that to me. You don't feel like an outsider looking in, you become the characters. I can not wait to see what/where our next adventure takes us and what creatures we will encounter along the way! June ca not come quickly enough! My summer reading looks to be very interesting!
14 out of 15 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.rjak
Posted January 29, 2011
I have always wanted an author to write a book that took place in India. Colleen Houck you made my dreams come true and you made this book so good. Its a mix between the better Parts of The Twilight Saga and The Percy Jackson Series! The best thing is I am Hindu so I can tell what some of The Hindi words mean and you incorporated Indian Gods making it all the better! Can't wait for Tiger's Quest!!! :)
11 out of 15 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 23, 2011
This book is best for young, innocent teen girls with little to no romantic experience or expectation who like paranormal or fantasy fiction.
Like Bella of Twilight, the lead character, Kelsey, is plain and has little to offer the amazing gorgeous charismatic prince who falls inexplicably for HER. <insert any teen reader into this role> She's conveniently orphaned so she can easily give up her life back home for this tiger man if need be.
The beginning was unbelievably S-L-O-W. The bulk of the book takes place in India and the author goes to great lengths to describe her world, and it's tedious to read at times. The Indiana-Jones wannabe adventures were yawn-worthy to me. It felt too drawn out, like, get on with it already.
Honestly, I almost gave up on it. Until we meet the darker, slightly wicked brother who was ALSO cursed into tiger form. He's a bit more intriguing and his presence and flirtatious nature with the girl creates a HINT of a love triangle. I think the second book will focus more on him.
There are some holes and there are times I felt talked down to. Yes, it's TEEN fiction, but teens aren't necessarily stupid. It *was* blazingly innocent to the point of eye rolls, though. "May I hold your hand" type of stuff. Kelsey blushes just looking at Ren sometimes, and, at age 18, she's never even gone on a date.
Yes, some parents might rejoice at the idea of a book that has old-fashioned values or ideals. But I found Kelsey's blatant reluctance to be unrealistic. These authors need to remember what it feels like to BE a teenage girl. And a shy, plain one at that. When a gorgeous guy that you're attracted to makes a move on you, you do NOT push him away and treat him like dirt. You giggle like a fool and flirt with him. You kiss him back. They don't have to go all the way.
But an 18-year-old girl and a hundreds-year-old guy who is physically in his early 20's aren't going to be hands off in this century.
Stop trying to preach and push your morals on readers. Leave that to their parents.
This book ended with a cliff hanger, leaving you wanting the next book to know what's next as well as finish the rest of the story surrounding the curse and Ren & Kelsey's relationship. I liked the character, Kishan, Ren's brother, and expect the next book to feature him more heavily because his tiger form is on the cover. So I plan to read that one to find out the rest of the story even though I wouldn't say I highly recommend this book. I, like another reviewer, got this book for free, and am glad I did.
11 out of 24 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book is amazing. It's a great story, full of love adventure and magic. At first i thought it was too fast-paced but soon i realized it was necessary. India is a very interesting setting that i have never read in a YA book before. The way Houck portrayed her main characters helps the reader fall in love with them immediately. I found myself experiencing Kelsey's fear, frustration and love for Ren, something that i have never accomplished before. I was sad to reach the end and can't wait for the Tiger's Quest!
11 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I loved this book and can't wait for the rewrite. It is incredible. For fans of Twilight I'd say you can forget that series and have a new obsession. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story. I read it in week on my commute!
11 out of 14 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 30, 2011
Colleen Houck puts in a little Frog Prince and the Twilight Saga mixed altogether. When I first started this book I was not able to put it down. Each chapter will leave you hanging on to your seat. I can't wait for Tiger's Quest!!!! Bring it on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Along with some other reviewers, I found the premise to be intruiging. But I started reading it, and quickly realized that this would not be one of my favorite books of all time. It's not even in the top 100. Kelsey is the most boring 18-year-old girl I've ever read about in my life. She is so polite/formal sometimes that she sounds robotic. She was so self-deprecating that I wanted to scream. She really had no personality at all. I was extremely bored with her, but I wanted to give the book a chance since I purchased it. Well, I just finished it last night, and I'm sorry; I realize the book is a fantasy, but even keeping that in mind, the book is so freaking unrealistic. I will read the next book in the series, but only because I'm OCD and can't let a book series go unread once I've started it XD
9 out of 25 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 26, 2011
this book was amazing.
romance, and dangers, along with a mysterious beautiful white tiger and an even more beautiful man. i cant wait for the second one to come out! i read this in one day! it is beautifully written, and so well put together. you could practically feel their emotions as your own. it was amazing.
8 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 24, 2011
This book was one of the best books I have ever read. Sorry, Twilight fans but I think this is better. I loved that the author told the stories of some of the Indian Gods. I really enjoyed this book. LOVE IT!!! CAN'T WAIT FOR TIGER'S QUEST
8 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 19, 2011
I Loved This Book~The Tiger Idea is so adorable~I absolutely Love Ren~He is Charming~Sweet~protective~strong~ A prince~A tiger :0) Everything that the perfect guy would be~and then Enters Kishan~He Edgy and Defiantly a black Tiger~*~ I can NOT wait for June to get here~*~ Id love to be in Kelseys Shoes!!!
8 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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