Every Other Day

Barnes, Jennifer Lynn. Every Other Day. 2012. 329 p. ISBN 978-1-60684-169-3. Available at FIC BAR on the library shelves.

Kali D’Angelo has a secret. On the one hand, she is a regular teenager, attending school but not really fitting in. On the other, she is a hardened monster killer. Every dawn, she switches from one role to the other. For 24 hours, she attends school, does homework, or she hunts hellhounds, dragons, and basilisks. When in hunter’s mode she does not feel pain, heals quickly, and can feel how close she is to monsters, or, conversely, how close they are to her.

During an assembly at her new school, she is approached by Skylar Hayden, a girl with a reputation. Despite their obvious differences, they quickly become friends. That same morning, she notices that Bethany Davis, a cheerleader and the daughter of her father’s boss, has been infected by a chupacabra. This means a quick and painful death. Kali could easily handle this problem as a hunter, but unfortunately, today she’s a normal girl.

Kali, Bethany, and Skylar soon become entangled in a race against time, trying to save themselves from the deadly attentions of monsters and of a dangerous biotechnology company. Kali must also discover who, or rather what, she really is. Kali’s two very different lives are very similar to what teenagers experience with their friends and their families. The main characters are easy to relate to and act like normal teenagers would when faced with paranormal creatures. This book features intense action and a fairly generic mad-scientist, but the supernatural plot is interlaced with genetic engineering and a villainous corporation keep the reader guessing from cover to cover.

Fans of this book will enjoy Eve's tale in Eve & Adam.