This story starts off slow and it takes a bit to connect to the characters, at least it did for me. But once you connect to them this books is impossible to put down. It is definitely a book worth reading.
Kate, the main character of this novel, is sharp, sarcastic and very funny. I loved reading about her life and finding out more about her abilities, that make her more special than the average person. I also enjoyed reading about the other characters. I especially enjoyed the interactions between Andrew and Kate, seeing them bond and get to know each other was amazing. The romance in this book is on point. Kate and Zack have awesome chemistry and their interactions gave me warm feelings.
I loved the ending of this book. I had no idea how it could be resolved or how the ending could satisfy me. But it did. It ended on an perfect note.
While the ending, as I said, is perfect I would love a sequel as there is plenty of room left for new adventures. This is also the first book Shari Arnold published (as far as I am aware of) and I must say that I am looking forward to reading more of her work.
http://annathereader.blogspot.co.at/2014/10/review-kate-triumph-by-shari-arnold_18.html
This book started off slow for me but ended on an extremely high note. In fact, I would be giving it 5 stars if it hadn't taken so long to hook me.
One of the things I liked about this book is the author took situations that could have put a very depressing pall over the story and somehow they didn't. Shari Arnold takes the situation with Kate's mother and faces it, but doesn't let it bring the overall tone of her book down. I love that Kate even acknowledges certain things about her feeling regarding what happened to her mom and feels bad about them, but still it doesn't turn into a big sob fest.
I absolutely loved the ending. I will admit, when I got to about 80% I couldn't imagine that it would all be wrapped up by the end. And no way did I think I'd be satisfied with how it would end. I figured it would either be a huge cliffhanger or something so hastily thrown together as to ruin the whole story. Boy was I wrong! And the genius is that the story can very well end where the book ended. Or, if the author is inspired by these characters again, there is enough to explored to fill another book if she wants.
Finally, the characters had awesome chemistry. Kate and Zack had some scenes that gave me warm-fuzzies, which I love in any book. Andrew's protectiveness and love for Kate was very evident and the story didn't dwell on "what if" or "what could have been", which would have messed with the pacing of the story. And the relationship between Andrew and the boys was sweet.
If I'm not mistaken, this is Ms. Arnold's first published work. I am looking forward to reading more from this author. If this is any indication of the types of stories she has to tell I'll be a fan for years to come.
Kate Triumph is a sparkling and ambitious debut from YA author Shari Arnold. This book had me rapt from page one and I, quite literally, did not put it down for four straight hours until I was finished reading it. The plot is intriguing and fast-paced, with plenty of unpredictable twists. The characters are brilliantly crafted. And the writing is flawless. I am certain this is the first book in a very long career for Arnold. I'm already eagerly anticipating her next novel! If you love YA or if you just love an excellent book by a truly talented author...then Kate Triumph is for you!
This must have been the week of NetGalley hidden gems! I really, really loved Shari Arnold’s debut novel, Kate Triumph. I was in a book slump (this entire month has just been me eagerly awaiting In the Afterlight and The Retribution of Mara Dyer) so I have been really struggling on the reading front. This gave me the little nudge I needed to break down my readers block. Kate was a badass yet vulnerable character who I fell in love with. This seems to be a growing trend in YA fiction, and I have to say I’m pretty excited about it. Zack was delicious and mysterious, which is a always a great combination for a love interest, and Kate’s father had a few secrets of his own. At times the writing felt juvenile, and the story took a while to get going, but once it did it was off like a rocket.
Kate went through a lot in this book. Though it is never fully revealed exactly where and how her powers came from, and to what extent they went, we know that she is extremely fast when it comes to both running and healing. Despite these totally awesome abilities though, her life is in no way a cake walk. She considers herself a freak because of her abilities, lives in constant fear of someone discovering her abilities, is tormented by her competitors and even her teammates because of her insane speeds on the track, and believes her father is dead. Eventually, she finds out that her father actually isn’t dead, but it takes the horrifically violent death of her mother for that to be revealed. Following the death of her mother her life is turned upside down. She finds herself in a new town, with a mysterious father, a mysterious (albeit drop dead gorgeous) neighbor, an infamous killer who wants her dead, and an evil scientist who wants to make her his latest lab rat. So basically, her life sucks. Kate doesn’t let this get her down though. She calmly takes it all in stride, and that’s one of the things I admire most about her. Arnold could have written Kate as a depressed “woe is me” character who moped and complained the entire book, but she didn’t. Instead she created a character who actively worked to find answers to her questions, all while fighting to stay alive. This kept the book at a fast pace, as opposed to a dragged out mopefest (I’m looking at you New Moon).
Zack. Oh boy. Dreamy, tall dark and handsome boy next door who just so happens to have intense chemistry with Kate, as well as some hidden ninja skills. I liked how he was up front about how felt about Kate right from the beginning. He didn’t put up with her denial. He basically said, “hey, you can’t deny something is going on between us. Don’t play games.” He wasn’t super aggressive about it, but he wasn’t the type to drag his feet and hope that maybe she would snap out of her denial. And also, he was secretly a spy…well almost. He had the skills of a spy, and that’s good enough for me. Mysterious? Check. Handsome? Check. Perfect? Check.
I really liked how Arnold handled the parental relationships in this story. Kate was extremely close with her mother, since it had been just the two of them for years. I was kind of picturing Gilmore Girls, because that’s how close these two seemed to be. However, in an evil scientists’ attempt to end Kate’s life, her mother is killed, and the father she presumed dead shows up on the doorsteps carrying quite a few secrets. Like, MAJOR secrets. The transition was really tough for Kate, as it would have been for anyone. She was hesitant to trust Andrew, but eventually she decided she could. The development of their relationship was really well crafted, and I applaud Arnold for that.
This. Book. Was. Awesome. Writing this review, reliving the book, makes me want to go back and read it again, like right now. Nevermind the fact that its one in the morning and I have an 8 am lecture tomorrow morning. Pshh. Books always come first. But seriously, this book was incredible, especially for a debut novel. By the way…THERE’S GOING TO BE A SEQUEL…RIGHT??? YOU CAN’T END A BOOK LIKE THAT AND NOT WRITE A SEQUEL. Seriously. I’ll be waiting. But until then, I’ll probably re-read this book about 5 times. It was just that good.
Kate is a little different than the average human. She can run much faster and can heal much quicker. Her abilities set her apart from those around her - and she likes it that way. It is easier to keep everyone at a distance than trust them and let them hurt you. Kate and her mother are close, a team of two against the world. But, when their car is rammed on the way home from a race meet Kate survives. Her mother does not. Reeling from the loss, Kate is shocked to learn her father is not dead after all. And so, Kate moves to Mercer Island to live with him. Used to making new starts, Kate is determined to let this move be no different. She has just one rule - let no one get close. But Kate wasn't counting on her bubbly, student-body-president neighbour or his gorgeous, spin-her-for-a-loop brother. When the shadows haunting Kate start to reappear around her new home, she begins to undercover a huge range of secrets, especially from those closest to her. Who is the man determined to kill her, who is the creepy doctor and who wrote the note warning her to be wary?
Suspense, action, superhero powers, romance, great family dynamics and fabulous, quote-worthy lines make this a surprising and thoroughly entertaining read. While the story starts slow and it takes a bit to get connected with the characters and action, persevere, it's definitely worth it. Kate is sharp, hilarious and has a market on sarcasm, and she makes for a spunky and courageous heroine. The romance fairly sizzles, and I loved the interactions between Kate and her newly-discovered father. While the ending is perfect I would love a sequel and there is plenty of room left for more adventure. Highly enjoyed and highly recommended.
I love this book so much. It's got tons of action, intrigue, romance and a main character who's both vulnerable and badass. One of my favorites!
