The Nine Lives of Chloe King (Nine Lives of Chloe King, #1-3) by Liz Braswell

Nov 25, 2012 Saniya(Will Herondale is mine) marked it as to-read

I LOVED the TV show! D': <3
Want to read this book so bad!

Team Brian Bitches! xD
Hes mine! =D
Grey Damon

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Jul 24, 2011 Demi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: action, catchy-title, unmemorable

The only reason why I even got the drive to read the three books was solely out of pure curiosity and the fact that I watch the show. I didn't start out with any high expectations hoping, but even then mine weren't even met.

A good portion of the first book consisted of Chloe dying, discovering her new abilities, and being extremely hormonal and deciding to toy with two guys at once(in that order). Sadly that was the only one of the three that kept even a little interested.

The second book picked...more The only reason why I even got the drive to read the three books was solely out of pure curiosity and the fact that I watch the show. I didn't start out with any high expectations hoping, but even then mine weren't even met.

A good portion of the first book consisted of Chloe dying, discovering her new abilities, and being extremely hormonal and deciding to toy with two guys at once(in that order). Sadly that was the only one of the three that kept even a little interested.

The second book picked up with Chloe learning about her Mai-ness and meeting her new Mai family while being isolated from her mother and friends (did I mention how much I disliked Amy?) The only true action is when she's running from The Order.

I can't even talk about the third book because I got so bored with it that I ended up skipping parts and most likely accidently skipping the important Mai details I was actually looking forward to.

Now let's be honest here, while the Mai plot seemed important when convinient, the series as a whole was, of course, about the love triangle.

Aleyc (I do hope I spelled his name right) was the hot, popular guy at Chloe's school who (suprise, suprise) turned out to be a Mai like her. While I do love his tv-show persona (Alek), this Aleyc was slighlty self-centered and (as Chloe and Paul described him) not the wisest guy around. However, his scenes with Chloe were fun and light-hearted and actually enjoyable. But of course, the guy was doomed by the start of book 2 when everyone's favorite human said the of joyable 'L' word (got to love them soulmates).

Brian Rezza is (who we thought) just your average joe who likes to knit and go to zoos (in the words of Amy, 'gay'). But by the end of the first book when found out that he is the son of the man dead set on killing her and was also sent by the order to befriend her and then help kill her. So OF COURSE he fell in love with her. With the two-semi dates they went on he got to find out Chloe is funny and nice and perfect (ha, really I'm being sarcastic). To be quit honest, I actually kind of liked them in the begining of the first book just Brian HAD to fall in love with her and tell her that. Sorry Bri, you and I ended as soon as that happened.

I saw no signs of him falling in love with her or any reason as to why he would (Chloe isn't the most amazing individual). And to think of it, I don't think Chloe loved him. Ever. She only started showing any interest that wasn't sexual when she found out she could kiss him. She was into the 'wanting what she couldn't have' thing. I'm sure if the story continued after book 3 she would have stopped and said, 'wow Brian is really boring. Where's thar sexy Aleyc guy that I dumped and who is now dating my bestfriend?'

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Sep 06, 2011 Rebecca rated it 2 of 5 stars

Sometimes you read a book, start scratching your head and think "how the heck did this get published?"

I read a lot of YA, both good and bad, and The Nine Lives of Chloe King definitely goes in the bad pile. First problem, the main character is unlikeable. Chloe is self-centered, selfish, irresponsible and has a filthy mouth. (some swearing in YA is permissible. Every teenager repeated screaming the 'F' word at each other and their mother is not). She's also a bad friend to her pals Paul and Amy....more

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Jan 31, 2013 Kyle Brittain rated it 5 of 5 stars

Okay so I'm just now realizing that this book has a lot of really horrible reviews. And I think a lot of them are just bullshit- and I'm going to tell you why. Okay, here we go; You read some of the reviews on this page and it pretty much seems like people are saying the Chloe is a selfish, unreliable brat and just a bad MC altogether. I find that pathetic. Being a teenager myself I can personally tell you that this is one of the most realistic books I've read from the point of view of a teenage...more Okay so I'm just now realizing that this book has a lot of really horrible reviews. And I think a lot of them are just bullshit- and I'm going to tell you why. Okay, here we go; You read some of the reviews on this page and it pretty much seems like people are saying the Chloe is a selfish, unreliable brat and just a bad MC altogether. I find that pathetic. Being a teenager myself I can personally tell you that this is one of the most realistic books I've read from the point of view of a teenager. Chloe has the same feelings towards her friends and family that all teenagers have at least once in their lives. Chloe thinks that her mom is way too much of a bitch sometimes, and she thinks that her best friends exclude her at times and are even a bit selfish. yeah maybe she's wrong and they're just dealing with their own problems, maybe she thinks about herself too much- but you know what? That is what teenagers do. Our lives aren't all perfect friendships and great character development and witty remarks. We aren't smart, we aren't perfect- we're usually the opposite. we're bored and angry for no reason- that's what being a teenager is like a lot of the time. Chloe has hormones, she swears, she breaks the rules, she thinks about sex. It's what teenagers do- it's how we feel. we are growing up and our bodies are changing -as corny as that sounds- and yeah were going to be assholes for a lot of the time because we're confused and we're overemotional and we have never dealt with these feelings before. In short being a teenager sucks, and Chloe is entitled to being a bitch sometimes- and don't tell me that Paul and Amy don't act like assholes as well at times. I mean they pretty much turned Chloe into a massive third wheel when they started dating without any heads up! A little Bit of information about teenagers: we don't like change, like EVER.
Now onto the bit about Chloe being selfish. aside from the fact that she's a teenager and she's has a right to be selfish because her body is changing which we've already covered, chloe is also dealing with the fact that she's not human, Someone is trying to kill her, and she's trying to deal with the fact that she she's adopted. Plus she died- like she died at the very beginning of the book near-death experiences like that? yeah they can fuck a person up a bit.
The love triangle. Can everyone just to get over the fact that Chloe liked two guys at the same time, already? I mean really there's a love triangle in pretty much every young adult book we've ever read and you guys are being such assholes about this that it's not even funny. what did you expect? it's a trilogy for teens, of course there's going to be a love triangle, it's pretty much part of the formula now! Yes Chloe was a bit of a bitch about the whole thing but again that brings us back to being a teenager. we fuck up, we make mistakes and we learn from them. it's part of who we are as humans it's not just something that teenagers do. its something that everyone does. if you've never hurt someone's Feelings or done something that you're not proud of to them, congratulations, you're Jesus Christ. I think Chloe navigated herself really well in this situation really, She went on about three dates with Brian all of which, while she was dating aleyc and that would be a bitch move except for the fact that Aleyc knew that she was also seeing Brian and he didn't care. Chloe stopped seeing Brian and got exclusive with Alyec and when she realized that she didn't care for him in that way she broke things off respectfully and maturely. And you know what? Unlike most of the heroines in ya fiction she didn't just run off to the other guy as soon as she broke up with aleyc. Chloe didn't need to be in a relationship and she didn't have to be in a relationship. Sure she wanted to but it wasn't a priority for her. Chloe cared about Brian and she admitted to herself that didn't mean that she had to be a relationship with him it meant that she cared for him, sure she eventually she realized that her feelings for him for romantic but before that it wasn't like She ran off from Aleyc just to be with him.

A lot of people also say if there's not a lot of action in these books. Um, books aren't supposed to be all action all the time and sure some books are like that; there's a lot of action in them. But if that's the only thing a book has and is geared towards it's going to be a flop. a novel needs to have character development in it. characters need to interact with each other in a way that isn't always violent- you can't always have buildings exploding in epic battles. That said I think the chloe king books have a lot of great action in them. You have fights in the night, chase scenes in the street. you have an epic battle on the Golden gate bridge and you have the fight scene between Chloe and the rouge in the last book along with a major character being killed there are a lot of things that happened that are just action-packed.

Plus chloe was able to mature to the point that she resolved the conflict in the books with out violence. What Chloe did was smart and knowledgeable and she should be praised for making that decision. A lot of people just came here expecting the books to be adaptions of the television series and that's not what they are. The books aren't as happy as the television series and they don't gloss over real-life problems -they accept them as existing and being things that people really deal with. These books have a wonderful message in the way that they wrap up and are concluded. Not a lot of young adult books end in a non violent way. The chloe king books show that even if a person is a bad person that they're not all bad -there is some good in them and they don't deserve to die just because they've crossed the main character and her friends. Sure, the tenth bladers were total dicks and were way racist, but chloe dealt with them so well. People just don't give these wonderful books the credit they deserve.(less)

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Mar 01, 2012 Sifra rated it 2 of 5 stars

Like so many others, I started reading The Nine Lives of Chloe King because I saw the show, which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, this turned out to be one of those situations where the show is actually better than the book. When I first opened the book I was immensely excited. It started out okay, not really as good as I expected but introductions are hard so I continued reading because I hope for more. Around 50 or 100 pages I was struggling so hard to get through it that I put the book away...more Like so many others, I started reading The Nine Lives of Chloe King because I saw the show, which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, this turned out to be one of those situations where the show is actually better than the book. When I first opened the book I was immensely excited. It started out okay, not really as good as I expected but introductions are hard so I continued reading because I hope for more. Around 50 or 100 pages I was struggling so hard to get through it that I put the book away for a while. Needless to say, the dissapointment was huge.

I picked it a few weeks ago again, determined to read through the rest of it. Istill didn’t enjoyed it a lot, but in the end it turned out to be okay. It’s still one of the worst books I have ever read, but in a superficial way it was kind of fun.

There were a lot of things that bothered me. First of all, it felt as though the book was written BY a young adult instead of FOR teenagers. I found the writing toneless and undescriptive, with dialogues that were often uncalled for and boring. Comments or scenes that were supposed to be witty or funny only made me frown. I feel as though the writing lacked the mood and tone that it was supposed to have.

Secondly, I didn’t really feel any attachment to the main character. She seemed naive and snotty and there was no character development at all. If it is one thing that can kill a good book, then it’s a main character who is NOT liked by the reader.

However, there were also things that I did like. I found myself interested in Alyec’s character, especially because of his contradicting personality traits. For one, he is a popular lady-magnet who likes to have fun, but he also cares deeply for Chloe and wants to protect her. In a way, his character made up a bit for the lack anything interesting in Chloe.

In conclusion, the book had an original and interesting concept, but the writing and characters didn’t do it justice. If you’re looking for a book with a smashing storyline, good writing and intense scenes, then I definitely don’t recommend this one. However, if you are looking for a light read, then these books might do the trick for you.(less)

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Sep 01, 2011 Noelle rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was ok. But I can see why they made it into a TV show though.

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Jan 16, 2013 Meaganr rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read these books after the series came out on abc family, hooked me, and then got canceled.
The premise of this book is very interesting and original, and that's why I really wanted to like this book. For the most part, this book was interesting and entertaining, but I felt that at the end of the whole thing, it felt rushed and like nothing except the feud was really concluded. The main character was also kind of awkward by being a little too loose lipped at points as well as a little too forw...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Maili Lampe rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Nine Lives of Chloe King
My friends and I always used to joke around about what it would be like to be part cat part girl. Having paws being able to leap from place to place and running fast, what could be bad about it?
Chloe King was once a normal teenage girl. Although she was originally adopted from Russia and her father had left her and her mom when she was young, she had a normal life. She had two best friends, Amy and Paul, and they did everything together. On her birthday, Chloe Amy a...more The Nine Lives of Chloe King
My friends and I always used to joke around about what it would be like to be part cat part girl. Having paws being able to leap from place to place and running fast, what could be bad about it?
Chloe King was once a normal teenage girl. Although she was originally adopted from Russia and her father had left her and her mom when she was young, she had a normal life. She had two best friends, Amy and Paul, and they did everything together. On her birthday, Chloe Amy and Paul ditched school and went to Coit Tower. While at the vast tower, Chloe looked over the edge. She slowly fell off and her friends panicked and ran down to inspect her presumably dead body. Chloe was surrounded by black, then she woke up. She stood up and went over to Amy and Paul, who were flabbergasted by the fact that she was alive.
Ever since then, things had been strange in her life. Amy and Paul had started dating, the hottest guy at school, Alec Ilychovich, had asked her out. Thing at work were starting to get pretty spicy too. She had met a guy named Brian and they had hit it off!
The Nine Lives of Chloe King by Liz Braswell is a thrilling novel that has edge and mystery but also is very relatable. Chloe falls in and out of love, deals with school, and goes through life with a single mother. Chloe’s mother is very protective and only wants what is best for her daughter. Near the end of the story, Chloe realizes how much she truly appreciates her mother, having raised her alone because her dad left, and acknowledging how hard it can be to raise a daughter especially one who is half cat by birth.
The theme in this novel is very relevant. There is a lot of loyalty that is not concealed by that events of the story. Chloe is faced with the option to leave her mom and go be with the people of her kind, that are part cat just like her, or she can stay with her mother and try as hard as she can to be part of both worlds. When Chloe finds out that she is the leader of her kind (by birth from her real mother) she has to try and come up with a way to be a strong courage filled leader, and be the daughter and best friend in the human world.
To add to the complications Chloe’s kind, The Mai, are not allowed to mate with human, any kind of shared bodily fluids can kill the human. That is very hard for Chloe because she falls head over heals in love with Brian, who also brings complications of his own to the mix.
Can Chloe survive all of this? Will she be able to have a unchallenging relationship with Brian? Who does Chloe pick, her adoptive mother or her own kind?
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Oct 21, 2012 Aspen rated it 2 of 5 stars

The Fallen

The Nine Lives of Chloe King started off like riding a bike up a hill: it only got more difficult to continue the farther I went. Now don't think I totally disliked this series, in fact the first book, in my opinion, was pretty good. Chloe was a realistic teen girl character that expressed happiness, anger, hormones, curiosity, and stress, with out being all whiny about it. I also liked that there was conflict both between her and her Alyec, her and Brian, her and her crazy stocker, a...more The Fallen

The Nine Lives of Chloe King started off like riding a bike up a hill: it only got more difficult to continue the farther I went. Now don't think I totally disliked this series, in fact the first book, in my opinion, was pretty good. Chloe was a realistic teen girl character that expressed happiness, anger, hormones, curiosity, and stress, with out being all whiny about it. I also liked that there was conflict both between her and her Alyec, her and Brian, her and her crazy stocker, and her and her mother. (view spoiler) All that action made it both easy and fun to read.

The Stolen

The second book started out a little more rocky with a ton of character intros for the Firebird mansion/cat cave thing. Then the author dropped the Mai history bomb of BORRRRRRING. I was curious about the whole Brian scandal and the cool kitty powers but the last thing I wanted was a history lesson even if it was about ancient cat people. I felt like not a lot got done the majority of book two until right up at the very end. The second book seemed to be more fluff and filler than plot progress, which was more aggravating than suspenseful. I wish the author had just cut out the beginning and middle of the second book it was THAT unnecessary to the story as a whole.

The Chosen

The by the last book, the metaphorical bicycle of my interest had two flat tires and my legs of effort were tired of pushing though of all the unnecessary parts, and up the lack 'o' conflict mt. in general. The only thing that made me finish this book was the fact I wanted to see Brian and Chloe end up together even though it was obvious from the beginning they were, curse or no curse. The thing that really killed the last book for me, that could have been a redeemer for the painful second book, is if she hadn't been the 'chosen one.' Can you say cliché? I hate books when the main character becomes....the 'chosen one' or the 'prophesied one.' Why can't she just be plain old Chloe who saves them with her awesome courage and brains and not because her fate was handed to her one day with a step by step instructional guide of what the 'chosen one' does to save the Mai.

Anyways generally fun read if you can wade through the boring parts, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get this book if I were you. Read it if it's there but don't go hunt it down at the library and don't waste your money buying it.(less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Chloe rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

On this page you see a lot of good reviews and bad. But forget them all! I didn't so much choose to read the book as did I have it thrown at me like a baseball, but when it was in my hands; I looked closer. Through the first book, Chloe caught my attention in ways that I will never forget. When she discovered her new powers, I was amazed. Through the entire first book, she held my attention. Each night, I was left begging for more. Although Chloe was very... sexual... it didn't sway my feelings...more On this page you see a lot of good reviews and bad. But forget them all! I didn't so much choose to read the book as did I have it thrown at me like a baseball, but when it was in my hands; I looked closer. Through the first book, Chloe caught my attention in ways that I will never forget. When she discovered her new powers, I was amazed. Through the entire first book, she held my attention. Each night, I was left begging for more. Although Chloe was very... sexual... it didn't sway my feelings about her. I loved every single character in the book the second I met them. When the book was over, I was left wanting more.
The second book was amazing. Between other kitties and boy drama, I was stunned like a hit from a taser. It was in this section of the trilogy that I got a little greedy with the book. It was so amazing. Every second, my eyebrows raised a little higher. If you were sitting with me while I read, you would see... no... hear me gasp every second. At this point the book was my companion. I took it everywhere. Every spare second I had I would read.
The third book scared me a little. Most book series end quick, shutting all the characters out and ending the plot line like a drop off a cliff. I didn't want to just be reading the last book to end the series, I wanted to enjoy it. And I did. Every flip of a page led to a new adventure, more heartbreak, or something else amazing. I couldn't set the book down.
At the end of the series, I have to say, AMAZING!!! The book opened a world of smiles and it made me so happy to be a part of it. And when the books are over, do not despair!!! The t.v. show has an excellent, and completely different plot line, shocking at first, but it gives you more of the characters. And if after that, and your fetish is not cured, (like me) don't worry. From the looks of it, and the way the threads were left loose, something tells me that another book is brewing!

And after you read it, food for thought, Team Brian or Team Aleck?

I'm Brian, but if I was in Chloe's shoes, I would totally go for Aleck! (So sexy!)(less)

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Aug 05, 2011 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Nine Lives of Chloe King by Liz Brazwell contains the three Chloe King books previously written under the pen name Celia Thomson. This is a MASSIVE book. The three books together make for a book so large that it takes two hands to hold (and isn't going to work in the bathtub). If you've got an e-reader I'd suggest buying the digital copy even if it is more expensive.

The Nine Lives of Chloe King starts out with Chloe falling off of the Coit Tower on her sixteenth birthday. Aside from a little...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Annemarien Faraminan rated it 3 of 5 stars

I picked up The Nine Lives of Chloe King because of all the new television series. I figured since I liked the TV series I may like the books. I was afraid that it would be the same as Vampire Dairies on CWTV in which nothing is the same, but decided to hope. I took the new omnibus featuring all three novels, hoping I could get a head start on the series before it further progressed. However surprise, surprise it was completely deferent.

At the beginning of the book they introduced Chloe as a no...more I picked up The Nine Lives of Chloe King because of all the new television series. I figured since I liked the TV series I may like the books. I was afraid that it would be the same as Vampire Dairies on CWTV in which nothing is the same, but decided to hope. I took the new omnibus featuring all three novels, hoping I could get a head start on the series before it further progressed. However surprise, surprise it was completely deferent.

At the beginning of the book they introduced Chloe as a normal high school girl who lives with her mother (which has no clue about anything). Then you learn that she was adopted by her parents from the former USSR, and that her father left when she was a child. Later they introduce her two best friends Paul and Amy, who happen to be dating. Then finally you are introduced to Alyec, Brian and the whole Mai world. The story immediately takes an interesting turn when Chloe falls down the tower, then kisses a human boy and it’s later chased after by a association that trying to kill every single Mai. All that happens switches not only her perspective on things but her life as well.

Now about the characters: Chloe was not your usual lovely female lead that you fall in love with. I just couldn't. Chloe's behavior was completely childish. She was balancing her newly discovered abilities, two boys at the same time and doing a horrible job. Then her friends Paul, Amy (where not very likable either) and Kim. To me her friend Amy was totally annoying, no concept of what friendship is or fashion. Paul was a bit better and more of a geeky boy. By far my favorite character was Kim she was interesting, funny, and more of a friend then her regular friends. (I think a sequel of Kim life would be great). Lastly the boyfriends’ drama: Alyec was completely gorgeous, but ignorant and self center while at least Brian was more of a practical, everyday interesting guy.

Last the history: The Mai history seem interesting to me and definitely had potential for a great story. The Mai characters had so much potential and so interesting that it was a shame that we did not get to know more about them and the history of each person. Also her family history was explored much which leaves you a little hopeful for more information. I was just a little sad that they did not go into that history as much.

Overall the book was a bit boring, but it was OK.
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Jul 09, 2011 Czarinah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: faves

So before, I was just completely rooting for Alyec (aka Alex) because on the show he's so incredibly sexy, what with the accent and drop-dead gorgeous (but yet somewhat conventional) good looks.
However, while reading this book, I feel like Brian's feelings were better conveyed compared to the show, and in doing so, I found Brian to be more and more appealing, and somehow just right for Chloe to be with. The depth of his feelings for her can't possibly be compared to Alyec's. And his somewhat r...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Christi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-to-tv-worth-a-read

The Fallen
Is the first of the trilogy. Braswell does a great job of building the characters and creating the atmosphere. At the end of this book there were so many more questions then answers. And by so many I mean it was a book of questions. Questions about what Chloe was and about the relationships between everyone. It was a great start to the series.

The Stolen
The second book was CRAZY. There was so much action, so much excitement, yet it was still building the story. Through the entire series...more

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Feb 10, 2012 Katherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-paranormal

The Nine Lives of Chloe King written by Liz Braswell writing as Celia Thomson
I have to admit that I started reading this book series for the same reason that many other people did in the last year or so…I saw the TV series. In my case it was on net flicks, well after its airing on ABC and with all ten episodes at my fingertips and the ability to look up and find out that the series had not been picked up for a second season I came to the book looking for, originally answers; after reading the re...more The Nine Lives of Chloe King written by Liz Braswell writing as Celia Thomson
I have to admit that I started reading this book series for the same reason that many other people did in the last year or so…I saw the TV series. In my case it was on net flicks, well after its airing on ABC and with all ten episodes at my fingertips and the ability to look up and find out that the series had not been picked up for a second season I came to the book looking for, originally answers; after reading the reviews and getting the general gist that the book and show were quite divergent I settled on replacing the cliffhanger in my mind from the show to a hopefully more decisive ending book series. As I am still on book one I can’t say yet about the ending, but am enjoying the material so far. I understand a bit more about some of the grumbling from the family-friendly TV series to the teen directed written word, and have decided I am among the lucky to be able to enjoy both, albeit in different ways.

The Fallen book one in The Nine Lives of Chloe King series:
This book was a good ride; following the teen transformation archetype, it was in turns highly hormonal and completely clueless, with the interpersonal spats of any high school cast and the added twist of an unexpected metamorphous. The Fallen is a journey through the teen experience that was well written enough that I enjoyed it even out of my teens.
I liked the characters in this book, and while I will admit that it was not as “family friendly” as the TV series, as it included dinking, swearing, smoking and a decidedly not “poster child” mother-daughter relationship, it did strike as closer to reality. It had more shades of gray. Where as in the televised version Brian is pretty much perfect; he is nice, sweet, shares his deepest self with our heroine, patient, funny, motivated, and has that mysterious past that he needs help with…in the book he is sent to make friends with Chloe as he is a fully cognizant member of the order that is trying to kill her. Which isn’t to say that he is not also nice, sweet, and funny in the book; he’s just not perfect. In the end we are left wondering whose side he is really on. Alyec in our regularly scheduled program is an egomaniac, but highly protective and well trained…whereas our book has him more of an adrenalin junkie with roving hands. I personally found this a more likely high-school student. The TV series I felt played him a little too wise for his years. I will say I kinda missed the portrayal of Chloe’s mom from the TV show. Throughout the book she is referred to only as Mrs. King, which flattened the book for me somewhat. While I don’t necessarily need the perfect relationship between mother and daughter, in fact by starting out with a more fractured connection the book allowed the rapport between these two to grow throughout the story, which was nice; however the almost formal tone set by Mrs. King being our only address was a disconnect for me. It felt almost “Peanuts” in tone with the adult some distant WaWaWa…WaWa.
In The Stolen, book two in the Nine Lives of Chloe King Series, we are turned upside-down from our version of “normal,” even the cat-claw people-out-to-get-me version we are left with at book one’s ending. Chloe wakes up from a nightmare involving the events in book one’s finale in a bed not her own. Here is where we start our trip down the rabbit hole and a slight disconnect between books.
Chloe finds herself at the headquarters of her new Pride; incidentally a real estate office and the “mansion” Alyec took her to in book one. She is told her mother was informed that she is in protective custody after witnessing a violent crime, her school was informed she had mono and btw people are still out to get her so she can’t leave. My biggest problem with this installment was that she swallowed all of that for most of the book without asking too many questions, but I digress. In this book Chloe learns about the Mai, her heritage and meets some fellow shifters. The stand out new character in this book is Kim, a Mai who has chosen a path of devotion that leaves her shifted at all times complete with functioning cat ears. While known as “the freak” to most of Chloe’s new family, she turns out to be an unparalleled ally and generally fun librarian-type character that serves as the information spilling side-kick through this installment.
This book really starts to get going once we discover that Chloe’s mom has been kidnapped and we move from the “learning about the Mai phase” to a real progression of plot. Brian returns as an unlikely hero, our two human friends, Paul and Amy, get into the mix and a conflict between the Mai Pride and the Brotherhood ensue. During this end-battle we learn that Chloe is a biological “Leader of the Pride” a characteristic that gives her nine lives. This disclosure has the effect of halting the battle, disquieting some of the Brotherhood, awing some of the Mai and as we learn in closing making her a perceived intolerable threat to the current Mai leader.
The result of all this being that Chloe goes home, explains everything to her mom and at least thinks she is going to be able to re-capture some form of normal. We shall see how well this hope plays out in the third and last volume of this series, tho going from the fact that even parts of her new family are now out to kill her I have my doubts that this is an achievable goal.
The Chosen, book three in The Nine Lives of Chloe King series, was all one could ask for in the wind-up of a trilogy. It pulled together loose ends, allowed our hero to find her voice and carve out a place for herself in the world, and my favorite part…had a happy ending.
This installment of the series followed up nicely on our past two books, and did manage to find that balance between “normal” life and the supernatural whirlwind that has swept Chloe’s life in the previous 500 pages or so. This isn’t to say that there were not plenty of bumps along the way: a psychopathic Pride Leader, a reappearing assassin and our love interest being beaten almost to death by his former Brotherhood compatriots. There was drama with boyfriends, (leading to what I felt was a very abrupt, tho not disliked, twist involving Amy) the growing pains of any parent seeing that their child had problems that they couldn’t fix, and the changing-of-the-guards progression of a whole race being brought into a new country and time…oh and the breaking of a 5000 year old curse.
I really liked this book series; I felt it was fun and imaginative and had a storyline arc that fulfilled the promise of telling a great story. And while it did do the job of replacing the cliffhanger in my head that the TV series left, I am still left with the question of where THAT storyline would have taken me. A different medium, tone, and style—these two versions of Chloe King may have little in common but their claws when it comes to where their stories where taken and how they and their worlds progressed—and while I am satisfied that the written word did her justice and found a place in both her world and my heart, I am also saddened that the living color alter-ego was cut short.
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Sep 17, 2012 Ana rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Easy read. Fast-paced. Funny. Heart-Breaking. Different from the Tv-Show. How different? Lets see:

- Chloe seems to be a lot more confused in the books. We actually see a teenage girl trying to understand what the hell happened in her life. We never manage to see how strong she is mentally in the series.

- Brian is not so innocent. In the series, Brian has no idea who his father is and what he does. He doesn't even know what Chloe is for that matter. He only knows he likes her.
In the books, Brian...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Marianne Lee rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book has been on my to-read list for a long time, mainly because of the TV show.

I find that this book is one of those situations where the TV show is much much better.

In The Fallen , Chloe King discovers she's not a normal teenager. At the age of 16, she can do things that no other teenager can do. Not to mention, that out of the blue two guys want to be with her. With secrets piling up and danger around every corner, who can she REALLY trust? And to think that for her, her life spiralle...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Amy Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Nine Lives of Chloe King is about a teenage girl who learns she is a descendent of an ancient society made up of God - like beings. Specifically referred to as the Mai, this group of supernatural cat people are said to be the children of Sehkmet. Not only does Chloe discover that she isn't human she also learns that she is the Chosen One, a very special figure in her ancestral legacy. If this isn't overwhelming enough she finds herself at the top of the hit list for The Order of the Tenth Bl...more The Nine Lives of Chloe King is about a teenage girl who learns she is a descendent of an ancient society made up of God - like beings. Specifically referred to as the Mai, this group of supernatural cat people are said to be the children of Sehkmet. Not only does Chloe discover that she isn't human she also learns that she is the Chosen One, a very special figure in her ancestral legacy. If this isn't overwhelming enough she finds herself at the top of the hit list for The Order of the Tenth Blade. As it turns out most humans aren't aware of the existence of the Mai but those who are aware are much less than enamored by them. Because of this Chloe is faced with danger around every corner she turns. Sometimes the danger is the eminenent threat of The Order of the Tenth Blade against her and sometimes the threat is the danger she herself poses against the human beings she has grown to love in her previously assumed human life.

In this edition the author has bound together the three books in the series and I must say I enjoyed being able to jump straight from one installment to the next. It is well known that this series has been adapted for television. The first season has just wound down on ABC. The TV series and the book series similarities end with the basic plot (explained above). It is true that many of the same characters are present but they have been interpreted a tad differtly. There are a few characters that you will only find in the book and likewise, the TV series. I felt the characters personalities were more individual in the book and in some ways more complex (contrary to many reviews I read before reading the book myself). Personally, I enjoyed the book/s more than the TV series. Having said that, I still enjoy the TV series and look forward to seeing more.

As a parent, teacher and a young adult writer I feel it necessary to raise a few red flags to parents in regards to recommending this book. First, the "F" word is used way more than is necessary. Second, there are several instances where the adult characters in the story allow and facilitate the consumption of alchohal by minors. Not including those exceptions, I felt the book was written with the young adult reader in mind.

My overall impression of The Nine Lives of Chloe King was outstanding. It was engaging and creatively unique and I look forward to reading more books by this author.

I give the Nine Lives of Chloe King 5 stars!

Amy Jones, author of The Soul Quest Trilogy
http://amyjonesyaff.blogspot.com
http://www.soulquesttrilogy.com (less)

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Jun 19, 2011 Jenn of Frequent Reader, Infrequent Blogger rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, own, review-written

***NOTE MY REVIEWS OFTEN CONTAIN SPOILERS***

The day before Chloe King turns sixteen she falls 200ft from the Coit Tower and dies. What should be the end of her life is just the beginning of an entirely new world for Chloe when she wakes back up, mostly uninjured as if nothing happened. Chloe begins to develop strange abilities, she has claws and can run, jump and climb as not human can. When she becomes hunted by an assassin from The Order of the Tenth Blade, she learns who she really is, one of...more ***NOTE MY REVIEWS OFTEN CONTAIN SPOILERS***

The day before Chloe King turns sixteen she falls 200ft from the Coit Tower and dies. What should be the end of her life is just the beginning of an entirely new world for Chloe when she wakes back up, mostly uninjured as if nothing happened. Chloe begins to develop strange abilities, she has claws and can run, jump and climb as not human can. When she becomes hunted by an assassin from The Order of the Tenth Blade, she learns who she really is, one of the Mai, a descendant of the Egyptian twin goddess Baset and Sekmet. If that weren't strange enough she's torn between two very attractive boys Alyec and Brian who have very different agendas. She's not sure who to trust and just who is safe, but she must figure it out before it's too late. In the second book Chloe moves in with the Mai for her own protection, but when the Order of the Tenth Blade kidnaps her mother, Chloe must discover a way to save her whether or not her people approve. She has to find the balance of who she is with who they want her to be. The final story in the trilogy finds Chloe as the chosen one, one of the few Mai with nine lives destined to lead her people. However she's 16 and in high school, she doesn't know how or want to be a leader. Despite what she wants when she's drawn into the betrayals and politics of the Mai she must discover the leader within her or die trying.

Not the best synopsis I've ever written I know, but I waited a couple days between reading and writing the review mostly because I didn't sleep while reading this tome and afterward needed some serious sleep. If I'd read this series as individual novels instead of one longer novel I probably wouldn't have rated it as high as I did. Combined the three stories are spectacular, individually there's not enough there for me to consider a four star rating.

The book was a page turner from beginning to end. It has a fast paced plot filled with ancient races, teen relationships, cults and political betrayals. My main issue was the love story in this. While it's quite romantic, the star-crossed relationship of Chloe and Brian, I don't feel there was enough interaction between the two for them to be saying I love you. To show the kind of relationship portrayed in this novel she really needed a lot more character interaction between the male and female leads. Less of the distractions with Alyec, more of the scenes with Chloe and Brian, two dates does not equal love and people don't call boys they've been on one date with to pour all their problems out to.

Some of the secondary characters were hard to believe, Brazwell didn't quite give them enough depth to be imagined as real people. I liked Kim, she was probably my favorite secondary character, but many of the rest were sadly lacking.

There are quite a few differences between the book and the pilot of the new television show and I'm sure they'll be more as the television series progresses, however I think this is one of those cases where both venues are equally good even if they aren't quite the same. Overall it's an excellent read, though I definitely recommend buying the larger all in one volume portrayed here rather than the individual titles in the series. (less)

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Oct 28, 2011 Julie H. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-fiction, young-adult

In the midst of a 1,000-mile multi-phased move last summer, we stopped for the night at a hotel to sleep and give our freaked-out cat some "away time" from highway driving. (You're absolutely right. She's only four and probably shouldn't have been driving anyway.) While channel flipping at the hotel, I came upon an episode of a show I'd previously neither seen nor heard of titled "The Nine Lives of Chloe King." I watched, was moderately interested, and saw the note in the credits stating that it...more In the midst of a 1,000-mile multi-phased move last summer, we stopped for the night at a hotel to sleep and give our freaked-out cat some "away time" from highway driving. (You're absolutely right. She's only four and probably shouldn't have been driving anyway.) While channel flipping at the hotel, I came upon an episode of a show I'd previously neither seen nor heard of titled "The Nine Lives of Chloe King." I watched, was moderately interested, and saw the note in the credits stating that it was based on a series of books by the same name by Liz Braswell.

While browsing through my local bookstore recently, I happened upon this particular edition. It's the all-in-one volume which contains the three novels comprising the series: The Fallen, The Stolen, and The Chosen. Despite the fact that it weighs in at nearly 800 pages, this YA series is a fast read for several reasons: (1) the somewhat largeish type in which it's printed, (2) the wide header and footer space that puts slightly fewer lines of text on each page, and (3) the fact that the chapters are cleverly broken into 10-11 page lengths which encourages a late-night reader to read "just one more" before turning in for the night. I would consider adding a fourth reason to that list--namely, that Chloe King is believeable as a high school freshman. While her particular circumstances (i.e., adopted baby from eastern Europe, birth parents unknown, recent discovery of series of profoundly catlike traits including balance, hyperaware sense of smell and night vision, retractable claws on hands and feet, as well as the accompanying multiple lives as suggested in the series' title) require the requisite suspension of disbelief that accompanies paranormal fiction reading as a whole, the fact that she is not some cloistered, holier-than-thou perfect child is refreshing. No doubt, a good many details had to be handled differently (or skipped altogether) to render the plot appropriate for ABC Family channel, but the book achieves a measure of verisimilitude that I readily welcomed.

So here's the gist. Chloe and her best friends Amy and Paul are highschool freshmen living in San Francisco. As Chloe approaches her 16th birthday she goes through a number of physical transformations that she does not understand at all. Her biological changes and the untruths she needs to tell to cover them are paralleled by the budding romance between the two other nodes in her childhood friend possee. Thus, as Chloe is unsure what is real and therefore what to share with former BFFs Amy and Paul, the easy comeradery the three formerly enjoyed is made increasingly awkward by Amy and Paul's evolving relationship and its own accompanying sets of pressures--most notably the fact that Paul's Korean parents have recently divorced and his dad is now dating his secretary who is considerably closer to Paul's age than his Dad's. (It should also be noted that there's a subplot of traditional cultural values vs. western influences.) The entire first book deals with characterization, establishes Chloe as a likeable, imperfect, yet profoundly decent person, and only the very last few pages even give a name--but no explanation--to the dawning realization that she is something other than human. The second book provides full explanation of Mai culture and its origins as well as a better understanding of the Ten Blades whose task it is to rid the unaware world of the ever-dwindling numbers of surviving Mai. In both the second and third books, Chloe increasingly learns to trust her instincts, who her true friends (and family) are, and that while she can't put the genie back in the bottle she must do better by all of the people in her life.

This series is classic YA fiction. We've got the Romeo & Juliet motif going (e.g., Chloe as "the One" on the Mai side of the equation and Brian as the son of the leader of the Ten Blades), the meaning of family, birth mothers vs. mothers who raise us, the vaguaries of high school popularity, issues of leadership vs. power, when to break with tradition so as to be able to survive in the modern world, among other things.

I found Chloe to be an highly enjoyable protagonist. Her friends and, indeed, a good many other characters in the stories are quirky and distinct enough to sustain interest. While I might like to have had more backstory on The Rogue, I'm also not unduly pressed that he remains shrouded in mystery. All told, I'd recommend this book and series to any reader from middle school on in age. And now that I've read them all, I'd be more interested in watching the full run of the TV series for the sake of comparison.(less)

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Apr 11, 2013 Abbie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reading-from-a-z, paranormal-fantasy

Okay so I really had a hard time rating this book because it is an omnibus and I had different feelings for each of the individual stories. Also, I hadn't seen the series so my review is based solely on the book. What I basically did was rate each story individually, then solved for the mean score.

The Chosen I rated this 4 stars because I liked it a lot. I liked the concept of Chloe dying and becoming reborn with a whole new personality and kick-ass abilities. She was still pretty whiny but she...more Okay so I really had a hard time rating this book because it is an omnibus and I had different feelings for each of the individual stories. Also, I hadn't seen the series so my review is based solely on the book. What I basically did was rate each story individually, then solved for the mean score.

The Chosen I rated this 4 stars because I liked it a lot. I liked the concept of Chloe dying and becoming reborn with a whole new personality and kick-ass abilities. She was still pretty whiny but she had this funny way of showing it. I did not enjoy Amy and Paul's characters that much because they seemed more self-centered and shallow than Chloe. Then in came the two boyfriends who are polar opposites but are totally swoon-worthy. Alyec was the sexy, fun boyfriend who just happened to be a cat person like Chloe, while Brian was the shy, sensitive boyfriend who was actually an undercover spy and son of the Tenth Blade Order sent to kill Chloe. As Chloe began to accept her new powers (which included the inability to become intimate with a human for fear of killing them) she also gained a dangerous stalker, the Rogue, who wanted nothing more but to see her dead. Luckily she had managed to fight him off with the aid of her boyfriends.

Now we move on to The Stolen (I rated this 3 stars) which centered around Chloe's developing knowledge about the Mai and the Order. She found herself isolated from everyone in the Firebird headquarters with her Mai adopted father Sergei and her new friend Kim, until her safety could be secured.

Chloe's torn between Brian and Alyec but mostly it was pretty boring stuff. The action came when Chloe's mom gets kidnapped and they went on a rescue mission to save her. Chloe gets killed in the process and was reborn once more. This came as a big shocker to everyone because it meant that she is The One, the true Pride leader sent to protect the Mai. She escaped with her mom and returned home.

In the final book, The Chosen (I rated this 3 stars), Chloe found herself faced with the responsibility of taking over as Pride leader even though she had no idea what to do and had enemies at every corner trying to kill her. Amy and Paul broke up, Chloe had school stuff to worry about, Brian was left for dead in an alley, and she and Alyec were drifting apart. Blah, blah, blah. Anyway, everything ended with a happily ever after when Sergei was killed by the Rogue; the Rogue was killed by Dmitri (Chloe's body guard); and Chloe succeeded in forming a truce between the Mai and the Order after she sacrificed one of her lives (of course this was after she told the cops it was Brian's dad behind the multiple murders).

I liked it overall but I was just a little pissed at why Amy got Alyec in the end. Yeah, kinda bitter I know. But at least peace was restored and the whole Mai-human mating curse was lifted. Chloe would be able to live an almost normal life with her one and only beau Brian and have a promising future as a kick-ass Pride leader/business woman.(less)

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Oct 09, 2011 Chelsea rated it 4 of 5 stars

First of all, I think I might rate this closer to a 3.5 rather than a 4. I definitely enjoyed the overall "supernatural" aspect of this story, as I'm always interested in fantasy and mythical creations in literature; however, it was mainly my curiosity for that supernatural part of the plot that kept me interested. I know that I'm much more tame than many young adults in my generation, but I refuse to believe that it is at all in the norm for sixteen-year-olds to be openly sexually active, go dr...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Natascha rated it 3 of 5 stars

It took me a while to get into the story. Everything was a bit confusing in the beginning, and I think if I hadn't watched the tv show before, I would've found it even more confusing. I thought it was weird that Chloe didn't really register that she had these powers. She used them as if it was natural, her every-day-thing, although I think she should've freaked out about it more than she did. She simply found it, "odd". Also, that she had these obvious attractions to both, Alyec and Brian and ot...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Sam rated it 3 of 5 stars

OK, so I’m reviewing all three books in one because 1)I read them very quickly one after the other and the details are blurred between them 2)I have them in an omnibus form and 3)There weren’t large plot breaks between them.
Character Wise this book was good. It balanced several personalities which I find to be rarely well-written. Braswell manages it some of the time, but the other part of the time you begin to get annoyed at the multiple people racing around the pages. Kim was by far my favorit...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Roline rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 08, 2012 Allyson Rida rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bought

Review also on: http://chillinwithbooks.blogspot.hk/

Plot:

The plot of the whole trilogy can be described in two words: fast paced. There was a lot happening in one book, and each book is only a little more than 200 pages. It made for an intriguing plot that keeps me reading through the 771 pages of the trilogy bundle. However, I do have preference over which book in the trilogy was better, and the rating is: The Fallen - 3.5 stars; The Stolen - 5 stars; The Chosen - 3 stars.

Let's talk The Falle...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Christa rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: young adults, adults

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy-sci-fi-paranormal, series

I love the TV show, so I've decided to read the books. Got three books in one for under $10 brand new. Not bad. Seems good so far. I just hope my godkids read it when I'm done

Well, I change my mind about giving it to my godkids. They're too young for the content. The first and second book (Fallen and Stolen) were decent, but the third book (Chosen) didn't do anything to complete the story. I definitely like the actual TV show better. Braswell failed to develop the other characters and she introd...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Carolyn Brown rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal

I found "The Nine Lives of Chloe King" a refreshing read. It is something quite different.

Liz Braswell has created a character who, (Possible Spoiler Alert) when she transforms into her cat person persona during puberty, moves form someone who is easily forgotten amongst the crowd to a leader of her pride!

Chloe King experiences win, win situations in every area of her life by the end of the book - A's at school after a few catch up classes, strong friendships, leadership of her pride, perfect l...more

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Jun 15, 2011 ZoeMeow rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this in part because of the TV show coming out, and found that, indeed, it is very good. I think it could have used a little bit less foul language, which I found a bit shocking, but oh well. They're 16, it's kind of expected. This book gave me a chance to laugh at the astonishment of my friends, who seemed to think that it was insane that I finished a 771 page book in under 2 days.
I love the idea of cat people. That's incredibly awesome, and now I want to turn into a cat person. The Mai...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Joan{missing the vampire bunny slippers!} rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks-i-have, movies-i-ve-seen

I don't really know what to say about this book...

Ok, I guess after watching the series the book seemed kind of dry! Don't get me wrong i usually prefer the book version over any film or tv series version (big exception the Vampire Diaries series!!!:)), but this time I just couldn't get into it.

Some of the following might be considered spoilers!!!!

To begin with, Chloe seems rather selfcentered and egotistical. Her relationships with her friends are completely superficial and everything she does...more I don't really know what to say about this book...

Ok, I guess after watching the series the book seemed kind of dry! Don't get me wrong i usually prefer the book version over any film or tv series version (big exception the Vampire Diaries series!!!:)), but this time I just couldn't get into it.

Some of the following might be considered spoilers!!!!

To begin with, Chloe seems rather selfcentered and egotistical. Her relationships with her friends are completely superficial and everything she does seem to be for her own benefit, even when it appears that it requirs a sacrifice on her part she usually gains something. That is something the author is trying to remedy towards the end with Chloe's willing sacrifice of one of her lives to ensure peace, but the general feeling was for me at least already predetermined!

So what is the story about?
To cut aa long story short, Chloe is about to turn 16 and the day before her birthday she decides to skip school and go to San Francisco's Coit Tower to celebrate with her two best friends Paul and Amy. When she accidentaly falls from the top of the tower, an apparently lethal fall, she appears to be unscathed. Everybody assumes it was a miracle, but in the following days Chloe starts to develop some unnatural physical powers and she inexplicably starts acting like a cat in heat, being attracted to an even weirder variety of young men.
While the story goes on Chloe is introduced to the Mai society and her enemys, while she is told that she is the uniter. The one person who according to an old Mai legend is supposed to bring peace between Mai and those who try to eliminate them! And as if that wasn't enough Chloe has 9 lives at her disposal to achieve this admirable deed...!

At first it seems like an interesting enough story. Superpowers, romance, a legend, various merderers and of course an angsty teen who tries to fit in her new life and to ultimately survive. Well I am sorry to inform that it is not! The story is seriously lacking in suspense and at various points it either doesn't make any sense or it seems rushed and not adequetly adressing the few points that manage to capture the readers interest!

I really don't like being this harsh, but I expected more from this book and it didn't live up to my expectations!
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topics	posts	views	last activity
Did anyone else watch this TV show?	21	32	Mar 20, 2013 08:44pm
TV series b4 or after reading?	37	45	Feb 25, 2013 12:07am
Books or TV series?	7	30	Oct 13, 2012 05:50pm

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