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Freak

by E.K. Henry (Goodreads Author)

3.7 of 5 stars 3.70 · rating details · 27 ratings · 18 reviews

Being a lower-class human born into a world where vampires rule sucks. No matter how hard Juniper Rayne tries to fit in, she's labeled a freak. When her dad signs the family up to take part in a reality television show, Juniper hopes that it'll give her the edge she needs to shed her freak label.

Unfortunately for Juniper, vampires aren't that accepting.

She decides to take...more

Paperback, 176 pages

Published 2012 by E.K. Henry

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Jul 12, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

ACTUAL RATING: 3.5 stars :D

Vampire books may or may not be in style anymore, but I can tell you one thing for sure. E.K. Henry has managed to take the usual vampire storyline and twist it into something different and fun. Freak, though it did have it's faults, was a light and enjoyable read.

When this book was brought to my attention, I was most intrigued about the television show Juniper and her family were going to be starring in. I wanted to see how it was possible E.K. Henry could base her pl...more ACTUAL RATING: 3.5 stars :D

Vampire books may or may not be in style anymore, but I can tell you one thing for sure. E.K. Henry has managed to take the usual vampire storyline and twist it into something different and fun. Freak, though it did have it's faults, was a light and enjoyable read.

When this book was brought to my attention, I was most intrigued about the television show Juniper and her family were going to be starring in. I wanted to see how it was possible E.K. Henry could base her plotline around a reality television show being in a world full of blood-thirsty vampires. It was definitely unique! I felt so sorry for Juniper having to put up with cameras constantly crowding around her all day, everyday. Plus, it was already bad enough that the vampires at her school hated her because she was human. Never mind a human with her own TV show!

Despite all this, Juniper stayed strong. I admired how she always tried to hold her head high, even though she stood no chance against the super-fast, super-mean blood suckers! Especially that horrible, Sheila! She was like your usual bully times a million! I also liked Juniper's snarky, sarcastic side. Another character worthy of a mention is Rouge (one of the vampire slayers). For some reason she reminded me of Raven out of Delirium. She was blunt, logical and a fighter. Juniper's love interest, Brandon, I wasn't all too keen on, but I didn't mind him that much. I actually liked another male character (named Trip) better. I definitely thought Juniper and Trip would have made a better couple. I liked him instantly and was a little disappointed when nothing happened between them.

The main faults I found were more with the writing. In my opinion, I thought there was too much crying from the characters. I know that sounds a little heartless, but I didn't think Juniper, for one, should have cried as much as she did. I also thought there was too much of the word "whatever" used and the way she would practically go in a huff and storm into her room. I know that's usually what happens when a teenager gets mad, but I thought it was just a bit too forced at times. It got a tad irritating. There was also quite a lot of errors in this book (grammatical and spelling) but I don't judge a book by the way it's edited.

Overall, Freak was quite an enjoyable read. It had an unusual and fun storyline to it and it was a really light, short stand-a-lone read that I finished in one sitting. I feel like it's a book you'd go to if you wanted something easy-going. Sort-of like a rainy day read. So yeah, Freak might not be the most amazing book in the world, but it's still worthy of a look! (less)

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Jul 10, 2012 Meggy Meg Megan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, bad-love-interest, insta-love-sorry-lust, sucky-characters, thanks-so-much-twilight, annoying-mc, disappointed, nooooo-its-a-series, just-meh, don-t-know-what-to-think

Holy.

Shiz.

Was I reading the right book? I'm not entirely sure, to tell you the truth, because after seeing all those four- and five-star reviews, I was certain that Freak was no ordinary vampire novel. I was sure that this book would be different.

Guess what?

It proved me right. It was different. Not in a good way. For one, the writing was bad. Many of the necessary commas were missing from sentences, and sometimes, there were commas put in unnecessary places (totally annoyed the heck out of me...more

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 22, 2012 Rosa (Bajan Rosa Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, y-a, passable

This Review was originally posted on my blog: http://bajanrosabooks.blogspot.com there is also an interview with the author posted there and a Giveaway of the authors ebook and autographed bookmarks

Juniper Rayne is considered a freak, not because of the way she acts, not because of her interests and not because of her attitude. No Juniper is seen as a 'Freak' because she is human. In a world ruled and dominated by vampires she is one of the few who still live and breath and have blood flowing t...more
This Review was originally posted on my blog: http://bajanrosabooks.blogspot.com there is also an interview with the author posted there and a Giveaway of the authors ebook and autographed bookmarks

Juniper Rayne is considered a freak, not because of the way she acts, not because of her interests and not because of her attitude. No Juniper is seen as a 'Freak' because she is human. In a world ruled and dominated by vampires she is one of the few who still live and breath and have blood flowing through there veins. She and her family are treated like cattle and there is nothing she can do about it.

When the Vampires decide that a reality show featuring humans is a good Idea Juniper's parents jump at the chance to be included. This is Junipers worst nightmare, now she is at the centre of vampire ridicule and she's not sure if she can take it. The bullying at school escalates and so does the intrusion of the cameras. After an incident at lunch, Juniper is empowered to regain control or die trying.

My Views: First of all I would like to say thanks to E.K. Henry for giving me the opportunity to review her book. Okay so I like the book, it isn't the best book ever but it is one I am very impressed with. The concept is one that draws you in as well as the setting. Some may find the main character a tad whiny in the beginning, however as the story progresses she becomes a lot stronger.The book stirs the emotion, at one point I was angry at Juniper her parents and her friends all at the same time.

I always love a little romance with my paranormal and E.K does not disappoint in this at all. I think it would be too much of a spoiler to tell you about Juniper's love interest so you will just have to read and find out! The villain was the director of the reality show (more the vampire government in general) but that fact tickled me a bit.

My Recommendation: If you are looking for a read, where the characters will surprise you and the story take you in, this is a story for you. If you are not a patient reader, This book is not for you, unless you really really try your best to stick with it.
(less)

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Jun 24, 2012 Jasmine Villanova rated it 5 of 5 stars

Beneath the moon and Stars review

This book is incredibly intense. I'm not even joking I was screaming then walking around my house freaking out. Then I had to explain why I was freaking out to my family so they could know that I was still sane. This book is like the most amazing roller coaster. At first I wasn't sure about it but I ended up loving it with all my heart.

Juniper annoyed me in the beginning. She seemed very bratty and annoying. She grew on me. I ended up liking her character a lot....more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 12, 2012 Stephanie Cover2CoverBlog rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Background: Juniper is a human in a world run by vampires, and like all other humans lives on rations and in poverty while the bloodsuckers have everything. To stay human in her world condemns you as a Freak. Juniper suddenly finds out that her parents have signed up the family to particiapte on a television show chronicling the daily lives of humans for the vampires.Mom and Dad think this is a GREAT idea, dad gets out of having to be a blood donor, the job for all non-vampires, and their home a...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 10, 2012 Holly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Holly by: E.K. Henry

Shelves: sci-fi, vampires, debuts, kindle

I was given an ebook copy of this from the author about a week and a half ago. The description sounded like something I would totally read. (If you've looked at my shelves before, you'd see that I have quite a few books that kind of fit this feel.)

However, I was more than a little disappointed with the story. For starters, I couldn't really connect with the characters. Juniper had all the same sort of reactions I feel I would have if I were in her place, but I just couldn't find a reason to like...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Sierra rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Twilight fans

Recommended to Sierra by: E.K. Henry

Freak was a fun, quick read that I think calls most to vampire fans. Me, I'm not so huge on the blood-suckers, but I gotta say, I enjoyed Freak while I was reading.
Picture a world in which vampires reign--and humans are all considered "freaks". One freak--in other words, a human--named Juniper finds out that her parents have signed on to be stars of a new 'freak' reality-TV show, in which humans are the entertainment for vampires. Soon thereafter, Juniper realizes that her parents and even all...more Freak was a fun, quick read that I think calls most to vampire fans. Me, I'm not so huge on the blood-suckers, but I gotta say, I enjoyed Freak while I was reading.
Picture a world in which vampires reign--and humans are all considered "freaks". One freak--in other words, a human--named Juniper finds out that her parents have signed on to be stars of a new 'freak' reality-TV show, in which humans are the entertainment for vampires. Soon thereafter, Juniper realizes that her parents and even all her human friends are starting to change, mostly in the limelight. They're different. Her parents come off as power-hungry at times, even though, as humans, they're the lowest of the low.
Juniper gets an idea...She's going to become a vampire killer in order to bring some karma back into the game.
Alright. The synopsis is done, now I shall record my thoughts.
I liked Juniper to a certain point. The only thing I found annoying was that, even after she had killed some vamps, she kept getting fed on, beat up, and passing out (dude. That can't be good for your head). I kinda figured that once she learned to kick some ass that no one would ever feed on her again. So I was a little peeved that every twenty pages or so, she was being snacked on like a bag of Fritos.
The other characters in the book were completely unmemorable. I found the book a little lacking in character descriptions, but I found that Juniper's friends were okay enough. Her one friend though--so totally saw that coming. It was a shame that Juniper didn't, for I like my heroines to be at least a little bit smart.
I also disliked how the main character all but picked up a sword and started hacking heads off. I hear (from my many crime TV-shows, no vampires allowed, mind you) that cutting off the head on a human is very difficult, because the spine and shit gets in the way. (And I missed the blood-spatter. I guess vampires don't have much blood, but I think the fight scenes would have drawn my attention more if there was some arterial spray.) However, I realized that these are vamps, so maybe they are spineless (ha-ha, just kidding. Lots of the vamps featured are some real sickos).
The plot was good, the characters were likeable enough, but the ending was a serious cliffhanger (is there more books? It says 'The end' on the flyleaf at the end, but maybe it's just 'the end' of this book? IDK.), but Freak was an enjoyable read.
I recommend this most to fans of vampire books, and maybe fans of The Hunger Games, because the whole human-TV theme was kinda reminiscent of THG.

(less)

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Jul 31, 2012 Neko-chan rated it 4 of 5 stars

~So,I won this book from the giveaway, and I am glad that I did, because this book is absolutely breath taking.
This book was awesome and really good, I love the way that it was written and the twist and turns that occurred. In the beginning I had a harder time getting into it, but I soon realized that I wasn't able to put the book down. The book definitely made me gasp a lot, the choices Juniper has to go through, I wouldn't even be able to choose. None the less, live day in her shoes. I loved...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, fiction, young-adult

Received this through the First Reads program.
This book has some good ideas in it, and there's a lot of action going on. The problem is the characters make no impact. The main character is ill defined and all over the place with her actions and motivations, her friends, family, and classmates are just as nondescript and incredibly one dimensional.
Something that really would have benefited this book would be some sort of explanation of the world the reader is entering. There's no real setup as to...more Received this through the First Reads program.
This book has some good ideas in it, and there's a lot of action going on. The problem is the characters make no impact. The main character is ill defined and all over the place with her actions and motivations, her friends, family, and classmates are just as nondescript and incredibly one dimensional.
Something that really would have benefited this book would be some sort of explanation of the world the reader is entering. There's no real setup as to WHY humans are lower class citizens now, and in such a short period of time. We're told humans are poor and disadvantaged, but you don't see it. You don't really see much of anything, and I find myself having to fill in the blanks more than I should. There's no distinct feel to the settings, they just ARE. It's a house, its a school, its a park. With the issues the book tries to take on, there should be more depth to it.
Another issue I have with this book is the black and white thinking. Humans good. Vampires bad. Except for the one exception, right? I don't understand how I'm supposed to buy into that, especially when Juniper goes from just disgruntled teen to bloodthirsty vigilante because she doesn't like the cameras in her house.
Her parents are moronic. There is no real attempt at making them actual characters, save for a line or two about "oh but being a blood donor is terrible!". They don't have personalities, and I really wish they did, considering how much their decisions have affected Juniper. It would have given her more depth also, as she would have had more to struggle with before rebelling against them.
I feel like a lot of what was missing from this was that it would have been fine if I were WATCHING it. I still don't have any concrete idea of what I feel any of the characters actually look like, and all the scenery feels like stock sets in my mind.
Many key characters weren't even mentioned until the last half of the book, which was irritating to read, and it only made the inclusion of a love interest that much worse.
Giving this book two stars because I feel like it had something going, and if it were executed better, it could have been a fun read. I wasn't bored, because the action was there, I just found myself sighing a lot because I kept seeing how it COULD have been good.
(less)

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Sep 06, 2012 Patty rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love the cover and sounds great cant wait to read it...

1 like · like · see review

Aug 05, 2012 Nic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Juniper isn't ordinary, or maybe it's everyone around her that's a little odd. Nevertheless, when her life is twisted into a TV reality by the vampires who govern the town, she is labeled as a freak. Soon everyone around her starts to change. They act like they aren't themselves. but Juniper's biggest problem is how to get her life back. The answer comes to her when a group of vampire killers approaches her. Does Juniper has what it takes to take control of her life? Can she face the consequence...more Juniper isn't ordinary, or maybe it's everyone around her that's a little odd. Nevertheless, when her life is twisted into a TV reality by the vampires who govern the town, she is labeled as a freak. Soon everyone around her starts to change. They act like they aren't themselves. but Juniper's biggest problem is how to get her life back. The answer comes to her when a group of vampire killers approaches her. Does Juniper has what it takes to take control of her life? Can she face the consequences after the acts she will take?

Freak contains the secret formula any book would love to have! Quality over quantity. The characters couldn't possibly become more enjoyable. They had the qualities that made me hate them and love them at times, the same ones that made me root for my favorite characters! The main character was focused on a lot, and from the beginning it felt like I already knew her. She was stubborn but passionate, determined and faithful, and you could always count on her.

The plot contained many strong points. It was very action packed and had a mystery side, where you had to look for clues and try to put the puzzle pieces together. I enjoyed the idea of vampires ruling the society and humans were the "freaks." At times I found myself thinking that the events were predictable, nevertheless it was still enjoyable to read.

The book seemed to work with emotions a lot. Instead of using descriptive techniques the author tried to go for a more emotional technique in itself was quite effective. It was also a major plot driver and as the novel progressed it became even more important. Some examples:

I really am happy for him. I’m sure that he hates being a blood donor as much as I think I will one day, but I still don’t think that the show is going to be good for me or my health when the vamps at school find out.

A warm breeze tickles my face as I walk to the bus stop. A smile forms on my lips. Today is gonna be a good day.

While E.K. Henry did a marvelous job with her characters, she could have made it better by showing more characters. The antagonists were left out until the end. Maybe a antagonist Point of view would have been pleasant. I understand that forestalling the discovery of the villain was crucial in the plot, as a reader I enjoy seeing different sides of a story.(less)

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Aug 20, 2012 Candice rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, arc-free-giveaway, own, paranormal, summer-2012

Where to start? I normally don't write a review unless I absolutely loved a book because I don't want to waste my time if it was mediocre. However, since I won this ebook in a giveaway, I felt it was only right to write a response.

To be honest, I almost didn't finish reading it. The horrific gramatical errors were so distracting, I could hardley concentrate on the story. Seriously, it seemed as if the author didn't even proofread it after she wrote it. (And I am not trying to be disrespectful.)

I...more Where to start? I normally don't write a review unless I absolutely loved a book because I don't want to waste my time if it was mediocre. However, since I won this ebook in a giveaway, I felt it was only right to write a response.

To be honest, I almost didn't finish reading it. The horrific gramatical errors were so distracting, I could hardley concentrate on the story. Seriously, it seemed as if the author didn't even proofread it after she wrote it. (And I am not trying to be disrespectful.)

I thought the concept of the novel was cool. The idea had so many possibilities, but the final product fell short. "FREAK" just didn't do it for me, and it didn't get interesting until three-fourths of the way through when we meet Brandon, a.k.a. the only nice/cute vampire. Who obviously is the love interest for Juniper. It seems that was really the only reason he was written in, so he could end up with the main character.

The other characters just straight up annoyed me. Juniper's parents were like brainwashed wannabees that made me want to pull my hair out. I hate when parents don't act like parents. Then there was Juniper's "best friend" Abi. Not going to spoil the story, but if any of my friends pulled that crap on me we wouldn't be friends anymore.

There were times when the dialogue was just awkward. Kind of like the author was trying to put some sarcasm or something into the conversations but it just didn't work. Like when Juniper meets the hunter group and the guy, Trip, calls her a kid and she playfully hits him. Then another hunter girl tells them to stop playing "grab-ass". I couldn't help but think it seemed force. Maybe she was trying to throw in some of that sexual tension that YA novels are so famous for, idk? What I do know is that there was not even a conversation between Trip and Juniper to spark anything and the other girl just wound up looking naive and childish.

I wanted to like this book, but I ended up thinking it was just okay. I think that if the concept stayed the same but some other things were changed it would be awesome. Also, the book ends on a cliffhanger. I don't know if that means there will be another but I hope it is better. I will probably read it just to see.(less)

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Mar 19, 2013 Christine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This book was really fun! The characters are easy to relate to and have varied personalities. I got really involved in their story. I like the flip-flop of the vampire/human roles. It gives a fresh approach to whole idea. The setting is creative and the descriptions paint a great picture. There are a handful of typos but they aren’t enough to distract from the overall reading of the story. I got to the end and wanted more! I can’t wait to read what happens next!

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Sep 07, 2012 Patricia marked it as to-read

I was VERY bummed (best word) to learn that this giveaway has ended!!!!... It was DEF at the top of my list of must reads!!!!... now I'll just have to wait... a lil longer till my kids are settled in school... Once again... BUMMER!!!

Ohhhh Kayyyyy!!!!... just saw there is still time on Goodreads and of course i JUMPED allover it!!!!
Now, all i can do is cross my fingers!!!!

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Aug 23, 2012 Barbara Hoover rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thought this was a good book by a new young author. it put a good twist on the vampire genre. if you like vampire books I think you will enjoy this one. can't wait to read the next one.

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Apr 03, 2013 Sonja rated it 5 of 5 stars

loved it. especially the part where juniper falls in love and the twist at the end

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Sep 09, 2012 Astoria Malfoy marked it as to-read

Shelves: wishlist

I really like the colors in this cover

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Aug 20, 2012 Patricia Yost rated it 5 of 5 stars

looks and sounds awesome...

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Jul 31, 2012 Marissa at Beneath the Moon and Stars rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-reading-games

Vampires :) I really enjoyed this book.

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Apr 13, 2013 Victoria is currently reading it

Shelves: books-i-own

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About E.K. Henry

E.K. Henry has always had a passion for books ever since she can remember. She has grown up spending countless nights being swept away by her favorite books into the wee hours of the night. She lives with her son and husband in Tennessee.

E.K. Henry loves to receive fan mail, takes requests for review copies and interviews through her email listed below.

To inquire about speaking events use email be...more

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