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Kayla is 17, beautiful, smart, and has one of the best friends a girl could ask for, all that's missing is her dream boyfriend to come and sweep her off her feet. But all is not as it seems. Kayla is suddenly burdened by unexplainable dreams of running through the woods. Her reality is unstable and then she meets Jackson, a mysterious and drop dead gorgeous new guy. He appears to know more about Kayla's past than she does. Kayla is suddenly thrust into a whole new universe of possibilities that includes more suitors then she could have ever imagined, including Jackson's player cousin Damien. Within this alien world, Kayla finds one truth, sometimes to find the answers to your problem all one has to do is Shift.
664 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 2, 2014
235 people are currently reading
589 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Kay Carter
11 books161 followersSarah Kay Carter is a self-published author. Sarah writes young adult science fiction, romance, and science fiction romance novels. Sarah is supported by her two brothers, father, mother, 2 Heathers, Pene and her 3 dogs. She enjoys hearing from her fans. Don't be afraid to message! She can always be reached on her facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSarahK...
Sarah hopes to publish two more books this year. Like her facebook page to get previews of future books and bonus chapters!
Sarah hopes to publish two more books this year. Like her facebook page to get previews of future books and bonus chapters!
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 57 reviews
October 21, 2015
For those of you that liked this book, then that is great! Everyone is different and likes different things. I hated this book, so I'm going to vent. I don't intend to upset anyone, so if you liked it then I would recommend not reading my review.
"My name is Kayla, the MC of this "spectacularly" cohesive story. Lets start out by getting to know me, because... well lets just face it; I'm an AWESOME virgin!
"Okay, so I wanted to make this incredibly clear to anyone who will listen! (and those of you who aren't listening are probably to stupid to understand me anyways!) I am super smart and I'm also a virgin! Thats right people! Are you jealous? Well," nose upturned while laughing "you should be! Kayla (thats me!!!) is incredibly AWESOME! I am sooooo far above everyone else, it's sad really.
"Is there anything else you need to know, well besides that I'm a virgin? Well go ahead and ask! Come on! You know you want tooooo....... Okay! Stop badgering me! I'll tell you. I'm also super flirty! (But only hoooootttt guys..... I'm talking stacked bodies; a real beefcake! And did I mention smart? Yes, this beefy meatbar has to have it all upstairs as well! Otherwise, you're not worth my time. I'm sorry honey, but I'm Kayla! And did I mention how awesome I am!?) And I'm not talking cute flirty, I'm talking lets take it to the bedroom flirty! Because.... well, thats how I roll. I'm a real tease annnnnnnd it's SUPER attractive!
"And if you didn't catch on yet, I'm also judgmental! I can look right at you and I know EVERYTHING there is to know about you! (Everything I deem important anyways.... and all the other things? Well babe, they don't even matter! lol) I also have a flair for drama.... It makes everything better! Wouldn't you agree!? Oh, and just so you know, I'm a virgin!
"Now lets talk boys! I have such strong feelings for this guy (Boy1, super HOOOOTTT bod btw!), but he wont be with me for a reason I wont say. (You know... spoilers and all) But instead of giving myself time to work through my feelings, I'm going to pursue a relationship-type thing with this other guy! (Boy2 and equality HOOOOTTT bod!) But he is NOT..... and I repeat, NOT my boyfriend! (Are you kidding!? I can't commit to that!) I just want to have that, you know, person to had that.... ummmm, release with. (But I'm still a virgin!) And I do have some feelings for him, just not as strong as the other guy. And it's okay anyway.... he should count himself lucky to have anything with me at all! I mean, I am freaking Awesome Kayla after all!
"Lets see, hmmm. I also am not a gold digger! Lets make that clear right now! Although boy1 and boy2 are both incredibly rich! But that is of no consequence to me, I promise! Did I mention that I don't have a car? But I swear (although I may have mentioned to boy2 that I didn't multiple times) it is not my fault he bought me an 85,000 dollar car!"
"So anyways, if you think thats crazy, in this book, bipolar is contagious. Heck, even the plot is shifty (get that word play there?), not to mention the other characters. Now go ahead and and crack it open to get some more of me, AWESOME Kayla. Oh, and did I mention that I'm a virgin!?"
"My name is Kayla, the MC of this "spectacularly" cohesive story. Lets start out by getting to know me, because... well lets just face it; I'm an AWESOME virgin!
"Okay, so I wanted to make this incredibly clear to anyone who will listen! (and those of you who aren't listening are probably to stupid to understand me anyways!) I am super smart and I'm also a virgin! Thats right people! Are you jealous? Well," nose upturned while laughing "you should be! Kayla (thats me!!!) is incredibly AWESOME! I am sooooo far above everyone else, it's sad really.
"Is there anything else you need to know, well besides that I'm a virgin? Well go ahead and ask! Come on! You know you want tooooo....... Okay! Stop badgering me! I'll tell you. I'm also super flirty! (But only hoooootttt guys..... I'm talking stacked bodies; a real beefcake! And did I mention smart? Yes, this beefy meatbar has to have it all upstairs as well! Otherwise, you're not worth my time. I'm sorry honey, but I'm Kayla! And did I mention how awesome I am!?) And I'm not talking cute flirty, I'm talking lets take it to the bedroom flirty! Because.... well, thats how I roll. I'm a real tease annnnnnnd it's SUPER attractive!
"And if you didn't catch on yet, I'm also judgmental! I can look right at you and I know EVERYTHING there is to know about you! (Everything I deem important anyways.... and all the other things? Well babe, they don't even matter! lol) I also have a flair for drama.... It makes everything better! Wouldn't you agree!? Oh, and just so you know, I'm a virgin!
"Now lets talk boys! I have such strong feelings for this guy (Boy1, super HOOOOTTT bod btw!), but he wont be with me for a reason I wont say. (You know... spoilers and all) But instead of giving myself time to work through my feelings, I'm going to pursue a relationship-type thing with this other guy! (Boy2 and equality HOOOOTTT bod!) But he is NOT..... and I repeat, NOT my boyfriend! (Are you kidding!? I can't commit to that!) I just want to have that, you know, person to had that.... ummmm, release with. (But I'm still a virgin!) And I do have some feelings for him, just not as strong as the other guy. And it's okay anyway.... he should count himself lucky to have anything with me at all! I mean, I am freaking Awesome Kayla after all!
"Lets see, hmmm. I also am not a gold digger! Lets make that clear right now! Although boy1 and boy2 are both incredibly rich! But that is of no consequence to me, I promise! Did I mention that I don't have a car? But I swear (although I may have mentioned to boy2 that I didn't multiple times) it is not my fault he bought me an 85,000 dollar car!"
"So anyways, if you think thats crazy, in this book, bipolar is contagious. Heck, even the plot is shifty (get that word play there?), not to mention the other characters. Now go ahead and and crack it open to get some more of me, AWESOME Kayla. Oh, and did I mention that I'm a virgin!?"
April 30, 2014
There are some who might really like this book. For me...
July 27, 2014
I'm honestly surprised how many people enjoyed this book. It was a hot mess in my opinion. Seriously awful. The heroine speaks and has thoughts like she's bipolar or has some other medical issues, or maybe she's a secret wannabe valley girl? And do not, do not me started with the tense changes. Do not go from Kayla says to She was, to Her thought, we're hopping tenses so fast I'm likely to get motion sick! Especially when you're in first person.
December 26, 2014
I DISLIKED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!!! This novel had potential like other. Kayla is presented as intelligent, mature, and well rooted in morals. Wow this all went to hell in a handbasket when she meets Jackson, the hot smoldering alien shifter. Its like a switch comes on and our likeable main character turns into a giggling airhead who thinks with her hormones. Every word is "omg you are so hot" "im a virgin but take off your shirt" "but no dont take off your shirt im a virgin". It was frustrating as no other. For the dumbest reason I've ever heard in a story plot, Kayla and Jackson CANT be together. Okay just let that sink in....They cant be together but these two hormonal idiots still WANT each other. Its really stupid. And when Jackson insists that they be exclusive friends because he cares about her. What does Kayla do? She assumes that he doesnt want her. Constantly nagging and infuriating me with her obvlious low self esteem repeating dialect. But wait there is more! Kayla, the intelligent valevictorian of the school, comes up with another bright idea! ! Lets kiss and then start dating his cousin...Damien. Real smart -_-
Jackson likes you (AND YOU LIKE HIM) but youre going to persue a realationship with his cousin.
Okay so that obviously made no sense and after reading all this i literally almost threw the book across the room.
Dont even get started on the word choice lets just say.... With all the repeated vernacular "whatever" and "kayla giggles" i was ready to find another book. The writing wasnt too terribly bad i enjoyed aspects of the novel, truly i did. Lord have mercy, it was the childish very typical vocabulary that killed me. It did not resemble the complex language of what you would presume intelligent, well beyond human teenage minds, would use. The simplicity killed me and made me roll my eyes. I dont have a 4.0 gpa. Math is not my friend and even I DO NOT talk like that. At times Kayla was the fumbling blonde with much needed root touch ups. She was silly which i liked but it was so sloppy that many times i was second guessing her competence.
But noo! I had to finish this book....i just had to know. Will things get better? Would Kayla's intellect return? (Answers: No and no)
Things just go on a crazy ride to #pleasestopville because the love triangle is out of control. This has got to be the most SLOPPIEST CRUELEST MORAL-STRIPPED love triangle i have ever read in my existence. There are rules to love triangles people! RULES! Sarah Carter broke them all. I seriously sat up in bed sweating reading this book. I was rooting for JACKSON! !! But the author swtiched it up and messed with all my emotions with Damien. WOWOW I FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS CHARACTER DAMIEN. Kayla and Damien grew into more and it was thought to me (while i was reading) that they would be together. Screw Jackson's feelings! They were dating but not yet official because Kayla wasnt ready for that commitment okayyy (now that im thinking sensibly) i guess i can understand that. What the hell i didnt understand is why KAYLA AND JACKSON WERE HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WHILE KAYLA WAS DATING DAMIEN. When she was with Jackson she had no problem thinking about being his girlfriend. Its the rules people the rules!! You dont make out and flirt with another guy (especially his cousin) while youre dating someone else. I thought this was a common moral. It was a stab in my back for Kayla to talk about marriage with this man and then at the same time think about another guy.She broke every girl code with that malarchy. The guy she loved more wasnt even clear! At times i thought she was truly not thinking about Jackson...Its like she forced herself to love Damien....when she didnt have to. Smh she and Jackson wore they're heartless stupid shoes throughout the whole book. Lordy it was so slopppy it hurt me. Hurt my emotions because i really wanted Damien and Kayla to be together..he is just better in every way. Jackson came off more like a highschool crush. Damien brought things to the table, he honestly seemed the most mature. Which kind of says alot about the characters maturity levels .... Yeah but the messy love triangle really pissed me off the most and its probably the biggest reason why this book got 2 stars from me. There are moreee decrepencies especially in the ending where Damien was totally fine and happy with Kayla and Jackson. I didnt feel like this was a legitimate reaction. Anybodys who has ever had a realtionship messy like this would not be so chippy. Just saying. The relationship between Jackson and Kayla did not make me happy it made me angry. If they had figured out in the beginning what it took all this to figure out I would not have gotten so caught up with #Kaylem or #Damla. Which would have been a better couple. Also Just saying...
Okay so this is an extremely biased rant....and this book clashed with my morals so (yall already know) i had strong opinions. Overall this book passed my time by and it really had so much potential... *insert exasperated sigh*
Yet, dont decide to read or not read this book based on what i think. Plus Its currently a cheap price so READ THIS BOOK FOR YOURSELF and decide what YOU think. Im curious to see what other people think. You're going to either hate it or love it!
MERRY CHRISTMAS
and
Happy Reading Xx
Jackson likes you (AND YOU LIKE HIM) but youre going to persue a realationship with his cousin.
Okay so that obviously made no sense and after reading all this i literally almost threw the book across the room.
Dont even get started on the word choice lets just say.... With all the repeated vernacular "whatever" and "kayla giggles" i was ready to find another book. The writing wasnt too terribly bad i enjoyed aspects of the novel, truly i did. Lord have mercy, it was the childish very typical vocabulary that killed me. It did not resemble the complex language of what you would presume intelligent, well beyond human teenage minds, would use. The simplicity killed me and made me roll my eyes. I dont have a 4.0 gpa. Math is not my friend and even I DO NOT talk like that. At times Kayla was the fumbling blonde with much needed root touch ups. She was silly which i liked but it was so sloppy that many times i was second guessing her competence.
But noo! I had to finish this book....i just had to know. Will things get better? Would Kayla's intellect return? (Answers: No and no)
Things just go on a crazy ride to #pleasestopville because the love triangle is out of control. This has got to be the most SLOPPIEST CRUELEST MORAL-STRIPPED love triangle i have ever read in my existence. There are rules to love triangles people! RULES! Sarah Carter broke them all. I seriously sat up in bed sweating reading this book. I was rooting for JACKSON! !! But the author swtiched it up and messed with all my emotions with Damien. WOWOW I FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS CHARACTER DAMIEN. Kayla and Damien grew into more and it was thought to me (while i was reading) that they would be together. Screw Jackson's feelings! They were dating but not yet official because Kayla wasnt ready for that commitment okayyy (now that im thinking sensibly) i guess i can understand that. What the hell i didnt understand is why KAYLA AND JACKSON WERE HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WHILE KAYLA WAS DATING DAMIEN. When she was with Jackson she had no problem thinking about being his girlfriend. Its the rules people the rules!! You dont make out and flirt with another guy (especially his cousin) while youre dating someone else. I thought this was a common moral. It was a stab in my back for Kayla to talk about marriage with this man and then at the same time think about another guy.She broke every girl code with that malarchy. The guy she loved more wasnt even clear! At times i thought she was truly not thinking about Jackson...Its like she forced herself to love Damien....when she didnt have to. Smh she and Jackson wore they're heartless stupid shoes throughout the whole book. Lordy it was so slopppy it hurt me. Hurt my emotions because i really wanted Damien and Kayla to be together..he is just better in every way. Jackson came off more like a highschool crush. Damien brought things to the table, he honestly seemed the most mature. Which kind of says alot about the characters maturity levels .... Yeah but the messy love triangle really pissed me off the most and its probably the biggest reason why this book got 2 stars from me. There are moreee decrepencies especially in the ending where Damien was totally fine and happy with Kayla and Jackson. I didnt feel like this was a legitimate reaction. Anybodys who has ever had a realtionship messy like this would not be so chippy. Just saying. The relationship between Jackson and Kayla did not make me happy it made me angry. If they had figured out in the beginning what it took all this to figure out I would not have gotten so caught up with #Kaylem or #Damla. Which would have been a better couple. Also Just saying...
Okay so this is an extremely biased rant....and this book clashed with my morals so (yall already know) i had strong opinions. Overall this book passed my time by and it really had so much potential... *insert exasperated sigh*
Yet, dont decide to read or not read this book based on what i think. Plus Its currently a cheap price so READ THIS BOOK FOR YOURSELF and decide what YOU think. Im curious to see what other people think. You're going to either hate it or love it!
MERRY CHRISTMAS
and
Happy Reading Xx
August 8, 2014
Absolutely Beautiful, Funny, Sweet, Heart breaking and all over AWESOMENESS!!!
I found Shift completely by accident and I am so glad that I did.
Kayla is a fairly normal yet amazingly intelligent 17 year. Everything for her is normal, routine, your average 17 year life.
Until she finds out that she's not average at all!!
Jackson is the new boy and school and from the outset he and Kayla clash heads big time. Even though the confusing Jackson still stands up for Kayla when she is being bugged by her first kiss!
They build a uneasy and confusing friendship - they want more, but Jackson keeps pulling away - until Jacksons cousin Damien turns up.
In amongst all the emotions and a fairly large amount of testosterone Kayla's world gets turned upside down!!
I adore this book and can not WAIT to see what's coming next!!
XOXO
I found Shift completely by accident and I am so glad that I did.
Kayla is a fairly normal yet amazingly intelligent 17 year. Everything for her is normal, routine, your average 17 year life.
Until she finds out that she's not average at all!!
Jackson is the new boy and school and from the outset he and Kayla clash heads big time. Even though the confusing Jackson still stands up for Kayla when she is being bugged by her first kiss!
They build a uneasy and confusing friendship - they want more, but Jackson keeps pulling away - until Jacksons cousin Damien turns up.
In amongst all the emotions and a fairly large amount of testosterone Kayla's world gets turned upside down!!
I adore this book and can not WAIT to see what's coming next!!
XOXO
June 19, 2014
Im really pulling for both sides when it comes to rating this. Im a little disapointed in the writing and story structure but the creativity almost made up for that. I really kept coming back for more, but maybe that was just because it was so naughty.... Anyways the characters had a lot background yet somehow lacked depth. Conversation in this is almost constant and very repetitive. So even though on paper this book looks not to be worth your time it was a decent read so check it out. ( I read it on kindle for 99 cents) Enjoy your read!
March 26, 2015
Could not finish this book really tried but I gave up half way.
May 30, 2018
Astrid's Series Description: Aliens!? All of my characters will repeatedly tell what they are like, just in case you forget ;)
Book One:
Astrid's Description: I am Kayla, here is my laundry list of traits, I am a virgin. I am WAY smart (like super, super smart), I am not interested in ANY boys (they are all too stupid for me), then when I meet two boys that are smart, I mostly like them for their body. Next, did I tell you that I was a virgin, and I totally plan on staying that way... but it is fine to make those hhhooooooootttt guys think I will have sex with them. No, it isn't confusing... well for me it isn't. Did I tell you that I am really, really, REALLY, mature for my age? I know, I like totally sound like it, but you know, had to make sure you understood that I am Like SUPER mature for my age. Oh, and washboard abs are an absolute MUST on all my men. And, I am a virgin, just so you know.
This review is mostly negative, so allow me to start by saying that I read the series and found that, for the most part, the ideas Sarah, the author, came up with were fantastic. Most of them were new and exciting. I was not impressed, in any sense of the word, with the execution.
Shall we start with the word counts? This word count is comprised of words I noticed came up frequently; the cut off is anything used less than 80 times because my list was long. All right, here they are.
Length: 482 Genre: Paranormal Romance/ Science-Fiction/ Werewolves & Sifters Written Tense: Present
- says 978
- just: 721
- like: 654
- with a: 445
- laugh: 435
- replies: 426
- pull: 323
- start: 311
- feel: 282
- smile: 269
- sigh: 249
- whisper: 232
- grab: 206
- nod: 189
- yell: 183
- shake: 180
- breath: 147
- retort: 143
- finally: 138
- giggles: 124
- grin: 116
- groan: 115
- smirk: 114
- murmur: 112
- exclaim: 111
- cries/ cry/ tear (in relation to crying): 97
- wrong: 96
- hot 95
- chuckles: 94
- rolls: 86 in total and 60 of those is "rolls his/ her eyes"
- growl: 84
Some of those number were so big, that I thought I would do a little comparing. Anything over 200 was compared to other books that are romances.
Dirty Deal by Crystal Kaswell
Length: 446 Genre: Romance/ Woman's Fiction Written Tense: Present
shake: 107
yell: 20
nod: 226
sigh: 32
smile: 159
feel: 268
whisper: 28
start: 58
pull: 222
laugh: 106
with a...: 88
like: 607
just: 189
says/ said: 167
replies/ reply/ replied: 2
Prince of Wolves by Quinn Loftis
Length: 226 Genre: Fantasy/ Romance/ Shifter & Werewolves Tense: Past
shake: 7
yell: 28
nod: 38
sigh: 4
smile: 42
feel: 107
whisper: 29
start: 79
pull: 117
laugh: 77
with a...: 100
like: 346
just: 515
says/ said: 398
replies/ reply/ replied: 10
Talon by Theresa Hissong
Length: 213 Genre: Fantasy/ Romance/ Shifter & Werewolves Tense: Past
shake: 5
yell: 24
nod: 29
sigh: 34
smile: 61
feel: 71
whisper: 38
start: 56
pull: 65
laugh: 30
with a...: 43
like: 145
just: 163
says/ said: 156
replies/ reply/ replied: 61
What I got from this comparison was that Sarah, the author, needs to broaden her vocabulary.
Here is what all of my highlights and notes boils down to. This author loves telling. If the thing that needs describing is not a “hot” guy, then you might get one sentence like,
“The room is full of paintings. Kayla covers her mouth in awe. Most of the paintings are portraits. “These are amazing,” she whispers.”
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 3932
We are blessed with sentences like:
““I feel so much better. I don't mean to be rude,” Kayla says sarcastically.”
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 6652
“Kayla practically screams, trying not to laugh.”
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 2461
Get stupid comments:
““Wow. I will never be able to pronounce that.”” (The word she will “never be able to pronounce” is Neturu, how hard is it to say one word?)
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 5216
““Here I made bruschetta to start.” “Wow, you really can cook.””
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 3412, Note for those that do not know how to make bruschetta, it is a slice of a baguette with tomatoes, herbs, garlic, oil, some people add onion and cheese too. Easy to make and practically impossible to mess up. No idea why it somehow proves he can cook.
Enjoy jumps-in-time-sentences because she won't start a new section:
“The girls laugh all the way to Tracy's house.”
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 2354
“Kayla finishes the song and continues to sing along to the radio for the rest of the drive.”
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 4290
“For the rest of their walk, Damien shares details about his family.”
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 6093
You get character mistakes:
“I rock at calculus...” -said by Kayla
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 1908
““I just don't like calculus...”” -also said by Kayla
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 6151
She cannot decide what a character actually wants and to stick to it:
““Shut up and kiss me,” Kayla murmurs.
Damien shakes his head. “No, controlling myself is becoming more difficult.”
“I didn't say ravage me, I said kiss me.”
He looks at her carefully before bending down and kissing her. She responds by pulling him close. Damien runs his hand up the side of her leg and then under her waist. Kayla pushes herself against him. He emits a sigh of protest, but it doesn't take him long to press himself against her. Suddenly he pulls away. “Enough, we can't do this.””
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 6578
Literally in the scene before this one he is kissing her and she says they need to stop kissing before they get carried away. Basically, for someone that wants to wait until she is at least engaged... you suck at actually working to follow through and you are a terrible partner for not listening to your significant other when he says he needs to stop.
The last thing I will touch on for this book, is this stupid, childish way Jackson and Kayla's “friendship” works. Due to parental influence, they decide that they would never date or have any relationship beyond friend. When you agree with someone that it is better to not have a relationship, acting like a jealous cow is infuriating; both in real life and in stories. Maybe feel jealous, but you would never go so far as to make him feel guilty for kissing someone else.
I have plenty more I could go on about, but I think we both get the point. In a positive note, for the most part, she is grammatically correct. As I mentioned earlier, the idea behind the story is interesting too. Kayla is from an alien race that is able to shift into animals. Plus, the author does have a set of rules for the shifting abilities. The book needs more showing and less telling, and the main characters needs more stable personalities.
If you would like to see more reviews from me. check out my website: https://astridleemiles.wordpress.com/
Book One:
Astrid's Description: I am Kayla, here is my laundry list of traits, I am a virgin. I am WAY smart (like super, super smart), I am not interested in ANY boys (they are all too stupid for me), then when I meet two boys that are smart, I mostly like them for their body. Next, did I tell you that I was a virgin, and I totally plan on staying that way... but it is fine to make those hhhooooooootttt guys think I will have sex with them. No, it isn't confusing... well for me it isn't. Did I tell you that I am really, really, REALLY, mature for my age? I know, I like totally sound like it, but you know, had to make sure you understood that I am Like SUPER mature for my age. Oh, and washboard abs are an absolute MUST on all my men. And, I am a virgin, just so you know.
This review is mostly negative, so allow me to start by saying that I read the series and found that, for the most part, the ideas Sarah, the author, came up with were fantastic. Most of them were new and exciting. I was not impressed, in any sense of the word, with the execution.
Shall we start with the word counts? This word count is comprised of words I noticed came up frequently; the cut off is anything used less than 80 times because my list was long. All right, here they are.
Length: 482 Genre: Paranormal Romance/ Science-Fiction/ Werewolves & Sifters Written Tense: Present
- says 978
- just: 721
- like: 654
- with a: 445
- laugh: 435
- replies: 426
- pull: 323
- start: 311
- feel: 282
- smile: 269
- sigh: 249
- whisper: 232
- grab: 206
- nod: 189
- yell: 183
- shake: 180
- breath: 147
- retort: 143
- finally: 138
- giggles: 124
- grin: 116
- groan: 115
- smirk: 114
- murmur: 112
- exclaim: 111
- cries/ cry/ tear (in relation to crying): 97
- wrong: 96
- hot 95
- chuckles: 94
- rolls: 86 in total and 60 of those is "rolls his/ her eyes"
- growl: 84
Some of those number were so big, that I thought I would do a little comparing. Anything over 200 was compared to other books that are romances.
Dirty Deal by Crystal Kaswell
Length: 446 Genre: Romance/ Woman's Fiction Written Tense: Present
shake: 107
yell: 20
nod: 226
sigh: 32
smile: 159
feel: 268
whisper: 28
start: 58
pull: 222
laugh: 106
with a...: 88
like: 607
just: 189
says/ said: 167
replies/ reply/ replied: 2
Prince of Wolves by Quinn Loftis
Length: 226 Genre: Fantasy/ Romance/ Shifter & Werewolves Tense: Past
shake: 7
yell: 28
nod: 38
sigh: 4
smile: 42
feel: 107
whisper: 29
start: 79
pull: 117
laugh: 77
with a...: 100
like: 346
just: 515
says/ said: 398
replies/ reply/ replied: 10
Talon by Theresa Hissong
Length: 213 Genre: Fantasy/ Romance/ Shifter & Werewolves Tense: Past
shake: 5
yell: 24
nod: 29
sigh: 34
smile: 61
feel: 71
whisper: 38
start: 56
pull: 65
laugh: 30
with a...: 43
like: 145
just: 163
says/ said: 156
replies/ reply/ replied: 61
What I got from this comparison was that Sarah, the author, needs to broaden her vocabulary.
Here is what all of my highlights and notes boils down to. This author loves telling. If the thing that needs describing is not a “hot” guy, then you might get one sentence like,
“The room is full of paintings. Kayla covers her mouth in awe. Most of the paintings are portraits. “These are amazing,” she whispers.”
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 3932
We are blessed with sentences like:
““I feel so much better. I don't mean to be rude,” Kayla says sarcastically.”
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 6652
“Kayla practically screams, trying not to laugh.”
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 2461
Get stupid comments:
““Wow. I will never be able to pronounce that.”” (The word she will “never be able to pronounce” is Neturu, how hard is it to say one word?)
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 5216
““Here I made bruschetta to start.” “Wow, you really can cook.””
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 3412, Note for those that do not know how to make bruschetta, it is a slice of a baguette with tomatoes, herbs, garlic, oil, some people add onion and cheese too. Easy to make and practically impossible to mess up. No idea why it somehow proves he can cook.
Enjoy jumps-in-time-sentences because she won't start a new section:
“The girls laugh all the way to Tracy's house.”
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 2354
“Kayla finishes the song and continues to sing along to the radio for the rest of the drive.”
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 4290
“For the rest of their walk, Damien shares details about his family.”
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 6093
You get character mistakes:
“I rock at calculus...” -said by Kayla
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 1908
““I just don't like calculus...”” -also said by Kayla
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 6151
She cannot decide what a character actually wants and to stick to it:
““Shut up and kiss me,” Kayla murmurs.
Damien shakes his head. “No, controlling myself is becoming more difficult.”
“I didn't say ravage me, I said kiss me.”
He looks at her carefully before bending down and kissing her. She responds by pulling him close. Damien runs his hand up the side of her leg and then under her waist. Kayla pushes herself against him. He emits a sigh of protest, but it doesn't take him long to press himself against her. Suddenly he pulls away. “Enough, we can't do this.””
*source: Shift by Sarah Kay Carter ebook location 6578
Literally in the scene before this one he is kissing her and she says they need to stop kissing before they get carried away. Basically, for someone that wants to wait until she is at least engaged... you suck at actually working to follow through and you are a terrible partner for not listening to your significant other when he says he needs to stop.
The last thing I will touch on for this book, is this stupid, childish way Jackson and Kayla's “friendship” works. Due to parental influence, they decide that they would never date or have any relationship beyond friend. When you agree with someone that it is better to not have a relationship, acting like a jealous cow is infuriating; both in real life and in stories. Maybe feel jealous, but you would never go so far as to make him feel guilty for kissing someone else.
I have plenty more I could go on about, but I think we both get the point. In a positive note, for the most part, she is grammatically correct. As I mentioned earlier, the idea behind the story is interesting too. Kayla is from an alien race that is able to shift into animals. Plus, the author does have a set of rules for the shifting abilities. The book needs more showing and less telling, and the main characters needs more stable personalities.
If you would like to see more reviews from me. check out my website: https://astridleemiles.wordpress.com/
May 8, 2015
Well that was embarrassing. The plot was fine. I loved the idea and the spin on "shifter," but the girl... She is really awful. She needs a personality transplant... Bad. And the thing is, the teaser for the second book looks pretty good. Like I said, kicking plot, awful character. And in one scene she is with her friend and stuff happens and then it is like her friend got hooked of stage left. But the redeeming line for the whole book comes at the very end, "eat him!" Teeheehee. If you can force your way through to the end, it giggle worthy. But that's it. It's so 13.
July 5, 2014
Stupid
my God there was too much conversation between the characters that bored the hell out of me. it went on and on with stupid back and forth dialog. How many times can you say "Shut up" in a book & punch each other? was this written by a 12 year old?
my God there was too much conversation between the characters that bored the hell out of me. it went on and on with stupid back and forth dialog. How many times can you say "Shut up" in a book & punch each other? was this written by a 12 year old?
March 12, 2015
Would have been better if it was not 300 pages too long for the storyline, Damien wasn't creepy and manipulative, Jackson and Kayla's thing made sense, Kayla was not a weak, spineless person half the time, and the main characters spent less time talking, thinking, musing about sex.
April 21, 2014
Great book! I was a Jackson fan from they beginning. I hated that it was dragged out til the end but..... what an awesome story line and wow I loved the authors imagination! Def a new fav.
May 29, 2014
wonderful
wonderful
loved the book, read the whole thing in 2 days!!! the storyline wasn't like anything I've read before, can't wait to read the next one!
wonderful
loved the book, read the whole thing in 2 days!!! the storyline wasn't like anything I've read before, can't wait to read the next one!
June 11, 2019
3.5 stars. I enjoyed the love triangle dynamic between Damien Jackson and Kayla , but everything else kinda sucked. For starters, this book is advertised as a reverse-harem when it’s not. I think authors are stretching that term beyond its limits. A reverse-harem novel is when a girl end up with more than one person. This book was about a love triangle. Two guys chasing the same girl. There were also several random holes that didn’t make sense. For instance, in the book they needed to have an i.d. showing they were 18 to go camping. That’s not true. It was just an excuse to show off Damien’s wealth. The characters were childish and I would’ve stopped reading after the first two pages if this book wasn’t the only entertainment I had at the time.
August 20, 2017
This is a long book
This was so long but the playful banter between kayla & Jackson was really funny and enjoyable. The author's writing style was really good and very detailed. At times it was just too redundant and you kinda wonder is this ever gonna end. Personally, I was rooting for Damien cuz I think Jackson was just a little immature, so naturally my head broke for Damien.I don't know if I will continue to read the next story cuz I can't see Damien falling for anyone except Kayla.
This was so long but the playful banter between kayla & Jackson was really funny and enjoyable. The author's writing style was really good and very detailed. At times it was just too redundant and you kinda wonder is this ever gonna end. Personally, I was rooting for Damien cuz I think Jackson was just a little immature, so naturally my head broke for Damien.I don't know if I will continue to read the next story cuz I can't see Damien falling for anyone except Kayla.
November 23, 2018
👎 sadly
Not my kind of story.. i was bored most of time. It was a ping pong kind of story. I love u i love u not, can be with u can’t be with u. Two guys in love with a clueless girl. The alien out of space shifters was kind of interesting because it’s totally different from the general perspective of shifters which is usually related to magic for that i kept reading it but in the romance department it did not inspired me.
Not my kind of story.. i was bored most of time. It was a ping pong kind of story. I love u i love u not, can be with u can’t be with u. Two guys in love with a clueless girl. The alien out of space shifters was kind of interesting because it’s totally different from the general perspective of shifters which is usually related to magic for that i kept reading it but in the romance department it did not inspired me.
July 4, 2017
I felt this book was a bit slow to begin with but I did end up loving it at the end
July 3, 2021
Grabs and keeps you locked in through hours.
February 12, 2023
Not 1st POV so didn't read
July 16, 2025
Couldn’t finish. Not clean enough for me.
September 9, 2015
I want so much for every author to succeed, but this book held so much potential, and then it didn't live up to the high bar it set at the beginning. Usually when I find a book that has major technical issues with the writing I simply don't leave a review at all, but I loved the premise of this book so much. I just can't help but hope that the author will take a look at this critical review and all of the others and recognize that there are common issues that we have all been finding. Hopefully, it will encourage the author to attack this book again and fix the issues because I would be so down to read a new and improved version the likes of what was promised from the very beginning.
The first job an author has is engaging the reader and helping them connect with their main character. There is really nothing likable about Kayla even though the author wants to give you the impression that she is sweet, innocent and a genius. As the story takes off she is anything but those qualities the author is attempting to portray. She is snooty, bratty, and seems to run to Damien since she can't get her hooks into Jackson who, at 35% of the book, still won't explain why he appears to like Kayla but doesn't want a romantic relationship. Huge mistake there. Giving the reader a reason to understand Jackson's hesitance would help us to either understand where his goals and motivations are coming from or at least help us wait for Kayla to bridge that gap, and push away the doubts and fears he has. And then his real issues are all about defying his parents which just isn't a strong enough motive for a seventeen-year-old guy who likes and is attracted to a girl.
No clear goals in this book.
The dialogue is a bit of a disaster. I'm sorry, but even the most immature teens I've run into are capable of carrying on a conversation that doesn't center around nudity, make-out sessions or how hot someone is. It's such a shame too, because the initial dialogue between Jackson and Kayla when they first meet is sassy and snarky and also playful. Fun to read until we get a repeat of "You are so hot. "Of course I'm attracted to you, but we can't be together." "Take your shirt off." Take your clothes off." This doesn't establish a romantic relationship when the dialogue does nothing to convey any deepening emotions through vulnerable situations where they share feelings or thoughts on matters that actually hold some depth, and many times the characters said things that didn't fit their supposed personalities...or IQ's for that matter.
There is nothing substantial here to keep you rooting for the characters. No deep internal or external conflicts that are developed like they should be, and a very linear, immature plot that could have been so amazing, and I think that's why I'm so frustrated. I thought I'd found one seriously awesome book to read and the beginning tricked me. Sarah Carter you have tons of potential, and I think if you address the same issues that all of your critical reviews have stated, then this book could absolutely rock. Grab yourself the book Writing the Breakout Novel and focus on character development. It is so worth it for you and your readers to get this story right, and I think you have the potential to do it.
I gave this four stars because I'm not about to drag a fellow author's average down. I just wanted to give what I hope are some helpful critiques.
The first job an author has is engaging the reader and helping them connect with their main character. There is really nothing likable about Kayla even though the author wants to give you the impression that she is sweet, innocent and a genius. As the story takes off she is anything but those qualities the author is attempting to portray. She is snooty, bratty, and seems to run to Damien since she can't get her hooks into Jackson who, at 35% of the book, still won't explain why he appears to like Kayla but doesn't want a romantic relationship. Huge mistake there. Giving the reader a reason to understand Jackson's hesitance would help us to either understand where his goals and motivations are coming from or at least help us wait for Kayla to bridge that gap, and push away the doubts and fears he has. And then his real issues are all about defying his parents which just isn't a strong enough motive for a seventeen-year-old guy who likes and is attracted to a girl.
No clear goals in this book.
The dialogue is a bit of a disaster. I'm sorry, but even the most immature teens I've run into are capable of carrying on a conversation that doesn't center around nudity, make-out sessions or how hot someone is. It's such a shame too, because the initial dialogue between Jackson and Kayla when they first meet is sassy and snarky and also playful. Fun to read until we get a repeat of "You are so hot. "Of course I'm attracted to you, but we can't be together." "Take your shirt off." Take your clothes off." This doesn't establish a romantic relationship when the dialogue does nothing to convey any deepening emotions through vulnerable situations where they share feelings or thoughts on matters that actually hold some depth, and many times the characters said things that didn't fit their supposed personalities...or IQ's for that matter.
There is nothing substantial here to keep you rooting for the characters. No deep internal or external conflicts that are developed like they should be, and a very linear, immature plot that could have been so amazing, and I think that's why I'm so frustrated. I thought I'd found one seriously awesome book to read and the beginning tricked me. Sarah Carter you have tons of potential, and I think if you address the same issues that all of your critical reviews have stated, then this book could absolutely rock. Grab yourself the book Writing the Breakout Novel and focus on character development. It is so worth it for you and your readers to get this story right, and I think you have the potential to do it.
I gave this four stars because I'm not about to drag a fellow author's average down. I just wanted to give what I hope are some helpful critiques.
February 27, 2017
Not well written or developed
October 22, 2014
Imagine speeding through a forest on four legs, or stretching out your wings and soaring through the air, or even weaving through the water, wiggling your fins. I would never believe that people could shift into animals, and neither did Kayla “This is a dream of course. I mean it’s not really happening… There are no such things as shape shifters.” Sarah Carter, the author of the book Shift, easily connects the reader with the protagonist in the story by making Kayla’s life a lot like ours. My sister is a bit of an early bird, so I can connect with Kayla because I hate being woken up early, “Before she knows it, her phone is screaming for her to wake up… she writes: IT’S QUARTER TO SIX IN THE MORNING! Are you crazy?!” Even when she learned that she was a shifter, I could still see everything clearly through the author’s powerful writing. At times, the book either dragged scenes on for too long or rushed them by too quickly, but this also helped to express how the main character, Kayla, might have felt about the sudden changes in her life. “Kayla exhales in shock… Really, everything is a little much right now! She cries for the rest of the night… sleeping is nearly impossible.” I can’t wait to read the next book, which is a side story concerning one of the other main characters and find how my personality can connect with another girl of a completely different lifestyle.
February 9, 2017
aliens aint that bad
the review above is so accurate. I avoid ailen shifter books like the plague i usually find them weird. HOWEVER with shifters I was taken in just by the cover alone and from the first chapter I was hooked. This book has enough love (without the dramatics) and lots of drama (without the theatrics). Sarah Carter is a excellent writer the quality was amazing. cant wait to start shiftless..it would be nice to follow Kayla and Jacksons story maybe flash forward 10 years (i think I may be a bit greedy for asking for more..just call me Oliver
the review above is so accurate. I avoid ailen shifter books like the plague i usually find them weird. HOWEVER with shifters I was taken in just by the cover alone and from the first chapter I was hooked. This book has enough love (without the dramatics) and lots of drama (without the theatrics). Sarah Carter is a excellent writer the quality was amazing. cant wait to start shiftless..it would be nice to follow Kayla and Jacksons story maybe flash forward 10 years (i think I may be a bit greedy for asking for more..just call me Oliver
July 25, 2016
I feel like this had great potential but got really wrapped up in the love triangle and sexual tension around the 3 main characters. I found myself feeling like I'd read the same conversations over and over again and granted I understand they are trying to figure it out it did get a bit annoying.
About half way through I realized it wasn't going to get much better as the conflict in the story was very little and her parents almost completely absent which didn't make much sense given all they did to protect her. There were also a lot of unanswered questions towards the end and it seemed the entire twist/reveal was wrapped up in the last few pages of the book.
I read it simply to see if she ever picked the guy she was really into and how that all played out. But even that was a bit anticlimactic.
Normally I go straight into the next book but I'm not too sure. I did notice the second book has a better rating than this one so I may go see what others have to say and go from there.
About half way through I realized it wasn't going to get much better as the conflict in the story was very little and her parents almost completely absent which didn't make much sense given all they did to protect her. There were also a lot of unanswered questions towards the end and it seemed the entire twist/reveal was wrapped up in the last few pages of the book.
I read it simply to see if she ever picked the guy she was really into and how that all played out. But even that was a bit anticlimactic.
Normally I go straight into the next book but I'm not too sure. I did notice the second book has a better rating than this one so I may go see what others have to say and go from there.
February 12, 2017
Good read!!!
This is a good read I Enjoyed this book very much ! I am going to read the next one I hope it's just as good!
This is a good read I Enjoyed this book very much ! I am going to read the next one I hope it's just as good!
November 30, 2014
So I initially found this book by accident. And I am so happy I did!!! I. Really enjoyed this book! It was a new take on shifting not just a typical werewolf, something completely different! I adore the characters in this book! Many reviewers have said how Kayla is naive... To me that seems like that was exactly the point.! So it didn't bother me at all! It was interesting to read how the characters evolved. The book is super fun to read and I read it late into the night cause I just couldn't put it down.. All the authors books I have read are great! The second book in this series came out days ago and I have already bought and read it!!! If you are wondering if you should take the risk... DO IT! You won't be disappointed!
April 20, 2016
Too much going on!
At first I really really enjoyed this book. It was good and I could connect to Kayla. I loved Jackson and Damien, but the whole wishy-washy thing with Kayla was wayyyy too much for my emotions to handle. Part of me was pissed about it, and the other part was damn depressed. It played with my emotions a little too much. Some of the stuff reminded me of what I wrote at age 15, because of the whole emotions turning on a dime thing. I really wish that Damien wasn't introduced to her, and it was her morals that kept her away from Jackson. Or something along the lines of her using him and only liking him as a best friend but they both agreed on it. It was also really long, because of the whole emotions all over the place and being torn between two guys.
At first I really really enjoyed this book. It was good and I could connect to Kayla. I loved Jackson and Damien, but the whole wishy-washy thing with Kayla was wayyyy too much for my emotions to handle. Part of me was pissed about it, and the other part was damn depressed. It played with my emotions a little too much. Some of the stuff reminded me of what I wrote at age 15, because of the whole emotions turning on a dime thing. I really wish that Damien wasn't introduced to her, and it was her morals that kept her away from Jackson. Or something along the lines of her using him and only liking him as a best friend but they both agreed on it. It was also really long, because of the whole emotions all over the place and being torn between two guys.
June 8, 2015
Frustrating
I gave this book a 2 star rating because I could not stand the protagonist. Their was a part in the book that said she was more mature for her age however her actions spoke the opposite. I actually disliked her because she played with Jackson and Damiens feelings. There was a few times where she just acted like a spoiled brat who wanted everything. Don't get me wrong this had a good story line however I think this was one of the rare occasions where I didn't care for the protagonist, didn't feel connected to her. The only reason I finished it was to see if the guys had happy endings.
I gave this book a 2 star rating because I could not stand the protagonist. Their was a part in the book that said she was more mature for her age however her actions spoke the opposite. I actually disliked her because she played with Jackson and Damiens feelings. There was a few times where she just acted like a spoiled brat who wanted everything. Don't get me wrong this had a good story line however I think this was one of the rare occasions where I didn't care for the protagonist, didn't feel connected to her. The only reason I finished it was to see if the guys had happy endings.
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