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Extra #1
ExtraOrdinary
Ryder Carlsson can hear the shadows whisper. And they are calling her name.
Olessia is a runaway with a secret so dangerous, it could destroy worlds.
When the two girls meet, an extraordinary adventure is set to begin.
In the shadowy halls of Clarendon House Ryder stumbles upon a mysterious stranger. Olessia is a girl like no one else on Earth. Powerful and hot-tempered, she is on the run, determined to escape the fate that awaits her.
But Olessia's enemies are not about to let her slip away, and they are prepared to tear our world apart to find her.
Caught up in the chaos, Ryder and her friends must fight to stay one step ahead of the terrifying, otherwordly creatures sent to destroy Olessia.
But just who is Olessia truly running from?
The whispering shadows know the answer. Is Ryder brave enough to listen?
The Extra trilogy begins right here.
'Thrilling! Creepy! The perfect YA novel. A FINALIST and highly recommended,' - The Wishing Shelf Book Awards.
A SciFi Fantasy story.
The entire trilogy is available now - ExtraOrdinary, ExtraLimital and ExtraImperial.
ExtraOrdinary is set in hauntingly beautiful Tasmania, Australia, and is the first book in Danielle K Girl's gripping YA trilogy.
Olessia is a runaway with a secret so dangerous, it could destroy worlds.
When the two girls meet, an extraordinary adventure is set to begin.
In the shadowy halls of Clarendon House Ryder stumbles upon a mysterious stranger. Olessia is a girl like no one else on Earth. Powerful and hot-tempered, she is on the run, determined to escape the fate that awaits her.
But Olessia's enemies are not about to let her slip away, and they are prepared to tear our world apart to find her.
Caught up in the chaos, Ryder and her friends must fight to stay one step ahead of the terrifying, otherwordly creatures sent to destroy Olessia.
But just who is Olessia truly running from?
The whispering shadows know the answer. Is Ryder brave enough to listen?
The Extra trilogy begins right here.
'Thrilling! Creepy! The perfect YA novel. A FINALIST and highly recommended,' - The Wishing Shelf Book Awards.
A SciFi Fantasy story.
The entire trilogy is available now - ExtraOrdinary, ExtraLimital and ExtraImperial.
ExtraOrdinary is set in hauntingly beautiful Tasmania, Australia, and is the first book in Danielle K Girl's gripping YA trilogy.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 15, 2016
222 people are currently reading
929 people want to read
About the author
Danielle K. Girl
18 books64 followersDanielle K Girl is an Aussie who lives in stunning Tasmania with her three furkids, cats Luffy, Sweetie (@sweetiebyname) and Ren.
Her idea of heaven is a farm full of rescue animals, with a vegie garden that sprouts peanut M&M’s and chocolate wheaten biscuits.
When she’s not keyboard-deep in mysterious, beguiling worlds, she is binge watching K-Dramas, listening to K-Pop or hiking through the beautiful Tasmanian wilderness.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 21, 2022
Exceptional reading and world building for the start of a new series based in Australia ........ and a parallel universe not too far away. I'd especially recommend this for YA readers, my only complaint being all the teenage angst - I get enough of that at home from my kids.
February 9, 2017
***I received the ARC eBook from the author in exchange for an honest review***
A phenomenal debut I feel grateful to have read. Extra|Ordinary had me hooked from the beginning, with a mysterious opening that lead you to believe the story was heading one way, before it completely turned everything around. Continuous twists kept me on my toes and knowing that the author was one step ahead any theory I had. It’s safe to say that Danielle K. Girl is a wonderfully talented writer.
The characters had me invested in their story very early on, with Ryder being a strong-willed but still anxious girl who was looking for reasons as to what made her different. When the answer threw her into a different world, I enjoyed seeing her confidence grow as she quickly adjusted and learned her place in it. The sci-fi elements were done well, in that they weren’t so ‘out there’ a new reader of it, like me, would feel out of their depth. Yet they were also detailed enough to be immersive.
In the end, I have to recommend Extra|Ordinary and hope that others enjoy the book as much as I have! Meanwhile, I’ll be eagerly waiting for the sequel.
A phenomenal debut I feel grateful to have read. Extra|Ordinary had me hooked from the beginning, with a mysterious opening that lead you to believe the story was heading one way, before it completely turned everything around. Continuous twists kept me on my toes and knowing that the author was one step ahead any theory I had. It’s safe to say that Danielle K. Girl is a wonderfully talented writer.
The characters had me invested in their story very early on, with Ryder being a strong-willed but still anxious girl who was looking for reasons as to what made her different. When the answer threw her into a different world, I enjoyed seeing her confidence grow as she quickly adjusted and learned her place in it. The sci-fi elements were done well, in that they weren’t so ‘out there’ a new reader of it, like me, would feel out of their depth. Yet they were also detailed enough to be immersive.
In the end, I have to recommend Extra|Ordinary and hope that others enjoy the book as much as I have! Meanwhile, I’ll be eagerly waiting for the sequel.
February 1, 2022
ExtraOrdinary by Danielle K Girl is a supernatural fantasy about teenager Ryder Carlsson, a girl who has a gift that is both a blessing and a curse. Her gift is the ability to see and hear ghosts, but this ability truly haunts her. From restless sleeps to persistent headaches, Ryder’s gift might actually be a curse. Luckily she has her friends Christian and Sophie, who support her throughout the book.
Ryder and her friends are staying at her granddad Jack’s house, and they are given the intriguing opportunity to explore the infamous Clarendon House. Known for mysterious sightings and legends of the unthinkable, Ryder and her friends find something, or actually someone, on the dusty stairs of Clarendon. Olessia, a mysterious stranger with eyes of all shades and hues of purple, pops into their three lives. Causing them to question everything to know, Ryder and her friends discover their world is only one of many. However, with that knowledge comes great peril. Olessia seems to have some baggage. Flighty, powerful, and hot headed Olessia seems like she's escaping someone. This someone though is willing to risk lives to find her. With the knowledge Olessia has, Ryder finds out more and more about her ability, turning her hallucinations into mysterious beings. She no longer thinks she’s insane, but now her life and the people close to her are in danger. Ryder finds out more and more about herself but she has to protect herself and those she loves. Danielle K Girl, an impressive author who changed her pen name to Girl because she was tired of female authors having to hide their gender, makes her debut book through the eyes of Ryder. Girl teaches lessons of courage and friendship through Ryder and her friends, while making an intriguing story.
ExtraOrdinary was overall a unique book. Although, I was not a big fan of some scenes and some characters. There were some parts of the book that I found a bit tedious and confusing. A couple of the characters were also unlikeable. Many times throughout the book I found myself annoyed at the actions of some characters, even the main character Ryder. However this might be due to my predilections for people, so others may have different reactions. I did like the general idea and concept of the book, which is why I give the book a rating of 3 out of 5 stars.
Ryder and her friends are staying at her granddad Jack’s house, and they are given the intriguing opportunity to explore the infamous Clarendon House. Known for mysterious sightings and legends of the unthinkable, Ryder and her friends find something, or actually someone, on the dusty stairs of Clarendon. Olessia, a mysterious stranger with eyes of all shades and hues of purple, pops into their three lives. Causing them to question everything to know, Ryder and her friends discover their world is only one of many. However, with that knowledge comes great peril. Olessia seems to have some baggage. Flighty, powerful, and hot headed Olessia seems like she's escaping someone. This someone though is willing to risk lives to find her. With the knowledge Olessia has, Ryder finds out more and more about her ability, turning her hallucinations into mysterious beings. She no longer thinks she’s insane, but now her life and the people close to her are in danger. Ryder finds out more and more about herself but she has to protect herself and those she loves. Danielle K Girl, an impressive author who changed her pen name to Girl because she was tired of female authors having to hide their gender, makes her debut book through the eyes of Ryder. Girl teaches lessons of courage and friendship through Ryder and her friends, while making an intriguing story.
ExtraOrdinary was overall a unique book. Although, I was not a big fan of some scenes and some characters. There were some parts of the book that I found a bit tedious and confusing. A couple of the characters were also unlikeable. Many times throughout the book I found myself annoyed at the actions of some characters, even the main character Ryder. However this might be due to my predilections for people, so others may have different reactions. I did like the general idea and concept of the book, which is why I give the book a rating of 3 out of 5 stars.
August 14, 2017
Super fun YA with lots of my favourite elements, ExtraOrdinary read like an anime to me (in a good way) with big stylised action, a strong core group of characters, and original scifi elements overlaying the lives of normal high school kids.
Ryder Carlsson thinks she is seeing ghosts, however, when she is exploring Clarendon House with friends she finds something… else. Olessia, a mysterious girl with powers and technology beyond what Ryder and her friends have previously experienced brings a whole lot of mystery and action into the lives of Ryder and her friends as they race through Hobart trying to keep Olessia safe and get her home.
It’s tough to summarise this one without giving too much away, but the key part is that it’s a fresh, original spin on some familiar YA tropes. Ryder and her friends have a genuinely warm and great dynamic and the worldbuilding is interesting, but simple enough that even newer scifi readers won’t get lost.
I particularly liked how the adults weren’t completely left out in this. A lot of the time I find YA goes to lengths to avoid adults and parents in the teens’ world and I liked how ExtraOrdinary kept them in, but also gave the main characters enough room to have agency.
The Australian setting was authentic and great as well. Often I find Australian-set material can be a bit in your face, but this felt real with the landscape and the dialogue situating the book in Hobart without it feeling forced.
The prose worked well and Girl has a neat way with scene descriptions, often using a phrase or a line to really evoke an element of a scene or a character really fast.
I felt some elements were a little weaker – Olessia’s arrival and the initial set-up felt quite familiar and tropey for this sort of YA, but that fixed by about the first third where the unique elements had come into play. I also found the budding relationships between characters both cropped up fast and weren’t clear enough, I suspect this is laying groundwork for later books in the series but was a little rushed in this instalment for me.
Really looking forward to see where the rest of the series goes. There’s lots here still to unpack and I’m keen to see how Girl develops from here.
Ryder Carlsson thinks she is seeing ghosts, however, when she is exploring Clarendon House with friends she finds something… else. Olessia, a mysterious girl with powers and technology beyond what Ryder and her friends have previously experienced brings a whole lot of mystery and action into the lives of Ryder and her friends as they race through Hobart trying to keep Olessia safe and get her home.
It’s tough to summarise this one without giving too much away, but the key part is that it’s a fresh, original spin on some familiar YA tropes. Ryder and her friends have a genuinely warm and great dynamic and the worldbuilding is interesting, but simple enough that even newer scifi readers won’t get lost.
I particularly liked how the adults weren’t completely left out in this. A lot of the time I find YA goes to lengths to avoid adults and parents in the teens’ world and I liked how ExtraOrdinary kept them in, but also gave the main characters enough room to have agency.
The Australian setting was authentic and great as well. Often I find Australian-set material can be a bit in your face, but this felt real with the landscape and the dialogue situating the book in Hobart without it feeling forced.
The prose worked well and Girl has a neat way with scene descriptions, often using a phrase or a line to really evoke an element of a scene or a character really fast.
I felt some elements were a little weaker – Olessia’s arrival and the initial set-up felt quite familiar and tropey for this sort of YA, but that fixed by about the first third where the unique elements had come into play. I also found the budding relationships between characters both cropped up fast and weren’t clear enough, I suspect this is laying groundwork for later books in the series but was a little rushed in this instalment for me.
Really looking forward to see where the rest of the series goes. There’s lots here still to unpack and I’m keen to see how Girl develops from here.
June 7, 2017
A tale in which you go down one path, only to find you're on a different path entirely. Ryder thinks she's going ghost hunting, but something altogether 'otherworldly' lurks in the shadows. This is the perfect read for lovers of YA specfic filled with mystery and suspense.
October 12, 2017
Fast paced, high action story of friendship, ghosts and aliens set in Tasmania. What else could you want?
March 13, 2021
Fantastic!
Excellent YA novel! This story is so exciting and does not go where you think it will. The characters are really interesting and easy to love. Or hate, if they're bad guys. Definitely suitable for ages 10 and up (depending on reading level). I found this impossible to put down, but when I had to do so, it was all I could think about!
Excellent YA novel! This story is so exciting and does not go where you think it will. The characters are really interesting and easy to love. Or hate, if they're bad guys. Definitely suitable for ages 10 and up (depending on reading level). I found this impossible to put down, but when I had to do so, it was all I could think about!
March 19, 2021
The beginning started off with a girl and her two friends ghost hunting. And I was thinking sure this girl Ryder will speak to ghosts and it will be an adventure about that....but nope! Aliens. Or otherworldly beings. Fae like in appearance and very high tech beings. Then 72 hours of nonstop action. I don't think any of them slept. Which is ridiculous but I really enjoyed the whole premise of this story.
May 23, 2018
Absolutely fabulous! A book I didn't want to put down but unfortunately I had to get some sleep!
December 16, 2016
Wow, what an exhilarating read. Danielle expertly takes the reader on a wild ride full of interesting characters and a plot that left me breathless. Ryder's journey takes an unexpected turn and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. The science fiction elements were a real twist on what I was expecting and I'm hanging out for the next book. Hard to believe this is a debut novel. Danielle K Girl is an author to keep an eye on.
January 2, 2017
Extra|Ordinary is fast-paced with smart, engaging characters. I read it from my middle-school teacher perspective, and I know it will be an easy "sell" in the classroom! I also think it'll be a great introduction to sci-fi, as it begins as more of a ghost story & mystery and then unfolds into something more. I look forward to the next book!
May 31, 2018
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: ExtraOrdinary
Author: Danielle K. Girl
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 19
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 10/10
Of the 19 readers:
19 would read another book by this author.
19 thought the cover was good or excellent.
18 felt it was easy to follow.
19 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
12 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
17 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
19 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘I loved the idea of a ghost hunter. But it took a surprising twist. Very cleverly plotted and written. The cover is amazing.’ Girl, aged 15
‘A wonderfully twisting plot, this book will keep you guessing till the very end. I’m now off to find the sequel.’ Girl aged 16
‘Ryder is brilliant!!!’ Girl, aged 14
‘I was instantly drawn in by the cover. It’s so well designed and so powerful. I loved Ryder; she’s cool from the first page. Powerful ending, perfectly setting the story up for the next in the set.’ Boy, aged 16
‘I thought it was a ghost story but it’s not. It’s creepy and totally exhilarating!’ Boy, aged 14
To Sum It Up:
‘Thrilling! Creepy! The perfect YA novel. A FINALIST and highly recommended,’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: ExtraOrdinary
Author: Danielle K. Girl
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 19
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 10/10
Of the 19 readers:
19 would read another book by this author.
19 thought the cover was good or excellent.
18 felt it was easy to follow.
19 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
12 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
17 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
19 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘I loved the idea of a ghost hunter. But it took a surprising twist. Very cleverly plotted and written. The cover is amazing.’ Girl, aged 15
‘A wonderfully twisting plot, this book will keep you guessing till the very end. I’m now off to find the sequel.’ Girl aged 16
‘Ryder is brilliant!!!’ Girl, aged 14
‘I was instantly drawn in by the cover. It’s so well designed and so powerful. I loved Ryder; she’s cool from the first page. Powerful ending, perfectly setting the story up for the next in the set.’ Boy, aged 16
‘I thought it was a ghost story but it’s not. It’s creepy and totally exhilarating!’ Boy, aged 14
To Sum It Up:
‘Thrilling! Creepy! The perfect YA novel. A FINALIST and highly recommended,’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
June 16, 2020
Extra good read!
I truly enjoyed this story of Ryder and her friends. Hunting ghosts. They are really surprised when they learn it is not ghosts Ryder has been seeing or hearing. Grab this book and learn the truth !
I truly enjoyed this story of Ryder and her friends. Hunting ghosts. They are really surprised when they learn it is not ghosts Ryder has been seeing or hearing. Grab this book and learn the truth !
September 20, 2020
Wow!
This story is fresh out of a nightmare that becomes completely what the main character doesn't expect. I love the variety in the characters and species involved. I look forward to learning more about the aliens involved.
This story is fresh out of a nightmare that becomes completely what the main character doesn't expect. I love the variety in the characters and species involved. I look forward to learning more about the aliens involved.
October 16, 2020
Aliens or something else?
I liked this book right away, it was well written and good character development. I would say it is a teen read, but I enjoyed it and plan on checking out the rest of the series.
I liked this book right away, it was well written and good character development. I would say it is a teen read, but I enjoyed it and plan on checking out the rest of the series.
June 5, 2021
I was slow getting into the story. It needed some editing and didn't have enough action for my taste. But I kept reading and the plot led in a surprising direction. I grew to like the characters and where they were going. Besides I've never read a Tasmanian story before.
August 24, 2021
Interesting tale
Not too sure where'd three protagonist is heading but she is getting they're. Is she the same as Padella? Will Lucas and her Granada Jack beer okay. Too many questions and not enough answered
Not too sure where'd three protagonist is heading but she is getting they're. Is she the same as Padella? Will Lucas and her Granada Jack beer okay. Too many questions and not enough answered
February 28, 2020
Truly extraordinary. Loved the story. Good story line. I didn't come across another book like that one. And I am reading a lot.
Ghost hunting is over. It's time for a new hunt to begin.
Ghost hunting is over. It's time for a new hunt to begin.
March 15, 2021
I was bored.
January 9, 2017
I really enjoyed Extra Ordinary. I found the main character and her cohorts likable, and strong in the personality department. I also enjoyed the fact that at various places in the book I wasn't always sure exactly who to trust. This was definitely one of those books where I reached a certain point and realized that there was no point in trying to put it down because I just HAD TO find out what was going to happen next. I reached the end of the book very eager to read further about Ryder's adventures and her developing relationships with the various characters she met throughout this book. I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel. I'd recommend this to anyone middle school age on up who enjoys sci-fi, action, and/or the supernatural.
January 12, 2017
This was so fun to read...great characters that you are left thinking about after you finish reading and now anxiously waiting for the next book!
It's a story line that's something I always dreamt of as a kid and still do now lol
Amazing debut!
It's a story line that's something I always dreamt of as a kid and still do now lol
Amazing debut!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews