I have a question about Bitten...

[Evangeline]

I've tried to read Bitten by Kelley Armstrong about three times now. I keep reading then putting it down and not having the urge to pick it up again. I've heard so many good things about this series and about Elena, does it get interesting? I know first books can be the most rough, but I can't seem to get into it at all.

[Shannon]

I can't answer your question but I just wanted to say that I'm in the same boat too! I had this on my list for July's challenge, made it to page 30 and haven't felt the need to continue on. It's not as if it was bad or anything, it's just not calling to me to be read. I'm going to pick it up again sooner or later though since I own almost the whole series. I'm just hoping I'll get the urge to start reading it again.

[Evangeline]

I know, my husband has read the first and second in the series. He asked me if I liked the book yesterday and I said it wasn't interesting to me yet, and he had the gall to tell me that's how he felt about the Anita Blake series (he never got past book 4). I guess to each his own! Maybe someone else will come on here and tell us we are missing out and then the interst will come.

[Gems]

I actually really liked it, having read it shortly after starting Anita Blake, I found it refreshing. It is slow to start and there's a backstory that's missing, it was on her website as a free novella to read but then the publisher wanted her to sell it and I think that's what she plans to do. You can see a bit of it in a comic on her site as well.

As for the book, it does get better. The whole pack thing is intriguing though if you've been reading UF for a while, I'm sure other series will seem better to you. It basically revolves around Elena who was forced into being a werwolf. She wants a normal life, to be human and have a job and a husband but she's not like normal humans and is always hiding parts of herself in order to fit in. She hates Clay for what he did to her but with him she is always herself; so she's fighting her two sides on every level.

I love Clay though, I think he's a great character and for a lead male he's very refreshing. I really enjoyed the stories of his childhood when his father figure tried to integrate him into a human school. There's also the moment when she goes back to her fiance's apartment and Clay comes to live too as her 'cousin' which I really loved.

However bar Bitten, the rest of the series, while good, never made go 'oh I can't wait for the next book to come out, I'll preorder it on Amazon.' I actually went to her site recently to reread the novella (basically Clay is my reason for reading)and I realized there have been about four books released since but they were about other characters so I don't feel I've really missed anything. The only other character I would definitely buy a book about is Savannah. It's simply that I found other series that catered specifically to what I like so I kind of put the Kelley Armstrong books on the backburner, I will get the next Elena and Clay one though.

[Anita]

I'm glad to hear someone else has trouble with that series. I forced my way through Bitten and got a few chapters into the second book, but then I gave up. I think it was that the author abuses and kills off likeable characters so often - it really bothered me. I like my good guys to prevail with less psychological trauma, I guess. Strangely, I loved all the free short stories the author has posted on her website, but none of those are extremely violent.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

I too had a lot of trouble with this series. I DID bull through the book but just did NOT like it.

[Evangeline]

Thank you guys so much! I think I will give it another try, hopefully I will like it.

I picked up her series because of a short story in Dates From Hell about Hope, which I really liked. I bought the first two about Elena and the 10th book, which is about Hope.

I have read a lot of different books about werewolves, I guess this one just doesn't seem as believable as the others.

[Kelly]

I agree with the slow start. For me it did not take off until she went back to Jeremy's and we meet Clay!!!!

I really had high hopes for this series but after reading the 2nd book. I will probably skip ahead to only Clay and Elena books.

[♥Tricia♥]

I have read the entire book and I thought it was horrid. I just didn't like it at all =/
To each their own though, right? :)

[Mel W]

I'm currently trying to read Bitten - it is my second attempt. I've gotten past the point I stopped at the first time though, which wasn't very far, and it is getting better. I think Clay is the reason for that - Philip just annoys me!

[Tina]

I love Kelley Armstrong's YA series. I've been really excited to read Bitten. That's sad that so many find it hard to get into. I'll still give it a try but I really don't like books that start out slow.

[Susan (Suz)]

I have read up through book 4 of her Otherworld series and I have to say so far Bitten and Stolen are my favorites. I have 5 at home waiting to read but I wouldn't say it's my favorite series at all. But I do like Elena and Clay and I love Savannah..... It does start out a little slow but I think if you can stick with it you may end up liking it.

[Nicole]

I loved Bitten. I am about to read book 10 of the series.

[chucklesthescot]

I loved Bitten and it gripped me from the start.Love the whole series!

[Angela]

I really liked it. I haven't gotten to the second one yet.

[Carolyn F.]

I really liked Bitten too. It took me awhile to get into it, but I loved when Clay was sitting at the gate all day waiting for Elena to come. So sweet and sad.

[Sonya]

I loved the series and cant get enough! I felt the Anita Blake series got too much into sex and not enough into the supernatural world....Kelley Armstrong was refreshing and what is exciting about the series is that it is a world with different characters so it doesnt get stale...they can stand alone but if read in sequence there is a time line...There are some I like better than others. I love romance but I like the action and adventure...was excited to get a hold of the Mercy Thompson series after because I felt deprived. My favorite in the other world would definately have to be the werewolves....I think Kelley armstrong Paints a wonderful picture in my mind...so very vivid. What I love is that they arent syrupy....Would love suggestions for others....I think the books are more action and adventure and if you are more into the romance then maybe that is where the disappointment lies. I like that the women are strong and although there is love it isnt the mainstay. Hamilton, with Anita, went way out there and too much with the sex aspect I think....I have loved reading all of Armstrongs books and was disappointed when the last one was done. I spent almost 3 months with no television becasue I lived in the other world...I love that she writes about strong women.

[Nathalie]

What are the other books ? I have read Bitten and it was great but I did not know that it was series.

[Sonya]

stolen, dimestore magic, industrial magic, haunted,broken, no humans involved, personal demon,living with the dead and frostbitten...also are tales of the other world and men of the other world and waking the witch comes out in aug...Her young adult series awakening, summoning, and the reckoning take place in the same world and she makes reference to things in her adult books....

[Literary Ames]

I love Bitten but it is a bit slow. Stolen is faster and has a whole range of characters. Clay is my favourite - "You forget, darling. I am the local psychopath." He's hilarious, especially when he was a child before and after Jeremy found him. His story alone is an emotional roller-coaster.

I love how the werewolves are depicted in a very realistic, very down to earth way.

[Rebecca]

Oh Amy I agree with you all the way. Clay keeps me reading. I love Clay and I picture the way he says darling coming out as darlin with a deep southern drawl. I want to be his darlin....

[Amanda]

I loved Bitten. I actually think is the best one in that series so far. The farther into the book you get the better/clearer it gets. Things start making sense, for instance who clay is and why he is important.

[Angela]

i'm actually reading this series right now, completely in chronological order skipping from anthology to online to a "core" book back to online etc ... it's great. I think people would probably like Bitten better if they first read Infusion, Savage & Ascension in Men of the Otherworld.

I just finished Broken which of the "core" books brings me up to date (I started the series with No Humans Involved having learned of the series from the short, Chaotic, in Dates from Hell and decided to continue from there instead of getting all the previous books). Those books having more to do with Hope meant I wasn't missing anything but when I found out Frostbitten was about Elena I decided to go back to the beginning and I'm glad I did. Love this series :)

[Angela]

"I think people would probably like Bitten better if they first read Infusion, Savage & Ascension in Men of the Otherworld."

Oh and also Beginnings in Tales of the Otherworld .. the stories in Men of the Otherworld explain Clay's past and Beginnings explains Elena and Clay's relationship leading up to her being bitten

[Teresa]

BittenLOVE it, didnt enjoy Stolen as much and really fell for the series with Dime Store Magic

[Christina]

I am completely in the same boat as you. I put this on my May challenge list and I just cannot seem to get into it. I have read 3 other books since I started it...I am going to try some more today, see if I can finish it...I hope all of you are correct and it does get better, because I am about a third through and it is a snooze fest.