Customer Reviews

Demons Are Forever: Confessions of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom (Kate Connor, Demon Hunter)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Notwithstanding the fact that demons are the embodiment of evil, at times I was rooting for them! Timmy is more mature than Allie, and I hate the way Kate tries to keep Stuart in the dark. Her best fried, her houseguest, her priest, her daughter, and her daughter's chemistry teacher know that she's a demon hunter. Her current husband doesn't have a clue. Her daughter has little common sense and no maturity, but her inflated ego and constant whining to her mother keeps placing her in danger, and her mother, the elite demon hunter, always caves! The worst evil in this series alternates between the daughter (who does not behave like a typical teenager, despite the repeated rationalization, or if she IS a typical teenager, we have more to fear than demon conquest) and the demon hunter herself, who is sometimes too stupid to live. There were times when I was rooting for Andremech, just so the series will end. Apparently the proofreader has little stomach for the books - there was at least one instance in the beginning when "our" was used instead of "are" - can we get some smarter heroes please?

I enjoyed the first book of the series but I'm starting to find the characters annoying. Kate, the mom/demon hunter, trying to be a strict/fair mom but then letting her daughter walk all over her. Ally, the daughter, I found to be whiny and a spoiled brat. If Kate is a demon hunter with all the skills, why does she let a 14 year old girl get away with things that real parents wouldn't let their children get away with.

Until fifteen years ago, Kate and Eric Crowe were Hunters. They roamed the globe searching for and destroying demons. They retired to San Diablo, California, when Kate was pregnant with Allison "Allie". But Eric died while Allie was still young. Kate eventually remarried to a man named Stuart Connor, who treats Allie as if she was his own. Just under three years ago, Allie became an older sister to little Timmy. On the surface, they look like such a nice and normal family.

Well, Kate Connor may live in the suburbs, but she is certainly no ordinary soccer mom. Until recently, Kate was happy with a normal life. Stuart is about to run for San Diablo County Attorney. Timmy is well into the Terrible Twos and thinking about entering the Horrible Threes early. Allie is a teen, complete with all the drama the title brings. That is more than enough for any woman to handle. Kate only came out of Hunter retirement because demons began showing up in the area and Kate is determined to keep her family safe. Few people know of Kate's secret life. Laura Dupont, her neighbor and best friend, helps with research. Eddie Lohmann "Gramps", once her alimentatore (coach/mentor during Hunter years), may be over eighty but you would never know it if you saw him kicking demon butt. Father Ben helps with archive research and helps hides the bodies (after the demon is banished) in the Cathedral catacombs. David Long, Coronada High's mysterious chemistry teacher who helps Kate hunt. And recently, Allie entered the elite circle, but only because she had been kidnapped by a demon a couple of months ago and almost became collateral damage.

Kate is now forced to reveal her secret life to Allie. Time is of the essence. Seems the demons are getting active again. Worse, the demons are attacking very close to home! From what little the demons reveal during encounters, they are attempting to release Andramelech "Andre", one of the high chancellors of hell, from his shackles. Should this happen, the entire world will be in deep trouble. Also, Kate learns that Eric had been an active Hunter until his death. Of course, Kate feels betrayed. Eric had kept his hunting a secret from her and often lied about his where-abouts. Clues now show that Eric had some sort of connection with Andre, had kept in contact with the Vatican, and knew another hunter named Nadia Aiken (who disappeared only five years ago).

Allie is almost fifteen-years-old now and looking forward to the day she gets her permit to drive. To look at Allie, you would never guess that only a couple months ago she had escaped being slain by a demon in the local museum. Allie now knows that demons are horribly real and that her parents used to hunt them down. Naturally, Allie wants to research the mystery surrounding her dad's death. After seeing her mom kick demon butt, Allie wants to train as a Hunter as well. Her mom only agrees because she knows Allie would train behind her back. And for some odd reason, the demons seem to be showing up where ever Allie is.

Looks like Demon Hunting runs in the family...

***** The story focuses more on the mystery of Eric's past and Kate's relationship with Allie this time around. Don't worry, there are plenty of demon battling scenes to enjoy. But by probing Eric's history and putting Allie into the mix, the author has opened up a whole new can of worms with lots of future plot potentials. This series just gets better and better! The author writes the character of Kate so well that I could almost believe she exists. I found myself empathizing with Kate's maternal instincts. I cannot recommend this novel highly enough. I eagerly await the next title, Deja Demon, due for release in Summer 2008! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

This third installment in Kenner's Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series is a complete winner. Now that heroine Kate Connor's daughter is aware not only of her mother's secret life, but also the facts surrounding her birth father's mysterious death, the stakes are ramped to an emotional level that only a master storyteller like Kenner could handle with finesse. The action is still non-stop, the dialogue still sharp...and the story will dig down into your chest and tug on your heartstrings in ways that elicited more than one tear from this reader at the end. Still funny, exciting and infinitely imaginitive and clever, DEMONS ARE FOREVER is an amazing addition to this awesome series. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

This series is fun and an easy read. I read all of them and have recommended them to friends as well. A friend told me about them.

This series just gets better and better. The author has created an impressive cast of characters and has added more depth/seriousness to the overall storyline.

***SPOILER DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ A SPOILER!****

Well I found this book to be the worst one of the series so far. I loved the first two. I loved Kate, Laura, Allie, Eddie, Timmy, Stuart and Cutter (honestly Cutter might be my favorite character out of everyone and I wish Julie would give him a much bigger role).

The dialogue is still quirky and witty, Kate is still funny and there's some minor character development going on but there are a few things starting to bug me.

First the demon's dialogue. Do they always have to sound like they're in some bad crap B horror movie? Second Kate is constantly going on and on about how much her family means to her, how she'll do anything for them and omg another demon attacked them watch out! Well we get it already, she's protective and loyal to her family and will do anything to protect them. I don't need that fact pounded into my head 150 times in a book.

Another thing that's starting to bug me is the info dumps; maybe that's the only way to get through giving us the information we need but then again maybe Julie could just work a little harder at working in the information in a way that doesn't involve everyone sitting around and fifteen (ok fifteen might feel like an exaggeration but really I restrained myself I wanted to say fifty...in reality probably only 5 - 8 at a time)paragraphs of Father Ben informing her of what he found out.

Also I'm fairly certain in every book so far we've heard at least once how demons don't usually attack during the day and how surprised Kate is that once again they've had the balls to do exactly that. Well after three books of this exact behavior can't we skip the "wow the demons don't normally attack during broad daylight, I'm surprised by this unusual behavior" routine?

I won't say I didn't like the book; just some minor things that are starting to get under my skin. And honestly the ending almost...ALMOST made me want to throw the book against the wall and then into the garbage. When it was oh so easy for her to defeat the demon, I was like WTF but since there was still book left I figured there might be a twist coming up. Too bad it was predictable and I guessed what was going to happen about the middle of the book. Sometimes I feel like Julie Kenner cheats a little with her characters and their conflicts. Sometimes I think she gives them the easy way out. This one ended pretty harshly but surprise they managed to bring David/Eric back from the dead. I'm sure it will have "dire" consequences and I'm just as sure that whatever those consequences are it'll be much angst for both Allie (who's whining I'm seriously starting to want to kill her over)and Kate who can't manage to grow a spine and stand up to Allie.

Some of the highlights of the book; because of course there were or I wouldn't have kept reading it. Timmy is talking now, I love that. He's such a funny little character. Cutter is starting to have more to do with the story and I absolutely love him. Eddie is still grumpy and hilarious. Stuart is finally home a little more often and I predict that he's next in finding out what's going on with Kate. I do like that Allie is going to train as a demon hunter; but seriously she needs to do some big time maturing. She seems to have all these chances for her character to grow but somehow always ends up at the same spot she was in before - a spoiled, whiny, impulsive teen who always manages to get herself in trouble.

If it had been my book I might be giving it away right now. I've got the next one lined up and ready to read right after The Tale of the Vampire Bride but if it doesn't get better I might be taking the rest of them off my list.

Originally I gave this book four stars, then I wished I could give it 3.5 but after really thinking about it I've decided it's no more than a 3 star book.

The book was definitely new as described, without damage, and delivered early in the time frame given.

Demons Are Forever is a book in the Kate Conner Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series. The book is imaginative and fun to read. Most women, especially mommies, can identify with the main character, Kate Conner, as she tries to balance Mommy duties and wife duties with demon hunting. Keeping the secret from her family takes a toll on her. I won't give anything away, you have to read this book!

IT'S NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING BUT IT'S A NICE SUMMER READ IF YOU LIKE A LIGHT STORY. IF YOU PREFER A MORE INTENSE READ I WOULD TAKE A PASS ON THIS ONE.