Tiger's Curse (Book 1 in the Tiger's Curse Series) [Hardcover]

Colleen Houck (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 11, 2011 | Series: Tiger's Curse (Book 1)

The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spell- binding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever. Tiger’s Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy-romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more. “. . . a sweet romance and heart-pounding adventure. I found myself cheering, squealing, and biting my nails — all within a few pages. In short, Tiger’s Curse is magical." -Becca Fitzpatrick, New York Times bestselling author of Hush, Hush

--This text refers to the MP3 CD edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Product Description

The last thing teenager Kelsey Hayes thought she'd be doing over the summer was meeting Ren, a mysterious white tiger and cursed Indian prince! When she learns she alone can break the Tiger's curse, Kelsey's life is turned upside-down. The unlikely duo journeys halfway around the world to piece together an Indian prophecy, find a way to free the man trapped by a centuries-old spell, and discover the path to their true destiny.

Q&A with Colleen Houck

Q: Who are your favorite writers?

Houck: J.K Rowling (Harry Potter Series), Chris Paolini (Eragon Series), Stephenie Meyer (Twilight Saga), John Steinbeck, Walter Farley, Jules Verne, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Orson Scott Card, and many more!

I was fascinated with Chris Paolini’s story and when I found out he was such a young author and carried around his manuscript for four years before getting it published on his own, I was even more impressed with his grit and determination. The science fiction of Orson Scott Card and Jules Verne carries me away to places I never imagined. When I was young, I wanted to be Laura Ingalls and ride horses like Alec and have great adventures like they did.

Q: Who inspired you to become a published author?

Houck: The personal stories of Stephenie Meyer and J.K. Rowling really touched me. Both women just decided one day to give writing a try and the course of their lives changed. One day I woke up and decided I was going to give it a shot, too. I always loved creative writing in middle school and high school, sci-fi and fantasy being my favorite, and have been an avid reader all my life, but I never considered it as a career. Seeing Rowling and Meyer--two self-trained writers--have the courage to give writing a try inspired me to channel my creative energy into imagining and writing the Tiger’s Curse series.

Q: In what environment do you get your best writing?

Houck: I write at my desk near a window with a great view of Oregon pine and beautiful houses. I always light a candle when I write as a reminder to include the senses of smell, touch, taste, sight, and sound in my writing. It has to be quiet and, until recently, my dog always slept at my feet. That's my comfort zone when writing. I really love writing in the afternoons because that’s when things get quiet. In the mornings I like to write personal correspondence to people who write to me about my books and do the research on the exotic locations I write about. I walk everyday and listen to music that inspires me to keep writing, but I can't listen to music and write at the same time because I get too distracted.

Q: When you’re not writing and reading your own books, what are you reading?

Houck: I’m reading everything YA right now. My favorite books are fantasy with a touch of romance but I love Sci-Fi, children's chapter books, and mainstream fiction as well. I recently finished the Percy Jackson/Lightning Thief series which I loved and currently I’m reading The Life of Pi which I originally purchased because of the tiger on the cover, but I also have shelves full of books waiting for my attention. The next books on my list include Scott Westerfield’s Uglies trilogy, Alyson Noel’s Immortals series, and The Guardians of Gahoole by Kathryn Lasky.

Q: Anything else you want to share with Amazon shoppers?

Houck: Writing my own book was a chance to channel my inner hero. I’m a lot like my character, Kelsey. We both have a special blanket given to us by our grandmothers, we both love chocolate, and we both sat in the back of class. But where Kelsey took a leap into the unknown as a teenager, I took a lot longer to come out of my shell. In writing this series, I’ve been able to leap along with Kelsey.

I also wanted to say how grateful I am to all of the Amazon readers who have left such kind and supportive customer reviews of my books. I originally self-published my first two books through Amazon and the reader comments created enough buzz to attract a film producer and interest from foreign publishers before I even had an agent, which I’ve learned is kind of unheard of! Amazon was really the key to launching the Tiger’s Curse saga and, because of that, I now have a career as a full-time writer.

From Booklist

When 18-year-old Kelsey takes a job with a circus, she finds herself oddly attracted to the white tiger she has been hired to feed. Little does she know the animal is really a 300-year-old Indian prince who has been cursed and transformed by an evil wizard. She soon discovers the truth and, to her amazement, learns she may be the only one who can help. The next thing she knows, she is on her way, with the tiger, to India, where they embark on a dangerous quest to break the curse. The tiger can change into a man for 24 minutes during each 24-hour period. And what a man! “He’s like James Bond, Antonio Banderas, and Brad Pitt all rolled into one,” Kelsey thinks. Originally self-published as an e-book, Houck’s first novel is part Twilight, part Indiana Jones, and part fairy tale. Although her book—the first in a proposed series—is sometimes derivative, she tells a good story filled with chaste romance that will keep readers turning pages to the inconclusive ending. Grades 7-12. --Michael Cart

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Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Splinter; First Edition edition (January 11, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402784031
• ISBN-13: 978-1402784033
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 1.3 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (443 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Colleen Houck's New York Times bestselling Tiger's Curse series has received national praise with the fourth book, Tiger's Destiny, debuting September 2012. Colleen is a lifelong reader whose literary interests include action, adventure, science fiction, and romance. Formerly a student at the University of Arizona, she has worked as a nationally certified American Sign Language interpreter for seventeen years. Colleen lives in Salem, Oregon, with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 52 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Great Premise, but Poorly Executed January 14, 2011

By The Reader

Format:Hardcover

When I first heard the premise of this book, I was excited. Instead of werewolves, there were tiger "shapeshifters". I thought this would be refreshing. Unfortunately, the writing of this book ruined what could have been a fantastic idea. Like another reviewer said, it sounded like the author telling the story instead of the character telling her story. Almost none of what the character thought or said sounded like anything close to what a seventeen year old girl would say, instead it was what a grown woman seemed to think a seventeen year old would say/think. Even if you get past the main character's dialogue issues, the characters themselves were horribly cliche. The girl had self-esteem issues and the boy was perfect, it was even said over and over again in the book. Although sometimes the book can be redeemed from poor characterization by an excellent writing style, unfortunately the book lacked this as well. Even the writing style itself was horribly cliche. So all in all the book gets two stars for what was a good idea, but very poorly executed.

28 of 37 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars I Tried, I Really Did... July 17, 2011

By C.Smith

Format:Hardcover

I tried so hard to finish 'Tiger's Curse'. I kept telling myself that maybe once the prince made his human appearance some sanity would come along with him... I was done at chapter 8. The writing was so off putting! It amazed me that the author could be so detailed with her descriptions but at the same time none of it mattered. NONE! And what made it worst was having the main character have Q&A sessions about things that it seemed like she should know, since she was already all knowing in the first place (she knew randomly that white tigers are originally from Siberia and are normally bred in captivity but doesn't know if they are man-eaters!?) and she sounded like she was interviewing people from pre-written note cards for a magazine article. So I told myself she was just dumb as heck and I tried to find her idiocy amusing, but she rambled non-stop! If she saw a freaking butterfly drift by she would burst into a two page monologue about the time her a her amazing, awesome, wonderful, dead parents saw one and did absolutely nothing interesting at all.

The actual attempts at humor confused me. One joke was so bad I wasn't sure if it was a joke at all; "An Oregon governor must have passed a law a long, long time ago that said Oregon, at least in the I-5 region, had to always have moderate temperatures."... I'm almost positive that that wasn't a joke and that I've gone crazy.

Another thing that bothered me (and others too, looking at the reviews) was how the dialogue was written. The way she talked was not natural, teenager OR adult. I know dialogue can be very hard to write but it was just... bad. And everyone talked the same way (unless they spoke in a very bad foreign accent or broken English)and it even got to a point where I couldn't tell when the voices switched unless I was told it did so.

I have never put down a book near half way through with the intention of not finishing but, sadly, I just can't do it. The book makes me angry to the point were I'm sure that it's bad for my health.

I know a lot more people like this book than those who don't, so I won't say 'don't read' because odds are you'll like it. But be warned; The prologue is what tricked me. Read the first chapter and see if you still want to keep going before you buy (if you can). If you don't want to punch the main character every time she talks a about food (every other page) then you're good to go!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Yes, this book is very similar to Twilight March 17, 2011

By Jen

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I partially enjoyed this story. There was little to no real action. Kells played a damsel in distress almost the entire book and I feel as though this book contains near-exact phrases that Bella used to describe Edward in Twilight.

If you hated Twilight due to the fact that Bella seemed to ignore everything while Edward was around, then you'll hate this book. If you loved Twilight because there was insane amounts of flirting and romance, then you'll love this book. Another similarity is the fact that Kells had zero self-confidence in her image. She has both Ren and Kishan drooling over her yet she refuses to believe she is even pretty. That just screams 'Bella'.

Now, I'm not saying this book is a tragedy, because it saved itself with an actual plot. They're roaming around India in order to break Ren's (and his brother's) curse. Like I said before, this would have been a fabulous book if Kells had actually had to do something for herself. Ren ALWAYS saves her. I don't mind a damsel in distress once or twice, but twenty times? At that point it's getting ridiculous.

The final saving grace of this book is the fact that Kells doesn't completely obsess over Ren the entire book. She does do some deep thinking about how to break the curse at times. I just wish she had a stronger personal character than the author tried to make her.