This book got me back into reading. I bought three books from a local store and did the "my mother told me to pick the very best one..." rhyme as to which I would read first. Bitten was it and I went out the next day, after finishing Bitten, and got the rest of Kelly Armstrong's books. I fell madly in love with the idea, the characters, and the love story inside.

Based in modren times Elena is the only female werewolf, ever as far as their history goes back. She is a prize among her kind and was taken in by The Pack, an exclusive group of werewolfs that are like family. Not completely happy with her life as a werewolf or the circumstances where she was changed lead her to "run away". When her Alpha calls her with a request, she can't say no. Both her mind and pack law dictate it. She returns to her former home and realizes she left more than she was ever really willing to give, including a life as herself without shame or hiding.

The story leaves holes, but the good kind, not giving you back story instead of real plot story and confusing the purpose of the book. However, at Kelly Armstrong's website you can download back stories and side stories from all your favorite characters. I highly recommend reading the entire series. You don't have to read them in order but you miss important character introductions and the entire series is well worth reading. Every character is funny, interesting,and relateable.

So I bought this book after having it recommended to me, and after seeing the other reviews raving about how wonderful it is, how it has a Strong Woman, and everything else.

I really, really, REALLY don't see it.

To take the lazy route and cut and paste (and slightly edit) from a review I wrote of it in my own booklog:

Apparently the traits of being a female werewolf are being bitchy, but always always picking the wrong things to rebel about. When she should stand her ground and actually keep people from controlling her entire life, she caves and whines and pouts and flounces off to her room in a huff. When there's actual danger involved, the need for a plan, etc., she decides that No One is going to Tell Her What To Do, and goes off and does Something Really Stupid and gets bit in the tail for it.

Being a female werewolf also means knowing enough of the human world to live in it and hold down a job *in journalism* (not surprising since she was actually human up until college-age, you'd think), in knowing how dangerous men's psyche's work, in being able to manipulate people to bait them into traps and so forth, or manipulate touchy social situations on the spur of the moment. Yet it also means being so bad at human social interaction that she can't even realize that good grief, maybe she can actually snap at people once in a while without deciding to just leave her immediately, or can't deal socially with her boyfriend's family (for example) on an even footing. (To be fair there is some in-character reasons that her socialization might not be all that normal... but it's still irritating to read, regardless. And it still doesn't gel very well with how *good* she is at other social bits.)

Best of all (yes, that's sarcasm, just to preemptively warn you) being a female werewolf means that no matter how much you try to assert yourself against those mean ol' alpha males who are trying to run your life the way THEY see fit... they'll always (or at least almost always) turn out right in the end, and silly female lil' ol' you was wrong wrong wrong. They do know what's best for you, after all! All your own personal dreams, and decisions? Pfff. You should know better, kid. Eventually you'll realize what's REALLY best for you.

And then there's things like this woman who was apparently raped (or rather "molested") repeatedly as a kid being quasi-raped by the big strong manly werewolf, and at the last minute when he says he won't force her (after he's, y'know, tied her up and got her all worked up), she of course realizes that OH YES, that's what she wants, and she just can't stop her lil' ol' female hormones. Not with that big strong dominant MAN around.

So long story short, I really cannot recommend this as any sort of read if you like strong female characters, or if you want to get into urban supernatural books instead. There are much better ones out there.

I thought this was a great book,i"ve read the series,waiting to order the next book

This is the first in the series. The characters are strong and are woven repeatedly through the series. The books just get better and better. It was fun to encounter old friends in subsequent books. Exciting and well worth the time. My husband and I love this series.

This was an OK read. I just don't understand writers who want to have a strong female protagonist but make her a girl instead of a woman. She wants to be treated just like the guys and even plays the "mine's bigger than yours" games. Then she acts like a spoiled teeny-bopper when someone says or does something she doesn't like - and never seems to "get it".

The male characters are much more believable and likable - hence the three stars. I'll try one more in the series to see if things improve.

Kudos to the reviewer who mentioned that this author mostly "tells" rather than "shows". But rather than having to read the whole book you can sum it up thusly: werewolves like to run. A lot. I mean a whole lot. They like to eat a lot. And sloppily. And drink water. They like to howl. (So far this sounds like my dog.) There is only one female werewolf so while she and her mate (who everyone can see from the beginning she is passionate about and is really quite bored with the milqtoast human she has cursory involvement with.) have sex, I'm not sure what the others do...except maybe fight over her. So, there you have it.

(to other aspiring writers)Do you ever have a moment your life when you have an idea and you think "wow I'm so original for thinking this! My book will be amazing!" Then you read something by someone else who had the exact same idea but what published before you? Yea. That's how Bitten was for me. I enjoyed the read but it kept me up at night wondering how to change my own novel. Her unique element is that the werewolves actually turn into wolves instead of some kind of demented human/wolf creature from Ginger Snaps.

If you like Anne Rice, you will like this. I love the werewolves almost as much as the vampires.

this book was bought for me while i was in the hospital. i don't usually go for the paranomal books...but i have to say, this was written excellently in first person. it gave good background where needed and seemed entirely believable. i was quite impressed with ms. armstrong's novel and as soon as i'm out i will be purchasing the next in the series to read. kudos to thought out characters, plot, and a intriguing and exciting read...i look forward to the rest of the series.

I really wanted to like this book. I feel like I wasted two days of my life that I will never get back. I found the book long-winded with pages upon pages of useless words filling the book. Thank goodness I got this from the library because if not, I would be bored as well as pissed.

Smart, sexy, adventurous - these are just some of the words to describe this book. Not only is it a good introduction to the characters of the Otherworld, but it's a fast-paced, well-thought out story as well. Armstrong has a clear understanding of who her characters are and their place in their world right from the beginning. I haven't read any of the other books in the series yet, but I know that I won't be let down.

I love urban fantasy, so I thought I would check out this book after so many good reviews. I was terribly disappointed.

First of all, the book is incredibly slow. It takes forever to get to any hint of real plot. Instead, the author fills the book up with flashbacks, back story, and thoughts- which could have been better portrayed through action and dialogue. She needs to remember the #1 writing tip: show don't tell. For example, instead of having a scene where Jeremy tells Elena about the problem he is having, she writes "The next morning Jeremy told us what was going on" and then gives a summary of it. Hello bad writing!

Besides the writing and plot issues, there are some serious problems with the characters. Elena is overall a pathetic, inconsistent character. She doesn't seem to have much problem killing people- except this one guy she killed without getting permission. She is yet another female who acts tough but gets all wimpy whenever a hot guy is around. She lets all the men in the pack grab her, kiss her, and pick her up and carry her around like a child. I am so tired of seeing that kind of thing done over and over in urban fantasy/romance books. Then, even though she supposedly loves her boyfriend, she cheats on him and then doesn't even feel bad.

The scene where she cheats is a glorified rape scene. It made me feel sick reading it. Her love interest basically infected her with an STD against her will, and yet because he's hot its ok in the end. We learn that Elena has a history of sexual abuse, but she clings to this abusive relationship anyway. And once Elena and Clay get together again, her whole past trauma seemed to just fly out the window. Clay is an extremely unlikable character and I could never understand why she was interested in him. Personally I wanted to see her end up with Phillip or Jeremy.

Plus there is the fact you have to believe she is the only female werewolf and there are only 35 of them in the world and and five of them control everything and all the other werewolves are big naughties. Really?? I also checked out some of the other books and saw that the entire series is full of rape themes- odd for a series supposedly about strong women. Think I will skip them entirely.

I had a little trouble getting into the book at first but then I realized it had "grabbed" me and I couldn't put it down. It made up for a bit of a slow start and was an interesting look into the world of werewolves from a female point of view.

This review pertains to the whole series, rather than solely to Bitten.

Pros:
* Good writing
* Likeable characters
* Generally well-plotted

Cons:
* Every book has at least one attempted rape, or rape theme (Haunted has a particularly awful scene featuring a raped pre-teen begging for her mother--that's not the kind of thing I read for entertainment. That scene actually stayed with me for a couple of weeks, and led me to stop reading the series. On the other hand, I suppose it was vividly written.)
* Pretty gory--if you like horror it probably won't bother you. It got to be too much for me.


Depends on your point of view:
* Lengthy, detailed sex scenes (these might have been more fun to read if I hadn't usually been trying to rock my baby to sleep at the same time).
* Not very much humor. The books take themselves pretty seriously.

Armstrong is a very competent writer and her command of the urban fantasy genre is also really good. She knows how to manage dialogue and keep pace with both action and character development. So, this should be a great book, right?

Ok, I despised the book because the main character is such a ridiculous brat that I simply couldn't stand her. The author has created such a completely unbelievable character that I was happy when the book was over and the totally predictable ending brought my suffering to a close. The character just didn't seem to fit an Urban Fantasy novel, but felt like the sort of Paranormal Romance characters that normally repel me. I just can't stand the strong-willed, independent, defiant characters that turn to a puddle of mush for the ultra-handsome, maverick male who they have been hurt by in the past and still can never stop loving. BARF!!!!!

So, Armstrong is a really good author, but the character that is the focal point of this series is so repellant to me that I won't read anything else associated with this series.

I hoped for a good story. This book began to offer that and then around page 100 was a "sex scene". I trashed the book.

I was definately worried when I first started this novel. Nothing happened for the first 100 or so pages. I mean, nothing,major snoozefest. I was bored out of my gourd reading about Elena's tromps through the forest as a wolf and then coming home human and sneaking back in her boyfriend's bed. The author must have done a good job of making me like that human boyfriend, Phillip, because man was I ticked off when she left town and went back home to her werewolf pack and immediately started jumping her old lover's Clay's bones. She didn't feel an ounce of guilt in doing so, which made it worse. Phillip became an afterthought. It was sad when Phillip would call to get her to see when she thought her trip would be over and she'd be coming home. Making things more difficult it the fact that the author obviously adores every strand of Clay's curly hair. We are supposed to, as readers, fall in love with Clay. Clay too is flawed,even more so than Elena. Clay dispises humans. His every interaction with them shows they are below the dirt on his feet. Clay doesn't blink an eye at killing them and only doesn't hunt them because it isn't expected of his 'pack' and werewolf society in general, and the pack leader Jeremy won't tolerate it. Elena hates this about Jeremy, but when she finds herself with an innocent dead human at her feet, she admits to not caring about the human, and is only worried about her own hide making it out of this situation alive. Jeremy, I liked! A lot, actually. He is strict, but his affection shows. He doesn't appear to dispise the humans, although his is cautious around them, for the pack's safety. I was not suprised to see Elena compare Jeremy to her boyfriend Phillip at one point. The good news about this book (and the reason for the four stars, after I've rumbled on about the points I didn't like) is that the plot rocked... The action (after the first 100 pages) didnt' stop. The pack's saftey was threatened by a group of 'strays', werewolves without a pack, and they seemed to be multiplying while our hometown pack seemed to be dropping like flies. The writing style is very enjoyable, more so as the book moves along. I liked Elena's dialouge and I liked her as a character whenever Phillip or humans weren't mentioned. If we could have kept all the romance out of this books and just focused on the action, this would have been a five star. Part of me feels like I am being generous giving it a four star, but I did find this book extremely enjoyable and I am eager to get the next in the series.

I decided to pick up this book after amazon had recommended it and the average review was high. All reviews and the book descriptions said there was a strong heroine and those are the kind of books I like. There are several things wrong with this book, but I think the fatal flaw is the heroine, Elena.

Elena has an abusive background which is good for future character strength and development in most stories, but not in this one. It is mostly dismissed after it is described so it really has almost no value to the rest of the story other than to give you creepy vibes at her choices.
In my opinion a strong heroine would at least be somewhat accepting of her current situation. Not so with Elena. She cannot accept being a werewolf, being in a pack, that she has feelings for the man she was going to marry, or that she is lying to herself about almost everthing.
The heroine is self delusional, weak(not a good trait in a werewolf), winey, and extremely annoying. This book reminds me of a B-List horror movie where you are always yelling at the T.V. "Why are you doing that!" because there were so many times where that is exactly what I was doing.

The writer is extremely descriptive and that is good most of the time, but she takes a little after Laurell Hamilton in that some descriptions are just to much or are a second or third description of the same thing.
The secondary characters were fleshed out pretty good and intregal in the story line... in the beginning, but started falling short towards the end.
On a good note there were very few stupid editing issues to distract.

I finished this book with effort and high hopes for the second because I do like the ideas and creativity of the author, but who knows?

I bought this on audio book for my commute and found myself not being able to leave it in the car and bringing into the office. I also bought the sequels, unfortunately only available on paperback but still well worth it and also hooked from the first chapter. It wasn't as much as a horror novel as it was a drama, suspence, fantasy with a touch of steamy romance but it was still extremely interesting and wonderful! I hope they someday get around to making it into a movie and the rumor of Angelina Jolie playing the lead is true as well!

I've been epic fantasy reader for years, and recently got into urban fantasy. There is something about a tough female heroine that makes me want to read more and more of the books from this genre. Now to the actual review. I think the book is beautifully written, but I couldn't get through more then about 120 pages. I really tried to get into it since I know that first impressions could be deceiving, but at some point I just couldn't stand it anymore. The main issues I had with it were:

1. Too much narrative. The author built this unique world but I think she spent a little too much time on describing it. There was little interaction between main characters which was followed by pages of Elena's descriptions and reflections. I tried following everything but I'd drift off after about 10 minutes of that.

2. Considering that the story takes place in the modern times, then how is it possible that out of 6 billion people on earth there are only 35 werewolves on earth? And just one woman? The reproduction thing was explained away by regular female's abilities to reproduce with werewolves, but what does it say for the species existence? It just wasn't believable to me, and I couldn't relate to this world. I had to go back and reread the part where that number was mentioned because I was stunned by it.

3. Elena's relationship with Clay while she is visiting is extremely sexual, while she explains that she is not really cheating on her longterm boyfriend because Clay is too familiar. Huh? It just made Elena's character sound childish and unappealing, at least for me.

4. The story is very slow. Nothing really happened in 120 pages. There is not much of a mystery, and the mutt thing is just boring. Plus Elena explains everything in mind numbing detail, so there isn't much left to wonder about.

Most of the reviews were very positive, but I'm glad that I'm not the only one who felt that way. Most of the negative reviews touch on the same topics. I've heard that the other books in the series are better, but I'm not ready to spend more money on this series.

I read this book because I like the werewolf theme. I also wanted to read something from a feminine perspective. I read "Moon Called" by P. Briggs and I thought that was okay. This book was an okay read, but not something that I would call a page-turner. It's basically a romance novel interspersed with the werewolf theme. Had it been a werewolf novel, with just a little bit of romance, then I would have liked it more. Personally, I have no problem with lovemaking, but I don't want to read about it for 1 1/2 pages. I saw this book as being a collection of linear events, with very little excitement. There are perilous events, but you can see the outcome far in advance.
I do not find the character of Elena that interesting. The book is about her struggle to decide which of two men she loves, and whether or not she wants to be part of the werewolf pack. Not much of a story there. This would make a great movie on the Lifetime network.

I do not watch Lifetime.

I didn't used to be a big werewolf fan, until i read this book. It's easy enough to relate to these characters, plus Kelley Armstrong's writing style is great. It's a bit of a murder mystery type of thing going on here, but it's the kind where once you read it and find out how it ends, it's not boring to read it a second time (well i didnt think so anyway).
It's written in the first person narrative, which suits the book very well. Elena is a great character, she isn't annoying or stuck-up, and she doesn't complain too much (all of which seem to be a challenge for some writers to balance well..). hm what else to say about it? well I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under 14... depending on their maturity level i guess... there's some explicit sex, gore (well people *are* being murdered by "savage dogs" here..), foul language (but not overdone).. stuff like that...
It took me forever to actually pick this book up and start reading, because after reading about the book here and some reviews, it sounded like a big deal would be made out of the fact that Elena was the only female werewolf who survived being bitten, yada yada yada, and i was under the immpression that a huge deal would be made out of this in the book, so I'd like to say that No, it was *not* made a big deal out of it. And it didn't make her superhero-like or anything. she just happened to be the only female to survive being bitten (the werewolf gene is only passed down to the males, so females have to be bitten to become werewolves).
Anyway, it's a great book.

Bitten (Women of the Otherworld, Book 1)
Very good book I am always looking for great new authors and this one most defiantly fits the bill.

I could not put this book down once I started reading. Kelley Armstrong has created the richest, multi-layered, fascinating werewolf culture that I have ever read. Elena, the main character, is bitten by her fiance, who is a werewolf. Her journey from that point on is heartbreaking, horrifying and traumatic. It takes her ten years to come to terms with her new life and the fact that the man she loves did this to her. The relationship between Elena and Clay is fascinating. This may be paranoral fiction but how Elena deals with Clay is totally human. The emotions she has to fight through to accept her new life are terrifying. When the pack comes under attack she returns to help and and ultimately face issues about where she belongs in the world and with who. There is action, romance, believable decisions made by her when she decides these important issues, and a good mystery to be solved along the way. There is a blurbb on the cover that says "Armstrong is up there with the big girls of the genre like Laurell K. Hamilton--Kansas City Star. I feel Kelley Armstrong has far surpassed Laurell Hamilton right out of the gate. There is nothing this rich or believable in LKH books, especially of late. Ms. Armstrong is a better writer and she knows how to create a relationship between 2 characters that is fascinating along with a good mystery.

If there was the ability to give a book more than five stars, I would do so for this series by Kelley Armstrong. I have now read the first six Otherworld Series books, all in the last few months. I love them. This novel features Elena, who is still coming to terms with having been made a werewolf 10 years ago. The story grips you and the writing moves the plot along at the perfect pace. I like a book that helps me really visualize the scenes like I'm watching a film in my mind. And this one does it. Heck, I even found myself wishing I could live at Stonehaven as I read it! It's witty, and laugh out loud humorous sometimes - thanks to Armstrong's keen writing style. This book and the rest of the series is a must for anyone who is remotely interested in the fantasy genre or werewolves, vampires, witches, etc. At first, I was just going to read the werewolf books in the series. But then I decided to read the three that centered around the witches (Paige, Savannah and Eve) as well. Then because I couldn't get enough, I even went back and re-read this book and the second in the series. It's been a long time since I've re-read a book, especially so soon after reading it the first time. But you can really see the characters grow and mature with each book, which keeps you wanting to read more. Bitten is truly a terrific (and quick) read. I was sorry to see it end. I'm so glad I found Kelley Armstrong's books!

Werewolves jockey for local power, no horses involved.

A woman gets involved in having the whole lycanthropy thing, and throws a bird among the bird dogs. She has to fit in, deal with those that she gives the horn, old human boyfriends, and all that sort of thing. A rather low-key focus at times makes this all a bit on the tedious side.

I've enjoyed the book, its quirky and interesting, however, I sure hope that Elena gets over the neuroses that seems to consistently plague her throughout the book over the next books because it can get somewhat annoying in the long run. I'll read the other books though.

There's a new werewolf in town. A whole pack of them, actually: Jeremy the Alpha, Nicholas, Antonio, Peter, Logan, and Elena, the only female werewolf in existence. To say she's regarded as special is a huge understatement. And there's Clayton, a werewolf with a genius IQ, a low frustration tolerance, and a simmering, smouldering, dark sexuality that'll make your hair curl. My goodness. Clay was taken under Jeremy's wing when he was found as a wild (werewolf) child, totally out of control. Now he's barely in control - dare we say, barely leashed? Elena has tried to leave this elite pack of werewolves, struggling as she does with the whole issue of not being human. To all appearances she leads a normal life as a journalist, with a live-in (normal) lover. She just has the odd midnight run as a wolf to keep her personal demons at bay. Then Jeremy calls her home, and the ties of the wild supersede everything else. Her elite pack is targeted by `mutts' - lone werewolves. The pack has something they want, and if necessary they'll fight to the death to get it. Oh, and Elena and the simmering Clay have, whew! lots of unfinished business... Bitten is a sensual, heart-stopping debut novel, real edge-of-the-seat stuff. This is a total rave because we just loved it! Clay's still sending a thrill - or is it a chill? down our spine.

I purchased this book at a bookstore just having read the back cover; not knowing if Kelly Armstrong was a good author or anything about her stories. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this book AND the entire series. I really like reading the story of how the only female werewolf on the planet came to be. How she tried to hide it and make a life for herself. Kelley Armstrong really has a good thing going with this series. I can't wait to read Book #7!

I started the Women of the Otherworld series from the middle with Dime Store Magic (Women of the Otherworld, Book 3), Industrial Magic: Women of the Otherworld and Haunted (Women of the Otherworld, Book 5) a couple years back. I loved those and have wanted to get my hands on the beginning of the story, to learn more about Elena, ever since. I'm very glad I have done so.

Elena is the only one of her kind - a female werewolf. In a world where only male werewolves are born, where only men survive being bitten by werewolves and where only men matter, she stands alone. Angry, defensive and stubborn, she leaves her Pack and sets out to make a life of her own in the human world, where she strives to balance a "normal" life with the needs of a werewolf, which she must keep secret from everyone, including her lover Phillip. However, she receives a summons from the Pack Alpha, Jeremy, telling her she is needed back in New York state, where the Pack is located.

When she arrives, she discovers the Pack is in danger of discovery. Locals have discovered bodies that appear to have been savaged by "large dogs," which a couple of eyewitnesses have actually seen. Outsiders are even intruding into the Pack's territory, which leaves Pack members in danger of discovery. Are the deaths caused by "mutts" - non-Pack werewolves? Or are they caused by Clay, a Pack member with a short fuse and a strong territorial streak - who also happens to be Elena's former lover and the one who bit her?

This book is a strong introduction to the series, which is written in such as way as to feature strong heroines - thus the title of the series, obviously. I enjoyed it a great deal. A strong recommend!

This book was quite amazing and I am very glad that I had bought it. It has an amazing tale, and since I am a werewolf/vampire addict, I couldnt help but read it once again after I had finished. The characters seem real and when reading, it is like you're part of the story and can see everything going around. I enjoyed it very much.

While I am sure I am not the target demographic for this book, I have to confess that I found it to be a strong entry in the paranormal romance field, with a fresh take on werewolf society, complex and interesting main characters, and vivid narrative description. That this is a first novel makes it even more impressive; I am not surprised at all that Kelley Armstrong has had a number of additional works published and developed a strong following. The only thing that keeps this from a five star rating is that the minor characters are less well differentiated and some of the tactical decisions in the encounters between the Pack and the Mutts are not too smart. Still, those are minor concerns in an original, gripping take on werewolves in modern society and the passion that surrounds their lives and their loves. Donald J. Bingle, author of Forced Conversion.

I love sex books, I love vamp "otherworld" books, but usually I get bored really fast and skip the boring parts. Here's the thing though, I have never skipped a single word in Kelley Armstrongs books. I LOVE THEM. They keep me interested! You don't realize how specail that is! They are sexy, suspenseful, researched and intelligent. Not once was there a corny line or phrase. It's awesome.
I love her books. I read one that a friend gave me and right after I finished it I jumped online and bought the other five in the series.
Love it love it love it.

This book is very well written compared to many of the supernatural series. It hooks you in and makes you see these "fantasy" characters as real humans with problems just like the rest of us. I hate leisure reading, but have enjoyed the works of Kelley Armstrong, Kim Harrison, and Charlaine Harris. These are not as heavy and detail oriented as Ann Rice novels, which is the reason they appeal to me. There is just the right amount of character development and details to provide effective imagery.

I am new to this author and this series. However, I have blown through five books in about a month (which is AMAZING as I have a 1-year-old at home) which means I gave valuable SLEEP TIME up to read them. The book was a great easy read with characters that you can't help but root for and villians you can't wait to see fail. Although I have a few more to read, I am already missing all the characters when I am done...

I seem to be in the minority, but I did not enjoy this book at all. The main character is, of course, the "only female to ever survive becoming a werewolf" but this was only the start of her amazing speshulness. I felt the plot got swallowed up by the author's need to self-insert and 'play' in her world, and the only reason I finished this book was that I was on a plane and had nothing else to do. The plot fishtails several times, and isn't all that interesting to start with. In short, I was left with a bad taste in my mouth concerning the author in general, and will likely skip her books in the future.

I have a very busy work schedule and enjoy a good read when I can find the time, usually if a book hasn't grabbed my attention by page 30 it goes in the donation box. This book had a very slow start, if it wasnt for a good friend who assured me that I would like it, it would have gone in the box, however I gave it a chance and about a quarter of the way in I didnt want to put the book down, and by 3/4 of the way couldn't put it down. This would have 5 stars except for the slow start.

Warning: Minor spoilers ahead.

I've always enjoyed the paranormal genre, and I found this a fast-paced and gripping read, but like many other reviewers, I had issues with some of the characters. I don't mind flawed characters--I PREFER them--but there are limits. The protagonists have to be more sympathetic than the villains, or else why are we rooting for them?

Unlike most other reviewers, however, my issues were not with Elena, but rather, with Clay. Clay--the man who supposedly loves her--is the one who bit her and turned her into a werewolf. Deliberately. Against her will. His motives for this are never made entirely clear, but it's implied that he was afraid she'd leave him once she found out what he was, and he infects her with lycanthropy in an attempt to keep her by his side. It's hard to conceive of a more selfish act...especially since it's made clear that the process of becoming a werewolf is often fatal. And even when it's not, there are a great many hardships involved, like the extremely painful transformations, the social isolation, the need to live in secrecy, et cetera. Would any halfway decent person deliberately inflict all this on someone he cared about? To me, it seems like the moral equivalent of deliberately giving an STD to someone because you're worried that if you don't, they'll break up with you when they find out you have it.

So basically, we have a protagonist who was willing to endanger and/or ruin the life of the woman he supposedly loved in order to avoid being dumped. I was sickened to read reviews that actually defended his actions and condemned Elena for not forgiving him sooner. Sorry, but "love" is not a valid excuse for doing something so vile, and neither is, "I didn't plan it, I just panicked!" Of course, it all works out in the end and Elena decides that she likes being a werewolf after all, but that didn't make me feel much better about it, since Elena could just as easily have wound up dead or insane as a result of Clay's actions. And the fact that she was willing to go back to him after that didn't increase my respect for her, either...especially since she is still involved with her human boyfriend, Phillip, when she starts sleeping with him.

As for Phillip, he's not given much of a personality and is only in the story sporadically, so there's really not much doubt from the beginning who Elena is going to choose. Elena keeps telling herself that she loves him, while her actions make it obvious that she doesn't. She forgets to call him, sleeps with Clay behind his back, and at one point, leaves him wounded and bleeding on the floor of his apartment so she can go rescue Clay. And the first sex scene between Elena and Clay, while technically consensual, still has a creepy rape flavor to it, and left me with the feeling that Elena had essentially been bullied back into a relationship with him. The whole Clay/Elena thing just left an unpleasant taste in my mouth...especially given Elena's history of abuse. It seems like the LAST thing an abuse-victim would need is someone so demanding and violent. Did I mention that Clay has no moral qualms about killing humans? Oh, but he doesn't do it for pleasure, just to protect the secrecy of the Pack. That makes it okay, right? Err, no. Not really.

The last werewolf novel I read (Hunter's Moon) had similar problems: An amoral and selfish male protagonist and a female protagonist all too willing to put up with his bullying. But there are few enough well-written werewolf novels out there that I still read whatever I can get my hands on. I just wish I could find a lycanthrope novel with characters I can respect.

I figure you can look at the other reviews to get the plot and all so all I am gonna tell you is to buy every book in the series, especially Bitten, Stolen, and Broken. I love Clay, Elena, and Jeremy; Lucas and Paige (Industrial Magic and Dime Store Magic) and Eve (Haunted) are great too. The characters are great, their relationships are complex, and the plot is interesting. You can always borrow one of the books from your library to see if you like anything about them before buying the others.

I disliked this book intensely. Finished it only because it was a gift. Way too much like a lesser Harlequin romance, with about as much depth and character. (Not even on par with, say, Laura Kinsale.)

(35 werewolves with one female spells doom for any species' reproductive future, pretty much, by the way.)

There was just... too much sap for me. Elena whines, is bossed around, angsts about a bit, and then has a bunch of sex, and I can't see why I should care. I don't like and am unable to identify with the heroine -- she's the ultimate paradox, a weak werewolf.

The book isn't bad or offensive or anything -- the characters who weren't Elena were at least somewhat engaging, and the prose isn't terrible either -- it just felt bland. Like a waste of time.

It hasn't encouraged me to pick up anything else by this author.

Good reading. Not as exciting as other Paranormal/Romance books I have recently read, but still a good reading book.

This is very brightly written book that treats us to a slightly less stereotypical look at the wearwolf world. While the main character can get anoying at times (while she whines her way through her angst), she grows up nicely in this book. I really enjoy how Armstrong looked at and used real wolf behavior in her telling of this story; it really added a new dimension to the usually stale werewolf genre.

I listened to this book, so maybe that makes a difference. But all I could think was what? Why are they doing that? What is she whining about THIS time?

There is little explaination of why the bad guys are bad (other than they are mutts) and how the pack (with all of 5 members) controls every other werewolf in the world. Most puzzling of all is the fact that for some mysterious reason Elena is the only female werewolf...ever. The entire story is full of contridictions and unexplainable plot devices. And an INCREDIBLE amount of whining on the part of Elena.

In the end lame plot, nothing new, ok writing, buy a different book.

The first and still my favorite of Armstrong's "Women of the Otherworld' series! Funny, thrilling, with a great heroine. I highly recommend it!

I never actually got more than 80 pages through this book on the multiple times I tried to read. It almost made me give up on Kelley Armstrong as a writer (which would have been a real shame, since she's now one of my favorites) but I just hated Elena. I did not care about her and I found her obnoxious and annoying. I much prefer Armstrong's other protagonist and I have never finished a single book in which Elena was the main character.

I have just started listening to the abridged audio book of "Bitten" read by Aasne Vigesaa.

First impressions:

Excellent reader.

I agree it is corny.

Dialogue, description, the story, the werewolf culture/system/rules that she has created has a corny/unreal feel to it.

Everything is a bit too 'convenient' which jars the 'suspension of disbelief.'

I would definitely describe this as "popcorn." It is the "cheeseburger and fries" of the genre.

Too much of the book seems to be one long inner monologue of the main character, much too 'dramatic' and long winded.

Too much description?

The writing style is not really to my taste.

A lot of things bothered me as well, like this:

"At last count there were approximately 35 werewolves in the world."

I actually ran the tape back because I thought I had misheard.

"Bitten" has the 'suspension of disbelief' equal to an episode of Scooby Doo. But on the other hand how popular is Scooby Doo?

At last count there were approximately 35 fish in the world.

At last count there were approximately 35 frogs in the world.

My review is probably too harsh. It is more difficult to judge a book when you hear it rather than read it.

The reader, whilst very good, had a 'corny' sounding voice which made it sound worse and being an actress was very dramatic. At one point my brother walked in and said, "Who is this 'great' actress?"

I have just started listening to the abridged audio book of "Bitten" read by Aasne Vigesaa.

First impressions:

Excellent reader.

I agree it is corny.

Dialogue, description, the story, the werewolf culture/system/rules that she has created has a corny/unreal feel to it.

Everything is a bit too 'convenient' which jars the 'suspension of disbelief.'

I would definitely describe this as "popcorn." It is the "cheeseburger and fries" of the genre.

Too much of the book seems to be one long inner monologue of the main character, much too 'dramatic' and long winded.

Too much description?

The writing style is not really to my taste.

A lot of things bothered me as well, like this:

"At last count there were approximately 35 werewolves in the world."

I actually ran the tape back because I thought I had misheard.

"Bitten" has the 'suspension of disbelief' equal to an episode of Scooby Doo. But on the other hand how popular is Scooby Doo?

At last count there were approximately 35 fish in the world.

At last count there were approximately 35 frogs in the world.

My review is probably too harsh. It is more difficult to judge a book when you hear it rather than read it.

The reader, whilst very good, had a 'corny' sounding voice which made it sound worse and being an actress was very dramatic. At one point my brother walked in and said, "Who is this 'great' actress?"

1. Philip

I know he's more of a supporting character but I just didn't find him believable. As patient and understanding as he seems to be, no human being could possibly be THAT gullible. If he were, I wouldn't waste my time with him. Here is the scenario:

His live-in girlfriend is contantly going out for "walks" at 2 a.m. and returning dishevelled. Whatever the reason for her excursions, any guy I've ever met would start to get suspicious. But, Philip, ever-caring and too-trusting, never questions where she goes. Then, suddenly, Elena receives a suspicious-sounding message from a "cousin" when Philip didn't even know she had any family. When Elena tells him she needs to head to NY, indefinitely, to help look after her cousin's kids, good ol' Phil buys that too.

It's just not a realistic sort of behaviour.

For a normal person, alarm bells would have had to start ringing. It wasn't until Clay is staying with them that I saw a samll glimpse of humanity in Philip. BUt, honestly, by then I had stopped caring about Philip.

"Hi, Philip. Bye, Philip. Hi, Clay."

2. Transmission

I have a few issues with the mode of transmission of the werewolf gene.
Armstrong gives us two ways a person can become a werewolf: heredity and a bite.

The first assumption: The werewolf gene is transmitted from father to son only.

This indicates thet the werewolf gene is on the Y chromosome since only males have this. OK, I'll buy that.

The second assumption: The only way for a woman to become a werewolf is to bitten by one and survive.

This makes the werewolf "gene" a fluid-born entity as well. If it can be transmitted by fluids, is it only through saliva? Does the werewolf have to be in wolf form to be able to turn another person into one? Elena says that she can't have children because they would be part werewolf. But she can't pass the gene on and if only saliva from a bite can turn someone into a werewolf, she needn't worry unless she plans on nibbling at the kid. If, on the other hand, her blood could transmit "werewolf" to her child, what about other body fluids? I may be making too much of this but there are many questions Armstrong's explanation as to why Elena is the only female werewolf leaves. I'm all for suspending disbelief. But once she threw in genetics and the like I started thinking. I'd have accepted Elena's situation without the attempt to explain why.

So we've got two models of transmission: The Y-linked genetic trait and the "disease" transmitted through body fluids. I'm not exactly sure how it can be both, since you don't give your genes to someone else by donating blood or biting them and breaking skin. I realize that this is a work of SF but it is one set in a "realistic" present-day world. I can do some research but, off the top of my head I can't think of a present-day medical conditions that are both genetic to one social group (i.e male babies) and fluid-borne to another (i.e. women).

The only other thing that annoys me is the author spelling her name "Kelley" LOL

Anyway, here are my werewolf recommendations: "Moon Dance" by S.P. Somtow and "The Wolf's Hour" by Robert McCammon.

I used to read Laurell K. Hamilton until she got hung up on nothing but physical scenes and emotional hang ups of her main female characters....hooray for Kelley Armstrong!! She has brought back the monogamous, loyal female, albeit they are werewolves and witches! "Bitten" is a wonderfully written, captivating book, that I read in one night because I could not put it down. The plot is defined, the characters strong, and real, but not emotionally scarred to the point that you wonder if they can function at all, and the action credible for this type of book. I would recommend "Bitten" and her other novels that have followed to anyone who used to love Laurell K. Hamilton, or to anyone who loves the "monster" fantasy type novel. Great work Kelley!

I used to read Laurell K. Hamilton until she got hung up on nothing but physical scenes and emotional hang ups of her main female characters....hooray for Kelley Armstrong!! She has brought back the monogamous, loyal female, albeit they are werewolves and witches! "Bitten" is a wonderfully written, captivating book, that I read in one night because I could not put it down. The plot is defined, the characters strong, and real, but not emotionally scarred to the point that you wonder if they can function at all, and the action credible for this type of book. I would recommend "Bitten" and her other novels that have followed to anyone who used to love Laurell K. Hamilton, or to anyone who loves the "monster" fantasy type novel. Great work Kelley!

I was desperately trying to find something to fill the space between Anita Blake Vampire Hunter books and found this book online. I figured, though it was about werewolves and I prefer vampires, I'd try it. I'm glad I did! It's a great story, with a wonderful lead character, just as sassy as the Anita Blake character. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys fantasy/dark adventure novels.