Stolen - Book Review

I finished another book today. That's the third this week. Probably not much of a feat for some, but for me, that's a big deal. I'm not good at concentrating long enough to be able to read quickly. I finished a Terry Brooks novel and a Charlaine Harris novel by Thursday and was feeling pretty good. I was also honestly not really looking forward to starting the second book of The Women of the Otherworld Series by Kelley Armstrong after the first one bored me so excessively. But I'm not one to hold it against an author if they bore me once. I'll give them a second chance, sometimes even a third chance if the characters are good enough. I have to say, Stolen exceeded my expectations. I liked the action.
Elena, the only female werewolf in the world, finds herself kidnapped by a parapsychological scientist and a few other people looking to manipulate the super human genes and use it to make the world a better place. Without retelling the story, let's just say that Elena is incredibly tough and resourceful, and the action in the story makes it hard to put down.
But what I really liked about this story was how Ms. Armstrong used Elena's self-depricating sarcasm to make her more real to me. She was speaking to me. It really involved me in the emotions she was feeling. When Elena was scared, I was scared, because the voice Ms. Armstrong used for Elena's narrative is so real. It's like listening to your best friend retell the story, but in your head. This might be one for an audiobook too, come to think of it.
I didn't realize how fast action moves in text. I suppose I haven't read many stories where fighting, running, hunting, or escaping were involved, or at least as involving as Ms. Armstrong makes it. Elena's inner monologue keeps the reader very in tune with what she's doing or what's happening around her. There's barely time to pause when the action gets going because Elena is so observant.

Overall, I liked Stolen better than Bitten and I'm looking forward to reading Dime Store Magic. Stolen was intense and exciting and I give kudos to Kelley Armstrong for really changing her style between the two books.