Thursday, July 14, 2011

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck - ADVISABLE


Houck, Colleen Tiger's Curse (Tiger Saga, Book 1), 403 pages, Splinter, 2011, $17.95. Language-G (Swears-0); Mature Content-PG; Violence-PG

In order to save money for college, Kelsey takes a temporary summer job at a small traveling circus where she learns to care for a white tiger named Dhiren or Ren as she calls him. When a mysterious man buys Ren, he offers Kelsey a chance to accompany the tiger to a refuge in India. En route, Kelsey and Ren are abandoned by their native driver. Lost in the jungle,  Ren reveals that he is actually an Indian prince who has been the victim of a 300 year-old curse and that he believes  Kelsey unwittingly has began to lessen its influence. Ren also believes that Kelsey can break the curse and set him and his estranged brother free from their animal alter egos. 

This fantasy-romance starts slow, but the story picks up after they travel to India. The realistic ending and the exotic locations are refreshing. Infused with the myths and mysteries of India, The Tiger's Curse will have readers clamoring for passports and looking for princes in every furry face. HS-ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Gretchen Zaitzeff

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