Hair Power

By: Piers Anthony

Narrated by: Kristin James

Length: 3 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Terminal cancer patient Quiti walks into an abandoned building, planning on taking her life. Instead, she encounters a telepathic ball of hair that insists it is an alien seeking to facilitate diplomatic communication on Earth.

Quiti assumes it is all a hallucination conjured up by her brain tumor. Because of this assumption, when she saves the alien's life and it insists on doing Quiti a favor in return, she only asks for her hair back. She soon discovers, however, that the creature's gift extends much further than her new locks that can change color with a thought.

As her powers grow and her deadly illness goes into remission, Quiti quickly realizes that there are those that would want to use her for her abilities and is forced to leave behind everything that she knew.

Will this blessing curse her to a life on the run, or does the mysterious hairball have more in store for her?

Piers Anthony, critically acclaimed author of the New York Times best-selling Xanth series, brings together humor and adventure in this original story of loyalty, friendship, extraordinary powers, and hair. Dreaming Big Publications

©2016 Kristi Morgan (P)2017 Kristi Morgan

Too Short

The only thing wrong with this book is it's too short, like other novellas I've listened to.

Not what I thought it was going to be

Any additional comments?

Quiti is a 20 year old, plain girl with a brain tumor. She has seen the strain that it has put on her parents and she decides that she is going to kill herself. When she gets to the site, she meets a giant hairball that needs her help. Because she sets it in the sun in return it gives her a head of hair. But this is special hair that gives her special abilities. This puts her on the government’s radar and goes on the run. She meets some wonderful people along the way and learns that she is not the only hairball around. But this knowledge is not going to keep her the others safe. She is going to have to make a stand.

I absolutely love the Incarnations of Immortality and the Zanth series so I was over the moon to review Hair Power. Hair Power started out well, you feel for Quiti and can understand why she wants to commit suicide. But once the hairball gives her hair I started getting kind of irritated with it. She has to consume large amounts of food for the hair. But instantly she becomes a knock down, gorgeous girl that is clearly highly intellectual and is over the top with anything relating to sex.

I think the part that just grated on my nerves was how she is now super smart but she talks like she was a robot. Her dialogs were just rough and choppy. Then there was Roque and Desiree. I’m not a prude but that whole section just got to me. Plus I was screaming about the ending and not in a good way. Really?!?! Mind you I have to remind myself that Piers Anthony did come up with cat-ass-trophies in Xanth.

Over all that book was not as bad as I am making it out to be. Yes, it is supposed to be ridiculous and it is an over the top fantasy. It is very imaginative and I did not expect the powers of the hair. I listened to the audiobook and I feel Kristin James did a fantastic job narrating the book. She was clear on the different characters and has a beautiful voice. It is the start of a series and there was a lot of ground to lay. I can’t wait to see what happens in Hair Suite.

I received Hair Power from Dream Big Publications for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

Imaginative and over the top has uncomfortable sex

I chose to listen to this audiobook after receiving a free copy from Dreaming Big Publications. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. I’ve always had a lot of Piers Anthony books in my bookstore so when I had the chance to review one of his books, I thought I’d check it out.

Hair Power is a story of hope, friendship, and weird hair. I felt sorry for Quiti at first because she has terminal cancer but that all changes when the hairball she saves ends up saving her. She gradually becomes strong not only physically but intellectually and emotionally. She knows that it’s the hair’s doing and lets it continue to grow. The longer it grows, the more powerful she becomes.

This book was fun to read for the most part because it is so over the top. Quiti grows throughout the book and even when she is on the run she is self-sufficient and makes friends along the way. I was uncomfortable when she allowed her underage friend to do anything with her body but penetrate because that would still be considered wrong and probably illegal. I will listen to Hair Suite to find out what happens. Hopefully, it will be without the weird sex.