Tiger's Curse

By: Colleen Houck

Narrated by: Annika Boras, Sanjiv Jahveri

Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2011 Colleen Houck (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A smart, vibrant adventure romance wrapped in a quest… takes the protagonists through adventures that would make Steven Spielberg proud… Full of danger, dash, allegory, and love under the banana tree." ( Kirkus Reviews)

Loved it!

What did you love best about Tiger's Curse?

The only reason this book did not get five stars across the board for me was the lousy and obnoxious narrator Sanjiv Jahveri at the beginning. I almost stopped listening because his voice grated on me so much, but I gave it a chance and thankfully Annika Boras redeemed the whole experience. I was glad to find that she continued on through the series, as she does an excellent job of bringing the characters and story to life.
While some of the plot points could arguably have been inspired by tween novels that shall remain unnamed, Colleen Houck makes the story her own and delves deep into the history, religion, and culture of India. Heck, even her descriptions of Indian food sparked such cravings that I was eating curry for a full week! I am halfway through the third book and I am anxious to see what happens next. :)

Would you listen to another book narrated by Annika Boras and Sanjiv Jahveri ?

Boras, absolutely. Jahveri, definitely NOT.

Acting

The main narrator (Annika I think) was perfect. She did perfect voices for every character. However the Male voice (Sanjiv I think) sounded too mechanical I almost gave up on the book in that first chapter because his acting wasn't drawing me into the book at all. I was so thankful that the only parts he read were the first and last chapter. if he had done more I think I would have actually given up on the audiobook.

Meh

So... I hated this book at first. My friend and I made a pact to trade books and I really didn't like the first 1/3 of it. Kelsey makes me insane - seriously worst heroine ever. BUT Ren is written really well, I like his character a lot and the story definitely keeps your interest. It gets better as it goes. I went in thinking I would've quit by now, had I not promised that I'd finish it, but then I downloaded the second one. It's like a bad habit. Also, it's literally Twilight with tigers instead of vampires.

Good overall

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes, it is a creative idea and really imaginative.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

For me, the last portion started to have a little too much teenage angst. And I was disappointed that the main character couldn't have had a little more self-esteem. Too much, "no one that great could ever love little old me."

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Good narration

Any additional comments?

I liked it overall and plan to listen to the rest of the series.

Move Over Meyer, Houck's Curse is Amazing!

What made the experience of listening to Tiger's Curse the most enjoyable?

The two different narrarator's made the book come alive! Sanjiv's accent added so much to this book. I loved hearing his voice - wow!

What other book might you compare Tiger's Curse to and why?

I've heard that this series is just as good or better than the Twilight Saga and so far I have not been disappointed. What a movie this would make! Just let me help with the casting, lol.

What about Annika Boras and Sanjiv Jahveri ’s performance did you like?

Annika read it as one would expect a 17 -18 year old girl would sound and placed just the right emphasis on emotions when called for. Sanjiv made the prince come alive with a voice that made you see him as the jaw droppingly handsome and charming guy you envision while listening. There's just something about a voice!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely!

Any additional comments?

You will not regret this book! Teens, Young Adults and Adults will all love it! I know I did.

Enjoyable.

I enjoyed this very much. I loved the unique (to me) setting with the Indi/Hindi theme. I thought the 18 year old heroine is believable but thinks more maturely than her years. I would recommend this book for an enjoyable young adult romantic adventure. The narrator has a beautiful voice and wonderful inflection. She really made the story for me. I thought it was read a bit slowly and needed to be played at 1.25.

YA fantasy, stilting awkward narration

I read the written versions of this series years ago, and am revisiting them as audiobooks.
I had forgotten how melodramatic YA can be, but the premise and story are fun and interesting.
I had a hard time with the narration, which often seemed to have awkward pauses between words that belonged together and pronunciation was weird and hesitant at times. Still, it was relaxing to listen to the story while going about my activities, and I didn't dislike the narrator enough to put me off the audiobook series.

Enjoyable YA romance adventure

Would you consider the audio edition of Tiger's Curse to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print, but I liked the narration of the audio version and I felt the narrator did a great job capturing the voices of various characters without missing a beat.

What other book might you compare Tiger's Curse to and why?

Not really sure. Another YA romance adventure?

Which scene was your favorite?

The scenes in the jungle most of all.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not really. I broke it up as it was a little slow going at times, but I enjoyed returning to it.

Any additional comments?

The character, Kelsey, is a refreshing change. I enjoyed it being in India and not another YA dystopian. I found the romance a bit much as I'm not a romance reader, but I think it would be popular among teenage girls. I also think the mythology is fascinating and is also a refreshing change. I like Mr Kadam (spell?).

Great listen!!!

I loved this story! The narration was great!!! I can't wait to dig in to the rest of the series!

An enjoyable, easy listen

I really enjoyed this book. It's about a young woman and her unexpected journey to India to help break a curse on a man who was changed into a tiger more than three hundred years ago. I was afraid that it might be a romance novel, and it is to an extent, but focuses more on their almost Indiana Jones like quest to break the curse. I enjoyed learning about India and would pause and google places and goddesses in India to better picture where in India they were and to learn about the Hindi god's and goddesses. I purchased the second book in the series right after finishing the first book. The narration was excellent! I will likely search for other books she has narrated because her narration is so pleasing to listen to and she does a great job at her creation and performance of other characters voices.