California Demon

Kate is back, juggling the life of a soccer mom and now a full time demon hunter – dedicated to ridding the city of infernal monsters and keep it safe for her children. In between doing the shopping, taking her daughter to the mall, getting her 3 year old in child care and ensuring there’s a meal on the table. Add in that her husband is running for office which means she hardly ever sees him as he runs around for campaign donations – and she’s inevitably dragged into important social occasions she’s neither interested in, nor has time for. It’s hectic. It’s even more hectic when the only person who knows about her demon hunting secret is her best friend, Laura.

And the demons are certainly present – forcing her to kill show more one and leave its body in her daughter’s school, which is always awkward. The demons are plotting something, something that could invoke the worst of the worst demons out there – and something that may easily catch up her daughter in the process. Finding the answers and protecting her family is only complicated by messages from her ex-husband’s past, a secret she never knew, her own daughter’s curiosity – and a new hunter in town. One without the ties she’s used to – but one who knows far too much about her, and her dead husband Eric’s past.

This book is very fluffy – which makes it a fun, light read. Kate’s fumbling around her life is pretty amusing (albeit not always funny) and the contrast between fighting demons, stabbing them in the eye and having to dispose of the body on the one hand and then facing down snarly, unpleasant PTA members on the other is jarring in all the best ways. This book also added some more on to the world building with the imprisoned demons and the plot to release them which adds a level of what’s at stake and the consequences of failure. But in some ways I think the light hearted, fun nature of the book detracts from any sense of epic; it’s not heavy enough or gritty enough for the horror of the consequences to come through.

The only problem I have with the writing is probably unsolvable without damaging he book’s premise. The whole point of this series, the thing that makes it novel and unique, is that Kate is a harassed mother trying to juggle her parenting and family duties with her duties as a demon hunter. To maintain that theme, we have to see Kate through all her juggling of kids, child care, PTA dramas, volunteering etc etc and it’s not very interesting or engaging. But if you cut it, then you lose the entire theme and purpose of the book itself. But this also makes me look at the series itself and wonder at how it continues for another 5 books because the gimmick is feeling stale round the edges

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Summary: Kate Connor's officially out of retirement and again an active member of the secret demon-hunting branch of the Catholic church, all while trying to balance the demands of a teenaged daughter, a toddler son, a husband campaigning for local office... and a secret demon plot that seems to focus around the local high school! There are ancient books of unknown powers, a new teacher who reminds Kate just a little *too* much of her dead first husband, demons taking over the residents of the local nursing home, and the inevitable fact that her daughter's beginning to grow up.

Review: In Season 23 of Buffy the Vampire Slay..., wait, I mean, in Book 2 of the Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom series... Seriously, if Buffy grew up to be a suburban show more housewife (it still irks me a little bit that they use the term "soccer mom" when neither of Kate's kids plays soccer), and the supernatural baddies started calling her "Hunter" instead of "Slayer", you'd essentially have these books. On the one hand, it's exceedingly silly paranormal chick-lit... but on the other hand, sometimes exceedingly silly paranormal chick-lit is just what you need. I think I enjoyed this installment a bit more than Carpe Demon, mostly because the writing stopped trying to be quite so clever with the parenthetical asides, which didn't work for me. However there are still a lot of "Demons threatening my family so now I'm going to kill you twice as hard, because NO ONE HURTS MY CHILDREN!!!!" histrionics, which I found kind of tiresome after a while ("yes, yes, your children are more important than your life, we get it, can we move on?"), although that may be because I don't have kids of my own to protect from the forces of darkness. The plot ticks along at a good speed, there are plenty of funny bits, and it's basically all good fun. Not exactly intellectually taxing fare, here, but good fluffy fun for when you're at the beach, on a plane, or stuck somewhere without your Buffy DVDs to hand.

Recommendation: Technically the second in the series, but there's enough background given that they could be read out of order. It's not a rush-out-and-read recommendation, but it's a fun series, and if you're in the mood for chick-lit, you could definitely do worse. show less

California Demon is Julie Kenner's second book in the series about Kate Connor, a Demon Hunting Soccer Mom. I loved this book on many levels. As a mom, I could identify with the struggles of trying to be there for your husband and children while balancing your own interests. Kate does it all. She carts the kids to their activities, volunteers, shops, plays the politician's wife, and still finds time to kick some demon rear (my kids may be reading this.) In fact, you could say she deals with all of the problems of both a stay at home mom AND a working mom with none of the glory. Her housekeeping skills aren't the greatest, she feels guilty over having her toddler in daycare, she struggles with her teenage daughter, and yet she gets no show more credit for saving the world from the forces of evil because no one is supposed to know about it.

The first book, Carpe Demon, was very good in setting up the story. It explains why Kate comes out of her demon hunting retirement and how she fits it into her schedule. California Demon offers more interaction between characters. Relationships between her and her family, especially her daughter, come into play more. You find out a little more about her past and her late husband, who died during a botched mugging. You see how she deals with her current husband working late nights on a political campaign. All very normal sounding until you throw in a demon plot to take over the world. Thank goodness for a best friend that knows your secret.

This book, as well as the first, does a wonderful job of juxtaposing the trappings of modern life against a secret world of demons and demon hunters. There is shopping to be done, church on Sunday (Kate is Catholic), and carpools to be arranged. If you aren't a fan of the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, you may get lost in some of the references, but I think it will still make it's point that demon-hunting is just another of the day's activities. This book is action packed and very quick paced. If you always wondered what would happen if Buffy retired and tried to settle into a normal life, this book is for you. show less

I read the first book in this series (Carpe Demon) in October 2007 as a library loan, and had the next book on my Amazon wish list. I was finally given it a few months ago, and finished reading it today. I feel rather silly waiting this long to get around to it.

California Demon is just as much fun as its predecessor. Kate Connor, mother of a teenager and a toddler, has a secret. She used to be a demon hunter for a division of the Vatican. She thought she had retired - especially since her beloved husband/fellow Hunter was killed by a mugger five years before - and then a sudden influx of demons convinced her it was time to take up martial arts training and tote around holy water again. It's a good thing she did, too. The demons are show more back, and this time they want a book that will open a path to Hell itself. As Kate tries to figure out how to stop the forces of Hell, she has to schmooze with the elite for her current-husband's political campaign, keep her toddler son clothed, and figure out why the new teacher at her daughter's school has mannerisms characteristic of her dead husband. Oh, and stay alive.

It's fluffy fun. No serious reading here. Kate is easy to relate to as a stay-at-home-mother, and can still kick some serious demon keister. I need to continue with this series - and at a faster pace. show less

I'm not sure how to classify this series, but it sure is fun! I really liked this one, with the tension developing between all of Kate's baggage from her past and the intense demands of the present. The demons are back and they have their sites set on her daughter's high school. Add a mysterious stranger, a hot surfer dude, and her daughter's romantic crisis and things are pretty busy. But that's only half of the story. So much fun.

In this follow-up to 2006's Carpe Demon, we return to San Diablo, California, a small quiet suburb outside Los Angeles, where Suburban housewife and Level Four Demon Hunter Kate Conner is on the job. On one hand, she's trying to keep house for her husband, teenage daughter, and toddler son, while on the other, she's hunting down a demon who just took over the body of an old man and escaped the old age home!

But Kate's up against more than she can handle when it turns out that the special guest appearing at the high school surf competition is a Demon himself... and her daughter Allie is right smack in the middle of the action. With the help of her best friend Laura, and what may well be the spirit of her dead husband, Kate takes on the show more Demon and still manages to get dinner on the table in time. ;)

I enjoyed this 2nd book in the series. Even though I don't particularly relate to the whole housewife/soccer mom mentality, I have several friends who are in that phase of their lives, so I can appreciate it. ;) show less

California Demon is the second book in the Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series. it picked up about 4 months after the last book and dragged me into the depths of “Momhood” all over again. i wont go into much detail as the read is well worth the hours you would put into it.

after surviving the last book, Kate is caught up in another treacherous demon scheme where she has to save humanity from high level demons. this time she has extra worries though.. Chapter one begins the problems with her deceased husband. secret notes from him, bank accounts.. and HIS SOUL POSSIBLY INHABITING THE BODY OF HER DAUGHTERS SCIENCE TEACHER! man… its like a soap opera for me, i cant get enough..