The Nine Lives of Chloe King is a three-book series by Celia Thomson that was adapted in 2011 as
a 10-episode mini-series by
ABC Family. The book series features Chloe, a young girl who seems to fall to her death at the beginning of the first book. After a mysterious recovery, she finds that she's changing and may not actually be human, but rather a member of a catlike race, the Mai, who can never truly co-exist with humanity. Moreover, she may be the reincarnation of the race's destined leader with nine lives and new powers, and the existing power base is not happy with that fact.
This books provide examples of:
- Ancient Conspiracy: There exists a society that seeks to prevent the Mai from destroying humanity.
- Catgirl: Chloe belongs to the Mai, a race that appears to be human, but can manifest catlike traits such as enhanced senses and physical ability as well as manifesting claws and ears. Prolonged or repeated usage of these abilities results in the cat features being more prominent and more permanent.
- Can't Have Sex, Ever: With humans. Her race's claws secrete a poison deadly to humans and the claws manifest when they are aroused.
- Cats Have Nine Lives: As a reincarnation of their leader, Chloe is prophesied to have nine lives. So far, she's miraculously survived two attempts to kill her and one accidental death.
- Cut Short: The series ends abruptly after three entries in what was intended to be a nine book series.
- Fantastic Racism: On both sides of the Mai/human divide. Also in the TV series a new dimension has been added with the Jackals.
- Genre Savvy: Kim.note After watching the first Star Wars film, she correctly guesses what will happen in the others. Justified by her being an expert in the ancient myths that formed the basis for a number of modern stories.
- The Lightfooted: Chloe King is a Cat Girl, so she naturally has this as one of her powers.
- Out with a Bang: When excited, the Mai secrete a poison from their claws and saliva that's deadly to humans. Chloe is implied to have killed the man she had a one night stand with shortly after her manifestation.
- Puberty Superpower: Chloe begins manifesting around the same time as she's hitting puberty.
- Window Love: Chloe does this with her first love interest Brian to avoid killing him.
