Posts Tagged ‘Holly Black’
Red Glove by Holly Black
Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe’s world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else. That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she’s human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila’s been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila’s love is as phony as Cassel’s made-up memories, then he can’t believe anything she says or does. When Cassel’s oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can’t trust anyone—least of all, himself?
Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose. (From Amazon.ca)
**possible spoilers**
Holly Black’s writing still continues to keep readers entertained with her sequel to White Cat. There’s still twists and turns to go through, and Cassel is such a great anti hero there’s nothing to not like about him. The reader can’t help but feel for Cassel, he’s gone through so much! and he’s goes through a lot more in Red Glove.
The plot is just as good as it was with White Cat. Lots of guessing, plenty of revelations, and the cliffhanger ending made the book such a great read (although now I have to wait for a while for the third installment of this series). Cassel not only develops as a character, but his relationships with his other friends and Lila develop with him. Although Lila was ‘worked’ on, I couldn’t help but love how her and Cassel felt right for each other. Their chemistry was just right without being overdone and cheesy but you still had that nagging truth in the back of your head; Lila has been worked on, so this love can’t be real. But then you ask yourself, but the love sure feels real. I love this kind of writing! the author just initiates these doubts and thoughts to the reader which makes the reading experience all the more enjoyable.
As mentioned before, the twists and turns are just as good as the first book, and the new things Cassel has to deal with add more to the story. You’d have to feel sorry for the guy, it’s as if he’s meant to deal with a lot of crap day after day, and his family doesn’t really help with that fact either (except for his Grandpa, which remains one of my quiet favorite characters in the novel). I loved how the revelations (both big and small) are revealed in this book, perhaps it was the way the author revealed them, or maybe because I was so engrossed in the book but each one was shocking as the previous one.
With the ending the way it was for this one, it’s going to be hard to wait for the last book! Holly Black’s writing just keeps getting better and better with each book she writes.
I give it a 9 out of 10.
Side Note: GAAAHHHHH NOOOOOOO LILA!!!!! YOU BELONG WITH CASSEL!! HE LOVES YOU! NO SERIOUSLY! HE DOES!
Review of White Cat by Holly Black
White Cat
The story is a little complex from the start, and it was a little hard to get into without figuring out the facts first. After getting the story straight though, it’s a very interesting concept and idea and thought this was definitely a different and unique read. Several characters are thrown at you, so keeping them in line is also a bit of a challenge but it’s nothing to throw you off of your reading.
The plot was really good and Cassel is the guy to cheer for. He’s not your typical angsty teenager with a huge chip on his shoulder. Which is something I really did like. He’s calm, cool, and collected, but also determined to figure out what’s going on with his life and why he’s been sleepwalking and having strange dreams. Another thing I loved about this book. No love triangles! it’s about time! I’ve read countless of YA and it just seems standard to have a love triangle. You won’t find one in this book. (Thankfully.) I really did like the idea of the curse workers being something akin to mafia crime families. That was certainly different and an idea I have not come across before. It did fit in nicely with the overall plot. Plus the scheming, plotting, and conning made it even better.
Following Cassel through the hurdles provided a really good read, and towards the end you’d think everything would go well. Until there’s a giant twist and the ends in a cliffhanger ending. However that seems to be the constant theme throughout the novel as Cassel starts to put the pieces together and as the twists get bigger, the plot takes several shocking spins. It made reading the book really exciting and made the pace go fast.
If you love scheming, shocking twists, and con artistry at its finest, pick this book up. It’s a perfect blend of magic, and mafia crime families in one nice package. Combine this with fabulous writing and it’s an excellent book to read through. Can’t wait to read the second book of this series!
Review of The Field Guide by Holly Black & Tony DiTerlizzi
The Field Guide
The Grace kids–twins Jared and Simon and their older sister, Mallory–aren’t all that impressed with the ramshackle old mansion their mother moves them to when their decidedly kooky Great Aunt Lucinda is sent to an asylum. But a series of mysterious events within the house leads the three young Graces to an old book with hand-drawn pictures of all kinds of fantastic creatures. Jared believes the book holds the key to all the weird things that have been going on–for which he has been blamed. (Taken from Chapters Indigo website)
This book is a very short but good read. I thought it was amazing how a lot of action is featured in such a small compact book. It’s a perfect book for kids as there’s plenty of magic, fantasy, and action all in one. There’s not much boring dialogue and you don’t have to worry about heavy character development. It’s basically a book that’s just meant to be read and to have fun.
If you are familiar with Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events, this book may be for you. Although they are two very different books, the idea of making this book a “true story” is similar. I liked that little bit and thought it was a fun addition to the book and provides appeal to younger readers.
The illustrations were also nicely done and provides a good visual aid to help picturing the story. As to the characters; they’re all fun and once the magical/fantastical elements have been added, it’s even better.
This is a great novel for younger readers, but give it a try even if you don’t fall into the age category! it’s quick and light and shouldn’t even take long to read. What’s amazing is in those bits of pages is a lot of things happening to keep the reader entertained for a short while. I will be reading the rest of the series for sure.
I give it a 9 out of 10.
