Review : Red Glove by Holly Black

Title : Red Glove Author : Holly Black Reading Dates : 3 Sep - 6 Sep 2012 Total Pages : 325
The Curse Workers White Cat Red Glove Black Heart
From Amazon : The cons get craftier and the stakes rise ever higher in the riveting sequel to White Cat—now in paperback! After rescuing his brothers from Zacharov’s retribution and finding out that Lila, the girl he has loved his whole life, will never, ever be his, Cassel is trying to reestablish some kind of normalcy in his life. That was never going to be easy for someone from a worker family that’s tied to one of the big crime families—and whose mother’s cons get more reckless by the day. But Cassel is coming to terms with what it means to be a transformation worker, and he’s figuring out how to have friends. Except normal doesn’t last very long. Soon Cassel is being courted by both sides of the law and is forced to confront his past—a past he remembers only in scattered fragments, and one that could destroy his family and his future. Cassel will have to decide whose side he wants to be on, because neutrality is not an option. And then he will have to pull off his biggest con ever to survive….

Book Review of Red Glove.

Red Glove was better than White Cat. Its not often that a series does that for me.

Cassel and his family are as unpredictable as ever, but what I loved about Red Glove is figuring out what makes Cassel tick, courtesy of his grandfather. The dichotomy in Cassel is a result of both his natural inclination and the upbringing he had. And that’s why he makes such a fascinating read. Cassel can be extremely ruthless in achieving his goals but his goals are ultimately to protect himself and those close to himself. While I can’t actually root for him, I also can’t help wanting him to find a way out of whatever fix he and his family is in.

The other reason to enjoy Red Glove is how he figures out his brother’s murderer and gets himself out of the trap laid by his murdered brother, Phillip. Somehow, Cassel once again manages to twist things in his favour, at least temporarily. It will be interesting to see how he handles the changes in his role regarding the law. I just can’t imagine a law abiding Cassel.

I really wished I already had Black Heart already. I can’t wait to see how Cassel’s story ends.

My conclusions :

• Would I re-read the book ? Yes
• Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Definitely
• Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes
• Who would I recommend this too? Young adult fiction fans.
• For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Buy it. Definitely a keeper series.

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Teaser Tuesdays

Challenges : 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

Review : White Cat by Holly Black

Title : White Cat Author : Holly Black Reading Dates : 31 Aug - 02 Sep 2012 Total Pages : 310
The Curse Workers White Cat Red Glove Black Heart
From Amazon : Cassel comes from a family of curse workers—people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, all by the slightest touch of their hands. Since curse work is illegal, they’re all criminals. But not Cassel. He hasn’t got the magic touch, so he’s an outsider—the straight kid in a crooked family—as long as you ignore one small detail: He killed his best friend, Lila. Now he is sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat. He also notices that his brothers are keeping secrets from him. As Cassel begins to suspect he’s part of one huge con game, he must unravel his past and his memories. To find out the truth, Cassel will have to outcon the conmen.

Book Review of White Cat.

There are a few reasons I enjoyed White Cat.

The first being Cassel and his unorthodox family and friends. None of them fit my idea of the typical heroic figure. Yet, every time I decide they’re thorough villains, they do something so unexpectedly nice and loving, that I’m not sure what’s going in those twisted minds of theirs. I mean here’s a family who are obvious criminals and have no compunction whatsoever in manipulating each other, but still stick up for each other at the strangest times. I can’t decide whether I love them or hate them, but I am fascinated by them.

Next is the story. There are so many unexpected twists and red herrings, that I’m having fun trying to figure out things along with Cassel.

The third and last reason is the world of curse workers created by Holly Black. The predicament the curse workers find themselves in sounds like the chicken and egg story. What came first ? The law that forced those with the magical touch to become criminals in order to survive or the workers that abused those powers, thus requiring the creation of laws to protect the populace ?

At the end of the first book, I’m already sure I’m adding the third and final installment of the curse workers, Black Heart to my wish list. Its too bad I won’t be able to read it immediately after the next book, Red Glove.

My conclusions :

• Would I re-read the book ? Yes
• Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Definitely
• Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes
• Who would I recommend this too? Young adult fiction fans.
• For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Buy it. Definitely a keeper series.

In My Mailbox

Teaser Tuesdays

Challenges : 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge; 2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge

In My Mailbox : Ice Station and Area 7 by Matthew Reilly

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted at The Story Siren.


Anyone can participate. IMM is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week.

Bought:

Ice Station by Matthew Reilly

Antarctica is the last unconquered continent, a murderous expanse of howling winds, blinding whiteouts and deadly crevasses. On one edge of Antarctica is Wilkes Station. Beneath Wilkes Station is the gate to hell itself...

A team of U.S. divers, exploring three thousand feet beneath the ice shelf has vanished. Sending out an SOS, Wilkes draws a rapid deployment team of Marines-and someone else...

First comes a horrific firefight. Then comes a plunge into a drowning pool filled with killer whales. Next comes the hard part, as a handful of survivors begin an electrifying, red-hot, non-stop battle of survival across the continent and against wave after wave of elite military assassins-who've all come for one thing: a secret buried deep beneath the ice...

Area 7 by Matthew Reilly

From the bestselling author of Ice Station, another dizzyingly fast-paced adventure thriller featuring Shane Schofield. It is America's most secret base, hidden deep in the Utah desert, an Air Force installation known only as Area 7. And today it has a visitor: the President of the United States. He has come to inspect Area 7, to examine its secrets for himself. But he's going to get more than he bargained for on this trip. Because hostile forces are waiting inside...Among the President's helicopter crew, however, is a young Marine. He is quiet, enigmatic, and he hides his eyes behind a pair of silver sunglasses. His name is Schofield. Call-sign: Scarecrow. Rumour has it, he's a good man in a storm. Judging by what the President has just walked into, he'd better be...

[ What I spent on the books : RM 63.70 ]