Black Heart by Holly Black

Series: Curse Workers (bk. 3)

Genera(s): Paranormal Romance/Alternate History

Subjects: curses, magic, supernatural, criminals

Setting: New Jersey and New York

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, present tense: Cassel Sharpe

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 296 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover and now in Paperback

List Price: $17.99/$9.99

Publisher: Simon & Schuster: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Summary/ product description: “Cassel comes from a shady, magical family of con artists and grifters. He doesn't fit in at home or at school, so he's used to feeling like an outsider. He's also used to feeling guilty; he killed his best friend, Lila, years ago.

But when Cassel begins to have strange dreams about a white cat, and people around him are losing their memories, he starts to wonder what really happened to Lila. In his search for answers, he discovers a wicked plot for power that seems certain to succeed. But Cassel has other ideas and a plan to con the conmen.”

My Review:  I finally got around to finishing the Curse Workers trilogy. This is the final book, which came out in April 2012. I waited over 2 years. Red Glove, the second book, I read about 3 years ago. I haven’t forgotten the characters, but I couldn’t remember everything that happened. I still enjoyed this final book and will miss Cassel’s narration.

Holly Black is an amazing YA writer. I read all her Modern Faerie Tales book, and Curse Workers series. She’s great at creating interesting, unique characters. Cassel is unique because he’s a criminal with heart. He’s a con artist with charisma and guilt (so not a sociopath or psychopath). He’s also a transformation worker, which means he can change people and things into other things. He only found out his power recently. His brother Barron is a memory worker, so he had taken Cassel’s memory of his powers.

Lila Zacharov is Cassel’s on-off-girlfriend. She was forced into love by Cassel’s mother, a emotion worker. Lila loves Cassel for real, but Cassel still thinks it’s not real. He feels guilty about turning her into a white cat and being made to believe that he had killed her. Daneca and Sam are Cassel’s friends who like each other, but aren’t really dating. Daneca has a secret boyfriend. In the previous books we see that she’s into Worker’s rights and protesting.

My favorite thing about this book series has been the word building. It’s Alternate History Paranormal because it’s set in a world where there people with a gene that makes them able to curse or help someone with their power by touching them with their hands. Everyone wears gloves in public because they don’t want to be worked/cursed by someone. This series echoes the theme of racism of African Americans with Curse Workers as the minorities and has a touch of politics alongside its crime fantasy. And there are modern (magical) mobsters, in New Jersey.

Governor Patton of New Jersey is against workers and tries to pass a law about not allowing workers in government positions. Cassel is recruited by a special government organization to assassinate Patton by turning him into something. Barron is part of this organization, but he’s kind of a double agent. There’s a girl name Mina at his school that’s supposedly being blackmailed and want his help. Cassel doesn’t know whom to trust. Everyone wants his power or something from him.

If you have not read the Curse Workers series, then you should check it out. I recently read V for Villain by Peter Moore. It was similar, but this doesn’t have superheroes. Transparent by Natalie Whipple is about a crime boss’s daughter that has a special power. Half Bad by Sally Green had a similar protagonist, though set in the UK. White Cat, Red Glove and Black Heart by Holly Black are the 3 books in the Curse Workers trilogy. They are worth read for fans of paranormal YA.

Cover Art Review: I love the new cover with the dots and almost Art Deco style. I loved the original covers too, but these are great.

House of Ivy & Sorrow by Natalie Whipple

Series: Standalone

Genera(s): Paranormal Romance

Subjects: witches, magic, supernatural, curses

Setting: Willow’s End, Iowa

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, present tense: Josephine

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 360 pgs.

HC/PB: Paperback

List Price: $9.99

Publisher: HarperTeen

Summary/ product description: “Josephine Hemlock has spent the last 10 years hiding from the Curse that killed her mother. But when a mysterious man arrives at her ivy-covered, magic-fortified home, it’s clear her mother’s killer has finally come to destroy the rest of the Hemlock bloodline. Before Jo can even think about fighting back, she must figure out who she’s fighting in the first place. The more truth Jo uncovers, the deeper she falls into witchcraft darker than she ever imagined. Trapped and running out of time, she begins to wonder if the very Curse that killed her mother is the only way to save everyone she loves.”

My Review:  This was a pretty good book. It’s a standalone, and I think it does a good job of fitting a complete story into a single book. I can imagine that a second book would be possible, but it ended well. This book is fun and creepy at the same time. It’s not horror, but it is paranormal with some gruesome magic. Magic that requires things like animal eyeballs, or ripping off your own finger nail. Really disgusting, but the strangeness makes it more genuine. More witchy.

The story is set in Iowa, which is a state that not many books are set in (Slide by Jill Hathaway and Ashfall by Mike Mullin are). There are a lot of farms, and even a cute farm boy named Winn. Winn seems too good to be true, but really enjoys farming. He’s not the typical athletic love-interest. Willow’s End is a very small town, and he is considered “the cutest boy around”. Josephine, the narrator, is similar to other characters, yet different. She reminds me of Lena from Beautiful Creature, but more humorous. I love how she describes magic.

The story is fun, but it has substance. The plot seems steady, but there’s a lot of focus on the romance near the beginning. Then it’s all about the curse and why there men with magic. Till now they only knew woman witches. There’s mystery and secrets that Josephine must uncover. There’s this mysterious guy named Levi who could possibly be evil, but claims that he can help her. The story leads up to a stunning conclusion.

I recommend this to fans of Beautiful Creature, Texas Goth by Rosemary Clement-Moore, and other witchy stories. Also, if you liked Transparent by Natalie Whipple, this book also has a witty, funny heroine with abilities.

Cover Art Review: I love the hand rendered title. The texture of it is awesome. It’s playful and eye-catching.

Vengeance by Megan Miranda

Series: Fracture (bk. 2)

Genera(s): Paranormal Romance/Horror

Subjects: supernatural, death, psychic ability, curses, mystery, love

Setting: Maine, Falcon Lake

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, past tense: Decker

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 342 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Bloomsbury: Walker

Summary/ product description: “Nobody really believes in a curse. Until you know the people who disappear. Too much coincidence, you look for reason. Too much death, you grasp for something to blame. Carson pulled Delaney out and he died on the side of the road with her mouth pressed to his. Her air in his body. Troy. She told the cops it was suicide. Didn't matter. The lake released her and grabbed another. But when Decker's father dies in a pool of spilled water on their kitchen floor, all Decker can feel is a slow burning rage. Because he knows that Delaney knew that his dad was going to die. She knew and backed out of his house and never said a word. Falcon Lake still has a hold on them both, and Decker can't forgive Delaney until he knows why.”

My Review:  This book was a pretty interesting sequel. I think I liked Fracture better though. I preferred Delany’s perspective, but this book definitely had more chill and thrills that I remember the first book having. It definitely upped the creep-factor of Falcon Lake. The town thinks that Falcon Lake is cursed and there have been a lot of deaths connected to it.

Dekker is angry about the death of his dad for most of the book and blames it on Delany since she knew he was going to die. Dekker’s narration seemed a bit whiny and angst most of the book. He was always thinking about Delany and how much he wanted her even if she kept this from him. Dekker acts like a jerk, and I hate that. He shouldn’t treat Delany like that. It would have been so much better from her perspective of rotating perspectives.

The side characters played some important roles in the story, though not all of them seemed developed. Maya became Delany’s friend in the previous book. Kevin and Justin are Dekker’s friends. Janna, Tara and a few other characters play important roles too.

My favorite thing about these books is probably the setting and the atmosphere. It’s set in northern Maine. I’ve read a lot of YA books set in Maine, most of them paranormal. There’s a mystery and a lot of suspense. There’s strange and mysterious event and it leaves you with a lot of questions.

I did not see the ending coming. I kind of wish that there was some big paranormal element to be discovered, but the ending was pretty exciting and left possibility for a third book, but it also wraps up the story well. This could easily just be a duology. I recommend this book if you enjoyed other paranormal romance books or books set in Maine. If you liked: Siren by Tricia Rayburn, Need by Carrie Jones, Revel by Maurissa Guibord, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke, Dead River by Cyn Balog,  or Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick.

Cover Art Review: The cover is simple and creepy. The lake is foggy blue. I like the title’s typeface.