Sunday, October 7, 2012

Black Heart by Holly Black (RIP #6)



Book Summary (from the book)

Cassel Sharpe has the most deadly ability of all. With one touch, he can transform any object –including a person- into something else entirely. And that makes him a wanted man, The Feds are willing to forgive all is past crimes if he’ll only leave his con artist family behind and go straight. But why does going straight feel so crooked?

For one thing, it means being in the opposite side of the law than Lila, the girl he loves. She’s the daughter of a mob boss and getting ready to join the family business herself. Though Cassel is pretty sure she can never love him back, he can’t stop obsessing about her. Which would be bad enough, even if her father wasn’t keeping Cassel’s mother prisoner in a posh apartment and threatening not to let her leave until she returns the priceless diamond she scammed off him years ago. Too bad she can’t remember where she put it.

The Feds say they need Cassel to get rid of a powerful man who is spinning dangerously out of control. But if they want Cassel to use his unique talent to hurt people, what separates the good guys from the bad ones? Or is everyone just out to con him?

Time is running out, and all Cassel’s magic and cleverness might not be enough to save him. With no easy answers and no one he can trust, love might be the most dangerous gamble of all.

My Review

I’ve said it before and I will say it again: I really like this series. I enjoyed White Cat and Red Glove, and Black heart was not a disappointment. For those who are not familiar, this is the Curse Workers series. Some people have magic in them, and can “play” with people’s emotions, dreams, give others luck, etc. They are considered as curses and using them is illegal. Everyone must use gloves in this world, because for the curse to work there must be direct contact. 



In the case of Cassel, he can transform things into whatever he wants, and that includes people. 

The book starts with Cassel learning how to work for the FBI, something that doesn’t make him very happy, but he is really trying to be good and keep away from Lila.

The thing I like the most about Cassel is that he is an antihero. He is not good, all charming Harry Pottery like (I love Harry Potter, just in case). He is no evil either, he is just not eh good guy. But he really cares for his friends and family, even when they might not deserve it, and most of all, he knows his bigger strength is not his power but his brains.

There is a moment at the book that I really liked, where he sort off realizes that is not just good guys vs. bad guys:

        But now I wonder –what if everyone is pretty much the same and it’s just a thousand small choices that add up to the person you are? No good or evil, no black or white, no inner demons or angels whispering the right answer in our ears like some cosmic SAT test. Just us, hour by hour, minute by minute, day by day, making the best choices we can.

This is probably why I like the series so much, because (without the magic) they are pretty much “real” characters. No one is perfect, everyone balances the good and bad inside of them...that and the teen characters are not caricatures of teenagers. I hate it when the author tries to hard to sound young.

Anyway, back to the story. As in the other 2 books, they were a couple of twists that I definitely didn’t see coming until they are right there, and a tiny side story that makes the whole thing more structured somehow. 
But it was the end that make me give a 5 to this book, because it left me wanting more, so much I was actually sad to realize the book came out this year, which means I will have to wait a long time until the next book comes out!




2 comments:

  1. I didn't read your review because I haven't read the last of these but have read the first two. I'm very pleased to see you've given it five mushrooms though. I really have to read this NOW.
    Thanks
    Lynn:D

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