Waiting on Wednesday, #27

Waiting on Wednsday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. WOW spotlights upcoming releases that you are dying to read and can't wait to get your hands on!

Note: All my links go to Goodreads, the author's website, and the publisher's website.

Black Heart, by Holly Black

(Curse Workers, #3)

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Release Date: April 3, 2012

Pre-Order: Amazon

Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy. 
But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love.

I'm really sad that this is the end of the series, but really excited to see what happens next. This is a very interesting and unique series. Even my husband likes this series. =) I'm a bit mad about the covers, though. I mean, I know that it's not about the covers, but more about the wonderful story on the inside. And yes, these new covers are pretty and I like the colors on this one. But I miss the old covers. I really like the first cover for Black Heart. With Cassel and Lila on it. =( But oh well, still can't wait! =D 

Red Glove by Holly Black

Red Glove by Holly Black
(Curseworkers, #2)
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Release Date: April 5, 2011
Hardcover: 336 pages
Age Group: Young Adult
Buy: Amazon
Source: library
Challenge: Support Your Local Library
Overall:   

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. 

Wow. I think I may have actually liked Red Glove more than it's predecessor, White Cat. I can't really choose. I loved them both, but there was just something about Red Glove. Hmm. These two books have everything; a great storyline,  magic, romance, mystery, and the mafia! Holly Black is bloody brilliant! 

I've been trying and trying and trying to talk my husband into reading White Cat, but I guess he's still mad about how I got him to read the Twilight series  and he really liked it, but Breaking Dawn killed it. He IS reading the Vampire Diaries series right now (Score!), but that's only because I got him hooked on the show. 

But anyway, back to Red Glove, ha ha! This series is awesome. I love Cassel! He is a great character. All the characters in here are pretty cool, even the mobsters! Ha! They are all really developed, along with the amazing world they are in. I mean, who wouldn't want to be a curseworker? I mean, I know there are some drawbacks, but isn't there always drawbacks to awesome things like this? 

Overall, I'm not really sure what else to say about this book other than it is completely awesome and I love this series and can't wait for the next book. I didn't really have any complaints that I can remember other than the fact it freaking ended and I don't have the next book! 

If you haven't read the first book in the series, do it now! This is an awesome series and definitely among my favorites. It's definitely  a fresh storyline. VERY unique! 

The cover is awesome! Just like the first book's cover. Though I think I definitely like White Cat's cover better. Love the covers in this series. 

The third book in this series is called Black Heart. It is expected to be released on April 3, 2012. 

My review of White Cat.

 

White Cat by Holly Black

White Cat by Holly Black
The Curse Workers, book #1

Next Book in series: Red Glove
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Release Date: May 4, 2010
Hardcover: 310 Pages
Age Group: Young Adult (14+)
Buy: Amazon
Source: Library
Challenge: Support Your Local Library
Overall: 

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers — people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail — he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.
Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.
Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love — or death — and your dreams might be more real than your memories. 

 (Summary from Goodreads.)

First Paragraph: I wake up barefoot, standing on cold slate tiles. Looking dizzily down. I suck in a break of icy air. 

White Cat was not what I expected. I had heard some things about it, but I don't think that I fully knew what I was getting myself into with this book. I picked this book up because I kept seeing it everywhere. I couldn't find a bad review. 

I didn't know that it was told in the point-of-view of a male! Ha ha! I probably should of read more on it, but I'm kind of glad I didn't because I'm afraid it may have taken me longer to finally pick it up and start reading it. I'm weird like that. =/ But I think with all the awesome books with male points-of-view I'm reading lately, I'll have to pick up more. 

It took me a few minutes to get into this, but the beginning was hilarious! It opens with Cassel, the main character, standing on top of a roof in only his boxers, dreaming that he was chasing a white cat who stole his tongue! 

I loved Cassel. Yes, he annoyed me at times, which I usually find about a lot of main characters I read about. But he was really witty and  a nice guy. Though he kind confusing at times because of what happens to him without his knowledge throughout the book. 

I didn't really bond with any of the other characters, though. But I did like them. All of the characters have stayed with me and I think I will always remember them when someone brings up the book, but Cassel was my absolute favorite. 

The world Black created was amazing. She hit the high points in originality here. I haven't read a YA book like it! Nor have I heard of any. Mobsters/conmen meets the magical world! I really love that the world knows about the curse workers. Even though most people are against them and sometimes its dangerous to be a curse worker. 

Something else I really loved about this book was that I never really knew what was coming next. I kept trying to guess, but was always hit with something completely different and jaw-dropping. 

The writing for this novel flows very well and I could easily read through a lot of pages without realizing, which you will hear in every review that I write that has that type of writing in the book because it is one of my favorite things and I always like to mention it. I was always able to picture the world and characters and what was going on. Sometimes I got so into it I thought I was watching a movie. 

Overall, I can't really find anything I didn't like about this book. Other than the fact that at times it confused me because of the memory work that a certain memory worker did. Not going to name any names! It would be a spoiler. I am now VERY excited for Red Glove and can't wait for it's release date on the 5th of April. 

Cover:

I really love the cover. It's not one of my absolute favorite covers, but it is very gorgeous and mysterious. I love the dark feeling of it and the white cat on the front of it. The cat really pops on the cover. 
Cover Art: Jacket design by Russell Gordon and Michael McCartney. Jacket photograph by Micheal Frost. 
I recommend this to: Anyone who would like a new, refreshing story to read. It's mobster families with magic! 
Other books by this author: The Modern Faerie Tales, The Spiderwick Chronicles.

Rating Breakdown: 

Plot:20/20

Characters: 20/20

Creativity: 20/20

Writing: 20/20

Ending: 20/20

Overall: 100/100 =