Review Detail

The first book in the Curse Workers series, White Cat, didn’t sit well with me. I loved Black’s worldbuilding but thought the plot itself was too…unsettling. I didn’t really want to read Red Glove at all, except I got the whole series from the library and I hate returning books unread (a weird pet peeve of mine, I know). So I reluctantly gave Red Glove a try.

In the end, it turned out that Red Glove was a jillion times better than White Cat. I loved everything about it. Black’s prose was fluid and effective, her plot was gripping and fast-moving, Cassel was a great main character, and I was completely blown away by Red Glove’s cast of supporting characters. Just…perfect.

First things first: Cassel as a character. He’s quickly becoming one of my favorites. He’s smart, complicated, flawed, and above all, likable. And he’s not white (diversity!!!). This is male YA perspective done right, and Cassel is the reason I wish YA wasn’t so heavily female dominated.

And like I said, the supporting characters were really great, too. Sam, Cassel’s best friend and roommate, is awesome. He’s extremely loyal to Cassel, and while the two of them don’t get along, you always know Sam will be willing to help Cassel out with a con.

Holly Black handles the mob/conmen/crime plotline so well. The action in Red Glove was thrilling, and I was actually a bit disappointed when I realized I was on the last page. Red Glove’s storyline is complex and detailed, with several subplots and side-trails that only add to the central conflict.

Quite often lately, I’ve been experiencing this odd phenomenon where a sequel is better than then first book. It’s weird for me, but I’m not complaining. Red Glove was gritty, with a fantastic premise and awesome characters.