Review Detail

Cassel comes from a family of curse workerspeople 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, theyre all criminals. Many become mobsters and con artists. But not Cassel. He hasnt got magic, so hes an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detailhe killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.
           
Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts to crumble when he finds himself sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. Hes noticing other disturbing things too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him. As Cassel begins to suspect hes part of a huge con game, he must unravel his past and his memories. To find out the truth, Cassel will have to outcon the conmen. ~from the back cover of WHITE CAT

I have been a fan of Holly Black's world building for a very long time. What she does with fairies and trolls is a jewel in the crown of the paranormal genre. There's an edge to her work, a darkness that throws you off balance and keeps you there. So you could say I'm a fan from way back.

With the excellence she's already achieved in her books I didn't think it would be possible, but she's managed to take it to the next level with THE CURSE WORKERS: WHITE CAT.

I was hooked from the very first image of Cassel Sharpe standing on a cold roof in the middle of the night, breathing in icy air. Why was he there? What was he doing? Of course the obvious answer is always wrong, and looking for the truth kept me turning the pages (I read the ARC in one sitting, and then bought the hardback and read it again). Black drew me into Cassel's world and under his spell - beat by beat, sentence by sentence, chapter by chapter - and I was searching out answers like a heat seeking missile.

As always, Black's world building is superb. Everything here feels fresh, original, and well-thought-out. I was so invested I found myself thinking of possibilities for the characters long after I'd finished the last page. WHITE CAT is a paranormal story, but it's also rich with mystery and suspense. There's friendship and romance. The emotion is rich and the mafia-type family dynamic that goes with a life of crime takes its toll on Cassel. The angst his family causes him cuts to the bone, making him relatable in a realistic way. I can't wait to see the fallout that's sure to occur from some of that angst in book two, RED GLOVE.

The setting is rich and the plot lines move quickly - I'd love to see a movie made of this book.

Highest of high recommendations!