Velveteen (Velveteen #1)

Velveteen is another novel with a whole lot of hype surrounding its release. The premise sounds so insane and creepy that this should come as no surprise. A dystopia about the dead? Serial killers? Purgatory? Strong heroine? That's all kinds of awesome, right? Well, I definitely think so.

My first recommendation is not to come into Velveteen looking for a dystopia. There really isn't anything particularly dystopian here, although I do see some definite possibility for there to be a big reveal of evil government at work later in the series. This could have been a huge disappointment, because obviously I love dystopias, but the whole of the story was so delightfully fresh and funny that I wasn't particularly bothered.

On Twitter, I've seen people tweeting Daniel Marks as they read through this book. They commented how grossed out they were and how horrified. Well, I really didn't have any moments where I was overwhelmed by the ick or horror factors. Maybe I just have a strong stomach, but I doubt it, since I can't watch a horror movie without hiding through pretty much all of it. There are gross things that happen, but they're no worse than what I've encountered in all the zombie novels I've read. So, basically, if you don't often read macabre things, Velveteen might freak you out, but, otherwise, I wouldn't worry unduly.

Actually, more than anything else, I thought Velveteen was hilarious. Humor of course is very subjective. I suspect most readers will either love or hate Velveteen, depending on whether you think Daniel Marks' humor is funny or obnoxious. For me, it totally worked. If you're concerned, you might want to watch some of Marks' vlogs and see if you like his style.

The description of the novel makes a big deal about Velvet's desire for revenge against her murderer, Bonesaw. While this certainly is a plot point, it's actually a fairly minor plot arc, important to the story, but definitely not the focus of Marks' grisly tale. Still, he definitely wove this arc perfectly into the larger tale.

The focus of the novel is, instead, on the tensions within Purgatory. There is a revolution happening in Purgatory. The Departurists believe that the powers that be within Purgatory are preventing them from moving on and unfairly keeping them from the daylight (aka the world of the living). The revolutionaries are somehow causing bigger and bigger cracks to form in Purgatory, by trapping souls in daylight and causing shadowquakes. The world building on this Purgatory was crazy cool for sure.

Within Purgatory, there are jobs, ranging just as widely, although differently, from those in our world. Our heroine, Velvet, has one of the best jobs, as a salvager team leader. Scavengers enter daylight to save trapped souls, putting an end to shadowquakes and protecting Purgatory. This gives them a rare chance to travel to daylight and is also just really cool, since you need special abilities to do it. Teams consist of four: one body thief, who takes over the body of a living human temporarily, one undertaker, who takes over a dead body and becomes a zombie, and two poltergeists, who stay ghosty but have a natural power to move things in that form. Velvet and her team are the best and they love what they do. On one of their missions, they rescue Nick, aka love interest.

Now, we must talk about Velveteen. She is an amazing heroine, assuming you like them sarcastic, closed-off, and a bit violent. Thankfully, I do. If you're sick of all of the wimpy, clutsy, obedient heroines that can't do anything but moan about boys, you will love Velvet, as she is the antithesis of all things Bella. Similar heroines are Lex from Croak or Ashline from Wildefire. Velvet has a smart mouth and is quick to resort to physical violence. Just to give you an idea of the kind of girl we'll dealing with: she dressed up as Alex from A Clockwork Orange at one point. She felt real to me, and she read like a female.

Her romance with Nick also totally worked. There was definitely instalust, but Velvet is not the kind of girl to mistake that for love. She initially thinks he looks like and probably is an asshole. There's lots of kissing, because she's not the kind of girl who is against having a little fun. Though Nick and Velvet's relationship does progress fairly quickly emotionally, there's a natural flow to it. The two really do have a rapport. They have real conversations, develop little inside jokes, and have awesome witty banter. Their chemistry is fantastic.

So yeah, I thought this was a fantastic ride, entertaining and funny from beginning to end. I definitely anticipate Marks' next macabre tale!

What I Loved:

SO MUCH. Velveteen is smart, sassy, damaged, brave, terrified, and startlingly self-aware of the breadth of her own psychological shortcomings. She walks a fine line between sociopath and goth girl (at least in her own head), but truly, she possesses more honor and courage than she ever gives herself credit for. She made for a fascinating narrator, and I was invested in the outcome of her story.

I also loved the world. I couldn't find any cracks in the world building, and the entire story has a grim, dreamlike quality that perfectly reflects the purgatory setting.

Finally, I really loved the high stakes, both for Velvet personally and for purgatory (and "daylight"--living souls on Earth) as well. I was invested in the outcome of both, and couldn't wait to turn the pages to find out what happened next.

What Left Me Wanting More:

While I adored Velvet and felt connected to her, the rest of the characters didn't come off the page for me as much. I didn't feel connected to them (including Nick, the love interest), and would forget them the second they left the page. It's possible this is a by-product of Velvet's self-focused style of narration, and her difficulty in feeling a connection to others, but I even have a hard time picturing very much about what those characters looked like.

Once Nick shows up, the romance begins, and there are some lovely moments where Velvet wrestles with this unexpected and unwelcome attraction. But overall, the romance felt a little rushed, and I couldn't connect enough with their scenes together to ever feel swoony over it.

Final Verdict:

This is a fascinating gothic tale with an intriguing narrator and a grimly perfect setting. There is violence and some gore, and some content (the scenes with the serial killer especially) that might be disturbing to younger or more sensitive readers. I loved the book, and I eagerly await the sequel!

This was an interesting read for me and I hope I'm able to articulate what my thoughts are. Sometimes, what's swirling around in my pink-striped head makes a ton of sense but comes out a lump of garbled confusion that leaves even me thinking, "Whaaat?" So, here goes...

The title and cover of this book are what caught my attention - It's beautiful and dark and I just loved it. Having grown up Catholic, purgatory was drilled into my subconscious as the literal holding cell along the way to Heaven. Even though I later became a Christian and no longer believe in such a place, I sure imagined it enough as a kid and this story sounded interesting.

Velveteen is dark, twisted and morbidly graphic at times, unlike anything I've ever read, but the writing is fantastic! Velveteen Monroe (one of the coolest MC names ever) is an angry, bitter girl hell-bent on revenge and with good reason. She's been kidnapped and murdered, she's stuck in purgatory and her killer is still free to continue torturing and killing more girls. Where's the fairness in that? I'd probably be a little upset too.

The souls stuck in purgatory aren't stuck forever though. They "dim" at some point where they either go on to Heaven or Hell but no one really knows when or why the dimming happens. (It DID upset me that there were babies there. I have personal reasons for this and there's just no getting around that but yeah, babies always get a fast-pass to Heaven.) There are rules of purgatory and the big one is no haunting. Period. If you're caught, you're condemned to a "life" in purgatory forever. (Gray might be the "new black" but no one looks good in it for all eternity - just sayin'). Velvet breaks this "no haunting" rule each time she sneaks out to visit Bonesaw but she does have an ulterior motive when she goes and it's to try and save other girls from her same fate. See, some rule breaking serves a greater purpose. That should count for something, right?

Velvet leads the best team of Salvagers in purgatory and exudes the attitude of "making the best of the situation". Her co-workers respect her and she has a few friends despite her "cheery" personality. Kipper is a trip and the twins Louisa and Logan are a mix of childishness and preteen angst. Velvet has enemies too, mainly in mean-girl Isadora and her wannabes. Life or should I say, death as Velvet knows it is about to change, mainly in the form of Nick. *fans face* He's the impossibly cute guy Velvet and her team rescue, the one who seems intent on breaking down the barriers of both her world and her heart. (I *hearts* him BTW!)

Nick is hot, funny and makes Velvet feels things she never thought possible, things that would scare her to death if she wasn't already dead. He's also off-limits as her newest team member which kinda complicates things. Nick gets Velvet to see the good in herself, something she's never really considered before. *swoons* Their moments together are a combination of frustration and swoon that left me holding my breath wondering if one of them was going to "dim" at any moment, leaving the other utterly heart broken (and me too). Who knew purgatory could be so romantic?!

There are souls who aren't content with their current state in purgatory and don't want to be there for long, who refuse to wait their turn to "dim". (They should get a first class ticket to Fire & Brimstone Acres for being so impatient). They want out now! Before the book ends, secrets will be uncovered and Velveteen will suffer a heart breaking betrayal. As if she hasn't been through enough already? *clutches chest* While she's never been one to "go with the flow", she'll have to decide what's more important, following the rules or getting revenge because the choices she makes now could have a devastating affect on the souls of everyone she cares about.