Review of Red Glove by Holly Black

Title: Red Glove (Curse Workers #2)

Author: Holly Black
Narrator: Jesse Eisenburg
Published by: Listening Library
Length: 8 hrs., 30 min
Source: Library
Format: audiobook
Rating: ★★★

Summary from Goodreads: 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. 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.

Get ready for another adventure with the curse workers.  You never know what you're in for, but it's sure to be twisted, dark and more than a little terrifying.  I absolutely love the mob connections in this novels.  The mob is fascinating enough, but then add in the element of the curse workers who can control emotion, kill another, and transform others just by the touch of their hand.  What a crazy adventure! 

I'm a pretty down to earth person, but I was walking to my car after work and listening to this book on my ipod when I noticed all the people around me were wearing gloves.  I started to freak out a little since I was so enraptured in the story that it took me a minute to realize they were not curse workers...it's just winter in Wisconsin.  As my story shows Holly Black knows how to grip her audience and command their attention.  She created this world that enraptures you and takes you away for the reality of your everyday life.

In Red Glove Cassel has to solve who murdered his older brother.  I'm not really sure what I think about Cassel's family (the ones who are dead and alive).  I'm sure in their own twisted way they are trying to look out for each other, but they always seem to scheme and manipulate each other.  I'm sure glad they are not my family.  Cassel seems to be trying to be a better person/friend in this novel.  I love how his whole life doesn't revolve around curse work or the cons.  I have hope for him yet.

I wanted more from Lila in this novel though.  I understand she was cursed by an emotion worker, but she just felt really frail to me.  I like my heroines strong in mind and body.  She made some bad decision throughout the book and I feel like she didn't have to face any consequences for them.  By the end of the novel I had some more respect for her, and hopefully in the next novel she'll be more fierce and feisty.

Review of White Cat by Holly Black

Title: White Cat
Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Listening Library
Discs: 6
Source: Library
Format: Audiobook
Rating: ★★★

Summary from Goodreads: 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 criminals. Many become mobsters and con artists. But not Cassel. He hasn’t got magic, 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.
           
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. He’s noticing other disturbing things too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him. As Cassel begins to suspect he’s 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.

What a scandalous read!  Curse workers are what happens when the mafia steals the X-Men's powers and try to blend in with the rest of the world (at least that's where my imagination took me).  They are ridiculously scary and it's crazy to think how much they can mess with a person's life.  It kind of makes me scared to touch other people now for fear they are going to mess with my memory or worse, kill me.  But alas I should have no fear since of course the curse workers live in a fictional world.

I thought it genius that White Cat was told from a males point of view.  For some reason it feels more intense and  adventurous hearing Cassel's take on things.  I came to really enjoy liked Cassel as a character as the book progress.  At first I though he was a scheming, arrogant, liar but that quickly changed when the pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place.  He hasn't lived the easiest life, or had the best support a family could offer, but he seemed to find his own way through life.  Even though he tried to make friends, the death of his best friend still haunts him.  This part of the story confused me at first because his action of killing his best friend didn't seem to fit with his personality.  As the story progresses Lila's death becomes quite the scandal. 

Another aspect of this novel that I really enjoyed was the mystery the arises.  While I feel a little silly for not figuring things out sooner, the twists and turns the novel takes will have you changing your opinions of the characters often and always second guessing what really is true and who has been worked.  While the plot scheme is intense, it is presented in a way to entice the reader instead of confusing them.  Like anything 'the mob' is involved with, there is always some sort of power-play at hand and Cassel's seems to be stuck in the middle of it.  Poor boy! 

This book has a little bit of something for everyone.  There's action, adventure, romance, mystery and double-crossing.  I can't wait to see what Red Glove has in store for Cassel and his friends.