Book Review: Red Glove by Holly Black

Red Glove (Curse Workers #2)

Holly Black

Review of White Cat (Curse Workers #1)

Publication Date: April 5th 2011

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Pages: 325

Genre:  Contemporary, Alternate Universe, Thriller, Young Adult

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.

Holly Black returns, making me want to read the Spiderwick Chronicles and finish her Faerie books due to her strong ability to tell a story that just sucks you right in. The Curse Worker books continues with the next chapter in Cassel's life, now that he knows what he is and what he did, his mom is out and about, and his love is cursed to love him not out of her own free will, it is obvious things are far from over.

Add to this the sudden death of one of his brothers and the FBI taking Cassel out of class to ask him to help figure out what's going on.

Black's characters are once again amazing to read. I adore Cassel so much, usually I am a bit overly critical of authors who write from the point of view of the opposite gender, this comes from years of being friends with people obsessed with yaoi (boy + boy smut manga for those who don't know) which I never got since one of the boys was always written like a girl (pretty much all yaoi is written by women for women). Since then, however, I became hyper aware of when people attempt to write the opposite gender, but it's very obvious that they don't quite understand the opposite gender as well as they thought they did (though of course that's always up for debate by people).

Pretty much this thought doesn't even cross my mind with Cassel, he just seems so natural.

I love the whole mystery part of this series, this time Cassel needs to figure out what exactly happened when he was young and see if he can fix things to keep himself safe, if nothing else. He also has to come to terms with these abilities which most of the time it seems he doesn't even want due to their nature.

Dude! I totally hadn't guessed that Maura had been behind Phillip's death at all, even though it made complete sense. He had screwed with her so bad and she was about to be made to make up with him because of his deal with the FBI. The way Cassel helps to protect her as well, warms my heart. What's fun and interesting about Cassel is that he's a conman with a heart (even if he likes to pretend that he doesn't)  and it's that part of him that doesn't fit in with the rest of his family.

Also, I have a theory! I have no idea if it's right or not, but I wonder if Lila was really ever cursed to like Cassel, I wonder if she liked him, but wanted an excuse so when she saw that his mother was going to curse her to like Cassel, she somehow avoided it and was pretending so that she could get her hands on him. JUST her luck, Cassel is too noble for that and I think it's pissing her off, and by  the end of the book, whether or not she was cursed, I don't think she is anymore, but I think it's obvious that she still likes him.

This series continues to be good, so keep reading. There's only one book left and I really wonder where it's going (I just gotta get through all these debut books that have suddenly fallen into my lap first).

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