The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

ARC received from fellow blogger, Jen at Jenuine Cupcakes.  Thanks!

Release Date:  On Shelves Now

Reviewed by:  Middle Sis Jenn

The Sisters Say:  Gripping and Sexy, Crossing my Fingers for a Sequel!

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown’s gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.

I like vampires, but that being said, I really haven’t read many books centering on them.  So, I’m not one of those people who is burned out on them; and even if I was, I would have loved this one!  Though not overly unique, I still felt like Holly Black created a new and exciting world where twists and turns and shadows and blood will chase you into your darkest nightmares.

I really liked the main character, Tana.  I loved how resolute she was about the vampire epidemic.  She knows exactly how she feels about ever becoming one, and even when she meets an alluring, somewhat “good” vampire, she still doesn’t waver (even though I wanted her to).  She’s tough and doesn’t let fear knock her down; instead, she faces the darkness head on.  Now, her kind heart did get on my nerves at some points.  There were times when I wanted her to just say, “Screw it,” and leave, letting the vampires and “soon to be” vampires deal with their own problems.  I kind of wish it was a sense of adventure or desire to know that spurs her to action, instead of her wanting to help everyone.

Now Aiden (the ex) drove me nuts!!!  He is such a jerk, and I just wanted someone to smack him really hard in the nose.  But, like I always say, if an author can elicit a strong emotion (even a negative one) from me, then he or she is doing something right!!!  Way to go Holly on the annoying, jerkface Aiden.

And then there’s Gavriel, the mysterious, somewhat mad vampire.  He reminded me of the vampire version of the Mad Hatter.  He rambles these cryptic messages and seems to always be deep in thought.  I LOVED this about him.  He straddles the lines of madness and sanity, and every so often, he would dip to one side of the other and we would discover something new and amazing about him.  I am so hoping that Holly writes a sequel just so I can see more of him!

There was plenty of action in this one, and while the plot was slow at times, it wasn’t so much so that it lost my attention.  I also loved the idea of the “Coldtowns,” paralleling those of the ghettos during World War II.  It was intriguing to see how the other side lived, and furthermore, to see how fear can make people do horrible things.  In this case, the fear was warranted, as vampires are blood thirsty, dangerous creatures.  But they weren’t like rabid vampires, they were cold and calculating, embracing politics to manipulate the Coldtowns along with the rest of the world.

Overall, this was a great read, and I highly recommend it to vampire and Holly Black fans!

BLACK HEART by Holly Black

Black Heart (Curse Workers #3) by Holly Black

Reviewed by Baby Sister Brittany

ARC received from Publisher at ALA Midwinter

Release Date: April 3^rd—ON SALE NOW!

The Sisters say: Unpredictable, Unique, and Unbelievably good!

Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy.

But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love.

*WARNING*

*WARNING*

THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE 3^RD BOOK IN A SERIES.

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS FOR BOOK 1 &2 IN THIS REVIEW

*WARNING*

*WARNING*

God, I love Holly Black. Her world building skills are… well, out of this world. She’s created an alternate reality wherein a few individuals have the ability to do magic through the touch of their hands. There are body workers who can heal or harm the body. Memory workers. Emotion workers. and then there’s Cassel… the rarest of them all… a Transformation worker. With a quick touch of his fingertips he can transform one thing into another (that includes people, too). He can also transform himself. Being such a commodity, he is wanted by both sides—the mob and the FBI. And then there’s trouble with his family that has him being pulled in three directions.

Obviously, Holly Black has an amazing, imaginative concept for this series. But her world building is so complete down to the smallest details.

One of the things I love most about this series is the unpredictable plots. I’m accustomed to guessing what will happen in a book long before it actually comes to pass. I’m used to it. All of us sisters are the same way. I’ve learned to read and enjoy books, even if I find them unpredictable. But with Holly Black—I don’t have to do that! She gives us just enough information to keep us going, and then keeps the rest in the dark. Often her characters don’t know what they’re going to do until right whe they do it, so there is no telegraphing of their plans.

This entire series is full of twists and turns that will have your head spinning. In this final installment—it’s impossible to know who the good guys are. Or if there even are good and bad guys. Perhaps everyone is a bit of both. As a reader, I wasn’t sure whether to trust the FBI, Leila, Cassel’s family, or even Cassel himself. It reminded me a bit of SURVIVOR—constantly shifting alliances in an attempt to stay afloat. Right up until the final pages—Black will keep you on your toes.

This book also has something for everyone— one of those ever-elusive male narratives, action, intrigue, romance, and the paranormal. I don’t want to say much more, because I’d hate to spoil this one for anyone.

I’ll end with this—those of you have enjoyed this series won’t be disappointed in the final installment. It carries the same intensity and interest as the first two, but wraps things up perfectly! This finale won’t disappoint you! It will only remind you of how amazing this series and Holly Black truly are!