Red Glove

By Holly Black

The cons get twistier and the stakes get higher in this second book of The Curse Workers trilogy: “a sleek and stylish blend of urban fantasy and crime noir” (Booklist).

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.

After rescuing his brothers from Zacharov’s retribution and finding out that Lila will never be his, Cassel is trying to reestablish some kind of normalcy in his life. That was never going to be easy for someone from a worker family tied to one of the big crime families, and a mother whose cons get more reckless by the day. But Cassel is also coming to terms with what it means to be a transformation worker and figuring out how to have friends.

But normal doesn’t last very long—soon Cassel is being courted by both sides of the law and is forced to confront his past. A past he remembers only in scattered fragments and one that could destroy his family and his future. Cassel will have to decide whose side he wants to be on because neutrality is not an option. And then he will have to pull off his biggest con ever to survive. Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
• Release date: Apr 5, 2011
• ISBN: 9781442403413

Holly Black

Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of speculative and fantasy novels, short stories, and comics. She has been a finalist for an Eisner and a Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic and Nebula Awards and a Newbery Honor. She has sold over twenty-six million books worldwide, and her work has been translated into over thirty languages and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library. Visit her at BlackHolly.com.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

I DON’T KNOW WHETHER it’s day or night when the girl gets up to leave. Her minnow silver dress swishes against the tops of her thighs like Christmas tinsel as she opens the hotel door.

I struggle to remember her name.

So you’ll tell your father at the consulate about me? Her lipstick is smeared across her cheek. I should tell her to fix it, but my self-loathing is so great that I hate her along with myself.

Sure, I say.

My father never worked at any consulate. He’s not paying girls a hundred grand a pop to go on a goodwill tour of Europe. I’m not a talent scout for America’s Next Top Model. My uncle doesn’t manage U2. I haven’t inherited a chain of hotels. There are no diamond mines on my family land in Tanzania. I have never been to Tanzania. These are just a few of the stories my mother has spent the summer spinning for a string of blond girls in the hope that they’ll make me forget Lila.

They don’t.

I look up at the ceiling. I keep on staring at it until I hear my mother start to move in the adjoining room.

Mom got out of jail a couple months back. After school let out she relocated us both to Atlantic City, where we’ve been grifting rooms and charging up whatever food and drink we want to them. If the staff gets too demanding about payment, we simply move down the strip. Being an emotion worker means that Mom never leaves a credit card at the desk.

As I think that, she opens the door between our rooms.

Honey, Mom says, as though it’s not at all weird to find me lying on the floor in my boxers. Her black hair is up in clips and wrapped in one of her silk scarves, the way she always wears it when she sleeps. She’s got on the hotel robe from the last hotel, tied tightly around her ample waist. You ready for some breakfast?

Just coffee, I think. I’ll make it. I push myself up and pad over to the complimentary pot. There’s a bag of grounds, sugar, and some powdered creamer sitting on a plastic tray.

Cassel, how many times do I have to tell you that it isn’t safe to drink out of those things? Someone could have been brewing meth in it. Mom frowns. She always worries about the weirdest things. Hotel coffeepots. Cell phones. Never normal stuff, like the police. I’ll order us both up coffee from the kitchen.

They could be brewing meth there, too, I say, but she ignores me.

She goes into her room and I can hear her make the call. Then she comes back to the doorway. I ordered you some egg whites and toast. And juice. I know you said you weren’t hungry, but you need to keep your strength up for today. I found us a new mark. Her smile is big enough that I almost want to smile along with her.

That’s my mom.

Believe it or not, there are magazines out there called, like, Millionaire Living or New Jersey Millionaires or whatever, that feature profiles of old guys in their homes, showing off their stuff. I have no idea who else buys them, but they’re perfect for my mother. I think she sees them as gold digger shopping catalogs.

That’s where she found Clyde Austin. He’s on the page after a feature with curse-worker-hating Governor Patton at his mansion, Drumthwacket. Despite a recent divorce, according to the article, Austin still manages to enjoy a lifestyle that includes a private plane, a heated infinity pool, and two borzois that travel with him everywhere. He has a home in Atlantic City, where he likes to go out to dinner at Morton’s and play a little blackjack when he can get away from the office. The picture of him shows a short, squat dude with hair plugs.

Put on something dirty, Mom says. She’s at her desk, altering a new pair of bright blue gloves. She’s seeding them with tiny holes at the fingertips: small enough to go unnoticed, big enough for her skin to touch the mark’s.

Dirty? I say from the couch I’m slumped on in her suite. I’m on my third cup of coffee, all three choked with cream. I ate the toast, too.

Wrinkled. Something that makes you look homeless and desperate. She begins to take down her curls, one by one. Soon she’ll start rubbing gunk into her skin and curling her eyelashes. It takes her hours to get ready.

What’s the plan? I ask.

I posed as his secretary and pretended I forgot when his reservation was for, Mom says. At Morton’s. Wasn’t it great how the magazine comes right out and says where to find him? It absolutely worked. He’s going to eat there at eight o’clock tonight.

How long have you known that for? I ask her.

A couple days. She shrugs, making a careful line of black above her eyes. There’s no telling how long she really knew. Oh—and grab the plastic bag over by my suitcase.

I slug down the last of the coffee and get up. The bag contains panty hose. I put them on her desk.

They’re for you.

You want me to look homeless, desperate, but also kind of fabulous? I ask.

Over your head, she says, turning in her chair and miming the gesture like I’m a moron. If Clyde works out, I want him to be able to meet you as my son.

It sounds like you’ve really got some plan cooked up, I say.

Oh, come on, she demands. School starts in less than a week. Don’t you want to have a little fun?

Several hours later Mom clops along the boardwalk behind me in platform heels. Her white dress blows in the late summer wind. The neckline is low enough that I’m worried her boobs are going to actually fall out if she moves too fast. I know it’s disturbing that I notice, but I’m not blind.

You know what you’re supposed to do, right? she says.

I wait for her to catch up. She has on gold lame gloves and is carrying a gold clutch purse. I guess she decided against the blue. Altogether it’s quite an outfit. No, why don’t you tell me for the millionth time?

I see the fury pass over her face like a storm. Her eyes go hard.

I’ve got it, Mom, I say in what I hope is a conciliatory way. Go on ahead. We shouldn’t be talking.

She totters off toward the restaurant, and I walk to the railing, looking at the sea. It’s the same view I had from Zacharov’s Atlantic City penthouse. I think of Lila with her back to me, staring out at black water.

I should have told her I loved her back then. Back when it would have meant something.

Waiting is the hardest thing about any con job. The moments slip by and your hands start to sweat, anticipating what’s coming. Your mind wanders. You’re all keyed up from adrenaline, but there’s nothing to do.

Distraction leads to disaster. Mom’s rule.

I turn back toward the restaurant and slip my gloved hand into my pocket, touching the wadded-up piece of panty hose. I hacked off the foot with a room service knife.

I keep focused, eyeing the crowd, watching my mother vamp up her incredibly slow stroll. We could be here awhile. And, honestly, this plan might not even work. That’s another thing about cons; you have to go after a bunch of marks before you find the perfect one. The one you can really take for all he’s worth.

We wait for twenty minutes, almost a block apart from each other. Mom has done all the innocent things someone does on a nighttime stroll: smoked a cigarette, checked her lipstick, made fake calls on the cell phone she borrowed from me. I, on the other hand, have taken to begging for change. I’ve made about $3.50 and am about to land another quarter when Clyde Austin lurches out of Morton’s.

Mom starts to move.

I jump up and take off toward her, yanking the panty hose down over my face. That slows me down some, because there is no way in hell these things are sheer. I can barely see.

People start yelling. Yeah, because a guy with hose over his head is never the good guy. He is, in fact, the stereotype—maybe even the archetype—of a bad guy.

I keep running, flying past my mother and yanking the gold clutch out of her hand.

She adds her screams to the chorus.

Thief! my mother screams. Help! Heeeeelp!

Now, this is the tricky part. I have to keep running, but I have to run just slowly enough that a drunk and out-of-shape guy with a couple of martinis rolling around in his belly actually thinks he can catch me.

Please—someone! Mom shrieks. He has all my money!

It’s really hard not to laugh.

I practically run into Clyde, making sure he’s got a shot at me. But I’ve got to give it to Mom. She’s right when she says that guys want to be knights in shining armor. He grabs for my arm.

I let myself fall.

It’s a bad one. Maybe it’s the panty hose over my face, or maybe I’m just off balance, but I go down hard on the asphalt, scraping one hand so roughly, I can feel my glove shred. I’m pretty sure I scrape my knees, too, but all they feel is numb.

I drop the purse.

Clyde clocks me in the back of the head before I can push myself to my feet. It hurts. She better appreciate this. Then I’m up and running. Full out. Pulling that crap off my face and hurling myself through the night as fast as I can.

Leaving Clyde Austin to be a hero, bringing a damsel in distress her golden clutch purse.

Leaving him to notice how charming she is when her eyes well up with gratitude.

Leaving him to check out her rack.

*    *    *

Mom is exultant. She breaks out the bottle of Prosecco from the minibar while I pour frothing hydrogen peroxide over my hand. It stings like crazy.

He wants to meet for drinks tomorrow night. I told him it was the least I could do to take him out. He said that, after what I’d been through, he was going to pay, and that was that. Now, doesn’t that sound promising?

Sure, I tell her.

He’s going to pick me up here. At six. Do you think I should be ready when he gets here or do you think I should invite him in for a drink while I do a few last little things? Maybe be in my robe?

I make a face. I don’t know.

Stop thinking of it that way. This is a job. We need someone to provide for us. Pay for your fancy school—and Barron’s loans. Especially now that Philip can’t be sure how long he’s going to stay employed. She cuts me a dark look, like I somehow forgot that I’m the one that got him in trouble with the boss of a crime family. Like I am going to start caring. They’ve done much worse to me.

So long as you don’t work Clyde, I say quietly. You don’t need to. You’re plenty charming on your own.

She laughs and pours her Prosecco into a water glass. It fizzes like the peroxide. Like mother, like son. We’re both charming when we want something. Right, Cassel?

So I want you to stay out of jail, I say. So what? Is that supposed to be a secret?

The doorbell of her room buzzes. What did you order? I ask her, and head over to open it.

Mom makes a sound of alarm, but she’s too late.

Clyde Austin is standing in the hallway, a bottle of Jack Daniel’s swinging from one hand. Oh, he says, embarrassed. I must have the wrong room. I thought—

Then he gets a good look at me—at the blood on my jeans, the scrape on my bare hand. And he sees my mother sitting on the bed. And he knows. His face goes ugly.

You set me up, he says. You and her. The way he says her tells me everything he’s thinking about us.

I start to explain, when he swings the bottle at my head. I see it moving, but I am too clumsy, too slow. It makes a hollow, horrible thunk against my temple.

I hit the carpet, dizzy. Dull pain makes me nauseous. That’s what I get for underestimating the guy. I roll onto my back just in time to see him over me, raising the Jack Daniel’s to strike again.

With a shriek Mom rakes her nails against his neck.

He whirls around, wild, swinging. His elbow connects. She flies back against the desk. Her magnifying mirror cracks against the wall, the shards falling like glittering confetti.

I reach up my bare hand. I could stop him with a single touch.

I could change him into a cockroach.

I could transform him into a puddle of grease.

I really want to.

Clyde has gone still, though, looking around like he suddenly doesn’t know where he is. Shandra? he says gently, reaching for my mother. I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?

That’s okay, Mom says in a soothing voice, getting up slowly. She winces. There’s blood on her lip. You just came by to bring me a little liquor, didn’t you? And you saw my son. Maybe you mistook him for someone else.

I guess, he says. We got along so well that I figured why wait until tomorrow night? And then . . . He does look like the mugger, you have to admit.

Mom’s an emotion worker. She can’t change his memories; my brother Barron could do that, but he’s not here. What Mom can do with a single bare-handed touch is make Clyde Austin like her so much that he’s willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. About anything. Everything. Even this.

A wave of dizziness overwhelms me.

That’s true, baby, she says. He does look a little like the mugger. It was an honest mistake. I’m just going to walk you to the door now. Her fingers go to his neck, which should make anybody flinch—bare fingers, no glove—but it doesn’t bother him at all. He lets himself be steered.

I’m really sorry for what happened, he says. I don’t know what came over me.

I understand, Mom tells him. And I forgive you, but I don’t think that we can see each other tomorrow night. You get that, right?

Shame heats his face. Of course.

My vision blurs. She says something else soothing, but not to me.

*    *    *

We check out in the morning. Sunlight makes my brain feel like it’s throbbing inside my skull. Sweat slicks my skin—the kind of unnatural sweat that comes along with injury. Each movement makes me as dizzy as riding a thousand roller coasters all at once. While we wait for the valet to get my car, I fumble through my backpack for sunglasses and try to avoid looking at the dark bruise on Mom’s shoulder.

She’s been totally silent since she told me we were leaving—all through packing and even the ride down in the elevator. I can tell she’s seething.

I feel too sick to know what to do about it.

Finally my ancient and rusted Benz drives up to the front of the hotel. Mom hands something to the driver and gets the keys while I slide in on the other side. The seat is hot on the backs of my legs, even through jeans.

How could you answer the door like that? she shouts as soon as we pull away from the curb. Not looking through the peephole. Not calling out to ask who was there?

I flinch at her voice.

Are you stupid, Cassel? Didn’t I teach you better than that?

She’s right. It was thoughtless. Stupid. Private school has made me careless. It’s exactly the kind of dumb mistake that separates a decent con man from an amateur. Plus the blowback from the emotion work makes her unstable. Not that she isn’t normally pretty unstable. But working magnifies it. So does anger. There’s nothing for me to do but ride it out.

I was used to her being like this when I was a kid. But she’s been in jail long enough for me to forget how bad she can get.

Are you stupid? she screeches. Answer me!

Stop, I say, and lean my head against the window, shutting my eyes. Please stop. I’m sorry, okay?

No, she says, her voice vicious and certain. No one’s that pathetic. You did it on purpose! You wanted to ruin things for me.

Oh, come on, I say. I wasn’t thinking. I said I was sorry. Look, I’m the one with the goose egg to show for it. So we have to leave Atlantic City? We’d have to leave in a week anyway when I went back to school.

You did this to me because of Lila. Her gaze is on the road, but her eyes glitter with fury. Because you’re still angry.

Lila. My best friend, who I thought I killed.

I’m not talking about her, I snap. Not with you.

I think about Lila’s wide, expressive mouth turning up at the corners. I think about her spread out on my bed, reaching for me.

With one touch of her hand, Mom made Lila love me. And made sure I could never, ever have her.

Hit a nerve? Mom says, gleefully cruel. It’s amazing you actually thought you were good enough for Zacharov’s daughter.

Shut up, I say.

"She was using you, you stupid little moron. When everything was said and done, she wouldn’t have given you the time of day, Cassel. You would have been a reminder of Barron and misery and nothing more."

I don’t care, I say. My hands are shaking. It would still have been better than— Better than having to avoid her until the curse fades. Better than the way she’ll look at me once it does.

Lila’s desire for me is a perversion of love. A mockery.

And I almost didn’t care, I wanted her so much.

I did you a favor, my mother says. You should be grateful. You should be thanking me. I got you Lila on a silver platter—something you could have never in your life had otherwise.

I laugh abruptly. I should be thanking you? How about you hold your breath until I do?

Don’t talk that way to me, Mom roars, and slaps me, hard.

Hard enough that my battered head hits the window. I see stars. Little explosions of light behind the dark glasses. Behind my eyelids.

Pull over, I say. Nausea overwhelms me.

I’m sorry, she says, her voice seesawing back to sweet. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Are you okay?

The world is starting to tilt. You have to pull over.

Maybe right now you’d rather walk than deal with me, but if you’re really hurt, then you better—

Pull over! I shout, and something about the urgency of my tone finally convinces her. She steers the car abruptly onto the shoulder of the road and brakes hard. I stumble out while we’re still moving.

Just in time to heave my guts up in the grass.

I really hope no one at Wallingford wants me to write an essay on how I spent my summer vacation.

CHAPTER TWO

I PARK MY BENZ IN THE seniors’ lot, which is much closer to the dorms than where underclassmen are forced to leave their cars. I feel a little smug until I shut off the engine and it makes an odd metallic cough, like maybe it just gave up the ghost. I get out and kick the front tire halfheartedly. I had a plan to fix up the car, but with Mom home I never quite got around to it.

Leaving my bags in the trunk, I walk across campus toward the Finke Academic Center.

Over the doorway of the large brick building hangs a hand-lettered sign: WELCOME FRESHMEN. The trees rustle with a light wind, and I am overcome with a feeling of nostalgia for something I haven’t yet lost.

At a table inside, Ms. Noyes is looking through a box of cards and giving out orientation packets. A few sophomores I don’t know too well are shrieking and hugging one another. When they see me, they quiet down and start whispering instead. I overhear kill himself and in his underwear and cute. I walk faster.

At the desk a blotchy, trembling girl and her father are picking up dorm keys. She clings to his hand like she’d be lost without it. This is clearly the first time the girl has spent any time away from home. I feel sorry for her and envy her all at once.

Hey, Ms. Noyes, I say when it’s my turn. How’s it going?

She looks up and smiles. Cassel Sharpe! I am so pleased you’ll be living on campus again. She gets me my manila folder and room assignment. In addition to the exclusive parking lot and, bizarrely, a stretch of grass—no, really, it’s called senior grass—seniors also get the best dorm rooms. It looks like mine is on the ground level. I guess they’re a little leery of me on a high floor after that whole almost-falling-off-a-roof thing.

Me too. And I am glad to be back. I really, really am. Has Sam Yu checked in yet?

She flips through the cards. No, you beat him.

Sam has been my roommate since we were sophomores, but it wasn’t until the end of last year that we got to be friends. I’m still not really good at friendship, but I’m trying.

Thanks. See you later, I say. There’s always an assembly on the first night before classes start. Headmistress Northcutt and Dean Wharton tell us that we’re intelligent, capable young men and women, and then proceed to lecture us about how only the school rules keep us safe from ourselves. It’s a good time.

Try to stay out of trouble, she says with a grin. Her voice is teasing, but there’s a firmness there that makes me think she doesn’t say this to all incoming students.

Absolutely, I say.

Back in the parking lot I start unloading the car. There’s a bunch of stuff. Mom spent Labor Day weekend pretending we’d never had a fight and buying me extravagant presents to make up for that fight we never had. I am now the owner of a new iPod, a leather bomber jacket, and a laptop. I’m pretty sure I saw her paying for the laptop with Clyde Austin’s credit card, but I pretended not to notice. Mom packed my bags for me too, on her working theory that no matter what I say I want, she knows what I’ll actually need. I repacked them as soon as she was out of the room.

You know I love you, right, baby? Mom asked this morning as I was leaving.

The weird thing is, I do know.

When I get to my new dorm room—bigger than the one we had last year, plus the ground floor means I don’t have to haul all my crap up a million flights of stairs—I dump everything on the floor and sigh.

I wonder where Lila is right now. I wonder if her father shipped her off to some Swiss Boarding School for worker crime family kids, some place with armed guards and high gates. I wonder if she likes it. Maybe the curse has already worn off and she’s just sitting around, sipping hot chocolate and chatting up ski instructors. Maybe it would be safe to call her, just to talk for a few minutes. Just to hear her voice.

I want to, so badly that I force myself to call my brother Barron instead, just to remind me what’s real. He told me to call once I settled in, anyway. I figure this is settled enough.

Hey, he says, picking up after only one ring. How’s my favorite brother? Every time I hear his voice, I get the same knot in my stomach. He made me into a killer. He used me, but he doesn’t remember that. He thinks that we’re thick as thieves, hand in glove. All the things I made him think.

Blowback ate away so many of his memories that he believes the fake ones I carefully forged into his notebooks—the ones of us being close. And that makes him the only person I’m sure I can trust.

Pathetic, right?

I’m worried about Mom. She’s getting worse, I say. Reckless. She can’t get caught again, or she’s going to jail forever.

I’m not sure what he can do. It’s not like I did such a good job of keeping her out of trouble in Atlantic City.

Oh, come on. He sounds bored and a little drunk. I hear soft music in the background. It’s not even

Reviews for Red Glove

[Lauren Amin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was phenomenal and seamless. Holly Black is a master writer.

[alison · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

stuff and things and characters and places and words and adventure

[chellesmith · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

good sequel can't wait for the next one

[leftik_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Cassel is stuck between a rock, a hard place and…a few other hard places. And Red Glove continues the excellent series by Holly Black, once again leaving us with a crazy, crazy cliffhanger.

I continue to adore Cassel’s relationship with Sam and his on-going exploration of the world he grew up in and now is a part of. The interactions with Lila were, understandably, tragic. And, as always, the world-building was detailed and well-done.

Black continues the Curse Workers series with quick turns at every corner. I’m looking forward to Black Heart‘s release to see how she manages to work out all the kinks she’s built into the plot thus far.

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Engrossing sequel to White Cat with plenty of mystery and suspense.

[flanneryac · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I want Jesse Eisenberg to read me more books.

[princess0starr · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This may get another reread in the near future because I have some mixed feelings on this first read. I don’t know if it’s just been so long since I read White Cat or if it was my mood in general. I did really like Red Glove and I really want to read Black Heart, but I can’t put my finger on why I’m not jumping up and down, singing this book’s praises.

I still like Cassel, and I think that he works extremely well as an unreliable narrator, especially in this book. And I really like his internal conflict in Book 2; the complication of “protecting your family versus doing what’s right,” and even with his interactions with Lila. I like that neither conflict is presented as completely black and white, and that there are complications to what Cassel wants from life and what to do. I like that he wants to protect his family, but he doesn’t want them to wash away all of the crime in their lives. And with Lila, I like that even though Cassel wants to be with her, he’s willing to stay away from her until her curse is broken. (The fact that he manages to continuously fuck up with her, and what he tries to do at the end—the fact that it’s a dick move and Lila calls him out on going that route, well done.) I really like Cassel as a main character in general—he’s messed up and pulls cons and scares people (I like Sam’s admittance that he thought Cassel was going to kill him during their living together and Wallingford). But I like that he’s willing to do the right thing, even if it involves getting his hands dirty.

The other major thing that I like about this book is that Black nails one of the essentials to a second book—expanding the previously-introduced world. In White Cat, it was a little too subtle with the world-building at times and only to info-dump about the history of the curse workers. But I like that we get to see the other side of the coin, all of the non-criminal workers who get damned by the general public. I loved the scene at the protest, with Cassel and his friends getting arrested; I loved the HEX meetings and the fallout from the exposure. (Actually, one of the small bits that I loved that attributed to the world-building was a throwaway line about a dirty joke involving girls with bare hands.)

My slight problem here is the mystery, or rather, the multiple mysteries. Yes, they tie into to each other, but the plot cuts back and forth to Philip’s killer and then to the past murders/transformations and what happened in Cassel’s past. But it seemed like that Philip’s murder seemed to fall to the wayside at times and vice versa, that I couldn’t remember what mystery I was following. The revelation of Philip’s killer isn’t a huge surprise, as well as who hired Cassel to make all of the mafia hits, but it’s barely hinted at and Black uses a lot of misdirection to suggest it’s an entirely different suspect. There’s very little foreshadowing as to who the killer is, and it feels more like an out-of-nowhere reveal. The mystery in White Cat was well-done, and this feels like a let-down.

The other slight problem I had was Lila. She was such an enigmatic character in the first book for very obvious reasons, so I was interested in seeing her around and how Cassel deals with her in the flesh. (I do really like the implication that Cassel’s in love with the idea of Lila rather than being in love with her.) I do like her regal bearing, it fits her upbringing and lifestyle; but part of me wanted her to be more awkward. Considering the whole plot of the first book, I’m really not sure that Lila would be that comfortable in school, three months after she transforms back into human. Yes, she’s withdrawn and holds herself above everyone else, but it feels more due to her being a mafia princess rather than spending three years as a cat.

Daneca and Sam—Sam’s probably my favorite character in the whole series. I like that he doesn’t take a lot of bullshit from others, and I love that his relationship with Cassel is based on this uneasy trust. (And the fact that Sam is willing to help Cassel out on the cons just to test out his special effects.) He’s snarky and funny and I love his whole relationship with Daneca. AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT DANECA. I did not call that she was an emotion worker. For the problems with the main mysteries, Black’s misdirection actually works with Daneca. She could be taken as a hippie-granola girl who does want to fix every injustice in the world, and so when it’s revealed that she is a worker, it’s not a out-of-left field revelation, but it’s still a nice surprise. And that she’s specifically an emotion worker brings a whole new level to her relationship with Sam, and I love that I genuinely never called into question Sam’s feelings for her.

Despite the weak mysteries, I did like reading this and I did enjoy large parts of the book. But while the noir style and the plot twists didn’t work as well this time, I did really like the character development and the view from the other side of workers. And despite my reservations about this book, I’m very excited to read Black Heart in the near future.

[msjessie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

High expectations are often a hard thing for books, especially anticipated sequels, to live up to, especially when I basically fangirled all over myself for the first book in this series, White Cat. I have to think that, after the whirlwind bundles of fun and originality that was the first novel, Holly Black stumbles just a bit with the second outing of the Curse Workers series. Set just months after the events of the first, pacing issues, much less action and adventure and other problems begin to accumulate early on, but don't mar the entire novel too badly. My main complaint about this is that the "mystery" at the heart of everything, just wasn't. I wasn't intrigued or confused - it felt transparent and obvious, but I still managed to have a mostly great time with this and Cassel, who continues to be a thoroughly entertaining main character and narrator.Let's get the good about Red Glove out first - Cassel remains one of my favorite male YA POVs in the entire genre. Though this series is written by a mature woman, Cassel's voice, attitude and life read completely authentically - well, as authentically as can be for a super-rare Transformation worker in a series about magic-infused crime families. I'm hard-pressed to think of other authors that pull off such a feat so well. He's the same sneering bastard with a heart of gold, but he's evolved, grown up and more mature this second go-round. And while I am super, super tired of the cliched love triangle, it is somewhat interesting to read one that is male-centric - it also doesn't hurt that both girls (Lila, Audrey) are out of bounds, so it's more wishful thinking on Cassel's part than anything else. The only bad thing is about the characterization here in Red Glove is that Cassel can occasionally be as naiive as he was throughout White Cat. I know that there are maybe four people he can absolutely trust, but I wish that he would wake up and realize that hard fact as well.Holly Black mosst certainly can't be faulted for her imagination and incorporation of her unique version of the supernatural. Her alternate universe full of ideas "hyperbathygammic" abilities and the concept of magical blowback that is truly freaky (see: anything that happens to Cassel), as well as the hierarchy of magical mafia families. Though the foreshadowing still leaves something to be desired, this is a fertile field for these characters to spin tales and deceptions, betrayals and magic. While I felt the novel diverted from the main track too often to include more about the Workers Rights platform, it is a nice addition to the social framework of the book's setting. Much like any feared and uncontrolled faction, the Workers feel persecuted as the government vacillates between forcing HBG testing or not upon its citizens. Undertones from real world racism and bigotry are obviously paralleled in Black's world and the fight for equality/anonymity is personal to many of the characters - I just wish the author had used a little more restraint when it came to getting her message across.Red Glove simply isn't as immersive as its predecessor; a slower beginning, a more gradual pace, and an overfocus on a side plotline (Workers Rights), that while important and relevant, isn't nearly as awesome as magic-enhanced Mafia families. Compared to how awesome and unpredictable the antagonists of book one were (Anton/Barron/Philip), the duo of Agents Hunt and Jones aren't nearly as compelling. Less action-tastic than part one, I needed either the antagonists or the mystery itself to up the ante, and sadly neither thing happened for me in these 350 pages. Though the fucked-up family dynamic is still much in play in this, it's not to the same level as the first. Cassel's mom and brother Barron are more tertiary characters than before as the novel's main plot focuses on Cassel/Sam/Daneca/Lilah and the murders at the heart of everything.All in all, there's a lot more to love about Red Glove than anything else. While it didn't take me by complete surprise or inspire the levels of fangirling that White Cat did upon completion, this was a more than rewarding read. It's original and entertaining, voiced by a compelling and truly funny main character. I'm eager to see what cons and girl problems Cassel gets up into in the third and final installment in the clever Curse Workers series, Black Heart.

[darkfaerietales_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Black does not disappoint in this much awaited sequel. As the story unfolds, we learn that there is more to the truth than meets the eye. And in some cases, the truth isn’t always a good thing. Opening Sentence: I don’t know whether it’s day or night when the girl gets up to leave. The Review: Holly Black does wonders in Red Glove, the much anticipated sequel to White Cat. Where White Cat was the story to introduce me to the world and characters, Red Glove is the development of details and story. I felt that Black ripped off the band-aid and exposed the reality and ugly truth for her characters in the Curse Workers series. There are so many elements within Red Glove that had me on the edge of my seat. One of my favorite elements was that Red Glove was a great sequel to White Cat. It enhanced the series, adding and complimenting to the original story line while adding something completely unique and different, all on its own. In Red Glove, Cassel faces the consequences of his actions. His already flawed life just gained a few more distractions, and I sympathize for him every step of the way. Even with the recent death of his brother, Cassel not only discovered his powers, but he also has to deal with the truths of his past. There are many facets to Cassel as a character. No longer an ordinary man, he has much to deal with. Aside from Cassel, we find out a little more about Lila, Cassel’s mother and brother, as well as many other characters. Lila is the character that intrigues me the most. It feels like she can’t catch a break, no matter what. To love someone else, to then be hurt, and then to love and be hurt all over again. In White Cat, she was this amazing girl who had a hidden bad girl streak, but in Red Glove we see another side of her. Black’s world building skills are amazing. The details, the integral part it plays to the characters, as well as the story itself. It was seamless, fitting into the background like a curse worker’s talent, blending in without any distractions. The culture of the curse workers mixed in with present day society is still one of my favorites. It doesn’t matter that Red Glove was deemed a paranormal book, to me, it was normal and real. Black’s writing is magical. My favorite part about her writing is that I can read her words and have my own reality stand still so that I can fully absorb and immerse myself into hers. Everything she wrote was mesmerizing. I’ve never read anything else like it, and that’s something spectacular in itself. Black develops her characters to be more than just supporting characters, and she develops her world to be more than just a backdrop. Everything was great. There are so many surprises in Red Glove. From twists and turns, to shocks and gasp-worthy scenes, you will know how awesome Black’s writing is. I did have a few concerns, though. I felt that while a majority of the character development was for the best, there were a few things that I didn’t agree with. But, it’s all preference and etc. I didn’t agree with certain curses, or spells, and how they came about (discovered) throughout the story. I felt like sometimes they were forced onto the pages. But then again, it’s all my tastes and etc. I still love the story, and highly urge everyone to read it. Notable Scene: Then he falls, his skin turning ashen. I remember how we tried to fake Zacharov’s death. Seeing Janssen fall, I realize how wrong we had it. You can see the moment it happens, like a light burning out in a lamp. “No,” I yell, crawling over to him. And the blowback hits me. My body cramps all over, limbs elongating like a spider, reaching toward the ceiling. Then it’s like I’m made of glass and each twist of my body creates cracks that turn to fissures until I am lying in pieces. I try to scream, but my mouth has turned to crumbling earth. My body is turning itself inside out. As agony grips me, I turn my head and stare into the glassy eyes of a dead man. FTC Advisory: Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry provided me with a copy of Red Glove. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[jellyn_7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good sequel to White Cat. It's a different sort of YA and I really like it. It's sort of like X-Men, in that there are some people who have special abilities and using those abilities is illegal.But it's focussed on crime families. And one son of criminals who's a con artist himself. And he goes to a boarding school, but he doesn't seem to spend much time there in this book!The really cool bit is that everyone has to wear gloves, since a bare hand can be a dangerous weapon. Hence the title of this book.But... Holly Black doesn't seem to have fully considered the implications of everyone wearing gloves most of the time. Dusting for fingerprints is suddenly far less useful (though still of some use in some circumstances). And she doesn't address the issue of wearing gloves while using a touchpad or a touchscreen. Though no touchpads or touchscreens are explicitly mentioned, laptops and smartphones are. I just would've liked to have seen it addressed.I'm ready to read the next book.

[peptastic · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book did not disappoint. Everything I loved about White Cat made it's appearance in the sequel. All the complex characters, his crime family, more con artist stuff, etc. I do eat that stuff up about marks and cons.I love that Cassel isn't black or white. His struggles with himself felt very real without taking a step back or just repeating what he went through in White Cat. He made very genuine movements in his friendships with Sam and Daneca. I love his grandfather. Anyone with less than perfect family members know it's still possible to crave a relationship with them even if it can't happen [his brothers]. Black got those dynamics right.Plus all the wonderful social activism. Daneca is a girl I could've been best buds with in highschool and have avoided just like Cassel did his first two years in school. She's a lot like Hermione. Cassel would be Harry and Sam would be the Ron of the group. I'm not sure if I'm shipping him with Lila though. She makes him work too hard for it. I don't trust her at all. I get that's what he liked about her but my personal preference is to dislike bullies. I'm not sure if she was even worked by his mother for that long or if she was messing with him to get off on him suffering.

[tsana_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you’ve read and enjoyed White Cat, I definitely recommend reading Red Glove. It’s basically more of the same. If you haven’t read White Cat, then start there. It’s not quite as necessary as with some series, but skipping the first book would definitely diminish the experience.

[ayleeargh · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

*This review is for both White Cat and Red Glove*In short: Holly Black masterfully creates clever mysteries and an effortless and fascinating alternate universe in the first two books of the Curse Workers Trilogy, White Cat and Red Glove.I read White Cat and Red Glove right after a string of serious and sad books and it couldn't have been a better balm for my hurt psyche. They were exactly the right books to read at exactly the right time. Thoroughly entertaining, fascinating, and clever, White Cat and Red Glove were completely fun to read. Not a mindless type of fun, mind you - Holly Black crafts very intelligent mysteries in these books that force you to put some serious thought into figuring out what's going on.Speaking of Holly Black, can you believe these are the first books of hers that I have ever read? I have to say, my first impression is extremely positive. Her writing and world building was simply effortless. She was able to weave an entire alternate universe, in which magic exists and everyone wears gloves to avoid getting "worked" by people who wield this magic, with skillful proficiency. The story was never bogged down by too many details involving the backstory of curse working, and yet I still feel like I got a good background of the history anyway.I adored Cassel, just like everyone else seems to love him. A bit surprising really, because as a con man, he is not the most moral character ever - his first instinct upon entering an expensive home is to think about the various ways he could steal the silver candlesticks, for instance - but he really is a good guy at heart. Even growing up in a mob family full of con artists and crooks, he feels compassion for victims and remorse for people he has played.My only quibbles are related to a few plot holes and questionable character motivations, but they seem too minor to mention in detail. All I know is that the first two books in the Curse Workers Trilogy were brilliant, fast-paced, and enjoyable, and I have no doubt that the final book, Black Heart (to be published April 3, 2012), will be as well!

[akmargie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really wanted to give this 3.5. My main issue was the plot. It was a too all over the place and there wasn't the same sense of peril as in the 1st book. The tension wasn't there like it was in the 1st book. I'm also feeling its suffering from the 2nd book syndrome of being a placeholder for later books than it's own stand alone story. Middle child, always gettting the shaft.
Still love Cassel and his messed up organized crime family life.

[bell7_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cassel Sharpe, son of a criminal family and a con man, is back in this sequel to White Cat. His mother is now out of jail, and she and Cassel have been traveling Atlantic City looking for a rich man for his mother, an emotion worker, to use to get money. When Cassel goes back to school, he expects some relief but federal agents show up with a proposition for him.Like the first book in the series, this story has a really interesting idea behind it, and having the first-person narration be that of a con man who's generally a good guy but who also doesn't want to betray his family, is a brilliant choice. I could really feel for Cassel and understand the way in which he's pulled in several directions as he tries to stay on the straight and narrow (sort of). The mystery aspect of the story held a lot of surprises for me, and if I probably wouldn't reread it just because it wouldn't have the same tension now that I know what happens, I will eagerly look for the next book in the series.

[kayceel_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fun, exciting and charming! Cassel grew up in a cruse-worker family, meaning all his family is able to cast spells - memory, emotional, luck - on others via skin-to-skin contact. This also means that curse-working is illegal, and as his family embraces their skills, they are criminals, and his brothers work for a prominent crime family.Having grown up thinking he had no curse-working ability, Cassel is now adjusting to the knowledge that not only is he a rare and extremely powerful (and sought-after) transformation worker, but his brothers used him for years to kill people for their crime family. His guilt over those unremembered deaths plagues him, even more once he learns of his older brother's death, which leads to an investigation in a series of disappearances that Cassel begins to think he may have had a 'hand' in...Black's world-building is fantastic! She effortlessly tells the reader so much about Cassel's world: a world where everyone wears gloves to reassure everyone that they're safe from the 'terrible' curse-workers. Where Cassel easily cons others, as he was raised to (his mother's been jailed for her extensive con work), yet as he's a much better person than his family, he feels really guilty about it.He's a great character - smart, tough, funny, flawed and worried - yet Black surrounds him with almost equally appealing supporting characters. Sam, Cassel's roommate and non-curse-worker best friend is fun and interesting, as are Cassel's family. His mother, at least, is one of those rascally bad guys you can't help but like a bit.As with White Cat, Black twists the plot around and back, and the resolution is surprising and believable. I cannot wait to read more about Cassel and his world!!Highly Recommended.

[devilish2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cassel is back being his gorgeous good boy/bad boy self along with all the other well drawn characters. The same nice twists, angst and darkness along with schoolboy levity as the previous book.

[caropg_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am happy to say I think I just found a new series that I would like to follow. I am perfectly aware that this is a young adult book, but boy did I enjoy it. Unlike the first book, White Cat, a lot of things happened in this book that left me honestly surprised, thing I did not see coming until the very end. Why I think I like the most of this series so fa, is that the story carries itself alone, even if you take the “magic” part out of the equation. Casel is back to school, and who but Lila is in there too. Unfortunately, the curse she is under has not fade away and this drives Casel to be unsure about whatever she says or does. In another turn of events, Philip is dead, but no one knows who did it. Everyone approaches Casel with an offer, from Zacharov to the Feds, and I will not say what he decides, but I was so not expecting his final decision. We learn about new workers, and some things explained past behaviors. I was a bit sad at the way it ended, but I understand it leaves a lot of possibilities for the next book.

[terriko_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Continuing on from where White Cat left off, this book actually focuses some on the politics of being a curse worker. Basically, it comes off as a metaphor for racism, much like mutant abilities are viewed within the x-men. Within the backdrop of political change, Cassel is finding that knowing he is a curse worker has opened a lot of doors for him... opportunities he's not sure he wants and doesn't know how to refuse.

[auroraceleste_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another great sequel from Holly Black! Continuing from the first book, Red Glove has excellent characterization. I love how Cassel really grows into his self-confidence as a caster while figuring out the plots and twists of the people around him. The twist of Lila's love and Cassel's rejection of the fake as a poor substitute for the real is a great and realistic action for all the parties involved, and it injects the cliche'd sub-plot of "girl likes boy but boy rejects girl" with a fresh point of view, especially with all its unexpected developments. I loved watching the struggle of Cassel trying to figure out morality in a criminal family. And the plot resolution is unexpected yet well tied together. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

[exlibris_kate · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Cassel now knows the truth about his abilities and is trying to decide if resisting a life as a Worker is worth it, or if he should just give in and join one of the crime families. His brother has been killed and the Feds want his help solving the crime. To complicate matters, the girl he loves has been worked by his own mother and he can't trust Lila's feelings for him because of it. Cassel has to decide between the normal life his heart yearns for and a life in the mob. Can he figure out a way to play both sides and get everything he wants?Red Glove was just as strong as White Cat. Cassel's life becomes even more complicated and he is still trying desperately to preserve the small bits or normalcy he was able to carve out at boarding school. His two worlds start to blend dangerously as Lila enrolls at his school and he has to stay away from her until the curse wears off. He is forced to hear the girl he loves finally say 'I love you' knowing that the emotions aren't real. The stress, the longing and the confusion of his life weigh heavily on his mind.I was once again blown away by the world that Holly Black created. I loved the social and political conflicts between workers and non-workers and the prejudice that would certainly arise in an environment of fear. It makes Cassel's existence in two worlds seem that much more complicated and painful. In Cassel's life, curses leave no one untouched, even the girl he loves.I could write on and on about this book, but I don't want to give too much away. Instead, I will just say that Red Glove is as wonderful and filled with internal conflict as White Cat. Another 5 stars for Holly Black.

[readerspeak_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this second installment to the Curse Workers series. In the audio version, Jesse Eisenberg effectively gives voice to Cassel who really grows in this sequel from a naive little brother to a mature young man who becomes confident, if not happy, with the decisions he's making about his family and Lila and his new abilities. I particularly liked this line: “It's not that I don't know that it's a bad idea. It's that, lately, bad ideas have a particular hold over me.”

[jadesbooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love Holly Black. I finished this book last night, and wanted more. This is the second book in the curse workers series, and I'm more hooked on this series than when I read the first book.This book picks up a few months after the end of book 1, with Cassel and his mother enjoying life in Atlantic City... a life full of cons and calculated risks. It seems that since Cassel has found out that he's a worker, something he always wished for, that he's now out of sorts on what he's supposed to do with his life. Shortly after the school year starts, Cassel learns that his brother Philip has been murdered, and everyone now wants something from him. The Feds want Cassel to help them discovery who the hit man for the mob is, and who killed Philip, while the mob wants Cassel to come and work for them, taking his brother's place. Then there's the situation with his Mother, and her desire to have a rich powerful husband, his other Barron who's still involved in dubious activities.. and Lila, the girl he loves. Holly Black weaves such an interesting story, that leaves the reader guessing what really happened, how is it all going to work out, and who is really good and who is really evil. I love that Holly Black is not afraid to get dangerously dark with her writing and story telling, and that even some of the most evil of characters have a redeeming quality.. like they know they are not good people, and will try to get you involved with them but warn you to stay away at the same time. The internal struggles of her characters keep me interested throughout the entire book. I can not wait for the next book!

[callmecayce · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've already read this book, but since II loved Jesse Eisenberg's reading of White Cat, I thought I might as well just listen to Red Glove. I liked the book a lot (I quite like the series), but what makes the audio book even better is the fact that Eisenberg perfectly captures Cassel. I love the way he reads the story and how completely he comes the character and how I can't even think of Cassel without hearing Eisenberg's voice. The story is good, but it's even better in audio form. I cannot wait for the third book and I really hope that Eisenberg continues to voice Cassel.

[sszkutak_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have been thinking about my rating of this book and going back and forth between 3 and 4 stars. I really liked the first one, White Cat, but Red Glove falls a little short for me. The plot was slower and the characters seemed to loose a little bit of their charm and appeal. However, I must say that I am happy to read a YA novel that does not really drive into the fact that there may be a romance...maybe it's because it is from a males POV but still, refreshing.Cassel Sharpe is the main character here and he still isn't your average teenage boy, not only is he not obsessed with sex and the opposite sex but he is coming to terms with being a curseworker and trying to figure out his place in his family, school, and life overall.Interesting story line in this 2nd book, Cassel's brother is murdered and the Feds want Cassel's help solving it...only problem is that White Cat was such a stronger plot with more mystery and appeal.Character wise...I think Cassel needs to suck it up and find a place for himself rather than follow his deranged family...

[stephxsu · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Unfortunately, did not like this one as much as I did the first. The plot seemed to simultaneously drag more and be less inspiring. Still will read the last book in the series, but now I'm worried that the incredibleness of the first book was just an anomaly...

[sensitivemuse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

**possible spoilers**Holly Black’s writing still continues to keep readers entertained with her sequel to White Cat. There’s still twists and turns to go through, and Cassel is such a great anti hero there’s nothing to not like about him. The reader can’t help but feel for Cassel, he’s gone through so much! and he’s goes through a lot more in Red Glove.The plot is just as good as it was with White Cat. Lots of guessing, plenty of revelations, and the cliffhanger ending made the book such a great read (although now I have to wait for a while for the third installment of this series). Cassel not only develops as a character, but his relationships with his other friends and Lila develop with him. Although Lila was ‘worked’ on, I couldn’t help but love how her and Cassel felt right for each other. Their chemistry was just right without being overdone and cheesy but you still had that nagging truth in the back of your head; Lila has been worked on, so this love can’t be real. But then you ask yourself, but the love sure feels real. I love this kind of writing! the author just initiates these doubts and thoughts to the reader which makes the reading experience all the more enjoyable. As mentioned before, the twists and turns are just as good as the first book, and the new things Cassel has to deal with add more to the story. You’d have to feel sorry for the guy, it’s as if he’s meant to deal with a lot of crap day after day, and his family doesn’t really help with that fact either (except for his Grandpa, which remains one of my quiet favorite characters in the novel). I loved how the revelations (both big and small) are revealed in this book, perhaps it was the way the author revealed them, or maybe because I was so engrossed in the book but each one was shocking as the previous one. With the ending the way it was for this one, it’s going to be hard to wait for the last book! Holly Black’s writing just keeps getting better and better with each book she writes.

[danijohns_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First off, let me say I didn't love White Cat. I liked White Cat but did not really love it. I actually haven’t read it since it was released and I was only gonna check out the sequel because it was a sequel if I had time. However, thanks to some persuading by Jen, I decided to give Red Glove a go instead of putting it off and I am really glad I did.Red Glove was a great sequel. Personally, I really enjoyed Red Glove about ten times more than White Cat. I really felt the now that Cassel’s world was already developed, Holly Black was able to do more with the actual plot and characters.After the ending of White Cat, I was interested to see what was going to happen with Cassel and Lila’s relationship. I really loved the dynamics of their relationship. Cassel cares a lot for her, but wants their relationship to be genuine, not the work of some curse, and it was heart-wrenching to see how hard he was trying to make the relationship not work because it was not real.I really loved the mystery element of this book. The whole murder plot was interwoven seamlessly with the Feds. You could feel Cassel’s confusion at what to do, should he stay loyal to his family or help the government find his brother’s murderer. When the murderer was revealed, I was shocked. It definitely was not who I expected. And the big con in this book was brilliant. Cassel is a genius and a great con artist even if he does not want to be.The ending made me frustrated at some of the characters, but frustrated in a good way. I was really saddened that I was at the end of the book, I wanted it to keep going! I literally flew through reading this book I was so engrossed. Holly Black has created an intriguing, unique world filled with some very great characters, characters who you learn a lot more about in this sequel. Now if only Black Heart were out now…

[ebbith0115 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I just finish Red Glove (Curse Workers #2) by Holly Black and I have to say that Read Glove is an Amazing sequel!!! Recommended to everyone! Holly Black is a great writer; I'm in love with the Curse Workers series. I can't wait to read Black Heart.

[sch_94 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My Summary: It's been months since Cassel discovered the truth about himself and foiled his brother's plan to overthrow the biggest crime-boss in the city; it's also been months since his mother worked Lila, the girl Cassel loves, into loving him, forever destroying any chance he had with her.Now Cassel is living with his mother, moving from hotel room to hotel room and doing his best to forget about Lila. He thinks he'll be home-free once he goes back to school, but once he arrives, his worst nightmare comes true: Lila followed him, enrolling in the same school - ensuring Cassel wouldn't be able to escape the guilt of what his mother did.And to top it all off, Cassel is picked up by the Feds, who try to recruit him to help find a killer that leaves behind no bodies ... a killer that Cassel's brother was supposed to lead them to before he was killed.My Thoughts: Another awesome read from Holly Black! I gotta say, I loved being back in Cassel's world - there's something about the mobster/worker thing that fascinates me. And of course, Holly's writing is always amazing, making this a novel you could breeze through with no problem. I, for one, read it all in one sitting (2am - 5am... I know, I have a problem), needing to find out who the killer was before I could put the book down. I really liked the way Holly showed Cassel's struggle to stay away from Lila - it made him seem more human and relatable. And I seriously laughed out loud when I read the mention of Jace (from The Mortal Instruments series, which you should definitely check out as well!).Final Thoughts: I recommend this series to anyone who loves paranormal YA but is a little sick of the usual vampire/werewolf/faerie stuff (or fairy, or faery, or fayrie or however else you wish to spell it, because I have no idea which is correct). There are a few scenes that probably aren't appropriate for anyone under 16 (some cases of drinking, plus some more mature topics), but they're not too bad - if you're a parent are are worried about this stuff, I recommend reading it before giving it to your child. Check it out! It really is a great series.