White Cat (Curse Workers, Book 1) [Hardcover]

 

 

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I've read the Tithe trilogy and that was interesting. Actually, after i finished reading each of the Tithe books, i was blown away. But this book was okay. It wasn't that of an original concept - of course it was a new idea but i thought the concepts weren't explored enough, there wasn't enough background, enough history. I always enjoy when an author goes deep into the new idea - where it came from and all that. But here, information was given once in a while and when i was done reading, i was relieved i finished and could move on. I felt sorry for the main character, not going to say why since this will spoil it for you. I'm not sure i will read the next one, if one is to come out.

I think after the Tithe trilogy i was expecting something similar - something very original but i didnt find it here.

Curse workers -- they can change luck, emotions, dreams and even more just by touching your skin. And since curse work is illegal, they work as con artists or part of mob families.

Having sparked off the teen-girl-encounters-faerie-world craze, Holly Black easily slips into a very different kind of urban fantasy in "White Cat," the first book in the Curse Workers series. The idea is a pretty simple one, but Black twists and knots it into an elaborate, many-shaded fantasy story, with plenty of blood, mystery and magic.

Years ago, Cassel Sharpe killed his best friend Lila -- he doesn't know why or what happened, but he knows he did. And after Cassel sleepwalks onto a roof (and into Youtube fame), he ends up suspended from his school and back in the junk-filled family mansion. As he waits to get back in, he encounters a white stray cat hanging around the barn -- the same cat that has been in his dreams recently.

Other strange clues begin to crop up: a memory charm, strange behavior from his sister-in-law, and the gaps in his own memory. Little by little, Cassel begins to realize that the cat is Lila -- someone with the rarest kind of power has transformed her into a cat, and to change her back he'll have to find out who it is. But as he tries to figure out who transformed Lila and why, he discovers the secrets that have been painstakingly removed from his own head -- and the elaborate, deadly scheme that he's being forced into.

It's pretty obvious from the beginning of "White Cat" that there is more going on than meets the eye, and Holly Black spends most of the book delicately unwinding the various tangled schemes and secrets. The world she conjures up is pretty much like our own, except that there are some people who have magical powers -- it's gritty, prejudiced, and has some real dangers for Cass.

She also comes up with some pretty cool ideas, such as the curse work -- by touching your skin, the workers can instantly break your bones, manipulate your memories, enter your dreams and even transform your body. Fortunately, the "blowback" keeps the workers from seeming all-powerful.

And Black's prose slips onto the story like a worn leather jacket -- the story is gritty, grimy and jaded, and there's always shadows lurking around the corner. But there's a raw beauty to it, especially during scenes like Cass's "pebble" ritual. And she threads the story with the luminous, bright flashbacks of Cassel's time with Lila (think golden cat-globes, ear-piercing and vintage movies). The dialogue is snappy and darkly humorous, and Black knows how to add twists you'll never see coming.

Cassel is that rarest of characters -- a teenage anti-hero. He's a likable, pleasant kid who dislikes the amoral con jobs and brutal mob work that his family engages in, but he also has a weakness for a brilliant lie or a little clever gambling. He's perfectly matched with the luminously quirky Lila, who hangs over the book like DuMaurier's Rebecca (although not as evil or absent).

"White Cat" is a clever and unique urban fantasy, with some shocking twists and a grimy, dark atmosphere -- definitely Holly Black at her best. Can't wait to see what happens with the Curse Workers next.

Reason for Reading: I'm a fan of the author.

Set in an alternate reality almost identical to the Earth we live in with one small difference, some people are born with a special ability which is called a "curse". One must touch another's skin for the effects to take place. These "curse workers" are a minority of the population and their curses range from luck to changing emotions to causing death. In this world everyone wears gloves to keep everyone safe from "curses". No one knows who may be a "worker" but working itself has been deemed illegal.

In this world Cassell finds himself the only non-worker in a family of workers. His family, along with others who have a strong heritage of workers, are what we would call organized crime families, mobsters and con artists. Since Cassell can't "work" he at least has honed his skills as a con artist. But his life starts to unravel when he finds himself sleepwalking, having dreams sent from a white cat and beginning to notice some unaccounted for events in his life. His brothers act strangely when he asks them about it and Cassell begins to feel that perhaps he is the subject of a huge con himself.

I loved every word of this book! I was hooked from the first sentence and couldn't continue with my regular life until I had finished the book. The world Black creates here is very dark and dangerous. One wonders if any character can truly be trusted and the main character himself is not exactly an honest citizen. The direction the story takes is surprising and makes compelling reading. The unexpected actions of characters, including Cassell himself, are shocking and yet as one gets to know them not out of character at all. In this world of dark magic and crime the back stabbing characters are always at each other and it's as matter of magic against magic and wits against wits. The ending is absolutely brilliant and so appropriate! Don't expect any happy, happy, joy, joy ending here! I can't wait for book two!

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4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, and really really good.
The story is a little complex from the start, and it was a little hard to get into without figuring out the facts first. Read more

Published 13 months ago by Karoline

4.0 out of 5 stars Dreaming of Books Review
(May contain spoilers)

Cassel is from a family of curse workers and is the only one that doesn't have the magic touch. Read more

Published 14 months ago by Jenny "Dreaming of Books"

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Amazing Holly Black Story
***May contain spoilers***

I am not going to lie, this is the most complex/ complicated book I have read in some time (and by complicated I do not mean "the author... Read more

Published 15 months ago by Avery Greaves

5.0 out of 5 stars Instant Classic
The previous reviewers have done an excellent and comprehensive job of describing "White Cat", so I won't add to their description of the plot/narrative. Read more

Published 22 months ago by Callanit

5.0 out of 5 stars Come be worked over by Holly Black
Holly Black is fast becoming one of my favourite female authors. I now rank her with Terry Tempest Williams, Madeleine L'Engle and Kathy Shaidle. Read more

Published on May 7 2010 by Steven R. McEvoy

4.0 out of 5 stars Original lore!
White Cat was fan-tas-tic. Holly Black created a world (and an different world history) where workers are known and feared by the public. Read more

Published on May 4 2010 by Tynga's Reviews

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