Black Heart
Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Publication Date: April 3, 2012
Pages: 296
Series: Curse Workers, book three
Source: ARC from NCTE conference
The following may contain spoilers for books one and two!!
About the Book: 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.
My Thoughts: I have all kinds of love for this series. Holly Black is one of my all time favorite authors. Her books are made of awesome. I love how involved I get in the worlds she creates.
Black Heart starts off with my two favorite Curse Worker brothers being awesome and just gets better from there. I mean, my book looked like this when I was done reading it:
That doesn’t even take in to account the two pages of notes I wrote in my little review notebook and the ones I jotted down in the book. I honestly don’t even know where to start! I don’t want to give anything away and thus ruin your reading experience. I will say that this was one of the best “end of a trilogy” books I have ever read. My notes literally say, “The ending = PERFECTION!!!!”
To avoid spoilers I’m going to focus on one “talking point” that I loved and then give you a list of random things that made the book awesome.
Talking Point:
Black Heart had me thinking about the things that we wish for simply because we believe we can never have them. Doesn’t make sense? I’ll try to explain. Cassel never would have been happy at Zacharov’s right hand. He just isn’t that guy. Still, he longed for that distinction. He never thought he’d actually have the chance and therefore need to turn it down. It’s like getting everything that you think want and then realizing you can’t have it because of who you are. Clear as water? Clear as mud? Either way that’s as clear as I can make it.
Random Things:
* Cassel. Barron. Cassel. Barron. Love these curse working brothers!
*Use of the word “nimbus”
*Red licorice ropes!
*Cassel’s memory of Lila
*The gloves!! How could I have forgotten how much I adore them?!?!
*Sam. Basically everything about him
*The scene where Cassel borrows a couple bucks from Barron (you’ll know what I mean when you read it!!!)
*”…my sociopathic amnesiac jerk of an older brother.”
*Cassel repeatedly slays me with one-liners that make my heart ache for him and his situation.
As I flip through the book and check out the places I tabbed I just want to share line after line. It’s simply an amazing book. In the midst of heart-wrenching scenes Holly Black can still make me laugh. And then she continues to break my heart. Oh Holly!!
If you’ve never read White Cat or Red Glove what are you waiting for?!?! This series is worth every second of doubt, every question, all the suspense and every single bit of heartbreak. You will not soon forget the characters or their world.
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