Review of Red Glove by Holly Black

Release Date: April 5, 2011
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Pages: 320 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery
Rating: 4.5 stars
Source: ARC provided by publisher

This summary and review contains spoilers to White Cat, the first book in the Curse Workers series.

Goodreads Summary: 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.

Review: Red Glove, the sequel to last year’s White Cat, is a crazy, dark, fantastic, wild ride of a book. This Curse Workers series is one of the most original in young adult books today. Holly Black has successfully built an incredible world with the most unlikely of elements: con artists, mobsters and magic.

Cassel is such a great character, you can’t help but love him and feel incredibly sorry for him despite his moral ambiguity. Born into a family of major con artists and curse workers, he tries to not be like his mother and brothers. The problem is that Cassel believes that the con is what he is best at and it does not help that he has found out that he is one of the most powerful curse workers in the world. No matter how hard he tries to get out, his family, the mob, the feds just pull him back in.

I enjoyed Ms. Black’s descriptions of the art of the con. I also love how Cassel matures in the book, becoming so much more open and honest with his friends. Most of the characters that we met from the first book are back, including Lila. I didn’t love her in the first book, but I can say I understand her a bit better in this one.

Red Glove is a great sequel to White Cat. The characters are extremely well rounded, the story is exciting and fast paced and the plot is multi-dimensional. It is also a bit dark so I would recommend it for older teens and of course adults.

Black Heart, the third book in the series, comes out next year. I bet it will be awesome!

Content:  Language, violence, sexual situations, underage drinking and smoking