Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.
When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?
My Take:
I started this book while on a plane to London and then sporadically completed it while riding the London tube/underground system any chance I got. I really had to be careful not to miss my stops! I loved this book. The setting is beautiful and the way the author describes Karou's life and hangouts is lyrical. The love story behind this is strong, but the world created was so different from the usual stereotypical tales that have come to be on the shelves as of late. I highly recommend this. Just immerse yourself in the story and allow the setting to come alive around you. I just wanted to soak up every moment of the setting.
Thanks for the recommendation N~
Rating:
4.8/5 Stars
~Liz
I liked this book, and I can understand why so many people LOVE it, but it felt to me more like an adult novel wrapped in a YA label. It's not something I would want my daughter to read. I echo what you say about the alternate world and the freshness of the atmospheres though. Very eye opening.
ReplyDeleteCrystal I actually very much agree about the adult feel--or you know what New Adult. I know there is a lot of back and forth talk about whether NA is is only covering romance etc. and can it work in other genres? I'd say this book would be a prime example. It felt more like the character went to college than high school and had very adult-like actions and thoughts. I think when I forget about the YA label I love it more. I found myself raising a brow at some instance but then just decided to read it without a category or label.
ReplyDeleteI also loved this book as well as the sequel, Days of Blood and Starlight. I also think it should be labeled at NA as it felt older than YA, altho I expect there would be tons of crossover appeal
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