Review: White Cat (Curseworkers #1) by Holly Black

White Cat (Curseworkers #1)

 By: Holly Black

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Cassel comes from a family of curse workers: people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all criminals. Many become mobsters and con artists. But not Cassel. He hasn't got magic, so he's an outsider; the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail - he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Cassel has carefully built up a facade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his facade starts to crumble when he finds himself sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he must unravel his past and his memories. To find out the truth, Cassel will have to outcon the conmen. 

 OMG WHY HAVE I NOT HEARD OF THIS BOOK UNTIL NOW?!??! Like seriously? It came out it 2010 and I am just now getting my hands on it? I could have had this book 8 years ago and been revealing in its amazingness but it seems it just stumbled upon my hands a few days ago?!? What is this sorcery. 

First of all this is one of the most unique story lines I have ever read before in my life and that is saying something. Second of all Cassel was the most interesting, lovable, wicked character my sweet little mind has come across in quite some time, this wickedness can only be accredited to the amazing Holly Black because she is the QUEEN OF DARKNESS! 

“We are, largely, who we remember ourselves to be. That's why habits are so hard to break. If we know ourselves to be liars, we expect not to tell the truth. If we think of ourselves as honest, we try harder.”

Okay this book was weird. I’m talking like what the... what the heck is going on here weird. But it was also awesome for that reason?!? I mean Cassel is having dreams of a white cat while sleepwalking? Also the cat thing is not a one time werido moment. Nope there is more creepy kitty moments throughout multiple pages of this book and I must say I didn’t hate it? In fact I kind of liked it. Every moment where I thought is this too weird? Is this crossing a line? I imediently doubled back and was like nope. Bring on the weirdness I have never read anything like this and I LOVE it with all my heart!!

“She says that what you did was a cry for help."

"It was," I say. "That's why I was yelling 'Heeeelp!' I don't really go in for subtlety.” 

Cassel is the fruitiest of the fruit loops and I love him SO much! He is the youngest of his brothers and is the only “non worker” aka he doesn’t have the ability to curse people. Cassel is wicked smart and is able to see through peoples games and cons while planning a con of his own. While that may seem like it makes him hardcore and lonerish Cassel is really a lot more likable than all that. He wants to do the right thing, even if that means doing a few wrong things is a bit unassumingly. 

“I don't lie," I lied.” 

 I also really love the friends Cassel makes- Sam and Deanna. Sam is the typical high school student who does theater and has a knack for special effects and Deanna’s mom is an activist for getting workers to become legal again and so on but Deanna is actually pretty smart and also see’s through all the crap. 

“Once someone's hurt you, it's harder to relax around them, harder to think of them as safe to love. But it doesn't stop you from wanting them.”

 The two brothers Barron and Philip however.... I had very mixed feelings when it came to these two. A part of me wanted to believe the best because of family and loyalty and all that but some of the things they did were just flat out very unbrotherly of them (and very uncool) but I still have a small sliver of hope for them in book two (lets hope they don’t mess it up). I did like Granddad however.  

“Clever as the Devil and twice as pretty.”

 The best part of this book though is that I never knew what was coming. The whole thing was so unpredictable and there was a lot of shocked looks and my mouth forming the shape of an “o” while reading this. Seriuosly the ending was like waiting for the other shoe to drop and boy to I NEED the next book imediently! 

What about you guys? Have you read this book? If not please do so imediently (you can thank me later). Also hit me up with some book recommendations! (ooh and if you have read some of Holly Black’s other books I’d love to hear your thoughts!) 

-BubblyBooks