White Cat

Holly Black

310 pages

In Cassel Sharpe's world there are people that can make things happen. These curse workers as they are called can change memories, hurt people, kill, and bring luck or lack of it just by touch. Cassel is the only person in his family that can't do any of these things. He goes to a private school while his mom is in jail, one brother is at law school, and the other is an enforcer for a mob boss. His life is already complicated and then one night he wakes up on the roof of one of the school buildings and is kicked out of school as a safety hazard. He has to stay with his oldest brother and then his Grandpa as they work to clean his mom's house for when she gets out of jail. Cassel keeps having weird dreams with a white cat and then one happens to be at his family home. Is this coincidence or just one piece of the puzzle Cassel has to put together to find out what's really going on?

I was intrigued by the cover of White Cat but put off reading it for a while. When I finally started reading I wasn't sure if I liked it, the story slowly unfurls and for some too slowly. If you can get fifty pages in you're hooked. The idea that with a mere touch people can change your life has some serious repercussions in this book. No one is immune to these powers and they can't be taken back. It creates a world that keeps you on your toes. Cassel Sharpe is a great main character and you root for him but since this is just the first of at least three books his problems are probably just beginning. Look out for a twist in the ending that will make you want to read the next book immediately. I really liked it and encourage more readers to take a look.