REPORT CARD
bff charm: not quite yet
swoonworthy scale: 5
talky talk: slowly thrilling
bonus factors: crazy girlfriends, mysterious loner dude, duckie, boarding reform school
relationship status: coffee shop flirtation
the deal:
Lucinda (Luce) Price is starting at a new boarding, er, reform school, Sword & Cross, and she’s trying very, very hard to hold it together. She tries not to think about what happened to land her there, and she tries not to think about the shadows.
She finds a not-so-nice distraction in Daniel Grigori. She can’t stop herself from being drawn to him, even though he’s rude. There’s just something…familiar about him. Yet he swears they’ve never met. And how could they?
Still, what she feels is undeniable, and Luce begins a desperate search to find out what Daniel is keeping from her. And the shadows keep coming…
(I don’t want to give anything away, because the mystery is awesome. But this book features a type of deja vu that is a world of SUCK.)
bff charm: not quite yet
I’m THIS close to giving Luce my bff charm. However, I want to wait until the next book comes out before I go making such an important decision. I like her, but I felt like she was just BECOMING by the end of the book. There was a vagueness about her that was very important for the plot, but it made me hesitant about wanting to be her best friend. I was beginning to love her fully by the end of the book, so I can’t wait to see how she is in the next one.
swoonworthy scale: 5
The tension between Luce and Daniel is awesome, and you can’t wait for them to just figure it out and get together, already! I can’t really say much else without spoiling the plot, but the romance in this story intense. True love intense, not smoochy-smoochy intense.
talky talk: slowly thrilling
Lauren Kate writes in a way that keeps you turning the pages of this love story without real heart-pounding stress. The mysteries and the suspense are just shy of truly chilling, yet thoroughly compelling. Being the first in a series, things are clearly being set up for some fantastic stuff to happen later on, yet I also enjoyed this book on its own.
bonus factors: crazy girlfriends
I loved Luce’s friends, from the clearly disturbed Arriane, the Velma-ish Penn, and even southern belle Gabbe (although Luce isn’t so sure about her.) Arriane’s antics balanced out some of the vagueness that followed Luce, and Penn is really a true friend, who helps Luce in her detective stalkering.
bonus factor: mysterious loner dude
The mystery surrounding Daniel keeps you from really feeling like you can get to know him, but then, I guess, that’s the whole point of being mysterious, right?
bonus factor: duckie
The duckie award in this story goes to Cam. He’s like, a super-hot, uber-cool duckie. And he gets his very own twist.
bonus factor: boarding reform school
Y’all, this school is dis-mal! Set in Georgia, there’s lots of Spanish Moss and creepy vines, and although the reform school itself is not in good shape, it has three things going for it:
- its own cemetery
- an awesome school library
- a swimming pool in what used to be a cathedral
and those things mean I kind of want to go there.
casting call:
eva green as luce price
Too old now, I know, but none of the young actresses have the same otherworldly beauty Ms. Green possesses, and for me, that’s very important for Luce.
freddie stroma as daniel grigori
After his right delicious portrayal of Cormac McLaggen, I would like to put my bid in for this guy as the next big thing. Pretty please.
relationship status: coffee shop flirtation
So I’ve totally been ordering lattes from this book every day. We make shy eye contact, and it only charges me for a coffee. I leave a big tip in the jar. I may or may not have gotten the book’s number, but either way, I haven’t called yet. I don’t want to mess up our daily ritual.
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ummm obvs i had too much butterbeer during the last HP movie cos HOW DID I MISS THIS FREDDIE McHOTNESS?!!!
of course, given that i’ll be watching that movie at least 100 more times, cormac and i will have ample time to get to know each other a little better. ahem.
a lot of people have been talking about this book, but i wasn’t so sure about it (esp. given the cover, DELACORTE PLEASE REFER TO MY RECENT ENTRY). now that it’s been giving jenny cheap lattes every day, i may have to check it out… and also A POOL IN A CATHEDRAL? it’s almost enough to make a girl do a little shoplifting just to gain entrance…
Oh yeah, on all accounts! I actually got to read a reader’s copy, and it was just solid blue with with letters and a little scrollwork-very nice. Too bad they didn’t stick with that cover!
And Freddie? Did you not see the scene where he dips his pinky into the pudding and licks it all suggestively at Hermione? Hysterical!
I know, I found myself rather perturbed at finding Cormac hot. Like, ditch Ron and go for Cormac permanently hot. He can be handsy with me any day!
OOOOOOH. oh yeah. i remember that guy now. ooooh yeah.
oh, i’d TOTALLY forgotten about that guy! how, i don’t know, but thanks for the reminder …
…
oh, yeah, um. this book sounds intriguing, and i’m with pd about a pool in a cathedral — way awesome.
Oh, I do all my swimming in a cathedral. It’s the only way to go.
This book looks in-tense. To be honest, though, I’m surprised my own parents didn’t send me to a reform school in the Deep South.
i just finished this book. and although i kept seeing this book everywhere, i didn’t want to read it cos of the cover:
goth girl crying in spooky woods in a ball gown (i think youtube prankster lance krall says it best in his christopher walken impersonation, “uumm no thanks”)
but after this review, i gave it try, read it and liked it. and i’m glad i did too cos now i want to see what happens in the next one.
I just finished the book (in one sitting 9pm-5am) and I really enjoyed the characters. I’m a sucker for good friends and I love that Luce has some really good ones: Penn, Arriane and Gabbe. Cam and Daniel were both little hotties in their own way, but I’m kinda rooting for Cam. Fun book!!