Hardcover, US, 418 pages
Published
September 27th 2011
by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0316134023
(ISBN13: 9780316134026)
Rating: 4 Stars
Summary: 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?
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?
I
have to admit, I was kinda against this book. The synopsis almost made
me not want to read the book. It was strange. But, here I am, happy to
admit that this book surprised me in the best kind of way. I loved it.
Simple as that.
The 'black handprints' in the summary mean almost nothing to this book at all. Prague-how cool of a setting is that?! I have never, with the exception of this on, read a book set in Prague.
The 'black handprints' in the summary mean almost nothing to this book at all. Prague-how cool of a setting is that?! I have never, with the exception of this on, read a book set in Prague.
I love the way they all think. I know that sounds strange, but I do. They don't edit their thoughts and they say exactly what's on their mind. Karou's drawings are like seeing her innermost thoughts.
"Papilo stomachus: fragile creatures, vulnerable to frost and betrayal."
"Papilo stomachus: fragile creatures, vulnerable to frost and betrayal."
And then there's the lovely best friend Zuzana. She wins the favorite character award. Let's hear her thoughts (what she said) after seeing Akiva>>“Oh, Hell. Must. Mate. Immediately.” After reading this I was lying on the ground trying to regain my breath and showing and making my friends read the passage. I even convinced my friend who never reads to *gasp* read the book!!!!
Karou, the girl with blue (yes blue) hair knows
nothing about her gruesome, beautiful, and startling past. She goes on
errands for Brimstone, a chimera. On these errands she collects teeth.
From both the dead...and the living. Human, animal.
“Love is a luxury."
"No. Love in an element."
An element. Like air to breathe, earth to stand on.”
Let's rewind a
bit. This blue-haired girl with the hidden knife in her boot and a
necklace that grants her every wish, has no idea who she is.
And then there's Akiva. *sigh* He's an angle. No seriously he's an angle. Mortal enemy of the chimera. THIS IS VERY MUCHO IMPORTANT!!! Let's just go with this is love at second sight. The first time (sorta) he tried to kill her. Way to put the moves on her, buster. Nice. Girls always fall for the ones who have a fancy for killing humans who aren't really human.
Anyways, they then fight each other, fall for each other and find out who Karou really is.
Who is she? That is the question, the plot and is the very thing that could either push them together or pull them apart.
And then there's Akiva. *sigh* He's an angle. No seriously he's an angle. Mortal enemy of the chimera. THIS IS VERY MUCHO IMPORTANT!!! Let's just go with this is love at second sight. The first time (sorta) he tried to kill her. Way to put the moves on her, buster. Nice. Girls always fall for the ones who have a fancy for killing humans who aren't really human.
Anyways, they then fight each other, fall for each other and find out who Karou really is.
Who is she? That is the question, the plot and is the very thing that could either push them together or pull them apart.
-Jackie
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