Finally, I can post my review of Black Heart by Holly Black! Black Heart will be released on April 3, 2012. The gals at Southern Book Bloggers send ARCs of amazing YA books on reading tours, and I am so grateful that I found them through the magic of Twitter. Check them out here.

Black Heart is the third book in the Curse Workers Series, so it would be impossible to review without giving spoilers for books one and two, White Cat and Red Glove. If you haven’t read White Cat, I insist that you stop reading my blog and go get it right away. I love it that much. If you’ve been waiting for Black Heart for the better part of a year like me, then please read on. I’ll keep the book three spoilers to a minimum.

The summary, adapted from Goodreads:

Cassel Sharpe grew up in a family of con artists, and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. But he’s trying to be good, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love.

Holly Black is a genius. (I’m pretty sure I’ve said that before on this blog.) Her world-building sucks you in, and her characters keep you hooked. I think Cassel may be one of my all-time favorite main characters. He’s the classic bad-boy trying to be good, and he doesn’t disappoint in this third installment. But what I love about all the characters,to varying degrees, is that they’re ALL gray.

Barron is both selfish and loyal to his family. Lila is both a daddy’s girl and a hit-woman. Even Sam is both trusty sidekick and jealous boyfriend. With the recurrent theme of navigating what’s wrong and what is right, there is no black and white. Each character has faults and redeeming qualities, and that’s what makes them all real.

Great characters alone would make for a compelling read, but Black is also a master of plot. She weaves each element of the plot into the larger mystery, resulting in a perfectly complicated, satisfying conclusion. Cassel’s love story also reaches a boiling point three books in the making, which becomes icing on an already delectable cake. In case you couldn’t tell, I loved Black Heart.

5 out of 5 stars.

Music for today: Oblivion by Grimes