Black Heart by Holly Black
I knew this book came out a while ago, but I’d been sort of saving it, figuring that since I adored the first two, I’d adore this one as well. It did have a lot to live up to. Both the first two books were just about perfect.
If you haven’t read the first two, I’d recommend starting with those, in order, because just about every book has amazing surprises that I don’t want to ruin for you.
What I like about this book is that the main character, despite being a high school student with high school student problems, has problems far beyond “will the cute girl go with me to the dance” or “will the dean give me more demerits so I flunk out of school.” Cassel Sharpe is caught between the Feds, who have dirt on his mother and some on him, and the local crime family, to whom his family has been loyal for a long time. The whole time, it’s hard to figure out if he’s going to be able to find a solution that doesn’t end with him dead or his family in jail for a long time.
It’s been a long time since I read a novel which gave me so much enjoyment. I highly recommend the series.
