Book Review: Red Glove by Holly Black

Red Glove by Holly Black
(Curse Workers, #2)
Release Date: April 5, 2011
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books; 325 pages

Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.

That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.

When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself?

Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

Red Glove is the second book in the Curse Workers series. The ending of White Cat really took me for a surprise. I was stunned to find out that Cassel's mother had worked Lila. In fact, the ending of White Cat gave me this thought. Cassel has the worst family ever. I seriously cannot think of a book series with a worst family. With the exception of the grandfather, every single of of them are shady. I was baffled when it was revealed in White Cat what Barron and Philip were making Cassel do. In fact I was trying to decide between Philip and Barron which of the two were more evil. When it comes down to it, I think it's Barron.

I despise Barron. I think I may want to throttle him. He's just so sleazy and disgusting. So when I read the plot summary for Red Glove, and I discovered that one of Cassel's brother's is murdered. I was really hoping that it was him. Unfortunately for me it turned out to be Philip. So the major plot of the book is Cassel trying to figure out who murdered his brother, while dealing with Lila who who mother worked to be madly in love with him.

In White Cat we discover that Cassel is a transformation worker. Now I'm not going to lie, when I read White Cat I guessed Cassel was a transformation worker the second it was mentioned what a transformation was and how rare they were. I didn't know how it would be explained that he was one, but I just knew he was. It turns out that I was right. It makes you wonder what you would do if you had that ability. If I found out that I could change anyone into anything I chose, I'd probably start out with materialistic things such as weight loss and remove any blemishes from my face. Then I'd move on to things such as changing my family's car and house. But Cassel isn't like that. He stays pretty grounded, even though he's family are a bunch of greedy and petty people.

Cassel has many choices in this book. This book tells a lot about his morals. That unlike the majority of his family, Cassel actually has them. It must be hard for a seventeen year old male to have the girl that he's been in love with, the girl that he thought he murdered, throwing herself at him willingly. I know Lila isn't well liked by a lot of readers. A friend of mind really despises her. But I sympathize with her. The girl was a cat for 3 years of her life, and she believed her best friend Cassel willing turned her into a cat. I personally like Lila. She's tough and she doesn't take crap from anyone. Because of the curse, you do see a different side of her in Red Glove, but I often wondered at times how much was her, and how much was the curse.

Cassel also has to decide in a way does he want to join the good guys or the bad guys. He's been offered both jobs from the FBI and from the head of a mafia association. The head of the mafia association just happens to be Lila's father. But his decision isn't clearly black or white, and what is right and what is wrong. There are numerous shades of gray for both sides of the law. I can't imagine being seventeen and having so much power, having so many decisions to make.

Red Glove was definitely a wild ride. It was a book that I adored and I found myself impatiently waiting for Black Heart to come out.