Red Glove: Review

Title: Red Glove

Author: Holly Black

Release Date: April 2011

Published By: Margaret K. Elderberry

Pages: 325

Goodreads Rating: 4.21 stars

Review: In the sequel to White Cat, Cassel Sharpe's adventures are far from over. When his oldest brother is murdered, Cassel's recruited by the Feds to help them figure out who the killer is, and the only clue is a photo of a woman in red gloves. Unfortunately for him, the mob is after him as well. As he struggles to stay ahead of both sides, he has no one to turn to. After all, what do you do when you can't trust anyone - even yourself?

I read White Cat some time ago and enjoyed it quite a bit, and I even remember writing a review to that effect. However, it's been a while and I forgot how much I liked this series until I picked up RED GLOVE. As soon as I read the first page, I was instantly sucked back into the dark, intense world of Cassel Sharpe, complete with heart-stopping adventure and a mystery so thick it drips out of the pages.

Speaking of which, we need some love for Cassel. He is equal parts admirable and realistic, pushing past adversity despite everything he's been through, but like any human being, he has his faults and weaknesses. This is also one of the few YA books that has a real, believable male protagonist. Holly Black captures the voice perfectly, and it's just so refreshing to have a main character that isn't a girl, as much as I love female points of view.

If you read and enjoyed White Cat, you absolutely have to pick up RED GLOVE. The beginning of the book launches right into action, but even through all the adventure and mystery, there's plenty of emotional development. Cassel remains just as awesome and admirable character as he was in the first book, and the ending, while not a huge cliffhanger, left me anxious to get my hands on the third book. Go read this series if you haven't done so already!