White Cat - Holly Black

Pages: 320

Publisher:  Margaret K. McElderry, May 4, 2010

Source:  ARC from publisher

After reading the premise to this book on other blogs I knew I had to read it.  I'd heard great tings about Holly Black but had not yet read any of her works.

In a world where curse workers were once sought out they have now been classified as criminals.  Curse workers can make your own body turn against you, change your emotions, memories or kill you.  All of this can be accomplished with the touch of a finder to your bare skin.

Cassell comes from a long line of curse workers.  His mother is in prison for curse working.  Cassell is not a curse worker.  He has been attending a private school and is trying to fit in as best as he can.  Everyone wears gloves to keep from touching each other, "just in case".  There are tests to hopefully find out in advance if you are a curse worker.  The only think Cassell knows for sure is that most curse workers are con men and he can run a con without  being a curse worker.  He has worked hard to blend in.  This is important to him since he killed his best friend when he was fourteen.  Things are going well until he starts sleepwalking again.  He dreams a white cat is talking to him and steals his tongue.  He follows the cat.  When he awakes he is on top of one of the schools buildings hanging on for dear life.  He has no idea how he got there or why.  He is dismissed from the school on a medical leave.  He and the white cat have another encounter.  He realizes that the cat holds a key to a curse he was an unwitting part of.    Things begin to become more complicated when his brothers start acting strange.  Secrets and double crosses abound in this book.  I figured some things out early.  For me this wasn't a problem.  It actually made me want to read faster to get all of the details in to watch it play out.  

I most definitely will recommend this to my students.  It will not be the last Holly Black book I read.