Book Review: Red Glove by Holly Black

Red Glove by Holly Black is the sequel to White Cat in the Curse Workers young adult series. If you have not read White Cat: stop reading this review and go find a copy and read it, then finish reading this review. You might want to grab a copy of Red Glove while you are out. Trust me, you will thank me later.

Red Glove picks up with Cassel trying to stay a step ahead of all the cons and manipulations that surround him. His mother is up to her old tricks, Barron and their mother are acting stranger than normal and Lila is still bound by the curse Carrel's mother placed on her. After an interesting summer with his mother Cassel returns to school, only to find that Lila is the newest student. Making life more painful and confusing Cassel's brother Phillip is killed, and federal agents start trying to get Cassel to work for them. Zacharov still wants him to work for him as well. How can Cassel protect his mother, stay safe, and still do the right thing?

Red Glove gives readers a chance a chance to get a deeper look at Cassel's life, as well as a more detailed look at the lives of some of the secondary characters. Lila, Sam and Daneca are given more detailed personalities, and readers get to see much more of their real lives. Cassel is again surrounded by his friends, but also by more lies and cons than he can fully track. He is overwhelmed, but even amid the danger and confusion Cassel still tries to do what is right, regardless of what might be easiest. The HEX club is being bullied, teachers fired and laws being considered that would put everyone with any ability to work in danger and at risk for discrimination. Cassel really seems to struggle with being a good person, trying to let himself trust some of the people around him and letting them see a little more of his true self.

Now, I love this series, and I seriously love Holly Black. She has never let me down, and continues the trend of awesome with Red Glove. There is not a lot of back tracking through what fans have already read in White Cat. There are some referential comments, but nothing extensive. The characters seem to come alive in Red Glove, particularly the secondary characters. Cassel also becomes a richer, more complex character. Then there are the elements of the urban fantasy, the curse working and related mob connections. There are so many twists in turns that readers might feel like they are on a little bit of a roller coaster, right alongside Cassel. There are federal agents, mobsters, murder, teen age love, magic, political protest, and the normal pressures of being a high school student orbiting around Cassel at any given moment. It was an energizing and fantastic read. I cannot believe I have to wait another year to read Black Heart to find out what happens next!