Daughter of Smoke and Bone
(Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1, By: Laini Taylor)
SUMMARY:
Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.
When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?
Published September 2011 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
REVIEW:
I gave this book 5 stars. At this point, I have read it several times, and this book has quickly become one of my favorites of all time. I truly cannot recommend it enough. Everything about this book - from the writing style, the romance, the twists and turns in the plot, and the characters - is exactly what I dream of in an ideal story.
Let's start with the romance because, as a lover of love, the main relationship is one of my favorite aspects of this book. Keep in mind, for those of you who aren't into the "star crossed lover" thing, that this book may not be your cup of tea. That being said, if you are open to getting swept up into it - it's beautiful. The romance between Karou and Akiva is passionate, immediate and all consuming, and it draws you into its gravitational pull right alongside the characters. The love is so strong it makes you ache, and Laini does the most beautiful job at making you truly FEEL the ups and downs of the relationship throughout the story.
Now onto the nitty gritty. The premise of this book is unlike anything I have ever seen, heard of, or read before. For the first third of the book, you are honestly left in the dark trying to figure out what the heck is actually going on. Personally, I love the mystery that this creates, and how the story line and plot are revealed to the reader as Karou experiences them. The one downside to this type of plot is that you have to stick with it. While the beginning can be confusing and at points even a little bit slow - it is so worth the build up. The entire story line is beyond intriguing, and keeps you interested in getting to know the world and diving deeper into it.
Finally, the characters - Ah, the banter and liveliness that Laini creates is so much fun! The characters jump off of the page, and I genuinely wish I could meet, hang out with, and befriend each one of them. Karou and Zuzana are best friend goals. Not only are their individual personalities fun, mysterious and endearing, but their friendship is layered with real life emotion. Alongside this friendship, I loved getting to experience the wide range of relationships in this world. While nothing in this story shouts typical or expected, you still get to feel the complicated love of family, the loyalty of friends, the passion of young love, and the inevitability of soul mates.
All I can say is - please, read this book. Read this series. You will be doing yourself a huge favor :)
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Have you read this book? Let me know what you thought in the comments below!
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