octagonal's review against another edition
5.0
REREADING TIIIIME. I forgot Black Heart was coming out!
Reread review 4/24/12: I'm bumping this up a star, because I love Cassel too much to give him 4 stars. He needs HUGS. He needs them more than most main characters. He's just so freaking tragic. Ugh, love him.
Original review 3/12/11: It took me a while to get into this one, probably around 30% or so. BUT once I got into it, I was hooked! Very intriguing world.
Reread review 4/24/12: I'm bumping this up a star, because I love Cassel too much to give him 4 stars. He needs HUGS. He needs them more than most main characters. He's just so freaking tragic. Ugh, love him.
Original review 3/12/11: It took me a while to get into this one, probably around 30% or so. BUT once I got into it, I was hooked! Very intriguing world.
octagonal's review against another edition
5.0
ANNUAL REREAD-THE-FAVORITES TIME!!
Original/other reread reviews here.
Still amazing. Still love Cassel. The ending still HURTS SO MUCH.
Original/other reread reviews here.
Still amazing. Still love Cassel. The ending still HURTS SO MUCH.
msmiz95's review against another edition
4.0
I have read Holly Black's Modern Fairy Tale books. Holly does not pull any punches with her characters and her story lines. The characters are imperfect, to the point where you are not sure you want to shake sense into them, walk away from them or give them your heart. I have found myself more than once with the feeling of impending doom, my insides turned into knots and some times I have even needed to walk away. That to me makes a great story and a great writer. I never know what to expect and I am always surprised.
White Cat opens up at a boarding school with a 'kid' becoming aware in the middle of the night on top of the roof of one of the dorm rooms. Cassel does not know how he got there or how to get down. He was in the middle of a dream and he wakes up on the roof. The plot unfolds from that point into a world of lies, marks, cons, plans, curses and people who are called workers.
The world that Holly has built is hard and trust is not easy to come by. The Sharpe family that Cassel has grown up in are all workers and there is no truth, no beginning no end and no story that can be believed. There are shifts and double-crosses, unbelievable loses and if you think you know where the story is going to go, don't....just ride the wave and enjoy as it unfolds.
White Cat opens up at a boarding school with a 'kid' becoming aware in the middle of the night on top of the roof of one of the dorm rooms. Cassel does not know how he got there or how to get down. He was in the middle of a dream and he wakes up on the roof. The plot unfolds from that point into a world of lies, marks, cons, plans, curses and people who are called workers.
The world that Holly has built is hard and trust is not easy to come by. The Sharpe family that Cassel has grown up in are all workers and there is no truth, no beginning no end and no story that can be believed. There are shifts and double-crosses, unbelievable loses and if you think you know where the story is going to go, don't....just ride the wave and enjoy as it unfolds.
goodbetterbetsy's review against another edition
5.0
I really liked this book! It took me forever to read because I was reading 4 other things at the same time, but I'm kind of glad I was able to stretch this one out. I am usually pretty good at figuring out twists in a book or movie and I knew something was coming but I actually didn't have it quite figured out which really made the story that much better. I definitely recommend this for people who like books with magic. This is definitely kind of a darker magic story.
sri_savita's review against another edition
5.0
It's Holly Black, enough said. The magic system is creative, as is the world. I am looking forward to reading the next two books. I like that some of the characters have an Indian background too.
I also always admire how all of HB's stories feature flawed, gritty characters who have do hard, terrible things to claw for their place in the world. Very much antiheroes all around. Her female characters especially are dangerous, sharp, calculating, and not to be messed with.
The plot was a little predictable but I wasn't thrown by this, for one thing, it's a YA story, and for another, I was still excited to see how the drama all unfolded.
I also always admire how all of HB's stories feature flawed, gritty characters who have do hard, terrible things to claw for their place in the world. Very much antiheroes all around. Her female characters especially are dangerous, sharp, calculating, and not to be messed with.
The plot was a little predictable but I wasn't thrown by this, for one thing, it's a YA story, and for another, I was still excited to see how the drama all unfolded.
arxchiell's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
What the hellelihinze's review
4.0
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Actual Rating: 3.5 out of 5
I've been wanting to read this book for ages because of the cover alone. Very nice. Dark. All over, White Cat didn't let me down, but didn't pack as much of a punch as I'd expected.
I wish I could feel the other characters more. Cassel and Barron are just fine, but I'm talking in regards to the rest of the cast. They're not quite one-dimensional, but they don't feel fully fleshed out either.
The writing itself was good, on the upper end of what I generally see in YA. Descriptive, clear, and smooth. How the plot was written though? A different story. It was clever, but executed too slowly. There wasn't any pop or momentum to it. Disappointing, because curse workers and crime families and murder plots can definitely be more exciting.
Also, White Cat is a bit unique in YA right now, because the romance isn't a huge factor in the story. While it's there, nothing huge hinges on it. It's refreshing.
White Cat was an easy, entertaining read, suffering only from it lack of exciting execution and some semi-flat characters, scoring a 3.5 out of 5.
Actual Rating: 3.5 out of 5
I've been wanting to read this book for ages because of the cover alone. Very nice. Dark. All over, White Cat didn't let me down, but didn't pack as much of a punch as I'd expected.
I wish I could feel the other characters more. Cassel and Barron are just fine, but I'm talking in regards to the rest of the cast. They're not quite one-dimensional, but they don't feel fully fleshed out either.
The writing itself was good, on the upper end of what I generally see in YA. Descriptive, clear, and smooth. How the plot was written though? A different story. It was clever, but executed too slowly. There wasn't any pop or momentum to it. Disappointing, because curse workers and crime families and murder plots can definitely be more exciting.
Also, White Cat is a bit unique in YA right now, because the romance isn't a huge factor in the story. While it's there, nothing huge hinges on it. It's refreshing.
White Cat was an easy, entertaining read, suffering only from it lack of exciting execution and some semi-flat characters, scoring a 3.5 out of 5.