A review by kblincoln
Indelible by Dawn Metcalf
4.0
I'm not sure why it has taken me this long to read the first in Metcalf's YA paranormal/fae fantasy series, but I find myself curiously taken with it.
Teenager Joy goes to a rave-like dance at a Carousel (how cool is that?) and catches the eye of a strange young main in all black with curiously dark eyes. She sees him staring at her, as well.
But then he does something seemingly unforgivable....he draws out a silver blade and stabs her in the eye.
So yeah, that's where my biggest issue came in. While Joy is believingly upset, aghast, shocked, and traumatized by this action, as well as the strange creatures who assail her for the next few days muttering incomprehensible and unbelievable things about Joy being "marked" and how she should give messages to someone name "Ink", as astute YA readers might guess, Ink is not only the person who stabbed her, but the love interest in the book.
Yeah, Metcalf puts Joy through the physical wringer, but where this book makes me uncomfortable with how much I liked it is that the emotional fallout from the major attack (s)...Joy seems to not suffer too much PTSD or conflict with her very swift descent into love.
Although, I'll grant Metcalf that the whole ear-feeling scene was quite a doozy.
I'll echo other reviewers with my appreciation for Joy's friend, Monica. Metcalf sets up Monica as believably preoccupied with a new boyfriend, but also with care for Joy. So when Joy starts acting all wonky, Monica goes into snarky protective mode several times.
"Is it drugs?" Monica hissed over salad. "Because if it is drugs, so help me, I will beat your sorry pale pink butt from there to next Thursday."
There's also an emotionally distant father dealing with the fallout from his wife leaving him, and an absent older brother who throws an emotional curveball of his own at Joy.
But mostly its about Joy being in trouble and calling on Ink to save her. And hanging out with Inq (sister of iNk) and her cabana boys. (gnashes teeth over Joy having to be saved and avenged all the time.)
Again, not sure why I enjoyed this book so much when it has some obvious tropes I usually don't enjoy. Could be that the writing itself is juicy and thick. Could be the Holly Black/Melissa Marr dark fae aspect of it.
Anyway, totally fine for YA audience (a bit of oblique allusion to what Inq does with her cabana boys, but nothing overt beyond some fine first kissing) and especially if they like Black and Marr, readers should give this one a chance. I'm going to go order the next in the series.
Teenager Joy goes to a rave-like dance at a Carousel (how cool is that?) and catches the eye of a strange young main in all black with curiously dark eyes. She sees him staring at her, as well.
But then he does something seemingly unforgivable....he draws out a silver blade and stabs her in the eye.
So yeah, that's where my biggest issue came in. While Joy is believingly upset, aghast, shocked, and traumatized by this action, as well as the strange creatures who assail her for the next few days muttering incomprehensible and unbelievable things about Joy being "marked" and how she should give messages to someone name "Ink", as astute YA readers might guess, Ink is not only the person who stabbed her, but the love interest in the book.
Yeah, Metcalf puts Joy through the physical wringer, but where this book makes me uncomfortable with how much I liked it is that the emotional fallout from the major attack (s)...Joy seems to not suffer too much PTSD or conflict with her very swift descent into love.
Although, I'll grant Metcalf that the whole ear-feeling scene was quite a doozy.
I'll echo other reviewers with my appreciation for Joy's friend, Monica. Metcalf sets up Monica as believably preoccupied with a new boyfriend, but also with care for Joy. So when Joy starts acting all wonky, Monica goes into snarky protective mode several times.
"Is it drugs?" Monica hissed over salad. "Because if it is drugs, so help me, I will beat your sorry pale pink butt from there to next Thursday."
There's also an emotionally distant father dealing with the fallout from his wife leaving him, and an absent older brother who throws an emotional curveball of his own at Joy.
But mostly its about Joy being in trouble and calling on Ink to save her. And hanging out with Inq (sister of iNk) and her cabana boys. (gnashes teeth over Joy having to be saved and avenged all the time.)
Again, not sure why I enjoyed this book so much when it has some obvious tropes I usually don't enjoy. Could be that the writing itself is juicy and thick. Could be the Holly Black/Melissa Marr dark fae aspect of it.
Anyway, totally fine for YA audience (a bit of oblique allusion to what Inq does with her cabana boys, but nothing overt beyond some fine first kissing) and especially if they like Black and Marr, readers should give this one a chance. I'm going to go order the next in the series.