Red Glove (Curse Workers #2) – Holly Black

Title: Red Glove (Curse Workers #2) by Holly Black
Publishing Info: April 5, 2011 by Source: Audiobook borrowed from library
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Find it on the web: Buy from Amazon // GoodreadsDate Completed: June 21, 2015
Related Posts: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, White Cat (Curse Workers #1), Black Heart (Curse Workers #3)

After rescuing his brothers from Zacharov’s retribution, Cassel is trying to reestablish some kind of normalcy in his life. That was never going to be easy for someone from a worker family that’s tied to one of the big crime families—and whose mother’s cons get more reckless by the day. But Cassel is coming to terms with what it means to be a worker, and he’s figuring out how to have friends.
Except normal doesn’t last very long. Soon Cassel is being courted by both sides of the law and is forced to confront his past—a past he remembers only in scattered fragments, and one that could destroy his family and his future. Cassel will have to decide whose side he wants to be on, because neutrality is not an option. And then he will have to pull off his biggest con ever to survive….

I’ve always been fairly picky about my urban fantasy but I picked up WHITE CAT last year when I was looking for an audiobook to borrow from my library and it sealed the deal when I found out that Jesse Eisenberg narrates! I loved the book but definitely wanted to continue on audio so it took me a while to finally read RED GLOVE because my library never got it in! I gave in and used an Audible credit because I was in the perfect mood to fall back into this world and I’m so glad I picked it back up!

The thing I love the most about these books is really just the feel. Like I said, I’m not a huge urban fantasy fan but I really love how the magic system and curse working just fits so perfectly into the normal world, like that’s the way life really is. (Also loved the line in this book about alternate universes and how somewhere there’s a universe where this magic doesn’t exist. Hee! Ours!!!) The tone of the book is just excellent. I love Cassel’s sarcasm, the sneakiness of his family, and the sliminess of the crime families. Mob + magic is a great combination and I love the way they blend here!

I really enjoy the sort of gray area that is pervasive throughout the book. There is obvious bad but Cassel is always somewhere sort of in the middle. His family isn’t full of bad people but they don’t always do good things and when you’re a worker, it’s hard not to get mixed up in the underbelly of society with crimelords bidding on your talents. I really liked witnessing Cassel’s actions and decisions as he keeps all of this in mind. He errs on the side of good but I just love that little gray area that makes it okay to root for a con artist, bookie, and liar.

Like the first book, I was never totally blown away but my interest was always held! There’s just something about this series that has me hooked. It doesn’t hold the most twists out there but there are definitely some good surprises and it was great to be kept guessing! 

“The View from Goodreads” is a featured section in my reviews that I decided to incorporate! I tend to update my Goodreads status a LOT when I read — reactions, feelings, notes — so I thought it would be fun to share the sort of “reading process”! All status updates are spoiler-free (no specific plot points will be revealed) but will contain reactions to certain pages and/or characters!

Cassel Sharpe // Character Obsessions: Bets, magic, family, Lila.
I really like Cassel a lot! That male POV… I just love sarcastic and witty male leads and that is Cassel in a nutshell! As I said before, I also really love how he falls in this gray area. He’s been growing up with crime all around him and despite it all, he really is leaning towards the good… but not TOO good because we still get to see him participate in a lot of hijinks!

Kept Me Hooked On: Urban Fantasy. I don’t really read a lot of urban fantasy. I’m not sure why but it just doesn’t always appeal to me so I usually pick those reads very carefully! (Maybe all the vampire books wore me out? I’m not sure.) I’m so glad I picked up this series because I just LOVE the feel of the books and the characters are so fantastic.
Left Me Wanting More: OMG moments. The plot is great BUT if there was anything I would wish for, it would be a couple more twists or surprises. I don’t think it really needed it but that definitely would have hooked me that much more!

Addiction Rating
Read it!

These books are just so much fun. If you haven’t read them yet, definitely get them on your TBR!

BOOKS LIKE RED GLOVE

(Click the cover to see my review!)