'The Coldest Girl in Coldtown' by Holly Black: Mel's Review

Title: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown 

By: Holly Black

Genre: Mature YA Paranormal/Vampires

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.

Snag Your Own Copy:

   

Tithe by Holly Black: Review

Tithe

Modern Faerie Tales #1 

By Holly Black

Published By:Margaret K. McElderry

Publication Date: April 2004

Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother's rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms - a struggle that could very well mean her death. (from Goodreads) 

Tithe is the first book in Holly Black's Modern Faerie Tales series.  I love Holly Black and I've had this book hanging out on my to read list for so long, I had to take a break from my requests and check it out. I'm really glad I did because it is a phenomenal read.

Black tells the story in third person narrative and I really enjoyed seeing the plot unfurl from the different perspectives.  It helps draw you in and hook you from the very beginning. The vivid descriptions make this book both terrifying and humorous; it's a definite page turner. 

I love Holly Black's writing style. She is descriptive and gritty and simply wonderful. I have loved every one of her books I've read so far.  Black has a knack for creating these beautifully flawed and sometimes completely messed up but still immensely likable characters. She provides the complete package, in my opinion. 

Overflowing with humor, romance, action and intrigue this book is a must read. Especially for those who love to read about the fey. I can't wait to read the rest of this series. 

My Rating: 

Holly Black is a best-selling author of contemporary fantasy novels for kids, teens, and adults. She is the author of the Modern Faerie Tale series (Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside), The Spiderwick Chronicles (with Tony DiTerlizzi), and The Good Neighbors graphic novels (with Ted Naifeh). She is also the co-editor of three anthologies, Geektastic (with Cecil Castellucci), Zombies vs. Unicorns(with Justine Larbalestier), and Welcome to Bordertown (with Ellen Kushner). Her most recent works are The Poison Eaters and Other Stories, a collection of short fiction, and The Curse Worker series (White Cat, Red Glove, and Black Heart). She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Theo, in a house with a secret library.

Follow Holly Black:

Website

Blog

Goodreads

Twitter

HVYAS July Event: Signing with Cassandra Clare, Holly Black & Sarah Rees Brennan

From left to right: Sarah Rees Brennan, Cassandra Clare and Holly Black!

On July 15th, I, along with Touya from The Reader's Garden, were lucky enough to attend the Hudson Valley Young Adult Society's July event at Oblong Books & Music in Rhinebeck, NY.  Neither Touya or I had ever been to a book signing before and when we saw who was to be featured at the event we ( or I) nearly died with excitement.  Cassandra Clare, Holly Black and Sarah Rees Brennan, all at the same signing, only a little over an hour away from home! We decided pretty quickly that we would not be missing this event. 


We arrived early, 10:15 am, for me to get my signing line ticket; Touya was smart and had pre-ordered her books online so she received a priority line ticket. From the moment I stepped inside Oblong Books, I was in love. It really is the most excellent bookstore I've ever been in.  The staff was friendly, the store was beautiful and it had that wonderful BOOK smell that I love so much. After chatting with the staff at the store and with a few hours to kill, we decided to peruse the local farmer's market and then meandered through the town making our way to the most perfect little diner. It was there, at Pete's Famous, where I had the most delicious and filling breakfast I may have ever eaten.  From there, Touya and I set up shop on a bench outside a very nice smelling soap store and talked for a while about the book she's writing (be excited, guys, because it's gonna be great!) and enjoyed the sunshine. 


Finally, it was time to line up for the signing. Of course, right about the moment we got in line it started to rain, but it wasn't too bad at first. When the downpour started, the lovely staff at Oblong Books & Music was kind enough to let us in early. I can now attest to the fact that their music selection is vast and varied as that is where they had us stashed until it was time for seating to start. Touya and I found seats about three rows back and settled in to wait for the event to begin. There were prizes given away and lots of laughs while we waited for the ladies to arrive and honestly, the time flew right by for me. 


When Holly Black, Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan arrived at the store, the room seemed to erupt with excitement. These ladies were hilarious from the very beginning. You can easily see the friendship that ties them all together. They did readings from their upcoming works and told highly amusing anecdotes about how they met, how it feels to see their books on the shelves in book stores and answered countless other questions from fans. 

Holly Black & Cassandra Clare answering questions!

Holly Black read to us from The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, which hasn't even been to her editor yet (*squee*), it's about vampires and I really can't wait to read it!  Cassandra Clare read the prologue to Clockwork Princess and made us promise not to record her. I am anxiously awaiting that book, so getting to hear the beginning from the author, herself, was pretty huge for me. Sarah Rees Brennan hilariously acted out a scene from Unspoken as she read it. She had Holly Black hiding her head in her hands and laughing hysterically along with the rest of us.  

Sarah Rees Brennan acting out a scene from Unspoken & Holly Black's reaction. 

I was pretty nervous by the time I made it up to the table where the authors were signing, these are some of my very favorite authors of all time, my idols, really, and I was afraid I would be rendered speechless. That wasn't a problem at all though, I actually managed to have conversations with all three ladies.  Cassie, Sarah and I discussed the ABC tv show, Revenge  and Sarah complimented me on my hair clips. When I got to Holly, she and I talked about our mutual distaste for zombies.  A successful outing if ever there was one. 

Me & Holly Black! 

Me & Sarah Rees Brennan!

 I felt like jumping up and down the entire way home, of course, because I was still so revved up, I couldn't be calm. I had been among other readers, people who understand how I can gasp and ooh and ah over words on a page and get so emotionally invested that I cry when it's over sometimes, even when nothing sad has happened.  Add that to meeting three of my favorite authors and I'm surprised I slept that night. I was like a kid on Christmas Eve. My poor husband listened to me rant for hours when I got home that night.  Saying I had a good time would be a vast understatement.  

Author Appreciation Day 24: Double Dose of Love to the Hugely Talented Duo Cassandra Clare and Holly Black

Today is all about a couple of very talented ladies we love, Cassandra Clare & Holly Black. I decided to do their post as one giant love-fest since they're friends & they're both too fantastic for words. (And we were running out of days in March ;) ). Anyway, first off, Cassandra Clare; she is the author of the hugely popular (and wonderful) Shadowhunter books (Mortal Instruments & Infernal Devices). Her writing opens up a whole new universe in your head where you live with these wonderful characters she has created.  

Cassandra Clare's Website

I actually found about Cassie through a friend who was reading the Mortal Instrument books and raved about them constantly. She kept telling me over and over so finally I checked the first 3 books out of the local library. I think I spent a week living in the Shadowhunters world trying to figure out what would happen next while speeding through the books. They are so well written and the dialogue just makes the story come alive for you. I have to say I prefer the Infernal Devices books to the Mortal Instruments, though. Mostly because of Will Herondale & Tessa Gray..they are such superbly developed characters & I love to read about Victorian England. It's a no-brainer for me. 

FYI* You can pre-order the next book in the Mortal Instruments series, City of Lost Souls on Amazon.com right now guys!                            The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees. No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?
Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.
And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?
Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

Holly Black's Website

And now on to the brilliant Holly Black. I actually found her book White Cat (first book in The Curse Workers series) in a Borders closing sale & grabbed it up. I was very happy I did! I finished the book in a day. I couldn't put it down! Holly has a real gift for intrigue and I just love the way she tells a story. And then the endings-she kills me! I am usually gasping at the end of her books, wondering why she's torturing me. I hate waiting for books, but I love speculating about all the lovely possibilities. I am never disappointed when I pick up one of Holly's books. I love the complexity of Holly's characters in The Curse Workers series. They are many layered and you never know what is going to happen next when you're engrossed in Cassel's story.

Pre-Order Black Heart on Amazon.com now!

Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy.

But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love. (From Amazon.com)

  

"Waiting on" Wednesday: Black Heart by Holly Black

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're super excited about! My pick for this week is:

Black Heart (Curse Workers Book #3)

By Holly Black 

Publication Date: April 3, 2012 

Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy.

But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love. (Amazon.com)

I absolutely loved the first two books in this series & Holly Black is just phenomenal. I cannot wait to see what happens with Cassel next!! What books are you anxiously awaiting?