Review: Full of mixed emotions!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 8, 2013
This book was an insane mix of romance and psychopathy... I sort of loved it but, at the same time, felt horrified. Nicole Castle really pushed my limits today!How is this different from the other assassin books out there? Well, for one, moral ambiguity abounds. The marks (targets) are a mix of good and bad people. They cry, they beg, and I felt their humanity. It was kind of grotesque the way that Vincent enjoyed the killing- and few of the gritty details are spared. Whereas in other books, the bad guys are very bad and the assassins come with a functioning moral compass, here Vincent and Frank were borderline sociopathic. They SO didn't care about the people that they killed. It was very Tarantino-esk.To boot, there is graphic descriptions of child abuse and underage sex. I was most certainly squeaked out at times. Vincent is no shy little flower and we get to see all of the ways he uses and gets used. I think that author was super bold in making Vince so young in this book, and creepily, described as looking even years younger.In short, this book really pushed my boundaries as a reader. However... I found myself being completely drawn into V and Frank's obsessive love story. Their absolute need for one another was captivating and the way that they complimented each other (as odd as it seemed at times) was beautiful to witness. Sure, their relationship was built on a twisted foundation, but Vince and Frank were very sweet to one another. Frank's blushing virgin-vibe was a lovely twist, and Vincent's over-the-top-ness became remarkably endearing. Oh, and I loved Vincent's vanity and complete comfort in his sexuality, despite his age.I even enjoyed the sleazy secondary character of Charlie, a great foil. However, I didn't love the introduction of the other characters in the end (except for Bella!) because I thought it got a bit muddled and generic. As others have said, it kind of veered off and cheapened everything that came before it. However, this book was a stellar read for those dark fiction lovers!