Review: So fun!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 7, 2013
I absolutely loved this book. Loved it. I can't wait to read the second one, and as soon as I'm finished writing this review I'm going to do some digging and see when it will be coming out (if it isn't already).I love the characters, with the exception of Astrid. She was annoying and so freaking stubborn and all I wanted to do was shake her and yell at her. So dense and obtuse and just plain frustrating! I couldn't understand why she wouldn't just be nice instead of scoffing at EVERYONE.Everyone else though, I loved. I think Seth was probably the most interesting, and I took him literally from the start, so the little twist that happened with him wasn't unexpected for me. I recognized one of his statements ("Why is a raven like a writing desk?") and got all excited at that point! But all of this random little comments were quirky and totally entertaining.Max was an all-around good guy, and characteristically tried to make sure everyone got along while staying loyal to everyone. It bothered me a bit that he was so willing to let other people step on him, first with Simon and then even with Teddy. But like I said, he's just a nice guy and nice guys don't stir up trouble.Strangely enough I really liked Laura and Ally, because the two of them were contrasts. They both probably had the same issues growing up, and yet they chose to deal with it in different ways. Plus their special stuff was super awesome and I'm jealous. I'm really really hoping we get to see more of these abilities much more often in the second book.The same goes for Teddy. His of course was the most interesting to watch(read) because it was the centerpoint of all the hubbub in the climax. Clearly he's powerful, and it made for an awesome read.I can only imagine what it would feel like to be Jon/Azrael, wanting so badly to be different only to find that everyone else is.Our villain is especially villainy, and I loved it. He was intelligent and evil, a dangerous combination. And one I think we'll see even more so in the next novel. I even liked the unsuspecting henchmen, like Anthony (I assume) and Clarissa. Boy they were all so fun to hate!!Probably the only thing I dislike about the story is that it took a while to get to the juicy stuff. I think Astrid especially was the one that slowed it down, which is part of why I don't like her. We could have easily heard more about what Ally and Laura could do had Astrid only stopped being annoying long enough to ask and listen. But for me it was worth the wait. I think enough happened to make the late climax warranted, and I'm not sure why everyone's all upset over the technical terms. I liked learning about how that stuff worked. Maybe because I considered being a social worker as a career, but I found it fascinating to know all the hoops that had to be jumped through and the protocol in place.I just love this story. It's got so many elements that I love in a book, and with the exception of Astrid's stupidity I couldn't be happier.