Review: Fun Read with a Unique Paranormal Concept!
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 13, 2012
*Received e-book through the Authors Requesting Reviews (ARR) program on Goodreads for an honest review**More like 3.5 starsThe Sin Collector is told by the point-of-view of Liliana "Lili" Genov, a nearly immortal being who has been trained to absorb sins from humans, usually before death. After abandoning those duties since WWII and living a quiet life as a librarian, she encounters an old sin collector friend, William (Billy). Billy surprises her by telling her he has never collected sins and she makes a choice to journey with him to Ireland to see others like him. At the same time, she finds her boss murdered and may be running from a sinister organization called the Castus, whose members kill sin collectors, believing they are abominations. As Lili travels with William, she encounters sin collectors being murdered, other sin collectors being hunted and banding together, and perhaps even a traitor among them working with the Castus. She must discover the truth before she is their next victim.I adored the character of Lili. Fortunato, through witty monologues and vivid descriptions, establishes a connection with Lili from the first chapter. I felt sorry for her self-imposed isolation and her lack of direction, but loved her plucky, somewhat snarky personality. In addition, I liked the re-kindling of her friendship with Billy and the intimacy that developed between them. At the same time, I especially liked how Fortunato kept Billy's character mysterious enough to create tension within the plot, as well as with the arrival of Lili's long-lost mentor, Olexander. The hostility between him and Billy was palpable as Lili questioned both their motives and agenda.On the other hand, I did have an issue with the lack of detail in the book. I was looking forward to reading more about the act of sin collecting itself, as well as the advent/creation of sin collectors. This was somewhat glazed over and resulted in confusion about Lili's initial identification as a sin collector and the rituals she performs. This was a little disappointing as Fortunato based the novel on this rather unique premise and I think she missed an opportunity to enhance her world-building.Overall, The Sin Collector was a fast-paced, enjoyable read. Fortunato set the foundation for future novels in this series well, and I would like to see more aspects of the sin collectors unfold. I would recommend this book to fans of YA paranormal fiction.