I've loved Holly Black's teen books ever since I picked up a copy of [[ASIN:0689868235 Valiant]], so when I had the chance to review the first volume of her new series, I was thrilled. She really has a wonderful way of making her characters come alive. A few hours later, I have to admit that my feelings for this book are mixed. 
 'White Cat' is the first book in the Curse Workers series. It's a world where magic exists & skilled workers can make things happen- but for a price. Workers can bring you luck or change your memories with just a touch of their hand, but at the risk of "blowback"- a reaction where the magic worker will also experience whatever their particular talent is. Cassel is the only person in his family who can't use magic, the only non-worker. He's mostly content to spend his days at his school running scams & cons while inwardly tormenting himself over the memory of killing his childhood friend Lila. It isn't until he's found sleepwalking & dreaming of a white cat that his life begins to change. 
 I really did enjoy this book, its just that it is a different type of book than the Faerie series. The book starts out deceptively "light" in comparison to Black's other teen works, so some (like me) may unfairly compare this to her other series or feel like the book drags a little. Keep reading. It gets much better & far darker towards the end of the book. 
 It's just that in the end, this didn't grab me as much as the Faerie series did. It's a marvelous book & I can guarantee that I'll collect this series as it comes out, but I can't help but think that I've read better. (It's still better than Ironside, though.) I loved the idea of blowback & magic workers, though. That put a really interesting spin on the "magic is real & its everywhere" theme that a lot of YA books use. 
 Overall, I think that if you are wondering whether or not to buy this book, I recommend it if you've read & loved Black's previous books. If you are on the fence about her stuff or if you haven't read anything by her, I recommend checking this out at the library first. This is a fun read, but I have to admit that it won't thrill everyone. 
 (ARC provided by amazon vine)