Poison

If I had to pick one word to describe this book it would be this: Fun.

The starts off in the middle of the action, placing you after the ‘attempted to kill best friend' and shows you the events in flashbacks. I thought this worked wonderfully and would love to see more books tell the story like this, right into the meat of the story.

This is a fairly short book, so time wasn't wasted. This story/plot moved a long at a fast pace which is something that pleased me greatly. I liked the way the story was told, and it's not often that I find a book that puts you right into the middle (basically) and you're left going ‘what happened?'

The characters in this book were awesome. I adored each of them (‘cept the villain) and never felt frustrated with their actions. They weren't perfect characters, but they all made the best choices they could given their knowledge of the situation and they all behaved in a sensible, mature manner.

Kyra was a really likable character. She was strong and tough, but she didn't do stupid things to prove how awesome she is. She wasn't really feminine, but she wasn't so crazy tomboyish that it would seem impossible for her to be a real character. She realizes when she can fight - but she also realizes when it's better to hide or escape. I personally think that's very awesome.

Fred is the other main character and is very obviously the love interest. However, he does have a personality of his own - goals and plans that don't revolve around Kyra as well. I was surprised at how much I liked him, especially after a first meeting that left me a little worried about his personality type. He's a real sweetheart though and I'm so glad to see more of the nice guys in young adult books.

I loved the humor in the book. While it wasn't over the top, I actually got several chuckles out of the tings that were happening and the way characters reacted to them. It especially picked up towards the end.

Now, as for the end... There were several awesome twists that I never saw coming. Maybe I would have if I hadn't been devouring the book like crazy. But really, that's about the highest recommendation I can give a book: that I read it too fast.

I compare this book to several others I've read in the young adult fantasy genre: Poison Study, Throne of Glass and, especially, Graceling. They all have much the same idea behind them (Poison Study not as much as the other two) and it certainly feels they're drawing from the same plot well. However, this book was so much more lighthearted than those three. If you liked any of them and are looking for something a little more humorous, I recommend this book, very highly.

(Originally posted on my blog: http://pagesofstarlight.blogspot.com/)