Name: White Cat
ISBN: 9781416963974

White Cat

Holly Black

The first installment in The Curse Workers series from New York Times bestselling author Holly Black: “Urban fantasy, con story—whatever you call it, read it” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). Cassel comes from a family of con artists and grifters, all of them curse workers but him. On top of that, Cassel is plagued by guilt that he killed his best friend, Lila, years ago. When Cassel begins to have strange dreams about a white cat and people around him are losing their memories, he starts to wonder what really happened to Lila, and what that means about his actions. In Cassel’s search for answers about Lila and himself, he realizes that his brothers have been conning him for years, and that the final piece in their quest for power is about to fall into place. Cassel has other ideas. He’s going to create an even more elaborate trap and, with Lila’s help, con a bunch of magic using conmen. This “beautifully realized dark fantasy...with prose that moves from stark simplicity to almost surreal intensity in a moment” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) is rife with the unexpected. “Readers will be hooked” (Booklist) on White Cat.

Monicap

this was a good book. unfortunately, having read the description for the second book as well as this one before picking it up, I kinda already knew what was gonna happen. 
my tip: DON'T READ THE SECOND OR THIRD BOOKS DESCRIPTION UNTIL YOU'VE READ THIS ONE.
knowing whats gonna happen takes all the fun out of it, doesn't it?
so, reading this book, we are introduced to Cassel's world, which is A-freaking-MAZING. criminals who use magic? very original. I loved it. 
also, being introduced to Cassle's world, we're introduced to his family, and I was like "What?" I cried and screamed for him at times. His family is AWFUL.
this book also reminded me of Once A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough a littel, in that cassel is told he has no powers, while in truth, he's the biggest, baddest, most powerful of them all, like Tamsin was raised to believe. difference is, Tamsin's family had a good reason for that, plus, her family loved her. Cassel... well, they said they did it to protect him, but beyond that, I can't imagine them having a REALLY good reason for what they did to him.
and understand, I'm really speaking about his brothers in particular when I talk about his family being awful and using him and lying to him, since it's primarily his brothers doing these things.
It's a good, and you will be crying out for him in pain, in embarrassment, in pity, in unfairness...
and you will love him. or at least, I do.

Sarah Sammis

I wasn't planning on reading White Cat by Holly Black but my audio book friend lent me his copy. He and I have such similar tastes, I said yes. I'm glad I did.

Imagine waking up in your underwear on the roof as a white cat looks on. That's what happens to Cassel Sharpe in the opening chapter. He's been sleep walking recently but his latest stunt is enough to get him sent home from boarding school until a doctor can prove he's fit to return home.

Home, though, ends up being his grandfather's because his mother is jail for being a curse worker. Cassel is at his family's mercy being the only non-worker in the lot.

Cassel can't just leave as they hold a terrible secret over him; he has killed Lila Zacharov, the daughter of the local crime syndicate mob boss. To keep himself sane he decides to figure out how he ended up on the roof and what happened to the cat. The white cat ends up being the clue he needs to unravel family secrets.

Black has created a fascinating but believable alternate history where magic exists and has been outlawed in the United States. With "curse working" as magic is called illegal since the era of Prohibition, organized crime has taken control. Set in present day, Black adds the threat of a proposition that would make testing for magic mandatory.

I listened to the audio book performed by Jesse Eisenberg. He had the perfect menschy voice for Cassel. I had the book in my car. There were times when I would just sit in my car until the end of a chapter.

Vicky  Nuñez 

I can say I was surprised by the story having read Holly Black’s previous books and I expected something similar in a way.

The world is full of curse magic and everybody is aware of the fact that there's people that are able to curse with a single touch. There are 7 types of curse magic: luck, dreams, emotions, dreams, body, memory, death and transformation.

 Luck workers are the most common and one transformation worker is born every decade.

We find ourselves engrossed in a new world and Cassel, the only non worker in a family full of workers, who acts as an inexperience voice is the perfect person to guide the reader. I thought White Cat was an amazing book with a little slow pace start, but is expect given Cassel is showing a whole new world to the reader and world of magic never seen before. But once we get to know Cassel, his emotions are pretty easy to read and to sympathize with him, Cassel’s frustration over his brothers and over himself for the death of his best friend and crush, Lila, whom he killed when he was 14 years old.

I think White Cat is an amazing book and I'm looking forward for the next book in Holly Black series.

Elisa Bieg

Huh. That was a fair bit better than I expected. 

This novel blends magical realism and dystopia, imagining a society where a percentage of people can manipulate others through touch — their feelings, their body structure, their memories, etc, depending on their specific gift. The dystopian aspect develops from there, and it gives a very interesting twist to a society that is otherwise much as we know it.

The characters are interesting, but don’t feel fully fleshed out. The story is well-plotted, but the story development feels contrived somehow, throwing off the pace and making it harder to follow than it should be.
There are a couple of very good, unexpected, even shocking reveals that shake things up, and make the story more intriguing, make you want to see where things go from there.

Overall, this was a pleasant surprise — I might even grab the next book in the series at some point. 

I’m rating it 3 1/2 STARS and going to recommend that fans of Half Bad maybe give it a whirl.

Latitude Tamarind

I LOVE this book. I’ve reread it three or four times.

Sonja H

Ich bin über "The Darkest Part of the Forest" auf diese Autorin aufmerksam geworden und wollte unbedingt mehr von ihr lesen. Also griff ich zur Serie "Curse Workers". 
Ich hatte große Schwierigkeiten, einen Einstieg in dieses Buch zu finden. Man stolpert regelrecht in eine Welt hinein, die unserer zwar ähnelt, aber doch "magischer" zu sein scheint. Lange wird man als Leser im Dunkeln gelassen, was eigentlich aus welchen Gründen passiert und erst ab der Hälfte des Romans erfährt man Details.
Mich hat das schon ziemlich gestört, andererseits ist es Band 1 einer Trilogie und ich denke, dass in den folgenden Geschichten mehr passiert. Ich werde jedoch die Reihe nicht weiterlesen.

jacque

This was a reread! But it’s been so long I barely remembered anything so it almost felt like the first time!

The magic system in this book is so unique and interesting! I love it so much! I also love a crime story with a morally gray main character! The characters were interesting- I’m really looking forward to seeing them better fleshed out in the rest of the series!

My only complaint is that some of the plot pints felt too predictable buuuut that might just be because I have read this book before.

Elska Bee

I find myself having no strong opinions about this and I was not very invested.

I'd say you should give it a go if you like:
- Morally grey characters (Holly Black's specialty)
- A unique magic system
- Light urban fantasy/magical realism
- Stories about cons and con artists

I won't be continuing with the series as I think it's just not for me personally. I can't say I'm not a little disappointed because I've loved some of Holly Black's other stuff but oh well

Sheila

Started out slow but was super fun by the end. Liked the way big 'reveals' were done & learning about the types of curses as well as how to 'work' someone. Cassel's development was well done, but his brothers and especially his grandfather could've used more embellishing. Entertaining, quick read! (Would've read it more quickly myself but other things got in the way)

Ambreen Hasan

The easiest lies to tell are the ones you want to be true.

Curses. Mobsters. And lots and lots of coffee consumption. No really, I was surprised at how much coffee these people drink.

This was a decent read where Black sets up an intriguing world. The main character Cassel is also very likable as well.

Becky

This book got added to my TBR shelf on a whim. it sounded vaguely interesting so I figured why not? When I finally got around to buying it I could not believe it had taken me so long. I only hope the rest of the series is as good.

Carol Bailey

Book Description from Amazon.com
“Cassel comes from a family of curse workers—people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, all by the slightest touch of their hands. Since curse work is illegal, they’re all criminals. But not Cassel. He hasn’t got the magic touch, so he’s an outsider—the straight kid in a crooked family—as long as you ignore one small detail: He killed his best friend, Lila. Now he is sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat. He also notices that his brothers are keeping secrets from him. As Cassel begins to suspect he’s part of one huge con game, he must unravel his past and his memories. To find out the truth, Cassel will have to out con the conmen.”

Review: 
This book is technically written for the YA audience but I think anyone who enjoys paranormal/fantasy storylines will also enjoy this one. The story is told from Cassel’s point of view and the plot twists get more complex as you get deeper into the story. It’s well written and engaging. This is the 1st in the series of Curse Worker stories. Will I read the next one? I’ll say yes, although I plan on reading some other things beforehand.

laura

** spoiler alert **
           I really enjoyed this book. This book was a great first book in creating the rules for a new fantasy series. The world to me was really cool it kind of reminded a little bit of X-men but a little bit more normal. I also loved the various workers types that were show in this book. I really grew to love Cassel in this book he was a character that was hard around the edges but I like him a lot. I thought that the development of the fact that killed his girlfriend and then he did not kill his girlfriend but so many other people was so cool to watch. In addition to Cassel I also liked the character of Lila she was such a cool character and I really hope we get more of her in the next several books. The ending with Cassel and Lila was crazy and broke my heart a little bit for him. I also really enjoyed Cassel and his grandfather relationship was developed that final scene when the grandfather actually killed Anton was one of my favorite scenes in this book. I also loved the fact that book had a few “normal” characters that showed how the magic world effected them. I loved Cassel roommate Sam and hope we see more of him. I also thought their betting scheme was so normal in so ways but with a nice magical spin! I highly recommend this book and hope you give it a chance. Holly black has a very good voice and look forward to seeing more of these characters.

Nikki Sojkowski

It's been on my to-read list for awhile so I picked it up for my plane rides Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday. I really wish I hadn't put it off for so long cause now I don't have access to book 2 till I get back ;( I like it way more than I thought I would... I wasn't really expecting much, just the average YA book ya' know? But it was totally original and awesome! I can't wait to read the rest!

So now that I got that all put lol time for an actual REVIEW. For starters, it had a guy main character; something that doesn't come around too often (at least for me). Holly Black pulled at off perfectly and the original idea of Curse Workers fit into society and was very believable. The fact that he has memories of killing his best friend Lila who he loved made the book intense and all of the plot twists kept me at the edge of my seat dying to find out what was going to happen next!

Chelsea Breher

Picked this up on a whim, overall I found it to be an interesting story/concept. It is the story of how Cassel discovers how his life story isn't what he always thought. About the lies he's been fed throughout his life. Overall it was a good story that held my attention.

Heather Killeen

Whooaaa that was so cool! I've been hearing that this was good for a while but only finally picked it up and devoured it!

Cassel is cursed. Cursed by the memory of the fourteen year old girl he murdered. Life at school is a constant trial. Life at home even worse. No-one at home is ever going to forget that Cassel is a killer. No-one at home is ever going to forget that he isn't a magic worker. Cassel's family are one of the big five crime families in America. Ever since magic was prohibited in 1929 magic workers have been driven underground and into crime. And while people still need their touch, their curses, their magical killings, their transformations, times have been hard. His granddad has been driven to drink, his mother is in prison and his brothers detest him as the only one of their family who can't do magic. But there is a secret at the centre of Cassel's family and he's about to inherit it. It's terrifying and that's the truth. The White Cat is a stunning novel of a world changed by magic. In this world only 1% of the population can work magic but they have the power of nightmares.

The White Cat

Elettra Macri

Cassel is cursed. Cursed by the memory of the fourteen year old girl he murdered. Life at school is a constant trial. Life at home even worse. No-one at home is ever going to forget that Cassel is a killer. No-one at home is ever going to forget that he isn't a magic worker. Cassel's family are one of the big five crime families in America. Ever since magic was prohibited in 1929 magic workers have been driven underground and into crime. And while people still need their touch, their curses, their magical killings, their transformations, times have been hard. His granddad has been driven to drink, his mother is in prison and his brothers detest him as the only one of their family who can't do magic. But there is a secret at the centre of Cassel's family and he's about to inherit it. It's terrfying and that's the truth. The White Cat is a stunning novel of a world changed by magic. In this world only 1% of the population can work magic but they have the power of nightmares.