Book Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

by Laini Taylor

June 22nd

I can't believe I'm even breaking from reading to write this review (except it is easier to type and eat dinner than read and eat dinner). This book -- wowza. I was enchanted from the first page. It has won tons of awards so far, so I shouldn't have been surprised (but then again, everyone loves The Great Gatsby and I had to suffer through the terrible thing, so I usually don't take people's opinions as fact).

Karou (which I'm pronouncing Ka-roo, but have no idea if it's right) is living in Prague, has just broken up with a self-centered narcissist, and has a pretty loyal friend (Zuzana). She is going to art school, has 94 sketch books that she has filled throughout her life, and everything about her past seems pretty shaded ... for about the first 70 pages.

Then as we start to find out what has actually been going on in Karou's life, the reader (i.e. you and I) are sent through a whirlwind of adventure. I have had to re-read sections to figure out if I'm missing things. Just hold on, things are bound to get better and clearer!

Lastly, there is this Angel guy. Is he good? Is he evil? Tell me he is Karou's love interest for the book because he sounds delicious.

June 23rd

Last night, around 10:00pm I posted the following on Facebook.

Well, finishing the book won out ... I just couldn't put it away knowing I was so close to finding out what was going on. 

This book has so many layers, just when you think you know what is going to happen, Ms. Taylor pulls the rug from under your feet and you realize you didn't know what was going on after all. I love that. Although the love interest was maybe a little predictable, it was held out for so long I found myself holding my breath. 

Page 305 ... the last page of chapter 42. I found myself holding my breath, unsure of what I hoped the next page would say, fearing turning the page of a book. At this point I was not sure what I even wanted to happen. I waited a full five minutes thinking about it, re-reading the previous pages, wondering what could make it okay. Leading up to this point had been amazing ...

This book is a roller coaster of emotions and you are never sure what you are hoping for. The ending, well I wouldn't have ended it any other way, I love when it isn't tied up in a neat bow. This just means that the beginning of Days of Blood and Starlight is going to be amazing. 

Pick up this book and you won't regret it.