BLACK HEART by Holly Black
Reading level: Ages 14 and up
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (April 3, 2012)
ISBN-10: 1442403462  
Source: 
Rating: ♥♥♥

Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy.

But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. And when the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love.

My Thoughts:

Holly Black's Curse Workers series was a perplexing read for me. One that I wanted to sink my teeth into but could never seem to entirely savor. When I initially began this series I was impressed by it's originality and intricate storyline. The concept of a select society able to commit crimes simply by the touch of their hands was wicked ingenious. Now throw in a reluctant curse worker some good fellas and a crazed government and you have one hell of a read.

With the first novel WHITE CAT, I found that I did not favor the story's main character Cassel Sharpe. Yes, he was horribly treated by his family, and he had an unimaginable power but I could not seem to care beyond that. Yet, the story did bring me back for more in RED GLOVE, which I have to say is my favorite of the three novels because of it's fast pace and intricate plot and it left me pining for the next novel, BLACK HEART. That being said, as much wanted to enjoy it, I was left underwhelmed by the outcome in this series finale. 

I found BLACK HEART to have a spirtless plot that seemed to be pronounced due it's slow pacing. Something that it's predecessors did not suffer from. I kept waiting for things to change but that moment never came. The ending, as heart pounding as it was, felt rushed and I barely had time to revel in the moment before it was over and I was left feeling oddly empty. Not, what I care for in my reads but I cannot have everything I want.

To sum it all up I like this series but wish that this final book had been approached differently because it had such potential. I would be interested in knowing how other fans feel about this last book.