March 10, 2012

Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1)
Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Publication Date: September 27, 2011
Pages: 418
Source: Hardcover/Own

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Review: OMG! I loved this book! There is so much I loved about this book! Ok, first of all, how cool would it be to have blue hair??? I mean as soon as I learned Karou had blue hair I loved her that much more. I've always been one who wanted to dye my own hair a color not normal. Lol. Second, how cool of a name is Karou??? I love the names Karou and Akiva! They are so unique!!! And I loved that it took place in Prague! I don't know why but I really liked it! And by the end of the book I totally figured out why the book is called Daughter of Smoke & Bone! I really enjoyed some of the more mysterious aspects of this book! Starting with why Karou was sent to do these "errands" for Brimstone and why these hand prints started appearing over all the portal doorways! And then who Karou is! Up until you find out near the end it was pretty much kept under wraps and it was both interesting but yet so annoying because I so desperately wanted to know who she was, what she is! That alone kept me wanting to read more and more! Then the mystery of why Akiva felt so drawn to Karou! Both wanting to know who Karou is and why Akiva felt so drawn to her made me want to read on! I couldn't put the book down!

Ok, before I talk more about Karou and Akiva I have to get this out... I was dying of laughter when Karou kept making "itching" wishes when Kaz was modeling for her class. I could not control my laughter over where she made him itch! I'm not the only one who thought that right??? OK. Now I can move on! I felt so bad for Karou when the portals disappeared!!! She lost the only people she ever really considered family and that's a hard loss on a young girl! I mean after that she had to deal with everything on her own! Don't get me wrong, she did pretty well but it sucks going from having people to being alone. Then I also felt for Akiva some too! He had no idea why he felt such a strong pull to Karou but yet he couldn't ignore it, so he disappeared from his own home to find her and find out who she is. I mean, if I had a sudden pull towards someone I didn't know at first I'd be a little freaked out. Lol. When Akiva found out who Karou really was I was kind of happy... EXCEPT for the fact that us readers didn't find out until chapters later! I swear I couldn't get through those chapters fast enough! Lol. Though as soon as the wishbone was broken it totally clicked and I knew immediately who Karou really was. I felt bad for Karou at the end though with what Akiva told her! I don't know whether to believe it or hold out hope that Karou finds out otherwise in the next book! I definitely want to read the next book! (I dont think it can come out fast enough for me!)

5 Stars!