The Collector (Dante Walker, #1) in YA Monthly Challenge

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Oct 12, 2012 Cassie rated it really liked it

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4.5/5

To be posted on the blog:::

When I first agreed to be a part of the cover reveal for The Collector, I had no idea that this book would generate so. much. buzz. And honestly? I probably would not have thought to read this book, if it weren't for the buzz. After all, the premise isn't entirely unique. The bad guy/good girl trope has been used for a long time. So have fictionalized versions of Demons. The fact that I usually stayed away from paranormal also made me wary about this book. But I 4.5/5

To be posted on the blog:::

When I first agreed to be a part of the cover reveal for The Collector, I had no idea that this book would generate so. much. buzz. And honestly? I probably would not have thought to read this book, if it weren't for the buzz. After all, the premise isn't entirely unique. The bad guy/good girl trope has been used for a long time. So have fictionalized versions of Demons. The fact that I usually stayed away from paranormal also made me wary about this book. But I believed in it, I got excited about it, and I can say that The Collector is worthy of the hype.

Dante walker is a collector. He works for "Boss Man" aka the Devil by "sealing" people on earth for their sins and eventually collecting their souls for Hell. Dante's been given special privileges, but he desperately wants a promotion to be able to live on earth. In order to gain that promotion, he has to do one simple thing: collect Charlie's soul in 10 days. Easy, right? He's done it a million times, so why should she be any different? What follows is a fun, emotional, and unforgettable reading experience.

There is just so much to love--from Dante Walker's CLEAR voice, to his dark humor, to the plot, to Dante's overall character development. I've only seen character development so believable and satisfying a handful of times. The most recent example I can think of in YA is The Girl of Fire and Thorns. Yes, Dante is bad to the bone. He collects souls for a living by marking them for all their sins, and he's unbelievably arrogant. At first, he comes off as shallow, evil, and selfish, but as I continued reading, I knew there was more to him than that. Underneath that confidant exterior is someone trying to escape his past, trying to make do with what's he's been given.

And Charlie. Sweet, Charlie. Sometimes it's easy to write bad people. The trick (if he's the main character) is to make him likable, and Victoria Scott managed to nail that by creating Dante. Other times, though, it's more difficult to make a "good" person without turning her into a 'Mary Sue'. Charlie is no Mary Sue. She has her faults, she has her doubts and fears, but she's just genuinely good. And, despite that fact that she's happy with her life, there's a hidden desire to be accepted and love. It's something any reader can relate to (me, especially).

Victoria's writing is also stellar. She writes with such confidence, and the story's pacing is so smooth. I loved the depiction of good and evil, and I loved the many twists in the plot that I did not see coming. So the question is, what didn't I love? Not much.

While I adored the book, I occasionally found myself unsettled by the idea of seals and how "bad deeds" are what drag a soul to Hell. It's my only gripe, and it's very personal and connected to my religious beliefs, but it won't stop me from reading The Liberator in September. I'm just so excited to see what happens, especially after the mind-blowing end to The Collector.

Thank you, Entangled Teen, for the e-ARC.
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Nov 06, 2012 Princess Bookie marked it as to-read

Shelves: purgeddec2015

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Jan 23, 2013 Sapir marked it as to-read

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