In this book, Nick is a half-demon, half-human teenage boy who faces all of the average trouble a kid could face- doubled by the dangers of the demon world he also lives in. With a constant threat around him, he tries to cling to his values and the people he loves while his world threatens to break apart. He knows someone very close to him will betray him eventually, but this doesn't stop him from laying his life on the line for his friends. His mother means the world to him and although he is a very powerful demon, he is as meek as a puppy when her temper rises.
I liked the book as far as content and plot go. The description was vivid and it was a pleasant read. However, one thing I think the writer failed to capture was the true essence of Nick, the main character's personality. I'm not a male myself, so I can't say this with certainty, but I really doubt that an average teenage boy would see things the was Nick does. I was just pulled out of the story whenever she described her version of a typical teenager's thoughts. Although I'm not a boy, I'm around them daily and the two comparisons just didn't match up. For example, at one point Nick's mom is scolding him. He cows like a six-year-old girl and absolutely breaks down emotionally. In my opinion, there was nothing in the scolding that should have made him feel the way he did. I think the author over-dramatized the emotions of the character and it just didn't work for me. The plot was fine, with great descriptions and enough secrecy that the end wasn't a dead giveaway. The end has a cliffhanger, but not one so dramatic that it makes you want to throw the book at the wall in frustration. The only reason I didn't like this book overall was because the author failed to capture the essence of a teenage boy; a feat that I would have thought impossible for a female, non-teenaged author anyways. J.K. Rowling succeeded with Harry Potter because she was not trying to capture every thought that ran through Harry's head; she wasn't aiming to a teenage audience, either. The thoughts Rowling showed could have belonged to anyone, while in this book the author was trying too hard to put the reader right inside a teenage boy's head, not-so-secretly referenced hormonal urges and all.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Columbus, Indiana United States
