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    White Cat
    White Cat
    White Cat
    Ebook309 pages4 hours

    White Cat

    By Holly Black

    4.5/5

    ()

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    About this ebook

    A “dangerously, darkly gorgeous fantasy” (Cassandra Clare), from New York Times bestselling author Holly Black.

    Cassel comes from a family of curse workers—people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, all by the slightest touch of their hands. Since curse work is illegal, they’re all criminals. But not Cassel. He hasn’t got the magic touch, so he’s an outsider—the straight kid in a crooked family—as long as you ignore one small detail: He killed his best friend, Lila. Now he is sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat. He also notices that his brothers are keeping secrets from him. As Cassel begins to suspect he’s part of one huge con game, he must unravel his past and his memories. To find out the truth, Cassel will have to outcon the conmen.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMargaret K. McElderry Books
    Release dateMay 4, 2010
    ISBN9781442405974
    White Cat
    Author

    Holly Black

    Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of speculative and fantasy novels, short stories, and comics. She has been a finalist for an Eisner and a Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic and Nebula Awards and a Newbery Honor. She has sold over twenty-six million books worldwide, and her work has been translated into over thirty languages and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library. Visit her at BlackHolly.com.

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    Reviews for White Cat

    4.5/5

    144 ratings103 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Holly Black's writing is flawless. Her fantasies are unique and believable. She's just amazing. Her characters are real and appealing.
    • 5/5
      my first Holly Black book. enjoyed the premise and the world building.
    • 5/5
      I loved the characters and plot twists!
    • 5/5
      I don't know why I don't read more Holly Black. I enjoy the few I have read. This one in particular is a great world that is unique and interesting. I also love that the main character isn't an over the top alpha male type. Interested to see where she goes with the series.
    • 4/5
      by Holly Black

      Opening line--"I wake up barefoot, standing on cold slate tiles."

      Okay, I really loved this book. It wasn't one of the pivotal reading experiences of my life, but it was smart, fun, and since I finished I've been thinking about it a lot, drawing comparisons to other books and generally marvelling at its awesomeness.

      So here's the premise: In a world where working curses, or any sort of magic (but that seems synonymous with curses) is illegal, all the curse-workers have ended up in the hands of one of the big families. Yes. Like mob families. Cassel is the only non-worker in a family of workers. He's also the youngest* of three brothers. His father is dead; his mother is in jail; his grandfather is crazier than ever. And Cassel just wants a normal life attending a prestigious boarding school. Unfortunately, he has secrets in his past, and when he wakes up on the roof of his dorm after sleepwalking, his life changes.

      Holly Black took the "White Cat" fairy tale and adapted it in really interesting ways. Despite the title I didn't make the connection until one particular point, at which I set down the book for a second and went, "OH! Now I get what she's doing!" So thumbs up for a very unique re-telling. If you know the story, that's fine. If not, I'd suggest looking it up AFTER you finish the book, because it will spoil one of the big secrets.

      I did call most of the twists and turns, but I wasn't particularly bothered by this for some reason. I think it's because Cassel's voice and story were engaging enough to keep me from feeling annoyed. And besides that, there were some very strong reasons that he couldn't see what everyone else could. It wasn't that he was being dumb, it was that he was being manipulated.

      I loved that all of the characters were so ambiguous. I love ambiguous characters, as long as they settle down into some sort of sense by the end of the book (or at least by the end of the series). If they don't, I'm just annoyed. Cassel was great, as was his grandfather. And I loved Sam! Sam is Cassel's roommate and is awesome. He drives a biodiesel hearse. 'Nuff said.

      It did cut off a bit abruptly, which left me saying, "There had BETTER be a sequel." And there is, coming out next year.

      I have all sorts of other thoughts, but they're a bit more spoilery.

      Book source: public library
      Book information: Margaret McElderry Books, 2010

      * I didn't think about this at the time, but WOW! Holly Black does that youngest-son fairy tale trope really nicely. I didn't even notice it while reading, but it definitely adds another level of complexity to the story.

      -----

      Such a fantastic book! I loved the very subtle weaving in of the eponymous fairy tale (and yes, I did just want to use that word). I loved the mystery of Cassel’s past. I loved the world. I loved Grandpa and Sam. While I did call most of the twists, I still found myself engaged. Fortunately, it’s just the first in a series. [2010 in books]
    • 5/5
      Darn it. I just typed up a whole review and it got erased. Well, here we go again.

      It's kind of funny that I have to type it up again from memory, when this book deals so much with memory and memories and how they can and can't be trusted.

      There's something about Holly Black's books that are so compulsively readable to me. Once I finished two of her books in two days - one day for each book. I finished this book in two days, although in actually, it probably only took me about 4 hours to read it cover to cover.

      Not because it was an easy story, but because I wanted to know what happened next. Cassel's voice drew me in from the very first chapter, he was a hero I wanted to spend time with and get to know. I loved all the details of the book, the complex worldbuilding that blended in the curse workers history with real world history, the way the curse working was described side by side with explanations of real life cons work. I guess that makes it a shining example of its genre. The magic worked in so smoothly with the ordinary. I loved the way it dealt with love and family and memory and trust, and how ultimately unrealiable it can all be.

      All the big reveals blew me a way every time, had me exclaiming outloud, "Holy shit!" and "Oh my god!", the way it all fell into place every time.

      I can't wait for the next book, not because the book ended on a cliff hanging - it could work as a stand alone - but because I'm anxious to get back to Cassel and his world.
    • 4/5
      Clever, engrossing mix of magic, organized crime, mystery, and a bit of romance.
    • 2/5
      Great world, really intriguing magical system, interesting enough characters--unfortunately, the plot was absolutely transparent, obvious almost from the first pages. I could probably have guessed the story from the blurb, if I'd read it, and saved myself the trouble of the whole book.
    • 3/5
      I picked this up on e-book sale because I hadn't previously read any Holly Black, and I've always heard great things about her.A super quick and entertaining read. I enjoyed the noir aspects and the con-man identity of the main character. I also thought that Black did a good job with the fact that the point of view of the main character is unreliable. I was happy with the relationships that he develops over the first book, and it would be interesting to see how the political situation that remains in the background for the first book develops in the sequels. I really had to think back to fit this book with the fairytale.
    • 3/5
      cassel comes from a family of curse workers - magically gifted people who can change someeone's luck, or their dreams, or their emotions, with a touch. because this kind of meddling with people's lives makes people justifiably antsy, "working" has been illegal for all of the modern era, and therefore cassel has been raised in a family of mobsters. he's the only one in his family without talent, but he's still family anyway, so they've done a good job of covering up the murder he committed a few years ago.

      it's an unusual set-up for a YA novel, and Black gets major bonus points for the sheer originality of her world. instead of the usual "girl falls for supernatural boy" story, we get a shady, gritty inside primer on how to be a con man, a la 'the grifters'. the story's light touch with romance means that swooning teen angst never gets in the way of the plot.

      unfortunately, due to the nature of what's going on here, most of this novel is all about figuring out what already happened. info dumping is gently broken into tantalizing chunks spread throughout, but it still reads a lot like a set-up for future installments. its definitely a world worth exploring more, I just wish more had happened in the now in this one.
    • 4/5
      One of the things that I loved about this book was the subtly of how this world was different than ours, with the addition of workers and charms. For a first book, this was a really strong introduction to Cassel and his situation. I loved the tension and the realization of what was really going on—it made me want to go and pick up the next book right now. The only thing I didn’t really like was the resolution and the revelation of what really happened to Lila—the reveal came too quickly and the consequences and effects didn’t seem to have any impact on the characters for the time being. Still, it was a fun book and I would love to see what’s going to happen after this.
    • 4/5
      I liked this book. It was a little different than Black's other books and I like that she changed it up a little. It was interesting having the main character as a male when she favors female heroins most often. The mob kind of feel to the book was very interesting. And I love the curse aspect. Excited for book #2
    • 3/5
      So I wasn't into the crime family thing or the general curse bit, but I did enjoy this and I want to read the next book. Even though I wasn't into the plot, I was into the story- that is, I liked how it was written, I was curious about it, and I was interested in the characters. I do want to know what will happen next, especially with Cassel's love interest(s).
    • 5/5
      I LOVE THIS BOOK! I normally try to refrain from all-caps declarations of love (exception: Christian Bale), but it is unavoidable and White Cate is worthy of them. This was a quick read but I had so much fun with Cassel that I immediately bought book two, Red Glove, literally right after I finished the final page of this. It's addictive - an all-male POV ya novel that's entirely credible and authentic in its voice, set amid a unique and compelling plotline within a magically-infused world. Fast-moving and nearly unputdownable, this is the book newcomers should try for this author. After starting and DNFing the first Spiderwick novel early last year, I was nowhere close to expecting the level of reaction that White Cat caused within me - this is one that has rocketed up to be among my favorite YA novels of recent years. Cassel was a strong, unique, male voice with a genuinely compelling and individual tale. This was just... so fun to read; an effortless reading experience as well- the pages flip by without even noticing. I loved the slow reveal of both the history of the 'dab hands' as well as Cassel's own personal evolutionary arc.This isn't a character or a world that you want to leave - both characters and world make an impression and it is a very favorable one. This is a lol-worthy novel, largely due to Cassel himself. He exhibits the trademark teenage self-deprecation and hatred, but unlike most teens, Cassel has the unhappy history to back up his darker emotions. He's quick, and smart but humanly and believably flawed, lonely kid. He uses a complex system of bets on other people's daily lives to feel as if he has some measure of control, as well as to feel like he has a life of his own. Cassel is easily the highpoint of the entire novel, through all his ups, downs, and quotable moments. (“She says that what you did was a cry for help." "It was," I say. "That's why I was yelling 'Heeeelp!' I don't really go in for subtlety.”) If he is occasionally a bit too. . . naiive. . at the expense of pacing and plotting, I'll take that bargain. He's a very relatable and often introspective character for a male teen (“We are, largely, who we remember ourselves to be. That's why habits are so hard to break. If we know ourselves to be liars, we expect not to tell the truth. If we think of ourselves as honest, we try harder.” and “The easiest lies to tell are the ones you want to be true.”) but it works, it genuinely does.Everything is not perfect here, despite my overwhelming love for the first in the inventive and fun Curse Worker's series - Holly Black is a talented and humorous storyteller, but her expertise doesn't encompass all there is to White Cat. For a novel about con men and deception, several of the twists and turns taken throughout are thoroughly predictable and/or transparent. Not all reveals and outcomes are predicted but some are rather obvious from the get-go. Black takes care to show and not tell with her prose, but her foreshadowing could use some work. This is a novel that isn't full of surprises but one that leads you to a conclusion and then turns that predicted conclusion on its head. It's rather nicely done and impressive on the author's part. I wish that the Mafia families here had more bite and shows of power - I never quite bought the danger of the threat of the Zacharov family, for example. A larger focus on those in charge of the criminal curseworkers would be appreciated.I was never bored while reading White Cat. On the contrary, I was constantly entertained by this fucked up family dynamic, the first I've seen to really match The Chronicles of Amber in the level of lies, manipulation, outright betrayal and felonies attempted. This is a series made of the winning mix of mafia and magic - intriguing in its conception and execution, filled with complex characters and just plain fun. I read this in early March and I think it will remain one of my favorite novels for the entire year.
    • 4/5
      Con men, the magic and murder, oh my! I absolutely adored this book and I feel foolish for not having discovered this series (and Holly Black) sooner.Cassel's family is just like your average family; his mother can alter a person's emotions, his brother can alter memories, and his other brother can change a person's luck. Everyone can work a curse except for Cassel who is prone to sleepwalking and dreaming of a murder he committed three years back. Everything changes when he finds a white cat in his dorm room, and his brothers begin to act more strangely than usual.This story was all kinds of amazing! I loved the aspect of cursing people being illegal (workers must wear gloves to ensure that they don't curse others). Although it's deemed illegal, that obviously doesn't mean that people no longer practice it, in fact there are advocates for curseworkers. The novel continuously built up until the "big reveal" which kept me glued to the edge of my seat! I love when the author gives little information throughout the book that seems random until the climax, that's writing and story telling at its best!All of the characters were complex and interesting. I didn't know how to react to Cassel's family of curseworkers. They're all so manipulative and have ties to the mobster. Despite their manipulative ways they care for each other and most importantly, they care about Cass. Cass himself is an interesting character, he is extremely likable and determined to do the right thing. The Barron family is definitely one of the most interesting families that I have read about this year; I mean who else can top a grandfather with decayed fingertips who can kill you with one simple touch.The writing was flawless and I felt like I was transported into Cass's world. I loved the interactions between Cass and his classmates and I enjoyed seeing him react to his curseworking family.The White Cat was a great start to this series. With memorable characters and a twist that will surprise you, I can't wait to continue this series!
    • 4/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: An engrossing and unique tale filled with dark, paranormal elements that will leave you wanting more. Opening Sentence: I wake up barefoot, standing on cold slate tiles. The Review: Holly Black brings us into the world of curse workers, in White Cat, the first book of the Curse Workers series. I’ve never read any of Black’s books, prior to White Cat, but many of my friends have raved about her work and world building. I was told to expect a wonderful range of characters, all with a varying array of personality depth. I was also told to expect the unexpected, throwing out all preconceived notions of whatever I heard about this book. Well, I’m here to tell you the same thing. Embrace White Cat for each word that Black writes onto the page. The plot of White Cat is none like I’ve ever seen. It is a modern take on magic and magicians, but in the form of curses. In a world where curse workers are feared and outcasted, Black explains her unique world in detail. Cassel is a young man who comes from a well-known line of Curse of Workers. Every member has a powerful curse, all except him. In his life of non-existent power, he is the one with more morals than the rest of his family, mostly turning away from a life that belongs to mobsters and con artists. The only downfall to Cassel’s life? He killed Lila, his best friend. I instantly loved Cassel from the moment I was introduced to him. He is smart and witty, filling the pages with snark and charisma. But Cassel is not social nor is he a social-climber, he is mysterious and reclusive, keeping away from as many people as he can. A white cat and a best friend haunt his dreams, and when added with bouts of sleepwalking, it’s bound to result in disaster. Black’s White Cat is filled with new and adult material. Teetering on adult situations and problems, Black touches on the issues of loyalty and betrayal, depression, and criminal flaws. I feel that White Cat has mafia-like elements, but in the end, Black talks about family and all of the dysfunctional traits of one. White Cat’s world is superb. There are so many dark moments in mysterious corners that I couldn’t wait to find out about. In Black’s modern world, White Cat has many paranormal elements that could belong in a fantasy world. Nothing needed to be explained in detail, but that is the amazing talent that Black has. She introduced the right amount of detail for the reader to accept and allow their imagination to run away with. Holly Black’s White Cat has quickly become one of my favorite books. I highly urge you to pick this up if you haven’t done so already. So many twists, turns, and surprises. I cannot wait to find out what happens next. Notable Scene: Let’s also say someone gave me that dream, the one where the cat was begging for help. If I were cursed to have it, that would mean someone had to touch me, hand to skin. The cat—the one that slept on my bed, the one near my dorm room in the video—did touch me. So maybe the cat gave me the dream. Of course, that’s ridiculous. Cats are animals. They can no more perform curse work than they can perform a sonata or compose a villanelle. Unless the cat was really a girl. A girl who was a dream worker. Lila. Which would mean something far different—not just that some memories of murdering her were stolen from me. It would mean she’s not dead.FTC Advisory: Simon & Schuster/Margaret K McElderry provided me with a copy of White Cat. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 4/5
      The basic premise is that there are some people who are born with the ability to do magic, known as working. But doing so is illegal, so it's all black market stuff. And the business is controlled by a few organized crime families.And the main character is a kid in one of those families, though he doesn't have the ability himself.He finds himself sleepwalking out on the roof of the boarding school he attends and gets himself suspended until he gets a doctor's clearance.This is no angel of a main character (and not just because this book isn't about angels). He knows how to run a con. And one of those cons is how to forget a doctor's note and get himself back in school, because he doesn't want to live at home with his crazy controlling family.There were a lot of predictable things in this book. Does he really have no magic? Is that white cat he's holding on the cover really just a cat?But even seeing through all of that, the world Holly Black has created managed to throw twists and turns into the story all by itself. It was different enough that, no, it wasn't all predictable. Definitely a different sort of YA fantasy, and worth checking out. I look forward to reading the next one.
    • 4/5
      Summary: Cassel Sharpe doesn't fit in with his family. Everyone else in his family is a Worker - magicians who are able to influence other people via skin contact - and although he's been trained in the art of the con job, Cassel doesn't have any magic of his own. Curse Working is illegal, and Cassel's mom's in jail, while his older brothers are involved to varying degrees with one of the Worker crime families. But Cassel's got other problems: he wakes up one night nearly naked on the roof of his dorm, and cannot convince the school administration that he was just sleepwalking. They kick him out, worried that he's a danger to himself and others. Cassel would say that that's crazy, but he doesn't have a better explanation for what's really going on, plus he just can't shake his memories of the time when he came to covered in blood... and with his childhood sweetheart dead at his feet.Review: Whenever I watch Law & Order or any of its derivatives, I tend to tune out or skip over the episodes that heavily feature organized crime. I can't really explain why, but mob stories just don't hold a lot of interest for me, so White Cat was automatically working at somewhat of a disadvantage. Despite that, however, it did a lot of things right, and I wound up enjoying it quite a bit more than I would have expected given the premise.One of the main things White Cat does right was tell a complete, entertaining story in a compact space without a whole lot of messing around. I figured out the first major plot point right before the main character did, and was feeling both a little smug, and surprised that they were giving away something so major so early - I'd only been listening for a few hours, after all. But then I realized that "only a few hours" was still almost 2/3s of the way through the book, and that the pacing was right on track. Black manages to pack the main plot, a few secondary story threads, and some decent character development into a very short space - an impressive accomplishment, particularly given the tendency of fantasy novels towards sprawl.I didn't love the main character - Cassel comes off as a strange balance between cocky and whiney, which fits with his age and his background, but which I didn't find particularly endearing. I do have to wonder how much of that was the writing, and how much was the narration - Jesse Eisenberg was overall a really good fit for the character, but may have accentuated the whininess in parts. Overall, this was an interesting change of pace from the YA fantasy I normally read, and while I didn't love it to pieces, I definitely enjoyed it enough to pick up the rest of the series. 3.5 out of 5 stars.Recommendation: Recommended for fans of YA fantasy, particularly urban fantasy, who are tired of vampires, werewolves, etc.
    • 4/5
      I’m not really sure why it took me so long to pick up this book. I have long been a fan of Holly Black, whose Tithe was my first introduction into urban fantasy and dark fantasy. Perhaps it was because I felt like my tastes in reading had matured past the style presented in those novels. (Never to fear, if this is an obstacle for you, White Cat is a much more mature, thought-provoking piece.) I guess it’s possible that I just wasn’t sure about the whole con artist aspect of the story. However, after I made it through the light read All These Things I’ve Done, I decided I was not actually opposed to novels about families with histories deeply entrenched in crime. And this book definitely falls into that category.Cassel Sharpe has grown up in a family where stealing, lying, conning, working are commonplace. However, his family doesn’t consist of just petty criminals. They have magic on their side. At the slightest, miniscule touch of a bare hand, they have the power to change you. His mother can change emotions. She never hesitated to use her power to get what she wanted, whether from an unwitting victim or from her children. Others can change memories, luck, dreams. His grandfather can even kill. Oh, and about that whole killing thing? Well, no one likes to talk about it, but it turns out Cassel killed his best friend and love, Lila, three years ago. He can’t remember much, but his brothers tell him they found him standing over her, covered in blood and smiling. This little incident, along with the fact that he’s the only non-worker in the family, has left Cassel on the fringes. As an outsider, he was just doing his best to get by, taking bets and money from fellow students at Wallingford. Until the sleepwalking started. When his world is full of liars and cheats, secrets and cover-ups, it’s not easy for Cassel to unravel what’s really going on. But he has to, because there are just too many things that don’t add up.White Cat is a paranormal urban fantasy novel, but it’s different than things I’ve read before. Holly Black does a great job creating memorable characters and building a world around Cassel that’s ultimately full of deception he struggles to unravel. While he may seem a little slow on the uptake at times, the novel is about Cassel coming to terms with the fact that he may not be able to trust anyone in his family. He may not even be able to trust his own memories. And when memories are such a huge foundation for who you are, what do you do when you can’t trust who you thought you were?The novel is engaging from start to finish. The alternate universe America where curse workers exist is an intriguing one. Working is illegal, but those who wish to use their gifts for good, such as granting good luck at weddings, are challenging this notion. While it is a small part of the novel, it presents an interesting question — can people be trusted to hold so much power and not use it to further their own ends at the expense of others? Of course, the power does come with some price. Black introduces “blowback” as a mechanism of a power check. Cassel’s mother suffers from terrible mood swings. His grandfather has a dead hand to remind him of his debts. The concepts presented here are quite fascinating. The plot is thrilling and entertaining as well. As the threads around Cassel’s mysteries unravel, more complications arise to take their place. Even the end–just when it seemed like things were wrapping up so nicely–was a satisfying kick to the gut.I’d recommend White Cat to fans of young adult urban fantasy looking for something different from the normal deluge of vampires and werewolves. Black’s style and talent for story creation are not to be discounted here.
    • 5/5
      I had a blast reading about Cassel. Cassel comes from a family of curse workers. In this version of America to be a curseworker [capable of manipulating people by touch] also makes you a criminal. Cassel's family would be criminals in the real world as well though. His mother sounds like a real piece of work. She had him stealing for her and would manipulate his emotions to make him manageable.It's sad just how many kids parents have them do that in the real world. I work in our county jail. It breaks my heart when family Christmases for some are breaking into houses.In "White Cat" his mom is in prison for a con job she pulled on a millionaire. She uses her gift of affecting people's emotions with her con artist scams.I am a sucker for con artist films so I enjoyed the little tidbits about conning such as knowing the mark, the convincer and my favourite "You can't con an honest man." I love con artists movies.Grifters often excuse their crimes with that line and these guys are no exception.Curse workers suffer what is called blowback. Blowback means they suffer what they did to another person [if they did something good however that goes back on them as well]. Cassel's mom is very emotionally unstable as a result of "handling" her marks and her family. Cassel is the mark as well where his family is concerned.He's suspended from school during a sleep-walking incident. He has to go stay with the family who don't respect or trust him do to something that happened three years ago. He killed his best friend who happens to be the daughter of the crime family his family work for.His brothers are very nasty as well. I liked his grandfather a lot. The family dynamic in this book was very realistic and the build-up and explanations on how the family worked were well plotted out.It's just as much character driven story as it is about magic.I can't help but be reminded of what is happening in South America right now with the drug crime families. There is a small side story in this book where some of the government want testing of "workers" so they can know who has abilities and who doesn't. So they can criminalise children for not doing anything obviously. The alternate Australia does not have powerful crime families due to workers being legal.This is probably is a bigger part of the next two books. Cassel has a lot of baggage but he is resourceful, loyal and funny.
    • 4/5
      What if there were people in the world who could work magic? What if it had consequences? What if your consequences could be deadly? What if people wore gloves all the time to avoid appearing to want to touch people to work magic? What if the use of this magic was banned and forced underground, like alcohol prohibition? These are some of the what ifs that Holly Black confront us with in this story of a world quite like our own and what happens after Cassel finds himself on a roof after a sleepwalking episode.Cassel is from a criminal family, his family work cons, each have different skills and are trying to survive in a world that thinks they're too dangerous. It didn't quite work for me, some of it was grand but I just didn't care about the cons and how the cons worked that Cassel explaned, it would probably appeal to fans of Leverage. I have no urgent urge to read the next in the series, but didn't dislike the read.
    • 4/5
      I liked the story but it was a little slow moving.
    • 4/5
      The beginning is slow, Holly Black takes world and story set up seriously. Aside from the awesome open scene (one of the best opening scenes ever), the story is very a slow build and may be frustrating at times. But once the halfway mark is hit, it becomes rewarding. I listened to the audio and while in the end I enjoyed the performance, it took me awhile to connect with the characters. I would recommend reading this book instead of listening, although I have to admit I requested the audio of #2 from the library, merely as an experiment though. Now that I am into the series and the characters, maybe my experience will be different. This is a young adult paranormal series written from the point of view of a male character. The world is like ours, but people who work magic are out and known about. In many books, magic workers operate in secret and I often wonder -- why not just let the world know? Well this book approaches the magic working world from the angle of what happens when the world knows. Magic Workers become feared, targeted with violence and very restrictive laws are put in place. The story is dark and surprising. It is has a new innovative feel, but still relies on many of the young adult tropes -- it takes place in and out of a private boarding school, the family of the lead is weird and messed up and the lead doesn't know quite who he is. But what Holly Black does from there has a new feel and I look forward to reading #2 in the Curse Workers series. Oh, and I loved the ending.
    • 4/5
      This book has been sitting on my shelf for a while now but for some reason I had yet to pick it up. Maybe it’s the seriously creepy cover. Those gloves alone are enough to send me running. It wasn’t until recently that I’ve gotten in to darker YA so I guess it was just time to read this one. I’m so glad I did because it’s positively fabulous!This is my first Holly Black book and I had no idea how awesome she is. White Cat was fierce. Even with its dark, nasty magic performed by wicked evil doers I was immediately rooting for the bad guys. Curse workers have formed a sort of magical mafia where they’re still busting knee caps in an old school way only in Black’s world they do it with their minds. I loved Cassel from page one. Believing that he lacks the powers that the rest of his family has, he still engages in the same manipulation and subterfuge that his twisted kinsmen do but with his wits alone. Oh and then, THEN there’s the part where he turns out to be the biggest badass.I’m liking YA books from male points of view. They’re rare enough to make them a real treat whenever they’re stumbled upon. The sequel, Red Glove, was released this past April and I need to get my grubby little hands on it.
    • 3/5
      I don't know what really put me off while reading, but I was just 'meh' the whole time. The story line was really interesting, and was what essentially kept me reading. But about 30 pages in, I figured out what the twist was going to be and I did skip a few scenes because I didn't care about what was happening, and I knew how it was going to end anyways. A big reason I wasn't into the story much was because I'm not interested in mob/mafia families, which is basically what the book is centered around. If I knew that, I probably wouldn't have been interested in reading this.But the whole curse work thing was really unique and interesting. I really liked the idea of people being able to use magic on someone just by touching them. That was the main reason I picked this book to read.Overall, the book is not bad at all! It's a really easy, fast read and can keep you on the edge of your seat. It just wasn't a book for me.
    • 5/5
      *This review is for both White Cat and Red Glove*In short: Holly Black masterfully creates clever mysteries and an effortless and fascinating alternate universe in the first two books of the Curse Workers Trilogy, White Cat and Red Glove.I read White Cat and Red Glove right after a string of serious and sad books and it couldn't have been a better balm for my hurt psyche. They were exactly the right books to read at exactly the right time. Thoroughly entertaining, fascinating, and clever, White Cat and Red Glove were completely fun to read. Not a mindless type of fun, mind you - Holly Black crafts very intelligent mysteries in these books that force you to put some serious thought into figuring out what's going on.Speaking of Holly Black, can you believe these are the first books of hers that I have ever read? I have to say, my first impression is extremely positive. Her writing and world building was simply effortless. She was able to weave an entire alternate universe, in which magic exists and everyone wears gloves to avoid getting "worked" by people who wield this magic, with skillful proficiency. The story was never bogged down by too many details involving the backstory of curse working, and yet I still feel like I got a good background of the history anyway.I adored Cassel, just like everyone else seems to love him. A bit surprising really, because as a con man, he is not the most moral character ever - his first instinct upon entering an expensive home is to think about the various ways he could steal the silver candlesticks, for instance - but he really is a good guy at heart. Even growing up in a mob family full of con artists and crooks, he feels compassion for victims and remorse for people he has played.My only quibbles are related to a few plot holes and questionable character motivations, but they seem too minor to mention in detail. All I know is that the first two books in the Curse Workers Trilogy were brilliant, fast-paced, and enjoyable, and I have no doubt that the final book, Black Heart (to be published April 3, 2012), will be as well!
    • 5/5
      I've heard so many great things about this book and now that I've read it, I know why - because it's an amazing book!! This is the first book by Holly Black that I've read, but it certainly isn't going to be the last! It was totally different from any other YA paranormal book that I've read in the past because it deals with curse workers, people who can curse others with anything from good luck to death just by touching them with their bare fingers. It is for this reason that everyone wears gloves in the world in which White Cat is set. Cassel Sharpe comes from a long line of curse workers, but is not himself one. This has always made him feel like the odd man out in his family. The other thing that keeps him at arm's length from the rest of his family is the fact that he killed his best friend, Lila, many years ago, and is still feeling guilty about that. Things begin to change when he is at boarding school and starts having dreams about a white cat. Then he walks in his sleep onto the roof of his dorm, and almost falls off. He is suspended until he can get a doctor's excuse saying that he won't do something like that again, and moves into his old family home with his grandfather. He finds a white cat there, and starts questioning things that he has never questioned before. There is such delicious creepiness in this book that I couldn't put it down once I started reading it! I am now a die-hard Holly Black fan and plan on getting my hands on anything else she has written :D
    • 5/5
      I have no idea how I missed this book when it first came out and am so glad I grabbed it off the library shelves recently. I had heard some recent buzz about book 3 in the series coming out this spring and how the publisher refreshed the cover art into this really snazzy pointillism-type look. So so glad I read all those book blogs to learn little tidbits like this and to get turned on to books that might have forever eluded me!White Cat is a dark mystery. Dark because the story is scary and at times bleak and also because it involves a sort of dark and at times violent magic. You enter into this seemingly gritty world where everything feels strange and unimaginable but you soon realize that you are hooked on the main character Cassell and simply can not put the book down!Cassell comes from a family of Curse Workers. These are people with the ability to touch you with their hands and somehow alter something about you. A luck worker might give you good luck, a physical worker might break your legs, a kill worker…well, you get the point. Because Curse Workers look like everyone else and the government hasn’t yet figured out how to identify them, everyone must wear gloves to protect themselves from an accidental (or intentional) brush with a worker. Cassell is the only member of his family who isn’t a worker and this gives him a lonely sense of being the odd man out and a relief that he isn’t one of them.Cassell tries to lead a normal life and attend high school. But he has two very large secrets that certainly make his life extremely different from his classmates. One is that he killed his best friend Lila three years ago and is haunted every day of his life wondering how and why it happened. He actually can not remember doing it. The other is that his two brothers are working him to commit crimes for them. Working someone is illegal but often very difficult to prove. Cassell in fact spends most of the book trying to find that exact proof and it is this mysterious relationship with his brothers that really drives the plot.I am nervous that to write more will potentially spoil the book for you and it is such an awesomely different and surprising story that I want you to experience it for yourself. I’ll leave you with two tidbits: Lila isn’t dead and Cassell is actually a worker…but just what kind you’ll have to learn for yourself!If you haven’t read White Cat or Red Glove (book 2), hurry to squeeze them in now because Black Heart (book 3) is coming out this spring!
    • 4/5
      A nicely worked world... the back story is introduced piecemeal and well... the protagonist (an older teenager, Cassel) sounds like a bit of a cutey... and not too much teenage angst (unlike a certain Bella character...).Basically a nice easy read that I was able to rip through in no time at all, and I've ordered the sequel...
    • 4/5
      One morning, Cassel Sharpe wakes up on the roof of his dorm. His classmates and teachers think he wants to kill himself, but Cassel knows that it's just the sleepwalking that plagued him as a kid coming back. But how can he convince the school of that when his family is a group of powerful curse-workers?The story is set in a sort of alternate universe, where much of our history has happened, but there have also been "workers" who can work magic by touching you - doing such things as altering emotions or memory. In the U.S., this is outlawed and many workers, including Cassel's family, have turned to crime instead. This creates a really interesting scenario that the author plays with in creating the "alternate" parts of history and the way in which society would work as a result, for example, with the crime families and a society that wears gloves. Cassel narrates in present tense, and is a truly conflicted character. He is the non-worker in a family of workers, not out of choice but because he doesn't have the ability, and feels left out as a result. I could empathize with his struggle to do the right thing while still loving his family, but in some ways his way of thinking was very foreign to me. The book reads really fast - I read it in an evening - and I recommend it to fans of teen fantasy looking for an interesting twist.

    Book preview

    White Cat - Holly Black

    CHAPTER ONE

    I WAKE UP BAREFOOT, standing on cold slate tiles. Looking dizzily down. I suck in a breath of icy air.

    Above me are stars. Below me, the bronze statue of Colonel Wallingford makes me realize I’m seeing the quad from the peak of Smythe Hall, my dorm.

    I have no memory of climbing the stairs up to the roof. I don’t even know how to get where I am, which is a problem since I’m going to have to get down, ideally in a way that doesn’t involve dying.

    Teetering, I will myself to be as still as possible. Not to inhale too sharply. To grip the slate with my toes.

    The night is quiet, the kind of hushed middle-of-the-night quiet that makes every shuffle or nervous panting breath echo. When the black outlines of trees overhead rustle, I jerk in surprise. My foot slides on something slick. Moss.

    I try to steady myself, but my legs go out from under me.

    I scrabble for something to hold on to as my bare chest slams down on the slate. My palm comes down hard on a sharp bit of copper flashing, but I hardly feel the pain. Kicking out, my foot finds a snow guard, and I press my toes against it, steadying myself. I laugh with relief, even though I am shaking so badly that climbing is out of the question.

    Cold makes my fingers numb. The adrenaline rush makes my brain sing.

    Help, I say softly, and feel crazy nervous laughter bubble up my throat. I bite the inside of my cheek to tamp it down.

    I can’t ask for help. I can’t call anyone. If I do, then my carefully maintained pretense that I’m just a regular guy is going to fade forever. Sleepwalking is kid’s stuff, weird and embarrassing.

    Looking across the roof in the dim light, I try to make out the pattern of snow guards, tiny triangular pieces of clear plastic that keep ice from falling in a sheet, tiny triangular pieces that were never meant to hold my weight. If I can get closer to a window, maybe I can climb down.

    I edge my foot out, shifting as slowly as I can and worming toward the nearest snow guard. My stomach scrapes against the slate, some of the tiles chipped and uneven beneath me. I step onto the first guard, then down to another and across to one at the edge of the roof. There, panting, with the windows too far beneath me and with nowhere left to go, I decide I am not willing to die from embarrassment.

    I suck in three deep breaths of cold air and yell.

    Hey! Hey! Help! The night absorbs my voice. I hear the distant swell of engines along the highway, but nothing from the windows below me.

    HEY! I scream it this time, guttural, as loudly as I can, loud enough that the words scrape my throat raw. Help!

    A light flickers on in one of the rooms and I see the press of palms against a glass pane. A moment later the window slides open. Hello? someone calls sleepily from below. For a moment her voice reminds me of another girl. A dead girl.

    I hang my head off the side and try to give my most chagrined smile. Like she shouldn’t freak out. Up here, I say. On the roof.

    Oh, my God, Justine Moore gasps.

    Willow Davis comes to the window. I’m getting the hall master.

    I press my cheek against the cold tile and try to convince myself that everything’s okay, that it’s not a curse, that if I just hang on a little longer, things are going to be fine.

    A crowd gathers below me, spilling out of the dorms.

    Jump, some jerk shouts. Do it!

    Mr. Sharpe? Dean Wharton calls. Come down from there at once, Mr. Sharpe! His silver hair sticks up like he’s been electrocuted, and his robe is inside out and badly tied. The whole school can see his tighty-whities.

    I realize abruptly that I’m wearing only boxers. If he looks ridiculous, I look worse.

    Cassel! Ms. Noyes yells. Cassel, don’t jump! I know things have been hard . . . She stops there, like she isn’t quite sure what to say next. She’s probably trying to remember what’s so hard. I have good grades. Play well with others.

    I look down again. Camera phones flash. Freshmen hang out of windows next door in Strong House, and juniors and seniors stand around on the grass in their pajamas and nightgowns, even though teachers are desperately trying to herd them back inside.

    I give my best grin. Cheese, I say softly.

    Get down, Mr. Sharpe, yells Dean Wharton. I’m warning you!

    I’m okay, Ms. Noyes, I call. I don’t know how I got up here. I think I was sleepwalking.

    I’d dreamed of a white cat. It leaned over me, inhaling sharply, as if it was going to suck the breath from my lungs, but then it bit out my tongue instead. There was no pain, only a sense of overwhelming, suffocating panic. In the dream my tongue was a wriggling red thing, mouse-size and wet, that the cat carried in her mouth. I wanted it back. I sprang up out of the bed and grabbed for her, but she was too lean and too quick. I chased her. The next thing I knew, I was teetering on a slate roof.

    A siren wails in the distance, drawing closer. My cheeks hurt from smiling.

    Eventually a fireman climbs a ladder to get me down. They put a blanket around me, but by then my teeth are chattering so hard that I can’t answer any of their questions. It’s like the cat bit out my tongue after all.

    The last time I was in the headmistress’s office, my grandfather was there with me to enroll me at the school. I remember watching him empty a crystal dish of peppermints into the pocket of his coat while Dean Wharton talked about what a fine young man I would be turned into. The crystal dish went into the opposite pocket.

    Wrapped in a blanket, I sit in the same green leather chair and pick at the gauze covering my palm. A fine young man indeed.

    Sleepwalking? Dean Wharton says. He’s dressed in a brown tweed suit, but his hair is still wild. He stands near a shelf of outdated encyclopedias and strokes a gloved finger over their crumbling leather spines.

    I notice there’s a new cheap glass dish of mints on the desk. My head is pounding. I wish the mints were aspirin.

    I used to sleepwalk, I say. I haven’t done it in a long time.

    Somnambulism isn’t all that uncommon in kids, boys especially. I looked it up online after waking in the driveway when I was thirteen, my lips blue with cold, unable to shake the eerie feeling that I’d just returned from somewhere I couldn’t quite recall.

    Outside the leaded glass windows the rising sun limns the trees with gold. The headmistress, Ms. Northcutt, looks puffy and red-eyed. She’s drinking coffee out of a mug with the Wallingford logo on it and gripping it so tightly the leather of her gloves over her knuckles is pulled taut.

    I heard you’ve been having some problems with your girlfriend, Headmistress Northcutt says.

    No, I say. Not at all. Audrey broke up with me after the winter holiday, exhausted by my moodiness. It’s impossible to have problems with a girlfriend who’s no longer mine.

    The headmistress clears her throat. Some students think you are running a betting pool. Are you in some kind of trouble? Owe someone money?

    I look down and try not to smile at the mention of my tiny criminal empire. It’s just a little forgery and some bookmaking. I’m not running a single con; I haven’t even taken up my brother Philip’s suggestion that we could be the school’s main supplier for underage booze. I’m pretty sure the headmistress doesn’t care about betting, but I’m glad she doesn’t know that the most popular odds are on which teachers are hooking up. Northcutt and Wharton are a long shot, but that doesn’t stop people laying cash on them. I shake my head.

    Have you experienced mood swings lately? Dean Wharton asks.

    No, I say.

    What about changes in appetite or sleep patterns? He sounds like he’s reciting the words from a book.

    The problem is my sleep patterns, I say.

    What do you mean? asks Headmistress Northcutt, suddenly intent.

    "Nothing! Just that I was sleepwalking, not trying to kill myself. And if I wanted to kill myself, I wouldn’t throw myself off a roof. And if I was going to throw myself off a roof, I would put on some pants before I did it."

    The headmistress takes a sip from her cup. She’s relaxed her grip. Our lawyer advised me that until a doctor can assure us that nothing like this will happen again, we can’t allow you to stay in the dorms. You’re too much of an insurance liability.

    I thought that people would give me a lot of crap, but I never thought there would be any real consequences. I thought I was going to get a scolding. Maybe even a couple of demerits. I’m too stunned to say anything for a long moment. But I didn’t do anything wrong.

    Which is stupid, of course. Things don’t happen to people because they deserve them. Besides, I’ve done plenty wrong.

    Your brother Philip is coming to pick you up, Dean Wharton says. He and the headmistress exchange looks, and Wharton’s hand goes unconsciously to his neck, where I see the colored cord and the outline of the amulet under his white shirt.

    I get it. They’re wondering if I’ve been worked. Cursed. It’s not that big a secret that my grandfather was a death worker for the Zacharov family. He’s got the blackened stubs where his fingers used to be to prove it. And if they read the paper, they know about my mother. It’s not a big leap for Wharton and Northcutt to blame any and all strangeness concerning me on curse work.

    You can’t kick me out for sleepwalking, I say, getting to my feet. That can’t be legal. Some kind of discrimination against— I stop speaking as cold dread settles in my stomach, because for a moment I wonder if I could have been cursed. I try to think back to whether someone brushed me with a hand, but I can’t recall anyone touching me who wasn’t clearly gloved.

    We haven’t come to any determination about your future here at Wallingford yet. The headmistress leafs through some of the papers on her desk. The dean pours himself a coffee.

    I can still be a day student. I don’t want to sleep in an empty house or crash with either of my brothers, but I will. I’ll do whatever lets me keep my life the way it is.

    Go to your dorm and pack some things. Consider yourself on medical leave.

    Just until I get a doctor’s note, I say.

    Neither of them replies, and after a few moments of standing awkwardly, I head for the door.

    Don’t be too sympathetic. Here’s the essential truth about me: I killed a girl when I was fourteen. Her name was Lila, she was my best friend, and I loved her. I killed her anyway. There’s a lot of the murder that seems like a blur, but my brothers found me standing over her body with blood on my hands and a weird smile tugging at my mouth. What I remember most is the feeling I had looking down at Lila—the giddy glee of having gotten away with something.

    No one knows I’m a murderer except my family. And me, of course.

    I don’t want to be that person, so I spend most of my time at school faking and lying. It takes a lot of effort to pretend you’re something you’re not. I don’t think about what music I like; I think about what music I should like. When I had a girlfriend, I tried to convince her I was the guy she wanted me to be. When I’m in a crowd, I hang back until I can figure out how to make them laugh. Luckily, if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s faking and lying.

    I told you I’d done plenty wrong.

    I pad, still barefoot, still wrapped in the scratchy fireman’s blanket, across the sunlit quad and up to my dorm room. Sam Yu, my roommate, is looping a skinny tie around the collar of a wrinkled dress shirt when I walk through the door. He looks up, startled.

    I’m fine, I say wearily. In case you were going to ask.

    Sam’s a horror film enthusiast and hard-core science geek who has covered our dorm room with bug-eyed alien masks and gore-spattered posters. His parents want him to go to MIT and from there to some profitable pharmaceuticals gig. He wants to do special effects for movies. Despite the facts that he’s built like a bear and is obsessed with fake blood, he has so far failed to stand up to them to the degree that they don’t even know there’s a disagreement. I like to think we’re sort of friends.

    We don’t hang out with many of the same people, which makes being sort of friends easier.

    I wasn’t doing . . . whatever you think I was doing, I tell him. I don’t want to die or anything.

    Sam smiles and pulls on his Wallingford gloves. I was just going to say that it’s a good thing you don’t sleep commando.

    I snort and drop onto my cot. The frame squeaks in protest. On the pillow next to my head rests a new envelope, marked with a code telling me a freshman wants to put fifty dollars on Victoria Quaroni to win the talent show. The odds are astronomical, but the money reminds me that someone’s going to have to keep the books and pay out while I’m away.

    Sam kicks the base of the footboard lightly. You sure you’re okay?

    I nod. I know I should tell him that I’m going home, that he’s about to become one of those lucky guys with a single, but I don’t want to disturb my own fragile sense of normalcy. Just tired.

    Sam picks up his backpack. See you in class, crazy-man.

    I raise my bandaged hand in farewell, then stop myself. Hey, wait a sec.

    Hand on the doorknob, he turns.

    I was just thinking . . . if I’m gone. Do you think you could let people keep dropping off the money here? It bothers me to ask, simultaneously putting me in his debt and making the whole kicked-out thing real, but I’m not ready to give up the one thing I’ve got going for me at Wallingford.

    He hesitates.

    Forget it, I say. Pretend I never—

    He interrupts me. Do I get a percentage?

    Twenty-five, I say. Twenty-five percent. But you’re going to have to do more than just collect the money for that.

    He nods slowly. Yeah, okay.

    I grin. You’re the most trustworthy guy I know.

    Flattery will get you everywhere, Sam says. Except, apparently, off a roof.

    Nice, I say with a groan. I push myself off the bed and take a clean pair of itchy black uniform pants out of the dresser.

    "So why would you be gone? They’re not kicking you out, right?"

    Pulling on the pants, I turn my face away, but I can’t keep the unease out of my voice. No. I don’t know. Let me set you up.

    He nods. Okay. What do I do?

    I’ll give you my notebook on point spreads, tallies, everything, and you just fill in whatever bets you get. I stand, pulling my desk chair over to the closet and hopping up on the seat. Here. My fingers close on the notebook I taped above the door. I rip it down. Another one from sophomore year is still up there, from when business got big enough I could no longer rely on my pretty-good-but-not-photographic memory.

    Sam half-smiles. I can tell he’s amazed that he never noticed my hiding spot. I think I can manage that.

    The pages he’s flipping through are records of all the bets made since the beginning of our junior year at Wallingford, and the odds on each. Bets on whether the mouse loose in Stanton Hall will be killed by Kevin Brown with his mallet, or by Dr. Milton with his bacon-baited traps, or be caught by Chaiyawat Terweil with his lettuce-filled and totally humane trap. (The odds favor the mallet.) On whether Amanda, Sharone, or Courtney would be cast as the female lead in Pippin and whether the lead would be taken down by her understudy. (Courtney got it; they’re still in rehearsals.) On how many times a week nut brownies with no nuts will be served in the cafeteria.

    Real bookies take a percentage, relying on a balanced book to guarantee a profit. Like, if someone puts down five bucks on a fight, they’re really putting down four fifty, and the other fifty cents is going to the bookie. The bookie doesn’t care who wins; he only cares that the odds work so he can use the money from the losers to pay the winners. I’m not a real bookie. Kids at Wallingford want to bet on silly stuff, stuff that might never come true. They have money to burn. So some of the time I calculate the odds the right way—the real bookie way—and some of the time I calculate the odds my way and just hope I get to pocket everything instead of paying out what I can’t afford. You could say that I’m gambling too. You’d be right.

    Remember, I say, cash only. No credit cards; no watches.

    He rolls his eyes. Are you seriously telling me someone thinks you have a credit card machine up in here?

    No, I say. They want you to take their card and buy something that costs what they owe. Don’t do it; it looks like you stole their card, and believe me, that’s what they’ll tell their parents.

    Sam hesitates. Yeah, he says finally.

    Okay, I say. There’s a new envelope on the desk. Don’t forget to mark down everything. I know I’m nagging, but I can’t tell him that I need the money I make. It’s not easy to go to a school like this without money. I’m the only seventeen-year-old at Wallingford without a car.

    I motion to him to hand me the book.

    Just as I’m taping it into place, someone raps loudly on the door, causing me to nearly topple over. Before I can say anything, it opens, and our hall master walks in. He looks at me like he’s half-expecting to find me threading a noose.

    I hop down from the chair. I was just—

    Thanks for getting down my bag, Sam says.

    Samuel Yu, says Mr. Valerio. I’m fairly sure that breakfast is over and classes have started.

    "I bet you’re right," Sam says, with a smirk in my direction.

    I could con Sam if I wanted to. I’d do it just this way, asking for his help, offering him a little profit at the same time. Take him for a chunk of his parents’ cash. I could con Sam, but I won’t.

    Really, I won’t.

    As the door clicks shut behind Sam, Valerio turns to me. Your brother can’t come until tomorrow morning, so you’re going to have to attend classes with the rest of the students. We’re still discussing where you’ll be spending the night.

    You can always tie me to the bedposts, I say, but Valerio doesn’t find that very funny.

    My mother explained the basics of the con around the same time she explained about curse work. For her the curse was how she got what she wanted and the con was how she got away with it. I can’t make people love or hate instantly, like she can, turn their bodies against them like Philip can, or take their luck away like my other brother, Barron, but you don’t need to be a worker to be a con artist.

    For me the curse is a crutch, but the con is everything.

    It was my mother who taught me that if you’re going to screw someone over—with magic and wit, or wit alone—you have to know the mark better than he knows himself.

    The first thing you have to do is gain his confidence. Charm him. Just be sure he thinks he’s smarter than you are. Then you—or, ideally, your partner—suggest the score.

    Let your mark get something right up front the first time. In the business that’s called the convincer. When he knows he’s already got money in his pocket and can walk away, that’s when he relaxes his guard.

    The second go is when you introduce bigger stakes. The big score. This is the part my mother never has to worry about. As an emotion worker, she can make anyone trust her. But she still needs to go through the steps, so that later, when they think back on it, they don’t figure out she worked them.

    After that there’s only the blow-off and the getaway.

    Being a con artist means thinking that you’re smarter than everyone else and that you’ve thought of everything. That you can get away with anything. That you can con anyone.

    I wish I could say that I don’t think about the con when I deal with people, but the difference between me and my mother is that I don’t con myself.

    CHAPTER TWO

    I ONLY HAVE ENOUGH time to pull on my uniform and run to French class; breakfast is long over. Wallingford television crackles to life as I dump my books onto my desk. Sadie Flores announces from the screen that during activities period the Latin club will be having a bake sale to support their building a small outdoor grotto, and that the rugby team will meet inside the gymnasium. I manage to stumble through my classes until I actually fall asleep during history. I wake abruptly with drool wetting the sleeve of my shirt and Mr. Lewis asking, What year was the ban put into effect, Mr. Sharpe?

    Nineteen twenty-nine, I mumble. Nine years after Prohibition started. Right before the stock market crashed.

    Very good, he says unhappily. And can you tell me why the ban hasn’t been repealed like prohibition?

    I wipe my mouth. My headache hasn’t gotten any better. Uh, because the black market supplies people with curse work anyway?

    A couple of people laugh, but Mr. Lewis isn’t one of them. He points toward the board, where a jumble of chalk reasons are written. Something about economic initiatives and a trade agreement with the European Union. Apparently you can do lots of things very skillfully while asleep, Mr. Sharpe, but attending my class does not seem to be one of them.

    He gets the bigger laugh. I stay awake for the rest of the period, although several times I have to jab myself with a pen to do it.

    I go back to my dorm and sleep through the period when I should be getting help from teachers in classes where I’m struggling, through track practice, and through the debate team meeting. Waking up halfway through dinner, I feel the rhythm of my normal life receding, and I have no idea how to get it back.

    Wallingford Preparatory is a lot like how I pictured it when my brother Barron brought home the brochure. The lawns are less green and the buildings are smaller, but the library is impressive enough and everyone wears jackets to dinner. Kids come to Wallingford for two very different reasons. Either private school is their ticket to a fancy university, or they got kicked out of public school and are using their parents’ money to avoid the school for juvenile delinquents that’s their only other

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