Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

The world gone in a flash, Evie and Jack band together in search of something neither know is alive. Constantly fighting with each other and the terrifying new world around them, Evie must accept that she is not who she thinks she is, and just when she and Jack may have a chance together, that secret might tear them apart.

I'm going to do something I've never done before in this review. Because of the intensity with which the book started, I had to begin the review only a few chapters in. I will end with my parting thoughts, of course, but I don't want to lose my opinion of the beginning.

The prologue is absolutely chilling. As with many of the books I review I'm listening to this on audiobook, and the reader is stunning. He speaks with a barely suppressed mania, which paired with the disturbing words, is enough to make you look over your shoulder. My skin literally rose in response to the scene, a chill shaking my spine. I've never had such a robust response to the beginning of the book, and it left me shaken. Arthur, the opening POV, is insane in a way that is hard to capture in the sentences of a book. His thoughts appear almost normal, save for the things he lusts after. I couldn't have imagined the mind of a serial killer better, and I know his thoughts will be trailing me next time I walk down the street in the dark.

Evie's world before the flash is bright and vivid. Kresley Cole does a fantastic job of immediately building the characters, their personalities, and their place in the world. The way she writes brings everything to life, without being overly descriptive. I love a book that is more like watching a movie in my mind, and this is exactly what I have found here.

The interactions between the characters have been witty and engaging. There are no long monologues that leave you bored and mind drifting, but make you cling to every word like it's the twist that I can feel building. After the introduction of new characters like Selena and Matthew, the dialogue can get a tad laborious, especially with her long and confusing conversations with Matthew. But all in all it does not take away from the book.

I'm not going to lie, this book is weird, and entirely heartbreaking. The characters are intense, realistic, and you fall in love with them so subtly that you don't even know it's happening until you are wrecked. They stick to their personalities, which can be so frustrating sometimes, and yet they are compelling an intriguing. For originality, characters, an exciting plot, fantastic writing, and breaking my heart, I award the first five stars of the summer.

Oh, and my opinion for hottest accent on a male has officially changed from British to Cajun French without a doubt. I'm moving to Louisiana holy hotness.

Five Stars

Rosalie Williams

Poison Princess on Goodreads