Genre: Young Adult, Supernatural, Fantasy
Pages: 368
Publication: January 31st 2017 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Synopsis:
It’s been a shattering year for seventeen-year-old Zoe, who’s still reeling from her father’s shockingly sudden death in a caving accident and her neighbors’ mysterious disappearance from their own home. Then on a terrifying sub-zero, blizzardy night in Montana, she and her brother are brutally attacked in a cabin in the woods–only to be rescued by a mysterious bounty hunter they call X.
X is no ordinary bounty hunter. He is from a hell called the Lowlands, sent to claim the soul of Zoe’s evil attacker and others like him. Forbidden to reveal himself to anyone other than his victims, X casts aside the Lowlands’ rules for Zoe. As X and Zoe learn more about their different worlds, they begin to question the past, their fate, and their future. But escaping the Lowlands and the ties that bind X might mean the ultimate sacrifice for both of them.
My Thoughts
| This cover is highly misleading because I didn’t pay attention to the synopsis and just started reading I figured I had stumbled on a YA Contemporary novel. Newp. NEWP!
This is not a YA-Contemporary, it’s a fantasy. A fantasy that I’m having a hard time rating, but I think a 3 will do it justice. Zoe lives with her mom and little brother, Jonah and they’re still recovering after their father died suddenly from a caving incident. Strange things begin to happen when her neighbors go missing and on a particularly bad snow storm a creepy man shows up, but much to Zoe and Jonah’s surprise is a heroic guy, who is mysterious and well…he glows. He also saves Zoe and Jonah from being killed. This book is so strange, I felt like I was reading two different books that had common factors. When I read Zoe’s half I felt like I was reading a true YA Contemporary – a girl who lost her dad and she’s being raised by a single mom. I wasn’t keen on Zoe, she was whiny, superficial and just outright mean to her little brother at times. X is the mysterious glowing guy who shows up, turns out he’s a bounty hunter from the Lowlands of Hell. He becomes infected with the sins and transgressions of his bounty which compels him to retrieve their souls. His half of the story was great – I enjoyed him, there was a story and a whole new world behind him, but I also felt like there were times I didn’t have enough questions answered. Romance? Yes, there is romance in here and it made me facepalm with how fast they were suddenly, like, totally, in love with one another. I think it was two or three days and it wasn’t an “I think I love you,” it was an “I will come back to you, NO MATTER WHAT MY LOVE!” kind of love. I would have liked to see more developed by way of chemistry, their relationship and what actually drove X to do what he did, not just because he was head over heels for a girl he just met. Altogether it was a quick read, was it fun? I enjoyed X’s story, but sadly I couldn’t get into Zoe’s and I cannot help but feel it was due to her personality. As I said before, it was like reading two separate stories and at one point I felt an entire disconnect from the Bountyhunter aspect, too. I will say this, if you are a YA-Contemporary reader then I think this would be the perfect book to transition yourself into the fantasy genre because it does kind of bridge the gap between them. Do you stick to a series at a time, or do you jump around and read everything? Share below. |
Book Savvy Reviews 
hm seems interesting, I normally have to read the series, and not skip around!
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It was an interesting read, but it lost me along the way. I enjoyed the concept immensely.
😂 I have such bad ADD when reading that I have so many sequels I need to actually read or finish the series!
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