I did not expect this book to be as good as it turned out to be. World building aside, I totally appreciated the care with which each character was etched. But more than that, the entire book was effused with this sense of freshness that somehow eludes books dealing with the same subject and in the same genre. Emma is a very fun character. She's snarky, brave and totally vulnerable. It is her interactions with the rest of the characters in the novel that makes the book so much fun to read. I will admit that some of the aspects of the novel are totally cliched - the hottest boy falling for you? - but I also like how it plays with these cliches to create something new. There were some instances where I felt that the author took some unnecessary turns in the plot (I can't say anymore without giving it away) and the romance became a bit annoying - seriously, starcrossed lovers are so not my thing - but, my views notwithstanding, Nichols does present an interesting dilemma to the protagonists. And it is in the solution they will come up with (hopefully) in the next book that will decide the worth of this series. As for the villains and the mythos - honestly, while you are reading it, it's wildly entertaining but once you are done and the book has been put away and you have time to reflect on what you've read, you realize that you have many questions and queries about the way things went down in the book that aren't necessarily answered. But as I said, it's the first in a series and answers are hopefully forthcoming. And if the second book is anything like the first one and Emma retains her awesome personality, Nichols will be taking us on another wildly entertaining ride. And I, for one, cannot wait.
