This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Maybe I'm a fanboy of Ms. Schwab, and so, therefore, I'm a lot more forgiving of a simple Romeo and Juliet tale. Granted, it doesn't go so far as to kill off either main character but that's not really the point.

Kate and August are from different clans of monsters. She's kind of a monster inside and he's an actual monster on the outside. :) Even so, he begins as a pacifist and she's all about trying to get stronger. It's pretty standard story stuff.

The proof, however, is in the pudding. This author knows how to write and get us interested and involved and that's the biggest issue I run into with YA. I'm tired of the same old tropes.

Well, this one has the same old trope, but here's the great part: the worldbuilding. It's rich and evocative and full of great and deep ideas revolving all the types of monsters. Monsters come in all flavors and THANK GOD all these are not the same kinds as we see everywhere. They may share characteristics of vampires or werewolves, but these feel more like eldritch monsters walking the streets and working for the local strong man, not the same old crap we always get. :) Indeed, I love that there's a song in here that delineates them. :) And August? He's the kind of monster I most love to see. He plays music and steals souls. :) He feeds off of anyone and he and his two siblings are unbeatable. :)

Supposedly. I mean, we've got to have a lot of cool conflict in this book, right? And love and trust and always wanting to be a better monster is pretty fantastic, too. :)

I got suckered in. :)

It's quite dark, too. I'm looking forward to the next in the series. :)



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