Red Glove

Gr 9 Up—It's not easy being a teenager, especially when you're like 17-year-old Cassel Sharpe—a transformation worker caught between the worlds of magic, people who want to use it, and those who fear its power. Crime families see Cassel as an untraceable hit man; the Feds want him as an informant to replace Cassel's murdered brother. To top that off, he's still in love with Lila, Zacharov's daughter and heir to her family's crime business. The teen is caught between the seductive world of crime—compounded by his love for Lila who is now enrolled in his school—and doing what's right. All the characters are presented as complex, plausible individuals, with unique aspirations, secrets, and motives. Holly Black's worthy sequel (2011) to White Cat (2010, both Margaret McElderry Books) can stand alone, Though fantasy, there are plenty of real-life parallels to keep listeners eager for the next installment. The present tense narrative capably voiced by Jesse Eisenberg gives immediacy to almost nonstop action in the sometimes deadly world in which Cassel lives.—Maria Salvadore, formerly Washington DC Public Library