Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Title: Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Release Date: September 27th, 2011
Publisher: Little Brown & Co.
Pages: 417
Format: Paperback
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

I had been dying to read this book for so long and when I saw it I knew that I had to have it. And I am so upset with myself for waiting so long. This book was like nothing I expected.

Honestly, I really never read the summary so I had no idea what to expect. I just knew the title and knew that I had to read it. At first, I keep thinking to myself, "What is going on? What's going to happen? Who is this Karou?" I never imagined what actually happened in this book.

Taylor is amazing. If you want to read a story that sounds a lot like poetry this is it. The entire story is original and moving. Karou is such a compelling character and I love that reader's get the chance to look at Akiva's point of view as well.

The story is hauntingly beautiful with angels, demons, and creatures that come out of a child's storybook. Creativity is high in this book where a story that starts in our world slowly transforms into a high fantasy world where Taylor takes you into a wild ride of forbidden romance, family, allegiances are made, and secrets are revealed that take this book to new heights.

Karou, an art student from Prague, is not like everybody else. She's special in many ways than one. She was raised by four monsters, but something about Karou is not completely human and when she has a run in with Akiva everything in her world changes.

This novel slowly turns from a book into a piece of artwork. Taylor is an artist that takes readers on an epic adventure that will leave reader's in a daze when they turn the final page. Book 2 needs to come out a lot sooner, because the way this book ended...yikes. It's a novel that you never want to finish.