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FindingJane
Dec 09, 2014FindingJane rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Samhain Corvus LaCroix (whose name is either a poor joke, a spiteful act by his mother or the misjudgment of a neo-hippy) has just found out that he’s a necromancer. Yikes. Much like a certain boy wizard who didn’t know how he was special but was vaguely aware he wasn’t quite like the other boys, Sam’s newly learned status comes with the urgent need to master his powers quickly, deal with a sociopath who’s bent on breaking him and interacting with other “special” people who are far more knowing about the situation than he is. Ms. McBride’s first novel carries a definite assurance about it, with a sure insight into the mind and worries of a typical adolescent male handling a not-so-typical problem. Sam gets bullied and tortured but manages to hold on to his sanity and awareness. He learns about his strengths and his weaknesses. He clings to his friends, tries to rely on them for help but knows when he has to take matters into his own hands. And, oh yes, he gets the girl in the end. The other characters around him are equally noteworthy, from his co-worker tough-girl Brooke, his timorous uncle Nick to the curious and appealing half-sisters that share his powers. They all have their faults but their true literary strengths lie in how they interact with each other. The story is a keen balance of terror, humor, drama, action and romance. Since it’s the first in a series, we can count on Samhain to have more adventures dancing with the dead. It promises to be a fun ride.