Leslie's Review: Trickster's Girl by Hilari Bell (T2T Tour)

ARC: 281 pages
Publisher: Houghton Miffilin Harcourt
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0547196206
Source of my copy: Publisher
Synopsis (from Goodreads)
In the year 2098 America isn't so different from the USA of today. But, in a post-9/11 security-obssessed world, "secured" doesn't just refer to borders between countries, it also refer to borders between states. Teenagers still think they know everything, but there is no cure for cancer, as Kelsa knows first-hand from watching her father die. The night Kelsa buries her father, a boy appears. He claims magic is responsible for the health of Earth, but human damage disrupts its flow. The planet is dying. Kelsa has the power to reverse the damage, but first she must accept that magic exists and see beyond her own pain in order to heal the planet.

Leslie's Review:
The beginning of this book was a bit slow. After reading 30 or so pages, I would find myself skimming ahead. But I kept reading and the action did eventually pick up. The plot got really interesting and thrilling. I really liked how Raven and Kelsa traveled through the futuristic America and Canada to get to their destination, Alaska. I got to really "see" the world the author created.

The book was told in limited third-person through Kelsa so I got to know her better than the hero, Raven. I liked Kelsa--she was resourceful, brave and clever but a bit of a control-freak. She had the talent to be able to heal the world of the terrible plague that took the life of her dad. I found that and the process really intriguing and special about her. Raven, on the other hand, I felt didn't really got to know and I didn't know what to make of him just through his actions. All I know about him was that he was a beautiful boy and a mythological creature that has been around for over thousands of years. He can shape shift into different forms, has magical powers and he has been around for a long time. He didn't like humans and thought them careless and foolish. But as he spent more time with Kelsa he found her to be a good friend--that's all they are pretty much to each other by the way: friends. So, if you're looking for a romance between the two main characters you won't find it in this book.

I would've liked more of a chemistry or natural tension (not necessarily romantic) between the two. The plot was interesting, like I said, but not sure about the characters. If you're into adventure and magic in your reads, by all means, check out Trickster's Girl. 3 out of 5 stars