White Cat

Holly Black's 'White Cat' is the thrilling first book in The Curse Workers series, perfect for young adult readers aged 12-16. It introduces Cassel, a seemingly ordinary boy in a family of powerful curse workers and con artists. Haunted by the memory of killing his best friend, Lila, Cassel begins to question his past when strange events unfold around him. This urban fantasy delves into themes of guilt, identity, family betrayal, and the search for truth, all wrapped in a fast-paced mystery. Parents should be aware of themes involving past death, criminal activity, and magical peril, which are handled with a dark fantasy tone suitable for the age group.

The first installment in The Curse Workers series from New York Times bestselling author Holly Black: “Urban fantasy, con story—whatever you call it, read it” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). Cassel comes from a family of con artists and grifters, all of them curse workers but him. On top of that, Cassel is plagued by guilt that he killed his best friend, Lila, years ago. When Cassel begins to have strange dreams about a white cat and people around him are losing their memories, he starts to wonder what really happened to Lila, and what that means about his actions. In Cassel’s search for answers about Lila and himself, he realizes that his brothers have been conning him for years, and that the final piece in their quest for power is about to fall into place. Cassel has other ideas. He’s going to create an even more elaborate trap and, with Lila’s help, con a bunch of magic using conmen. This “beautifully realized dark fantasy...with prose that moves from stark simplicity to almost surreal intensity in a moment” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) is rife with the unexpected. “Readers will be hooked” (Booklist) on White Cat.