Review: The Collector

Author: Victoria Scott
Release Date: April 2, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 352
Source: NetGalley
Series: Dante Walker #1
[add on Goodreads]
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Summary: Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days. Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.  

My Favorite Lines:

“I'll never understand the friendships Charlie has. Friendships where it doesn't take cash or hookups, or saying the right things to stay in the circle. No, Charlie's friendships are different. She tries to protect her people, and they in turn protect her. They accept each other's imperfections and support one another. My friends weren't like her friends, which makes me wonder if I ever had any at all.”

“I wonder what it would feel like to laugh like that, with complete abandon.” 

Why I Loved It:  It doesn't get much more bad boy than Dante Walker, demon with swag.  The boy has more moves, money, and overwhelming ego than most.  Seriously, the boy thinks he's hot stuff.  The idea is that Satan has "collectors" who go around trying to get Satan souls before Judgement Day.  Dante is a said collector.  Considering the boy spent the later years of his young life making selfish decisions, there wasn't much of a change later when he landed himself in hell.  He managed to get in good with "Boss Man" or Satan.  Now the only change is that he has immortality and a black Amex that is pretty much limitless *or it seems that way in the book*.  Then enters the girl *there's always a girl* who Dante gets assigned to.  Satan wants Charlie's soul.  A problem quickly forms.  Dante knows Satan wants Charlie, but he has no idea why.  Charlie is good and kind, probably the purest person he's met, but that doesn't justify the huge mission to reel her in.  Either way, Dante has been sent to claim her soul, and failing has some big consequences.

Victoria Scott has created a fresh twist in the world of angels and demons in YA lit *in my humble opinion* and the plot is refreshingly different.  I have to say it's one of those books that you just have to let all reality go.  It wouldn't happen, but enjoy the ride.

All in all, I really enjoyed the book.  For me, the second half is where it got really good.  Let Dante have his ego.  Enjoy his bad boy self.  And love and adore Charlie.  Charlie could just be Dante's undoing.

Who Should Read It:  If you really like the Sweet Evil series by Wendy Higgins, Hush, Hush, or have a thing for a bad boy main character, I would give it a spin.