Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

 "Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well."  

Title: Daughter of Smoke & Bone

Author: Laini Taylor

Publication Date: 2012

ISBN #: 031613399X

Number of Pages: 418

Trend: Tough Girls

Publisher: Little, Brown

Taylor, L. (2012) . Daughter of Smoke & Bone. New York, NY: Little Brown Book Co.

Summary: Karou lives a life of relative freedom as an art student in Prague. She has her own flat, does not live with parents, and has money she uses as she wishes. But she is harboring secrets. Secret like the human/animal hybrid creatures that she draws in her sketchbook which, it turns out, are not only real but they are her family. Karou's only "job" is to collect teeth for her father figure in the book, Brimstone. He pays her for the teeth in wishes, although she does not know why he collects teeth of all kinds, from any animal...or human. To help her collect these teeth she can be transported around the world through special doors from Brimstone's lair. When scorched hand marks begin to appear on these doors Karou begins to suspect something sinister is approaching, and she is determined to find out what it is to protect her chimera family. When she meets an angel named Akiva secrets from her past begin to emerge and enlighten her life. She finds out she had a whole other life before she was even born into the one she currently knows. The themes that this book explores are family, loyalty, lies and deceit, and personal identity.

Curricular connections: This book would work well as a display of fantasy, especially urban fantasy in the YA section of a library. I would also booktalk this to some teenagers regarding the exciting adventure, the Karou faces to find out who she really is, the tough, no-nonsense, female main character likening it to Divergent or Hunger Games in this manner. The romance might strike a spark with girls who enjoy The Tiger's Curse or even the Twilight series. I would put it on display in the YA meetings and clubs for teens to take a look at. In the classroom I would focus on the modern fairytale aspect of the story and how it compares to traditional Fairytale, including the first line, "Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. It did not end well." What else makes this book unique is the setting of Prague and including some of the art and culture of the city, this leads discussions Focusing on the aspects of art and culture of different places. 

Review Sources:

This book appears to be critically acclaimed by most reviews. Janet Martain of Library Journal is very impressed with the writing of the book stating, "the words flow like poetry" (Martin, 2012). She also comments of the fast pacing and action of the story along with the sweet romance that builds between Karou and Akiva are perfectly paired.
Publisher's Weekly also gives a favorable review stating, "[Lani Taylor] again weaves a masterful mix of reality and fantasy with cross-genre appeal. Exquisitely written and beautifully paced" (Publisher's Weekly, 2011).

Personal response: I enjoyed this book very much, probably one of my top five books from the last few years. Not your average, everyday paranormal romance. By taking place in two time-lines, and in two dimensions, and has a lot to offer. I can not wait to read the sequel, but it has a lot to live up to. I also want to mention that Karou is the pinnacle of the strong female character, but still succumbs the tempestuous feelings of true love that many young women like to read about nowadays.