The Collector

The Collector is one book I've been wanting to read for so long, first the cover captivated me and then the blurb of the story so I was definitely excited for this and now that I got a chance to read it, let me tell it completely fulfilled my expectations, in fact I'm pretty sure it surpassed them. I effing loved it!! And well... Dante of course!! Victoria Scott I will be your fan now and always!! I found this not your average paranormal or YA book, I found this very refreshing. For starters it has a male POV which is really not that common and not all authors can pull it off but Victoria definitely knows what she's doing here, Dante's voice is just addictive, I couldn't stop reading the book and the whole time I had all these expressions on my face, like the huge grin everytime Dante came up with some smartass comment, hahaha. The story just grabs you and you're in for having one hell of a time. So, Dante. He is the best at what he does, he knows he's the best. Lack of confidence is not a problem for him, he's hot, cocky, arrogant, self-centered and yet, he is not your everyday bad boy, there's much more to him than meets the eye. He is a man on a mission: he's got to collect Charlie Cooper's soul in ten days and he's not about to fail. Yet Charlie is so not the type of girl he expected to find.... Charlie, oh I love her. You know who in YA we have all these girls who think are not perfect but you think "oh c'mon you're pretty, what are you talking about?" well this is so not the case with Charlie she really is like your classic nerd. She is really not pretty in fact through Dante's opinion on her looks is quite cruel but not having good looks or being popular affect Charlie. She is a very strong girl with strong beliefs as well which I totally admire and made me want to be like her, and I couldn't help but like her so much I just wanted to hold her. In spite of being a nerd she was to really great friend who I loved too: Annabelle and Blue, really great secondary characters, oh and let's not forget her grandma. Charlie is a girl who believes that there's good in everyone and that we can all help each other and this doesn't end up in your good girl cliché who is just like an angel and pure goodness that just bores you, Charlie is different, she is special. I loved Dante and Charlie's relationship and how it all develops. He knows he is not about to fail on his assignment but then as the days passes, being with Charlie and in her world he is not so sure he can go through with this. There is no insta-love in the book, and how it all evolves is a pleasure to read and like I said before Dante's voice, his thoughts, and his feelings are a joy to read. There are some very funny moments in this story Dante's smart-mouth had me laughing so much another reason why I loved him, and remember what I said about Dante being more than meets the eye? Well you get to discover another side of him, one he doesn't even believe he haves, but Charlie, she sees him... can it be true? The last part of the book is pretty intense; yeah I know I couldn't stop reading since the beginning but the last part! I was at the edge of my seat and biting my nails and I had all these feelings, ahhh!! And although we don't really have a cliffhanger at the end I am now dying to read The Liberator. I know, no, I'm sure it's gonna be even better, after all we have Dante, right? That is awesomeness guaranteed! So bottom line this people is A MUST READ! You absolutely don't want to miss this book! And miss V, you have one hardcore fan here. You are one talented author, I would not ever hesitate to read one of your books, you have a gift and you're gonna make so many people happy with your words, I know you've made me very happy. The Collector is now on my favorite books ever, thank you for giving us such an amazing story and of course, Dante, I'm utterly and completely I love with him. The Collector = Epicness.

What I Liked: 1) My favorite part of this story was Dante (and that was predictable, wasn't it?) He is an unapologetic badass with a big ego and a tongue as sharp as whiplash. Author Victoria Scott definitely knows how to write a bad boy. The voice she's given him is funny and enticing, as his character is supposed to be. Snarky and sarcastic with a healthy dose of egotism made him a very fun and attractive. Overrun with swagger and charm, he's the kind of guy a girl like me is drawn to, while my head is screaming for me to run in the opposite direction. This is characterization done at it's finest! For those of you who love a good bad boy, this one is definitely for you. 2) The idea. Stealing souls...that's something that has been explored a couple times in paranormal fiction, but it all comes down to different means and motives. And both the means - Dante and his blood-red seals, and the motive...well, it's a job after all, these are just a few of the things that make this book so unique. 3) Valery. Valery was my favorite girl in the book, and she doesn't show up until close to the end. With her long red nails and her clothes that can only be described as seductive, she's quite the opposite of what I imagine. I knew there had to be more to her than what we initially learn, and I was so excited when I was right! (Hahaha, read it to find out!) 4) I'm going to compliment Charlie in the fact that she was written well as Dante's polar opposite. But she was a little boring, so I can't say that I just loved her as an MC. But she is the complete opposite of Dante, so their romance is very...opposites attract. It's a sweet fall, though you sense it a lot more from Charlie's side, and Dante is so intent on his job that it's hard for him to tell when he switches from using her, to having real, serious feelings. Ah, bad boys. They just don't know what's good for them. 5) The humor. There are some parts of this book (most of them are Dante's snarky comments) that are snort-out-loud funny. Yeah, he'd totally make fun of me, but oh well. Dante's sarcastic and quick-witted humor is exactly the kind of humor that makes me roll on the floor. I loved it. 6) The ending. YES! OMG, I can't wait to see how Dante is going to handle everything that happened at the end. I was hoping this was how it was going to end up, because no matter how bad Dante's been, I just wanted good things to happen for him. And this is going to be hysterical (in The Liberator). What I Didn't Like: Well, I already mentioned that Charlie was kinda boring, so there really is no need for anything else here. Overall Thoughts: The Collector is a vivid, funny and unique story with one of the most interesting main characters in YA lit. Not only does the plot move at a breathtakingly fast pace, but Dante brings an overwhelming amount of ego and snark to the pages of this "flippin' awesome" debut. And after the incredible ending, I can't wait to see how Dante's life is going to change in the upcoming followup, The Liberator. If you haven't had the chance to pick up this book yet, I highly recommend it!

Dante Walker is an equal-oppurtunity-insulting douche bag who just so happens to have lucked out in the career-post-death department, working as Lucifer's underling and climbing steadily up to a shiny, highly coveted promotion. As leading Collector among the few who've managed the privilege, this guy swears he got it like that. And in most cases that type of attitude inspires a certain reaction from outside parties. That kind of cockiness sets itself up for failure, but with his track record completely unmarred by screw ups of any variety, his less-than-humble claims are backed up hardcore. And from the first page all you get is this SASS and BLUNT meanness that learning more about Dante Walker shouldn't make the to-do list but IT DOES. It so does. Because those kinds of prickly layers are just begging to be peeled away until we're left with the resolved mystery, and in spite of his, er, lack of manners there's this troublesome, undeniable truth: Dante Walker is kind of extremely lovable. Say what you will about that boy, he won me over within two pages. TWO. Not only because his meanness and sarcasm shouldn't technically be funny but is—he's a loving person, whether he admits or try doesn't ever. He's viciously protective of those who matter and he has the capacity to see people for what they're worth, who they are. So while I wouldn't call his center exactly gooey nor very near to the surface, his heart is not only present but MASSIVE. And so it's no wonder that he was my favorite part of reading The Collector by Victoria Scott. Followed swiftly by the charm of Charlie, of course. ALSO: MAX *dies*. I loved that this wasn't your typical YA paranormal romance in every way even though it has a lot of typical elements. There's no super spiffy writing inside Dante's ongoing inner monologue pov except in those well-placed moments of clarity and disarming insight that spotlight his growth. In fact, Dante talks like all the boys I ignored back in high school because I thought them incapable of holding an actual conversation with me. But that's what makes him believable and fun, and so many points go to Victoria Scott for embracing teenage tomfoolery and all the accompanying slang. And we've all seen a plotline like this one, a demon who collects souls for Hell and can't afford to have his biggest job yet foiled, and yet Scott has twisted it up enough and added enough of her own flair into it that it was just the right amount of unpredictable. More points! And the romance... Our sexy Dante does not get himself a regulation hottie to take to the sheets midway into the book and instead he gets Charlie, in the throes of the hellish and very familiar nightmare of puberty—crooked teeth, frizzy hair and all! I have one of two complaints, though: the pacing needed to vary a bit more to keep my attention hardwired and, this might just be me, but Dante needs to stop saying things like "sweet girl" every five sentences ASAP please goodness. No, seriously, gritting your teeth is bad for you. But I'm nonetheless remarkably impressed with what I assumed was going to be an over-the-top, way ridiculous book—well, it is but in the best way possible instead of that other one where heavy eye-rolling is involved. Now I have to buy The Liberator, damn it! This review was also posted on my blog, Paranormal Indulgence.

★★★★½ Upon first learning of Victoria Scott's The Collector and Dante Walker last summer, I had to ask myself, "Why?!" "Why what?" You ask. "Why, oh why am I continually drawn to books who have complete douchebags as the main love interest? I mean, for realsies. He might be wickedly hilarious and sinfully good-looking, but the rampant and unapologetic narcissism! Puh-lease. How could I possibly justify rooting for a guy like that?!" I mean, thanks to a rather well done, pre-release marketing campaign it's not like Dante's personality has been a secret or limited to a tiny book blurb. Oh no, this fictional male made of self-proclaimed awesome has his own entire website in which he proceeds to tell the world just how amazingly amazeballs he actually is. Huhyeah. This should be a gigantic turn off... amiright? Actually, no. I mean, yes... in real life. But in imaginary, bookish world, not as much. What can I say? Narcissism fascinates me. So, I guess that's the answer to my "Why?" Way to be all vague and whatever, Self. So anyway, the story. There's this dude - the aforementioned narcissist Dante - and he works for the Boss Man claiming souls for the kind of eternity that includes brimstones and never-ending torment. And he's good at it. Like the best. If Boss Man had an employee of the month photo wall, Dante would be totally owning that shizzle. And because Dante's the best, Boss Man's given him a new assignment: Dante has ten days to corrupt Charlie Cooper's soul and claim it. If he does this, Dante gets a bright, shiny promotion that gets him the heck outta Dodge... er... Hell. Easy Peasy, right? Not as easy as you might think, actually. Dante Walker may have finally met his match in the unexpectedly squeaky-clean, vibrant, "glass-half-full" Charlie Cooper, and meeting his deadline is starting to prove a bit more difficult than he'd originally thought. Instead, the more time spent with Charlie starts "corrupting" his own worldview, and that is proving incredibly bothersome and problematic to the Boss Man's #1 Collector, because nothing is going to stop him from completing this assignment. So let's talk Dante... because I know you want to. As already established, there is nothing Dante loves more than Dante. If you looked up "arrogance," "hedonism," and "narcissism" in a dictionary, his picture would appear next to each one of those. So given that description, did I like him? Actually... yes, I did. He's kinda impossible not to like. As with most people, there's more to him than what he shows the world. And though he tries not to dwell on it - like ever... hence the drowning himself in pleasures, vices, and becoming Hell's number one soul collector - he's done a little soul searching since kicking the bucket two years ago. However, no matter how he conflicted and guilty he may feel about his job, his life and his afterlife, until now he's strictly followed his golden rule - Dante Walker looks out for Dante Walker. But meeting Charlie Cooper - a person so unaffected and innocent - causes his long-forgotten conscience to inconveniently battle it's way uncomfortably close to the surface. But never fear, Dante Walker isn't remotely close to achieving sainthood. Victoria Scott promised us a bad boy, and she delivers. Dante is snarky, mean, devious, self-serving and no matter how much Charlie worms her way into the spot where his heart used to be, he has no intention of sacrificing his promotion on Earth for one slightly likable girl. The entire story is told from his point of view and let me say: boy is hilariously funny. Even when he is being downright mean. Which he is. A lot. To everyone. It's the kind of mean that makes you feel bad, but Dante's snide comments and internal sarcasm are just too funny - like fits-of-uncontrollable-giggling-that-left-me-gasping-for-breath funny. When it comes down to it, with Dante, I am extremely impressed with the way Victoria made Dante such a kickbutt bad guy, but also made him believably vulnerable and broken. It's a hard balance to maintain, but she did it perfectly. Character development = two thumbs way, way up. So what's the deal with Charlie? Rainbows vs. storm clouds. Sparkly pink unicorns vs. a... manticore. (Just roll with it, ok?) If there ever was a walking antithesis to Dante Walker, Charlie Cooper is it. In fact, Charlie is atypical of most YA heroines you find in books these days. She's not what you'd call traditionally attractive... or cool... or socially competent. My mental reference for Charlie? Sue Heck from the Middle - super sweet, but with a wardrobe so bright and a disposition so sunny it almost hurts to look at her. Charlie is a nerd. But she's a happy nerd. She's bubbly, and caring, and giving, and optimistic, and grounded, and never assumes the worst of others. She's the bright light to Dante's perpetual darkness, and I love her. Charlie's two closest friends and fellow social outcasts, Blue & Annabelle, also pleasantly surprised me. Have you noticed that many YA besties/sidekicks all seem like the exact same person? Super bubbly, guy crazy with no inhibitions, constantly pushing the heroine toward the dreamy love interest... or uber snarky man-haters... or super driven and brainy. I guess that's technically three character types, but it feels like all YA besties fit one of those stereotypes, feel me? Blue & Annabelle just... aren't that. Annabelle is intuitive, protective of her friends, kinda ballsy and mostly confident, though also succumbing to that craving to just belong. Blue is sweet, though painfully awkward, but when push comes to shove also fiercely protective of his friends. So... romance? The romance in this book was surprisingly PG given Dante's corruptily sinful ways and hellbent nature. And it is the kind of romance I adore the most, a gradual meeting of souls - a recognition of something deeper. This entire book is pretty much one long delicious interaction between Charlie and Dante, and I gobbled that awesome goodness right up. For real. I devoured this book in an afternoon. World. I actually believe in Heaven and Hell, and this book isn't anything close to what I believe, but it is still an interesting take the whole thing. It's pretty much a scales and balances view of the afterlife - Heaven and Hell fighting to exist in equilibrium. Story. This book was definitely more of a character development piece than a plot-driven one. But nevertheless, the plot is still pretty solid with a good message. I have a feeling that The Liberator will be more plot-heavy based on how things ended in The Collector and by how well Victoria has established her characters. There were a few things in The Collector that seemed a little too coincidental and there was one nagging thing that bothered me about the conclusion, but I have a strong feeling (yes, another one) that this thing will also be addressed in subsequent books. Overall. So, is Dante as amazing as he says? I'd have to say, "HECK YES." He (and Charlie) totally owned this book. Narcissism justified.

"I am The Collector. It's not as bad as it sounds. I'm kinda like Santa Claus. We're both jolly guys with a passion for frosted cookies, the color red...and sorting souls." I'm a little late to this gravy train, but I did enjoy it a lot. It was a step away from what we usually get in Parnormal YA. The Good My favorite thing about this story is the characters. I LOVE that it is told from the POV of Dante Walker, resident bad boy. We usually get the story from the girl swooning over said boy but pretending like she isn't. It was refreshing hearing his side of things first hand. I liked that Dante isn't a hero. Charlie is the hero of the story, and it's near impossible not to like her. She's got this whole Mother Teresa thing going on with her goodness, light, optimism, and generosity. Yes, she's basically the opposite of egotistical, out-for-himself demon Dante that collects souls for his Boss Man downstairs. In addition to the two main characters, all the side characters were a pleasure as well. They also didn't fit in the cookie cutter mold of sidekick best friends. Blue ended up being my favorite out of Annabelle, Blue, and Max. There was a certain part that had me yelling, "You're my boy, Blue!" I felt overall that this was a character driven book. Dante has a very large character growth journey just in The Collector. I'm looking forward to seeing what else is in store for his transition (or other characters for that matter) in future books. The Bad As far as the plot, it's an interesting concept, but there are holes. If you pick something apart because it's not logical, this one will have you scratching your head a bit. You kinda just have to go with it to enjoy it. The Romance In the beginning, I'm wondering to myself how it is possible that Charlie will be the ultimate love interest for Dante. He's constantly talking about how ugly she is and all the little flaws in her appearance, and I'm getting this image of a Quasimodo-like character from how much he goes on and on. Let's face it, you do have to be attracted to someone in order be in a relationship so I was thinking it was a lost cause. Then, things happen. While I don't feel Dante made up for all his actions regarding Charlie, in fact I'm not certain he deserves her, he did transition enough that it was believable. Conclusion The Collector was a cute story that was mainly character driven with an interesting concept. The characters, especially Dante, showed tremendous growth throughout the story. There was a good humor through his thoughts and the dialogue and it had me laughing. I thoroughly enjoyed that it was from his POV. The plot did have a few holes though, so if you are a stickler for logic, some parts may bother you a bit. Recommended.

Dante was so refreshing. I have to point that out first. I mean his voice in the book cracked me up and appalled me at the same time. It was great. He is blunt and rude and selfish and cocky most of the book. He also is funny, sweet, protective, unsure, and definitely sexy. Dante changes as the story changes. He makes this gradual progression to being a different person. Except he doesn't become a different person. He's still Dante. The book only describes 10 days. It would have been ridiculous for any character to drastically change in that amount of time, so I respect Scott for keeping Dante bad*** at least in some aspects until the very last page. She created a wonderful character, and she stuck with the best parts of him until the end. On to Charlie: She is a great opposite to Dante. She's not perfectly, annoyingly good, which is just the fact that like Dante isn't completely bad. Charlie is a relatable character. However, she has the best introduction ever. I mean she gets this horrible physical description and her room is ugly and she acts awkward...I was completely turned off from her. I mean I thought at first that Dante was just being set up with some oddball, ugly duckling. What's great about the introduction is that it's Dante's feelings too. As a result, I warmed up to Charlie as Dante does. I gradually got to see all the things that are great about her as Dante did. I was concerned at first that she would have this awkward personality that would ruin the book. Also, I was afraid that she is a goody-goody who no one can relate to or even want to be. However, she really ends up adding to the book. Charlie is very sweet, maybe naive, but she fits with Dante in my opinion. I really think the author did a good job setting up the chemistry between them as a result of their complimenting personalities. The other characters have their own flavors. Max is so cool. He lightens some situations by being the funny, obnoxious kind of guy while having his own secret story that intrigued me. Charlie's friends end up being like her in that I was afraid I wouldn't like them at first, but then I appreciated them. Like Max, they have their own stories and characteristics that make them better than the overused, stereotype friends. Scott is amazing with the way she creates an entire person that you just have to know in a matter of sentences. Max, Blue, and Annabelle leap out of the pages at you and become real, and they're not even the main characters. The story has some twists, and for a long time, I had no idea what would happen next. The book is long with the 10 days detailed and drawn out. This causes a couple slow spots, but I enjoyed the characters and mystery so much, I simply plowed through them. I seriously recommend this book for a wide range of people who want a fun, cute, thrilling read. There is some cussing and a bit of violence, but the story is well written and thought out. If nothing else, you will get a kick out of Dante's narrating. There's the end of the world feel to the story along with a Beauty and the Beast theme. There's also the good vs. evil thing mixed in there too. That all sounds overplayed, but all three elements are hidden by the suspense, subtle romance, and hilarious dialogue. At least download the sample and get a feel for the greatness I am rambling about-and I do mean Dante's greatness. That's what I did, and I was hooked within pages. After that, it only got better.

4 STARS and favorite-shelved. Like a religious experience, y'all. I kept thinking, this author must've at one time sat and said, 'hey, there's a thirty-something girl in the middle of nowhere who has just had one too many migraines from reading one blah after another... I'm gonna write a book just for her.' Then she cranks this one out and I've found my book soulmate. Dante Walker is a soul collector sent by The Boss Man from hell to manipulate Charlie Cooper into sinning until he can collect her soul in 10 days. As Big Bads go, Dante is the biggest, hottest of a motherchucker of all and he knows it. Annabelle laughs. "Oh, so you think you're hot, do you?" "Girl, I got swag for days." I've encountered a lot of YA heroes described as selfish, arrogant and egotistical but Dante just upped the benchmark: our homeboy went to Douchebag University and graduated with a major on being a Tool of the Trade because apart from that, he's also this side of misogynistic, hates cats (dafuq, Dante?!), and ugly people. My eyes widen at the sight of her. This is the girl Boss Man is after? She looks like a porcelain doll... beat three times with an ugly stick. There's a whole vault of snarky one-liners and comebacks that I started to fear it's going to be a binge-fest of empty carbs but there's a warm and touching story of self-love, forgiveness, kindness and acceptance somewhere in between that made me realize Victoria Scott is all up on my seriouslys. Early reviews have forewarned that I'll initially hate Dante but I was drawn to him from the get-go. Okay that's putting it mildly, I'm totally, blindly, head-over-heels in love with this guy. Even without the evolution of his character from point A to point B, even apart from Charlie, even without Max (okay, maybe NOT without Max) this character totally works. It's his soft spot for geriatrics, his Bromance with Blue, his sob-story of a past... I feel like I can get pregnant just talking about how much I loved this guy. Charlie held her own against the blinding awesomeness of the hero, which is a bit of a tall order because she can easily tip the scales towards the annoying pollyanna, damsel but she came out in the end as intriguing and worth cheering on for. The secondary characters were stellar and their banter with Dante was delightfully organic that even on their own you can't help but be invested in them as the MCs. I held out a star in my rating because the latter 25% just got a tad bit too heavy on the drama and the big reveal was a bit of a disappointment. But I can totally see this working for anyone else but me. I can't possibly write a review as legendary as Dante (he be all "b*tch, please") and I can't maintain the proper level of cool as I wait for the next installment of this promising series. But for this one, yes the thunder was brought. Review Copy provided by Entangled Publishing thru NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. But I also bought the kindle edition. And will probably get the paperback once it's out because that's how I roll when I'm in-love.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2013, and I was so stoked when it released early! Pretty much the greatest surprise ever when I had a hard math test that day. It was so refreshing reading from a boy's point of view, especially Dante! Dante is the greatest collector for the Boss Man and he knows it. The Boss Man has been wary of Dante's skills lately, I mean which is completely bogus. As such, he assigns Dante to collect Charlie Cooper's soul. C'mon, how hard can it be since he's the best? What he doesn't expect is the train wreck that is Charlie. Socially awkward, on the wrong side of puberty, Charlie is also the sweetest girl to ever exist. Can Charlie manage to change Dante for the better before his time is up? Oh my Dante. Hands down a new favorite book boyfriend. At first, Dante is all about looks and a bit shallow. He is freakin' hilarious, and I can just tell he has a heart of gold, even in the beginning. He is protective and kind, and I just wanna hug him so hard. Many times. And kiss. Many times. Ahem. *clears throat* :) But really, he was pretty perfect. There is no one else like Dante Walker. Charlie was such a different heroine than every single heroine I've ever encountered. She is really kind of tragic in the looks department. She has bad skin, a limp, clumsy social skills, and lanky hair. To say the least, she is not a looker. But seriously, this is chick is a complete sweetheart. She loves with all her heart and is the best best friend a person could have. I most definitely want her as mine! The supporting cast was also superb. I loved Charlie and Dante's friends, Max, Annabelle, and Blue. They were all loyal and adorable. Blue was quiet and reserved, but oh gosh I could tell how much he cared for Charlie. By far, he was my favorite. I heart Charlie's grandmother so much. She is most definitely not your typical grandmother in any way. The plot was so wonderful. It was completely unique, and I loved every second of it. I have never read a book about soul collectors, and I was so pleasantly surprised. I was engrossed the whole time, and I even found myself reading it during class. I physically couldn't stop. The writing was one of the best parts of this book. I love a great male POV, and this was an exemplary example of that. Dante was a breath of fresh air, and I really am already craving more. As much as I loved the characters and the writing, the romance was hands down the best part of book. Dante is an amazing guy, even though he really didn't show it at first. But Charlie saw through his façade right from the beginning. They are most definitely a perfect match. Possibly the greatest news ever is that The Liberator is releasing later this year so I don't have to wait so long. I really can't wait for some more of Dante. Oh, and one more thing, Dante is mine! #VMafia forever! Favorite Swoon-worthy Quote: I grab her thighs and hoist her up, and she wraps her legs around me. Fumbling toward a tree, I press her back against it and push toward her, my hips locking against hers. An animalistic groan escapes my throat as I kiss her harder, deeper. I trail my lips down her neck and along her collarbone, and Charlie softly moans. Then I bury my head against her chest and take her in - her smell, her chest rising and falling. The wild thumping of her heart. Rating: 5/5 Tar Heels!

Likes: - lol moments - no abuse - an honest to goodness love story I usually prefer steamy romances but this book held up without that. I am impressed, I thank you Ms Scott.

Warning: this review is going to be totally fangirl-ish. I've been waiting for this book since forever. I've been dreaming it in my hands and now that I finally got to read, I want to explode. The Collector is SO good. Unique, full of romance, action. It was definitely worth the one year I had to wait for it to come out. First of all, I adored Victoria's Scott writing. It's so funny. The story flows perfectly, making you hooked immediately. She has a gift of making the story really vivid, like you can actually watch it unravel before your eyes. Victoria Scott is definitely a new voice in YA who needs to be reckoned with. And here's the good part. D A N T E W A L K E R. Swoon. This guy is the definition of swoon. Gawd, I just love him. He's... UGH! I'm fine, okay, I'm fine *exhales*. Dante Walker is the lead male of the book and we see the story from his point of view. I enjoyed reading the story from his POV. We get to see the real changes in him and also, the truth about who he is. Dante is a collector. He collects souls and brings them to Boss Man aka Lucifer. Yep, he's a demon, a villain. He's also the best collector out of the six of them. And he knows it. He's so totally aware he's flipping awesome, it just may annoy you in the beginning of the book. Let me tell you something. Dante's not your usual cocky, bad boy YA book character. He's the actual villain in the story. That's what's so unique about this story. Watching him change, or better yet, watching Charlie change him throughtout the book is just amazing. Yes, we can all see the good in him, even in the beginning. What we don't know is if the good side of him is enough for him to actually be good instead of a pawn of hell. Then there's Charlie. Another totally unique character. Charlie's a sweet, good girl who lives her life peacefully in Peachville. She's not pretty - glasses, bad skin, limp and all. Thank God for Charlie! I'm so tired of book heroines being so damn perfect. I mean, c'mon, that's just stupid. But then, here comes Charlie, with all her nerdy-ness and unpretty-but-at-the-same-time-pretty face and rocks our world. I love her! She had had a lot of crap on her plate since she was young but instead of being moody and constantly cursing the world, she tries to make it better. She smiles and has hope. So many people have lost hope, nowadays, and so many girls try to be too damned awesome - it's disgusting! Charlie really is a heroine to look up to. I personally admire her so much. Because she's not a coward and she's good and she cares about her loved ones and she actually forgives. GO CHARLIE! The Collector is definitely one of my favorite books of 2013 so far. Unique and full of romance with a boy who will rock your world and a girl who will make you feel confident again. Read it. The Collector is amazing!

I only got a few chapters in, but the femminist in me could not accept the signature girly pink associated to the female character. Just not about people I want to read about.

Find the original review here: http://thisisthestoryofmyreadinglife.blogspot.ca/2014/01/miniviews-1the-hollow-tiger-lily.html Oh Dante Walker, you cocky bastard, how I've fallen for your wit and charm. I'll admit, this book is not going to be for everyone based solely on our wonderful narrator, Dante. He's an ass. He's deeply in love with himself and can be quite rude or put on the full charm when needed. But I love him for all those quirks. The amount of times I LOL'd, well I don't even know. Seriously just go look up some quotes from this book. DO IT! Scott's writing and dialogue are spot on. You know what kind of person Dante is from the start. And when he meets Charlie, who is just pure nice down to her core, and she starts to point out the good traits within Dante. A little bit of his softer side starts to make an appearance. Scott has created a different take on the whole Angels/Fallen Angels craze. You've still got people like Dante working for The Boss Man(hell) and people working for The Big Man(Heaven) but in a whole different way. So if you like your fallen Angel books and you want something with a different sort of narration(meaning you want to laugh and roll your eyes(in a good way)) than pick this one up. And you wont have to wait long for the last book to come out in the spring. I tip my hat to you Scott for bringing Mr. Dante Walker into my life.

I have to be honest and tell you that when I first heard about The Collector, I was scared to read it because the plot sounded just like Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers (which by the way, is one of my favourite books). I mean, a hot, arrogant soul collector from hell who is the best at what he does is sent on an assignment to collect a good girl's soul (and she just happens to have some sort of significance) and guess what?! The more time Dante spends with Charlie, the more he starts to care for her. Yeah, that sounds like Personal Demons all right but you know what? Time and time again I think of something that Maggie Stiefvater (author of Shiver and The Scorpio Races) once said - that just because two people have the same idea, it doesn't mean that it's the same book and it's all down to the execution of it. She's a wise woman is Maggie. I am pleased to tell you that The Collector IS a different book to Personal Demons and definitely just as enjoyable if you give it a chance. Now it's time for confession number two. When I first started reading the book, I HATED Dante. I thought he was an arrogant, selfish jerk and the way he talked? Who talks like that?! I almost stopped reading as I thought this was not the book for me. And then something magical happened. Slowly but surely, as I got to know him better through his interactions with Charlie and Grams, I saw that beneath the shiny exterior, he's actually a somewhat decent guy and I actually grew to like him. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for books that can make me change my mind and that my friends, is purely down to the talent of the writer. Dante is the main protagonist in the book but most of the focus is on Charlie, a sixteen year old girl who lives with her Grams. At first, I thought she sounded a lot younger than her character but I'm going to put that down to the fact that she's led a somewhat sheltered life and never goes out to parties or socialises with "the cool kids". She's not the prettiest of girls on the outside but she has an inner beauty that makes her a really decent person and she has two loyal best friends in the form of Annabelle and Blue, the latter being a boy who secretly holds a candle for Charlie. I liked the fact that Blue was the only one who saw the inner beauty Charlie had and as she became more beautiful on the outside, it sort of didn't matter as much to Dante at that point as he'd already fallen for her. They seemed like such an unlikely partnership in the beginning and you'll just have to read the book to find out if they can make it work. I will say that there is one particular question (not the one above) that isn't answered fully at the end of the book, an unresolved plot point if you will and this niggled me a little BUT it paves the way quite nicely for a sequel. I really enjoyed the book, it was fun and laugh out loud funny at times but there were also heartfelt moments that will touch even the coldest soul. A fantastic debut from Victoria Scott, my pre-ordered copy should be arriving any day now and all I have to leave you with is...POW ;)