Pages: 384
Genre: YA. Sci-fi & fantasy
Release: August 1st 2011
Source: ARC from Book Expo America
Good to know: This is Skovron's second novel. Jon Skovron is currently participating in a blog tour for the book.
Jael has always felt like a freak. She’s never kissed a boy, she never knew her mom, and her dad’s always been superstrict—but that’s probably because her mom was a demon, which makes Jael half demon and most definitely not a normal sophomore girl. On her sixteenth birthday, a mysterious present unlocks her family’s dangerous history and Jael’s untapped potential. What was merely an embarrassing secret before becomes a terrifying reality. Jael must learn to master her demon side in order to take on a vindictive Duke of Hell while also dealing with a twisted priest, best-friend drama, and a spacey blond skater boy who may have hidden depths. Author Jon Skovron takes on the dark side of human nature with his signature funny, heartfelt prose.
Original Demons
Misfit is a highly original tale that will keep you entertained throughout the pages.
Jael lives with her father, and attends catholic school. The two of them have moved a lot, and Jael does not have a lot of friends. What Jael does not know is that she is a halfbreed, part demon and part human. Once she finds out, her whole life changes. She finds out that some scary forces from Hell are after her, and the few friends she does have are also in danger.
It took some pages before I was truly captivated by this story, but once that happened I could not put the book down. I have not read a lot of books about demons, so that setting was new and refreshing. Jael is a great character and stands out in the book. I believe that a lot of teenagers will identify with her and her many feelings. Jael feels that she does not fit in, she dreams of the first kiss and of having a boyfriend. One of the things she says to her friend Brittany, on the first page of the book, truly shows how she feels. It also gives the reader a hint that Jael is not your ordinary girl next door:
"You know that I heard? she says. "That what you see in the mirror isn't what you really look like. That since mirrors flip everything, you're looking at a flipped version of your face. Like, the exact opposite."
Speaking of friends, I didn't quite get the feeling for Brittany and Rob. The became a little vague for me. It also seems like the author has tried to build feelings between Rob and Jael, but this somehow drowns in all of the other things that are happening.
The best parts of the book is where we read about how Jael's mother and father met, and their adventures together. Those passages reads like an episode of Supernatural. I also liked how the author has described Hell, and the things that go on there. Dagon is a character that, if there is to be written more stories about Jael, I would love to read more about.
The author has also thrown in some excisting myths and legends, and put his own spin on them. One example is the story of Samson & Delilah.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that we will get a second book about Jael. I would love to read more about her.
Other reviews:
In the Good Books
Bookaliciou.us
Beyond Words
Jon Skovron's webpage
Jon Skovron on Goodreads
I did mention the story about Samson & Delilah, this tune played in my head whilst I read the scenes about Jael's mother and father:
Oslo Time
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