Author: Victoria Scott
Series: Dante Walker (1)
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Release Date: 02 April 2013
Date Read: March 2013
Rating: ★★★☆☆
He makes good girls...bad.
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.
It's been a while since I read The Collector, in reviewing terms anyway. I've been putting off writing the review because I wasn't sure how to put into words what I thought of it. Now, I've sat my ass down and told myself to quit procrastinating already and start writing. Almost everyone I know absolutely loved it. I don't quite share their feelings.
What most readers loved about The Collector is Dante Walker. No doubt about it, Dante had a distinct, dominant voice and personality to boot. You know who Dante reminds me of? This guy:
Iron Man. Ridiculously cocky, arrogant, witty, most of the time a dick and, of course, hot, and he knows it. A lot of the traits in a guy that would normally piss most people off. But like Iron Man, Dante just doesn't. It makes him kinda more irresistible and charming. But here's the thing.I don't like Iron Man. I think he's an arrogant prick. (Don't tell the Avengers fandom, though. They'd have me burned alive.) And I didn't like Dante, either. At first I loved his voice, his arrogant smirks, the overconfident swagger. But somewhere along the line, I got tired of him. I caught myself rolling my eyes at some of the dialogues and thoughts he had. I got tired of 'Boss Man', of 'I am the coolest shit this town will ever see', of 'fo sizzle', ugh. Really? You didn't even say that jokingly. Just shut up, please. He eventually sounded like a 13 year old trying hard to sound cool to me.
Apart from that, I enjoyed reading The Collector. The premise is different and interesting and unique and I really love the whole seals thing. It had an exciting pace. Charlie was adorable. She is lovely and funny and quirky nerd. She was exactly what Dante needed. She was tricked convinced into signing off her soul to the devil in exchange for beauty. I was so disappointed in her when she did that but who was I to judge, exactly? Most girls would jump at the chance to become skinner, to have clearer skin, to have silkier hair, to be more beautiful. Me, included. I thought it was very clever of Scott to do that. It clearly portrayed a teenage girl's desire to fit in and be more than who she believes herself to be. I was prepared to rip this part of the book apart in my review but there was no need. Scott was aware of what she was doing, which I can't say for most authors, and didn't disappoint when she righted Charlie's wrongs and taught her about self-esteem. Because you're worth it.
This is worth a shot if you're in the mood for a fun, quick read, with a little bit of oomph. There is a visible character development for Dante, and thank goodness for that. I'm looking forward to the The Liberator because by the sounds of it and how The Collector ended, I think I'll enjoy it more.
Title: The Collector