Title: Cracked
Author: Eliza Crewe
Year Published: 2013
Synopsis: Meet Meda. She eats people.
Well, technically, she eats their soul. But she totally promises to only go for people who deserve it. She’s special. It’s not her fault she enjoys it. She can’t help being a bad guy. Besides, what else can she do? Her mother was killed and it’s not like there are any other “soul-eaters” around to show her how to be different. That is, until the three men in suits show up.
They can do what she can do. They’re like her. Meda might finally have a chance to figure out what she is. The problem? They kind of want to kill her. Before they get the chance Meda is rescued by crusaders, members of an elite group dedicated to wiping out Meda's kind. This is her chance! Play along with the “good guys” and she’ll finally figure out what, exactly, her ‘kind’ is.
Be careful what you wish for. Playing capture the flag with her mortal enemies, babysitting a teenage boy with a hero complex, and trying to keep one step ahead of a too-clever girl are bad enough. But the Hunger is gaining on her.
The more she learns, the worse it gets. And when Meda uncovers a shocking secret about her mother, her past, and her destiny… she may finally give into it.
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Review: I'm not really sure what I was expecting when I started this book, having never read anything about demons who eat souls, but oh my goodness was this book good! I had such a hard time putting it down, and read all of it in pretty much one sitting. Somehow, Eliza turns something that should be terrifying into something hilarious. It's genius!
I absolutely loved Meda. Her sense of humor is hysterical, and she's so sarcastic and snarky about everything that I just wanted to be her friend (even if she is a monster). I thought it was really fun to read about an anti-heroine, because I wasn't sure if I should sympathize with her (which I did), or hope that she gets found out by the good guys. Her secrets are layered so thickly that even she doesn't know some of them. It was interesting finding things out as she did and feeling excited or betrayed as she did. Meda is just a really well-written character, and I can't wait to find out where her path takes her next.
The Crusaders - Chi, Jo, and Uri - are also excellent characters. They have their own secrets, and while they fight for good they aren't above sinning to accomplish their missions. I think Jo is an excellent foil for both Chi and Meda, and watching the three of them together was just so much fun. Chi and Uri are both so trusting and naive, and Jo is not trusting at all but unwaiveringly faithful once her trust is won. Even though this book is from Meda's perspective, these three characters grow and change almost as much as Meda does.
The writing is excellent, and Meda's voice resonates throughout the whole thing. It's exactly what I would expect from a teenage girl who struggles with good vs. evil and with what she is. There are tons of pop culture references, which are always fun, and even jabs at real places and people. Also, Meda never really glazes over anything. She speaks her mind (unless she's hiding something or trying to glean information from someone), and even though she's an anti-heroine, it's still a breath of fresh air. The plot also moves along at a fairly decent pace, which helps too.
If you're looking for a YA Urban Fantasy full of characters you love to hate, ones you hate to love, and hilarious comments and references that still manages to deliver a great message about friendship, you definitely DO NOT want to miss Cracked! I cannot wait to read the rest of this series, and hope it comes out sooner than later! 5/5 for sure
And don't miss Eliza on the blog next week (10/20) as part of the blog tour for Cracked! We're doing an author interview with her :).
--Ashley
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