Review: Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

The Arcana Chronicles #1

Release Date: October 2^nd, 2012

Number of Pages: 284

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Source: ARC from BEA

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole introduces The Arcana Chronicles, post-apocalyptic tales filled with riveting action, the dark mysticism of Tarot cards, and breathtaking romance.She could save the world—or destroy it. 

Sixteen year old Evangeline “Evie” Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they’re still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.  

But she can’t do either alone.  

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can’t totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?  

Who can Evie trust?  

As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side….

Wow. I didn’t expect this book to be that addicting, that’s for sure. Actually, I didn’t really know what to expect from it, since I haven’t read any of her adult books. I knew many who loved her books, but I had never read anything from her. I have to say that I was expecting something a little cheesier in a way (mostly because of the cover, don’t ask me why specifically), but it was so much better than I could have hoped. I ended up reading this book by chance mostly, and I have to say I didn’t regret one minute I spent reading it. I even had to go hide during my lunch break so I wouldn’t be disturb while I was watching it.

With the characters, I was torn at first, because there were characters that I just didn’t like. For example, Jackson annoyed me, and I was a little sad to know that he would probably end up with Evie in the end. Yet, the more I read, the more I learned about him, and the more I liked him. He may be a hot Cajun boy, but he could be so harsh with her that it put me off at first. Now, I just want more. Evie was the kind of character I grew attached instantly. She was strong, and really intriguing with her visions. I was excited to see how she would survive the aftermath of “The Flash” the apocalyptic event that hit the world.

Now, Cole didn’t fail to bring in the amazingness with this book. There was just no time to get bored. I felt like I had just started it when I finally reached the last page. The world she created was so captivating, and I love the idea of teens having powers related to the Tarot Cards. And the romance was just enough not to feel like it was taking over the novel. Everything simply felt balanced to me.

Really, Poison Princess was such a great surprise to me. It may be better for an audience a little more mature than the average YA novel, but it is totally worth reading. This is one of those books that will leave you panting for more, especially because of the ending.