Genre: Young Adult, Supernatural Publication.Date August 1st 2011 Pages: 384 Published By: Amulet Books | Website Jon Skovron | Misfit - Goodreads My review copy: Purchased by me Where to get: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Indiebound
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.(goodreads.com)
"My name is Astarte."
"You're named after the Phoenician goddess?" he asked.
"Oh, you've heard the name? It seems so few priests these days have," she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes."But to answer your question, I am not named after the Phoenician goddess, I am her. And many others besides."
"Never speak of angels in this house again! Never! Is that understood?!"
"Your mother was a demon. That makes you half demon."
Jon Skovron's second novel, Misfit, is a delicious and original blend of mythology and fantasy elements, spiced up with some hilarious teenage drama and sparkly dialogues. With its thorough world-building, wildly imaginative scenes and characters, and sneaky surprises, this fantastic YA novel will take you on a truly unforgettable journey. Prepare to be enchanted!
"This is disappointing. I had hoped to toy with you a little, halfbreed. But I think it would be lost on you. So I might as well just kill you."
Jael might seem like a normal teenage girl who never kissed a boy nor got into any serious trouble, but in truth, she's anything but. On her 16th birthday some weird things are starting to happen. While hanging out at the playground, Jael is attacked by a weird, horrifying creature, that claims it knew her mother. Not even that, the creature says her mother used to be a queen! Later that day she learns from her father that her mother was a demoness. Which makes Jael a half-demon!
"Do I at least have, you know... special powers?" she asked."No," he snapped." No powers, no horns, no nothing. You're just like any other girl, but your mother was a demon. That's it. No more questions. Is that clear?"
Obviously, her priest-father did everything in his power to protect her from being involved in any way with the demon world. They were always on the move and he never talked about her mother or the past in general. But we all know how it is, the past has a way of catching up with you, and just when you think you escaped its grasp, it jumps you like a thief in a dark alley. The demon folk is not exactly what you'd called a forgiving-and-forgetting kind. Their queen betrayed them by turning good, and they want vengeance. Jael is now being hunted by the Duke of Hell himself, an angry, violent and vindictive creature who will do everything it takes to get her. Sweet sixteen? Not so much!
This book was awesome. I've seen so many mixed reviews around, including both hyped-up raves and totally bashing ones, I really didn't know what to expect. I was, however, very intrigued by the cover and the synopsis, so I didn't think twice before picking it up! As it turned out, it was a great decision. I LOVED this book! It's a unique (and I'm not just saying that, it really is unique!) take on the demon world, that is rich in flavor, doesn't shy away from violence, and is totally compelling, scary and even funny at times. I had quite a few laugh-out-loud moments, but at the same time the story kept its pace and the tension was always there."But won't the priests get mad if they find out I'm a demon who goes to church?"
Once again, Jael's imagination conjured up a thousand different mothers. But after that night, none of them were kind or angelic. None of them would swoop down and rescue her from this life. She understood that much, at least.
The richness of mythological and theological tapestry is truly irresistible. Personally, I love demonology and everything that deals with demons, angels, devils, gods and all sorts of supernatural creatures. For me, this was a delicious treat, especially since it also had some elements from Greek, Roman, Egyptian and even Phoenician mythology. The thing I liked the most about this book, though, is that it focused on Jael and whatever was going on in her head. She was a great character, one that really grew on me. Watching her struggle to accept the news about her origins and learn more about her mother, who she was and what she did... it was all very interesting and quite fascinating (and often heartbreaking!). I also enjoyed observing her relationship with Rob. They made a cute, adorable couple (Rob is such an awesome, nerdy skate boy!) and their growing attraction to each other seemed genuine and natural.
The supportive characters were, well, OK. They didn't interest me as much as Jael, Rob and Jael's father. To me, these three characters made this book. Jael's father appeared to be a total douchebag at first - overly mysterious and strict, never answering any questions, always snapping angrily and keeping to himself. There's more going on there, though, and you don't really learn the whole story until the very end. I think he was a well-thought out and three-dimensional character, and he definitely added a lot to the story!
Overall, this was a highly entertaining, original, flavorful and addictive read. I was literally swept away into the fantastically imaginative world of Misfit and I enjoyed exploring it a lot. It's a book that you can easily devour in one setting: well written, captivating and full of interesting mythological creatures. It's quite an intense thrill ride and I'm pretty sure that once you start reading, you won't be able to put it down! I know, I couldn't!
The supportive characters were, well, OK. They didn't interest me as much as Jael, Rob and Jael's father. To me, these three characters made this book. Jael's father appeared to be a total douchebag at first - overly mysterious and strict, never answering any questions, always snapping angrily and keeping to himself. There's more going on there, though, and you don't really learn the whole story until the very end. I think he was a well-thought out and three-dimensional character, and he definitely added a lot to the story!
Overall, this was a highly entertaining, original, flavorful and addictive read. I was literally swept away into the fantastically imaginative world of Misfit and I enjoyed exploring it a lot. It's a book that you can easily devour in one setting: well written, captivating and full of interesting mythological creatures. It's quite an intense thrill ride and I'm pretty sure that once you start reading, you won't be able to put it down! I know, I couldn't!
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This review is posted as a part of the MEN in YA event (Nov 20th - Dec 20th)
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About the AuthorEvie is the Blogger behind Bookish. She enjoys reading many different genres, especially YA, Paranormal, Contemporary Fiction and Fantasy.She loves talking to authors and is always happy to welcome them for interviews, and guest posts. She also likes spreading the love for awesome books and chatting with fellow book-worms.
You can find Evie here: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Shelfari | The Library Thing
