After the death of her father, Zoe’s family is falling apart. Her mother works every hour to try and keep them afloat, while her little brother Jonah struggles to adjust to their new reality.
X has been tormented all his life. Damned to the hellish Lowlands ruled by the cruel Lords, he is condemned to life as a Bounty Hunter harvesting the wicked from the mortal world. On one mission, he stumbles across Zoe and Jonah. Will this meeting give them both a shot at salvation?
This is the debut novel of journalist Jeff Giles. The Young Adult genre has boomed in the last ten years, and with this book Giles has crafted an energetic engaging story that could easily spin out into a series and stand alongside the likes of James Dashner and co.
The story is told from the perspectives of Zoe and X. From the off, the love story element of the plot is original. However, Giles does a really good job of alleviating the more teenage angsty moments, with a witty remark making them enjoyable and fun to read.
The thing that sold this book was not the budding relationship between Zoe and X, but the vibrant world that has been created with some great, well rounded supporting characters. Zoe’s brother Jonah is such a lovable character whose loss and suffering is felt far beyond his years. There is honesty in the rawness of his emotions that is relatable on every level.
Then there are X’s fellow Bounty Hunters, whose back stories are fed in dribs and drabs, and we begin to hope that there is a chance of redemption for them.
Giles has created a unique world with wonderful characters who sell themselves to sequels.
