Cracked (Soul Eater #1)by Eliza Crewe
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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.
Hey, Meda !!
❝ Good God, children. Can we focus on what’s important? Me. ❞
Oh. My. That girl. That girl. She was amazing. No need to remind that female leads and me are always on very thin ice : perhaps I’m sometimes too harsh with them but come on, that’s kind of sick how girls are portrayed in almost all young-adults books. When they aren’t Mary Sue, they have this ridiculous habit to melt on the floor at the first sign of hot boys – as f*cking annoying as it is, it became so frequent that I almost expect this when I begin a new book. How many, I’m asking, how many so called kick-ass heroines prove to be gentle puppies after the first half of their story? Too much.
❝ A small girl, still young enough to suffer the indignity of pigtails, holds out a dead golfish in her cupped hand.
Thanks, but I just ate.
“My fish died,” she lisps around missing teeth. She looks at me expectantly.
Ah – catastrophe has struck and she’s in search of an adult to handle it. (…) Fortunately, I know just how to handle this one.
“Flush it down the toilet.”
(…)
What? It’s a fish. ❞
While Meda never disappoints. Her sarcastic and selfish way of thinking is so damn refreshing and funny – You can’t not enjoy that book. Seriously. I’m totally fangirling here : she says sentences we almost always said thought once and even if she’s pretty insensible in the major part of that book, I adored her. Be my friend, Meda. I could totally be useful – you know, the bear catchs the slower thing.
She kinda reminds me of Dante from The Collector – I could totally copy/paste his description – Let’s see what I wrote about him :
– perfectly selfish, conceited, smart-ass, liar, and he completely doesn’t care – but then, totally – what others may think or feel.
That’s my Meda. This description fully suits her : she’s a daemon (okay, Halfling) who eats souls and uses people when she needs to. Well, she decided to kill bad guys only, but not because she’s a kind person, no. I’ll let you discover why.
❝ One brightly coloured announcement contains a collection of smiling, gap-toothed children with the words “Be Yourself” in big block letters. Worst advice I’ve ever been given by a poster. ❞
She’s a total kick-ass –
But also reminds me a little bit of –
You know, this funny but selfish lizard dragon (oups, sorry sorry Mushu) who is continually trying to hide his hole of a heart? Who’s afraid of the very word of feelings? See? I think he could give Meda a high five. Seriously.
And maybe, maybe, as Mushu, she’ll discover her heart – maybe. Guess you have to read it to know^^.
And the other characters? Want to meet them? Read that preview and enjoy.
❝ Asinine solo plan where I risk it all to save the planet! Chi.
Rude comment. Jo.
Fake attempt to be included in dangerous mission. Me.
Slightly less asinine plan involving the two of us. Uri.
Rude comment. Almost-sane plan using Chi and me. Jo.
Overprotective response. Chi.
Reeaaally rude comment! Jo.
Cringe-worthy comment about Jo’s leg. Chi.
Head explodes. Near homicide. Jo.
Life-saving intervention ending the debate and getting everyone to agree to Jo’s plan. Me. ❞
That book is filled with friendship : how can we trust someone enough to accept him as a friend? Do we have to trust someone to become friends?
I really appreciated the dynamic of this nutty team and that’s why the lack of romance didn’t bother me – even if I root for this french guy, I totally ship for him. I’m the captain of that ship. He sounds awesome. He ‘s sarcastic too. I love evil. Let’s meet him. Please.
♜ The plot : Templars, did you say templars?
Really? I don’t know why this kind of plot gets to me so easily. Perhaps because I’m a huge nerd fanatic of history. That’s something I struggle to understand with my pupils : the majority isn’t interested in learning how people lived before whereas I always was crazy about it. I mean, hey, what could be more amazing than touching an artifact some hero used centuries ago? Okay, maybe a lot of things, actually. I admit it. Sort of. Playing Assassin’s creed? The truth is, I was this kind of wide-eyed child who stayed hours listening stories about these mad knights (because of course they were nutty, right?) – those annoying children who ask so many questions the museum curator begins to glare at their parents (who shrug, obviously, hey, they have to stand them all the freakin’ days). What I loved here was the fact Eliza Crewe used the Templars mythology in an original way and (almost) never fell into the trap of the religious side of it. Because well, I know Templars were fanatic religious, I know it – and that’s an aspect of the history I like not so much. Magic and fighting are so more fun, don’t you think? That’s why I’m really eager to discover the rest because that manner Eliza Crewe renewed the Templar stuff?
I freakin’ loved it.
✸✸In other words : An enjoying and fascinating immersion in the head of a wonderful sarcastic b*tch, tinged with a reckless but likeable almost-templar and a screwed-up BBF, the whole thing wildly hilarious, fast-paced and never boring. Plus, icing on the cake : I’m pretty sure I’ll love this Armand guy. Instalove here. Yep.✸✸
PS : OMG, I’ve just seen the ridiculous little number of ratings of that book. What are you waiting? Go read this book! Now!
