Review: The Collector by Victoria Scott

17 April, 2013 Reviews 16 comments

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: The Collector by Victoria ScottThe Collector by Victoria Scott
Series: Dante Walker #1
Published by Entangled Teen on March 25th 2013
Pages: 352
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Format: Paperback
Source: Author
Amazon・ Good Books・Book Depository
Goodreads
four-stars

He makes good girls...bad.

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

If you can’t love Dante Walker then you’re probably not going to love this book.  He is cocky, flamboyant, arrogant, hilarious, and sassy.  Luckily for me, I absolutely loved him.  Victoria Scott has perfectly encapsulated the jerky, arrogant seventeen year old who thinks he’s a straight up badass – and nothing is more satisfying than watching Dante Walker realize that not only does he have a sweet, kind side, but he’s also a good person and a good friend.

The book basically went like this:

Dante would be all like:

And outwardly I would be like:

But then when I thought the book wasn’t looking, I’d be like:

There’s another character, Charlie Cooper, who I just loved.  Mostly because, though Dante is so mean about her at the beginning, Scott wrote her with such empathy and compassion.  Even while Dante was waxing poetical about how unattractive and what a loser she was, and even while she was acting like a loser, I still loved her.  I think everyone who’s been an awkward teenage girl could see part of themselves in Charlie.

Whilst the writing of The Collector was pretty good, it was the slang and dialogue that really got me.  Basically, she nailed it.  Nailed teenage guy with a great finesse.  The plot itself is pretty cool if a little simplistic.  Bad Collector dude spies innocent virgin girl.  Shenanigans ensue.  It was hard for me to grasp the greater moral aspects of the book, the struggle between good and evil etc when I spent the whole book going, “God, girl!  Just ride that guy to O-Town already!”  As the book progressed, I found myself rocking backwards and forwards begging her to not change.  NEVER CHANGE, CHARLIE!

I guess this was the only aspect that I found a little less satisfactory than I would have liked.  For me, where it really made up for it was the characters.  The dynamics between Blue and Dante and Charlie.  Between the Liberator and Max and Dante.  Between them all.  I just couldn’t get enough of those awwwwww moments.  And then it ended, and I wanted more.  Especially more of teh sexy.  Which meant I finished the book shaking my fist at Victoria Scott, saying:

Which is really just my way of saying, “I love you.”

Kat Kennedy

Kat Kennedy

Co-blogger at Cuddlebuggery
Kat Kennedy is a book reviewer and aspiring author in the Young Adult genre. She reviews critically but humorously and get super excited about great books. Find her on GoodReads.
Kat Kennedy

16 Responses to “Review: The Collector by Victoria Scott”

  1. Sapir

    OMG great review!! I think I’m going to LOVE Dante. The gifs are hilarious. LOL
    Sapir
    @ <a href=”http://www.wimpyteengirl.blogspot.com”>Diary of a
    Wimpy Teen Girl</a>

    Reply

  3. Kate C.

    This book sounds hilarious, from what I’ve read.  It’s definitely going on my list SOON.  Although, I’ve been spending too much money on books lately (Bad, Kate, Bad) so I may have to wait till the library has it.  🙂
    Great review!

    Reply

  6. EscapeInABook
    Twitter:

    Kat, you better be right(if not then I guess I’ve supported a good cause at least ;))! Because I caved in to the Amazon link here, after reading your review it beaconed to me to and I had to answer to its call.

    Reply

  7. readingwishes
    Twitter:

    I was already looking forward to The Collector but now after reading your BADASS review? Even more so.
    It was hard for me to grasp the greater moral aspects of the book, (yep, that sounds like the Kat Kennedy we all know and love) the struggle between good and evil etc when I spent the whole book going, “God, girl!  Just ride that guy to O-Town already!” *cracks up*
    Dude, you and your reviews are ice-cream and chocolate cake and things that are YUM. I could never ever tire of them.*get distracted and starts thinking about food*
    Where was I?
    Oh, Kat, words fail me. You’re just too awesome to try and put into words. Really.

    Reply

  10. cynicalsapphire

    Bahahaha, the gifs. That’s amazing.
    Also, we will see how this goes for me. I am afraid, because I generally hate cocky guys. I will try to pretend I am Cuddlebuggery and understand such things.

    Reply

  15. jazchau

    YES THIS! The gifs are all so perfect! I absolutely loved the writing. Victoria got me hook line and sinker! His arrogance was captured so perfectly and yet I couldn’t help but love it 😀
    Awesome review 🙂

    Reply

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