Mysterious Matchbox

Matchbox Girls by Chrysoula Tzavelas

* Book will be released February 21, 2012
* ARC read via Around The World ARC Tours

5 out of 5 gnomes

I just have to say that this is a truly cool cover that really made me interested in reading the story.  I also found myself contemplating how nice this cover would be if it was poster sized and hanging on my wall.  

This book is stuffed to the brim with awesomeness.  There's plenty of supernatural goodness with an eclectic mix of angels, demons, half-demons, nephilim, and a whole host of other odd creatures.

Marley, the main character of this story, has plenty of problems including having panic attacks and not having a steady job.  Then after just one phone call she's practically drowning in new problems.  This phone call changes Marley's life and leads to some truly strange events.  Marley gets the call from Lissa and Kari, the 4 year old nieces of a friend she knows from going to the park everyday.  It turns out that their uncle is missing.

At first it looks like this all might be just some game that the kids are playing and then some truly odd stuff starts happening in quick succession.  Marley is there to help the kids but there are others out there who have their own reasons for being interested in them.  I really wasn't sure what to expect at first but then all the weird things start happening pretty fast.  These aren't just ordinary twins and Marley is no ordinary woman.

There is tension aplenty.  A lot of the spookiness and tension happens because of the twins.  Being as they are only four years old, their view of the world isn't exactly concrete yet.  That means all these fantastical creatures can't really be helping their psyches any.  Marley is determined to be their protector and has an unerring belief that she's the only one who can protect them. 

It's great seeing how much Marley grows as a character over the course of the book.  Having this huge responsibility leads her to really step up and see who she really is.  It turns out that she's a much stronger person then she ever thought she could be.

Corbin, the potential love interest of the book, sounds like quite a guy.  The guy communes with ravens and has some unique powers.  He seems like the kind of guy you would want on your side when you're in trouble.  It feels like the spark between him and Marley may just continue to grow into something special.

The story is a little light on the romance, though that's only because they are all pretty darn busy running for their lives/just trying to survive.  Plus someone who you thought might turn out to be a love interest seems more like a real jackass instead by the end of the story.

The world building of the story is intense yet easy to follow.  It shows just enough to keep you questing after answers of what exactly is going on and who's right.  There's a nice grey area too where you might not be sure who is on Marley's side or not.  Some that she meet seem more like enemies at first but then they end up helping out.  Then another huge twist is added when a certain being named Tinker Chime shows up.

The end of the story was surprising and leaves plenty of promise for an extremely interesting future for everyone involved.  If you're looking for a book that's full of mystery, surprises, and myriads of unique characters then this is definitely the book for you.