White Cat by Holly Black

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers -- people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail -- he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love -- or death -- and your dreams might be more real than your memories.

Blurb from Barnes and Noble.com

4 out of 5 stars

First off, I have never read a book like this. The world the characters live in is completely original. I have never imagined curse worker, let alone read about anything like them.

The plot swirled with cons and betrayal, to the point where it was almost confusing. But in a way that makes you just want to read more, rather than stop.

The characters were all very believable, even the bad guys.

Personally, I had to check out this book after hearing and reading so many good things about the series and the author. The first chapter had me hooked with such an odd and funny beginning. As the book went on, I couldn't help but laugh, cry and sigh right along with the characters.

For a little while, I couldn't figure out why the book was titled White Cat, because in the beginning the white cat is not a major thing. But as the book continued, it became the best title for the book, which I was very pleased with.

I do not own the book, but I would love to, as I'm sure I'll read it again sometime. I can't wait for the second book.