Review : Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George

Summary (from Goodreads)  

Title : Silver in the Blood (Silver in the Blood #1)
Author : Jessica Day George
Publication Date : July 7th 2015
Publisher : Bloomsbury
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A New York Times bestselling author brings dark secrets to life in a lush new YA perfect for fans of Libba Bray or Cassandra Clare.

Society girls from New York City circa 1890, Dacia and Lou never desired to know more about their lineage, instead preferring to gossip about the mysterious Romanian family that they barely knew. But upon turning seventeen, the girls must return to their homeland to meet their relatives, find proper husbands, and—most terrifyingly—learn the deep family secrets of The Claw, The Wing, and The Smoke. The Florescus, after all, are shape-shifters, and it is time for Dacia and Lou to fulfill the prophecy that demands their acceptance of this fate . . . or fight against this cruel inheritance with all their might.

With a gorgeous Romanian setting, stunning Parisian gowns, and dark brooding young men, readers will be swept up by this epic adventure of two girls in a battle for their lives.

Personal Thoughts

Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George has one of the prettiest covers to ever grace a book. As shallow as this may sound, it's exactly what drew me to the book. Besides the gorgeous cover, I was also lusting for this story because of its historical Romanian setting. While Silver in the Blood started off a bit slowly, it ended up being an entertaining story that I read in one sitting.

The book is told in the point of views of two NYC cousins, Dacia and Lou, whose family are from Romania. Dacia and Lou were both wonderful characters on their own. Dacia was the flirty, bold spitfire of a character, while Lou, herself was more on the quiet and shy side. They both had their strengths and weaknesses that made them shine as characters. Throughout the book, as family and personal secrets were revealed to them, the two of them underwent tremendous growth. By the end of Silver in the Blood, they weren't the same gossip-loving, naive characters that they were at the beginning of the book. Dacia became more reserved, but at the same time more confident as she found out about her gift, while Lou blossomed into this fierce character who was no longer afraid to stand up for herself. While they were individually stunning characters, Dacia and Lou were infinitely better as a team. The bond that these girls shared went beyond family. They were best friends and they cared deeply about each other. I loved how close they were and how they pretty much knew each other more than they knew themselves. It truly was a lovely relationship that they had and their dynamic was one of the strongest points of Silver in the Blood for me. I enjoyed it far more than the romance, which in itself is a rarity when it comes to me. The letters that they shared with each other while being away from each other were very endearing. The secondary characters were also quite enjoyable. I especially liked the roles of Johnny and Theo, the two cousins' love interests. While I did wish we got to know them a bit more personally, with the way the book ended, I have no doubt that that will happen with the next installment.

The Florescu family was quite the intriguing family since they were pretty much entrenched in supernatural secrets. They made for an interesting part of the book, especially because their relationship wasn't always what it seemed like on the exterior. I enjoyed getting to know them and finding out their true self and their relationship to the main villain in Silver in the Blood. The luscious Romanian setting also made for an engaging story line. I would have perhaps liked to learn more about the culture at the time itself, but I was definitely satisfied with what Jessica Day George presented. Plot-wise, Silver in the Blood was slow. It took time for it to gain its momentum, but I personally felt like the book was boring because I found the relationship between Dacia and Lou to be so delightful. I honestly could have read on and on had the book just been about them frolicking around. The one area I did find a bit lacking in Silver in the Blood was in the romance department. While the chemistry was certainly there between the two couples, I don't think it was executed as well as it could have been. There was no insta-love for certain, but the romances needed more build up for me to get behind them. I guess I needed to see the couples interact with each other more on a romantic level because their interactions were definitely more of a partnership to bring down the villain more than anything. Jessica Day George's writing remained lovely throughout the book and like I said, I had trouble putting the book down.

With the way Silver in the Blood ended, I think this series has the potential to turn into an epic one in future books. While the book may have a bit of a slow start, I recommend sticking with it because the relationship between Lou and Dacia more than makes up for it.

Rating

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 3/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5

**Overall Rating : 3.5/5**

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the e-ARC of Silver in the Blood.