It still was a great book with amazing characters. I was hoping for something more bittersweet or unexpected. Unfortunately, it felt like the closer I got to the end, the more predictable the plot. He ends up making a scene in front of seven people, including Birdie and spills open a briefcase full of money. She’s homeless and walking down a street when she thinks she sees her old high school teacher, Jeff.

I liked the beginning of the book and how Birdie gets dragged into this whole mess. I can match up the events in this book to other books in its genre, but I can’t find another Birdie and Grey duo. Although the story felt predictable at times, Julie Reece succeeding in creating unique and enjoyable characters. I’m so used to watching characters act the same way book after book when I should be viewing each book with an open mind. As much as I hate to admit, I apply stereotypes often to characters in books.

Got that? You think because we have money, we don’t have problems, or that we don’t know what pain is? You’ve got a lot to learn about people, Bird. “First of all, not everything’s about you, is it? You don’t know me, and you sure as hell don’t know my family. He has a sincere personality, a troubled past of his own, and although he likes Birdie, he doesn’t follow her stupidly. Her love interest, Grey, actually acts like a person I could stand being with for more than five minutes.

A personality like hers needs to be more prevalent in the YA genre. Her narration is both touching and hilarious. Not just with disbelief, but with sarcasm. She acted exactly how I would of acted if someone told me that I’d eventually save the souls of her ancestors locked in a curse. Perhaps it had something to do with the main character, Birdie. I feel guilty for not falling in love with this book. Available in ebook or paperback on July 9th, 2012.

Crux by Julie Reece