The Collector: Book Review

The Collector

Victoria Scott

Entangled Teen

March 25th 2013

Young Adult | Paranormal
Angel | Demon

Official Blurb - 
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.

First thing that comes to mind is The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. You know Will who thinks he is all that? Outrageous and full of himself. Has all the street lingo and behavior will all the pomp and enormous ego of the wealthy. Always getting too cocky and getting into trouble. That describes Dante perfectly. It is so terribly hard to take Dante seriously. He just comes off endearing. Almost like he is on giant comedic act. He uses so much slang that it doesn't seem to fit his wealthy upbringing. More like an act he puts on to impress. Yet by the end it just seems like a natural extension of his odd personality. He swears like a sailor but instead of feeling uber offensive it is just mildly humorous. Like hearing a ferocious growl of a bark coming out of a Pomeranian. It is so very odd. Dante has the strangest ideas and thoughts running through his mind at times. His best friend is even more crazy than Dante.

The worst part is that we lose a tiny bit of this comedic feel to Dante three-quarters of the way through the book. He starts using pet names like "Sweet Girl" and getting all heroic. Still entertaining but a definite change in the overall tone of the book. I had a hard time taking any of it seriously. Impending death, yeah right, it is all just some punch line.

Dante is the story. Take his character out and you haven't got much. If Boss man is concerned about one tiny ugly girl, Charlie, and Trevelator, lame name by the way, he really isn't scary. That is like some big bad tattoo covered dude running away screaming like a girl from a cuddly bunny. He should probably have his Evil Dude card revoked. Come on, really? So hard to take him seriously. So basically the villain's motivation is weak and the story plot is weak as well. But that doesn't phase Dante. In   his own words, "I have the confidence of a killer whale." Dante just carries the whole thing off single handed.

So I feel a little comparison is in order. Of late I read a post that lumped Dante and Kaidan Rowe in the same group of bad boys. While on paper that would be true it sure isn't in practice. Kaidan would have walked into this assignment and out five pages later. Done. Girl's soul collected or what not. Puh-leaze. He has got moves! Dante is pathetic in comparison. So it is a good thing they will never meet. Dante would never survive the crushing blow to his ego.

If it weren't for all the swearing I would have given this four stars. Yet even so I don't really feel any desire to read the next book with the more serious Dante. He just isn't quite as much fun.

Content:
Violence: Moderate
Language: Heavy
Sexual: Mild to Moderate

Moments Divine:

"Her birth was ordained by. . ." She stops and points upward. Apparently Big Guy has become the new Voldemort. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

-------------------------------------------------------

Opening her nightstand drawer, I find a pen and paper and write out a quick message:

Charlie, I need to talk to you. It's urgent. It's regarding the thing we signed. Call me at Wink Hotel. I'll be waiting.

I stare at the note and try to decide how to sign my name. Dante? Love, Dante? Obsessed with you, Dante? I feel like a freakin' twelve-year old, like I'm seconds away from zits and wet dreams.

Shaking my head, I decide on: -D

Folding up the note, I lay it on her pillow. Then I decide that's too creepy and move it to the dresser. Then back to the pillow. I let out a frustrated groan, because I'm getting on my own nerves.