This Savage Song - Book Review

This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1)
by Victoria Schwab

What is it about:
There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

What did I think of it:
This is a really cool read.

The world didn't always make sense to me. So there are cities with monsters, but once outside of a certain zone around those cities it's perfectly safe? The way the monsters were described I didn't get why they weren't everywhere. And why are people still living in those cities if it's safe outside of them? But maybe I missed something...

That one point of confusion aside: I loved both Kate and August. August is a tortured monster who longs to be human, while Kate wants the love of her father so badly she is willing to give up on her humanity if it makes him notice her. Of the two of them I could understand Kate the most. August has people who are there for him, and at times I thought he was ungrateful for what he had, while I could understand Kate's longing for a place to belong. She's going about it the wrong way to get it, but that's what can make a good story if told the right way.

The story itself is suspenseful, full of action, and it drew me in from the start. There's one point about 2/3 in that it dragged a little in my opinion, but that might be because I thought Kate and August were given important clues, but were a bit slow to catch up on what's going on.

All in all a cool story, with interesting monsters and world building. I will keep an eye out for the next book, even though this book gives us another one of those 'let's throw this out as bait for the next book' endings.

Why should you read it:
It's a well written Dark Future YA read.