Blog Tour: Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel

It's that time of year when leaves start changing colors, costumes are showing up in stores and pumpkin everything is everywhere. But one of the best things about fall is the spooky stories! 

Today we're excited to be part of the blog tour for Black Bird of the Gallows by debut author Meg Kassel. Let me tell you, there's some creepy stuff in this book. Keep reading for more about Black Bird including my review and an awesome giveaway.

Black Bird of the Gallows
Meg Kassel
Release: September 5, 2017
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ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

A simple but forgotten truth: Where harbingers of death appear, the morgues will soon be full.

Angie Dovage can tell there’s more to Reece Fernandez than just the tall, brooding athlete who has her classmates swooning, but she can’t imagine his presence signals a tragedy that will devastate her small town. When something supernatural tries to attack her, Angie is thrown into a battle between good and evil she never saw coming. Right in the center of it is Reece—and he’s not human.

What's more, she knows something most don't. That the secrets her town holds could kill them all. But that’s only half as dangerous as falling in love with a harbinger of death.

Excerpt

His soft voice clashes with the intensity of his gaze. “You’re adorable when you’re trying to be mad at me. You needn’t work so hard at it, though. We aren’t meant to be adversaries.” 

“I, um…” My thoughts disband, leaving nothing for communication purposes. I’m adorable? Adorable has many definitions. I think my dog is adorable, for example. “That…wasn’t what I was going to ask you.”

He inclines his head. “Okay, then. Ask.”

But that “adorable” echoes through me, clinking around like a penny down a well. “What are we meant to be, then?”

His lips curls up at the corners. “That wasn’t your question, either.”

Review

Black Bird of the Gallows blends unique, and frankly bizarre, mythology into a familiar teen romance that reminds me of Twilight. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing. Like Edward, Reece is much older than he appears and in a found family that moves and reinvents itself frequently. He's tortured by his nature, what he's seen and done, and fears Angie won't accept him.

Angie lives with her father in the small mountain town where Reece's family moves. She is so much better than Bella though, because she's Beca from Pitch Perfect. She DJs in a club under an assumed name and creates her own music. Again, I don't mean the comparison in a negative way - I think Angie and her alter ego Sparo are awesome. And I think the familiarity is comforting during the horrific events that happen over the course of the book. (Some of these, school shootings and natural disasters, feel ripped from the headlines and could be triggering for some readers.)

But instead of vampires, there are birds, men made of bees and mysterious straw men. They are said to be all that remains of ancient magics that were purged from the earth. That story seems quite interesting and I might have liked to see a historical version where the legends were fresh.

I just didn't love the book as much as I wanted to. I like the idea of blending elements from horror and disaster films into a teen romance. But I felt like the creepy and danger overpower any warm fuzzy feelings. And I wanted more explanation of the magic.

   

3/5  stars

Three (3) winners will receive A Black Bird of the Gallows canvas tote bag (11“x14”) which includes a custom made crow pendant and ball chain, bookmark and stickers, and a $10 Amazon Gift Card.
(INTERNATIONAL)

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Entangled Teen is also giving away t-shirts to the first 100 reviewers on Amazon. Details here.

About the Author

Meg Kassel is an author of paranormal and speculative books for young adults. A New Jersey native, Meg graduated from Parson’s School of Design and worked as a graphic designer before becoming a writer. She now lives in Maine with her husband and daughter and is busy at work on her next novel. She is the 2016 RWA Golden Heart© winner in YA.

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