The Collector (Dante Walker) Paperback – April 2, 2013

What I Liked: 1) My favorite part of this story was Dante (and that was predictable, wasn't it?) He is an unapologetic badass with a big ego and a tongue as sharp as whiplash. Author Victoria Scott definitely knows how to write a bad boy. The voice she's given him is funny and enticing, as his character is supposed to be. Snarky and sarcastic with a healthy dose of egotism made him a very fun and attractive. Overrun with swagger and charm, he's the kind of guy a girl like me is drawn to, while my head is screaming for me to run in the opposite direction. This is characterization done at it's finest! For those of you who love a good bad boy, this one is definitely for you. 2) The idea. Stealing souls...that's something that has been explored a couple times in paranormal fiction, but it all comes down to different means and motives. And both the means - Dante and his blood-red seals, and the motive...well, it's a job after all, these are just a few of the things that make this book so unique. 3) Valery. Valery was my favorite girl in the book, and she doesn't show up until close to the end. With her long red nails and her clothes that can only be described as seductive, she's quite the opposite of what I imagine. I knew there had to be more to her than what we initially learn, and I was so excited when I was right! (Hahaha, read it to find out!) 4) I'm going to compliment Charlie in the fact that she was written well as Dante's polar opposite. But she was a little boring, so I can't say that I just loved her as an MC. But she is the complete opposite of Dante, so their romance is very...opposites attract. It's a sweet fall, though you sense it a lot more from Charlie's side, and Dante is so intent on his job that it's hard for him to tell when he switches from using her, to having real, serious feelings. Ah, bad boys. They just don't know what's good for them. 5) The humor. There are some parts of this book (most of them are Dante's snarky comments) that are snort-out-loud funny. Yeah, he'd totally make fun of me, but oh well. Dante's sarcastic and quick-witted humor is exactly the kind of humor that makes me roll on the floor. I loved it. 6) The ending. YES! OMG, I can't wait to see how Dante is going to handle everything that happened at the end. I was hoping this was how it was going to end up, because no matter how bad Dante's been, I just wanted good things to happen for him. And this is going to be hysterical (in The Liberator).What I Didn't Like: Well, I already mentioned that Charlie was kinda boring, so there really is no need for anything else here.Overall Thoughts: The Collector is a vivid, funny and unique story with one of the most interesting main characters in YA lit. Not only does the plot move at a breathtakingly fast pace, but Dante brings an overwhelming amount of ego and snark to the pages of this "flippin' awesome" debut. And after the incredible ending, I can't wait to see how Dante's life is going to change in the upcoming followup, The Liberator. If you haven't had the chance to pick up this book yet, I highly recommend it!

★★★★½Upon first learning of Victoria Scott's The Collector and Dante Walker last summer, I had to ask myself, "Why?!""Why what?" You ask."Why, oh why am I continually drawn to books who have complete douchebags as the main love interest? I mean, for realsies. He might be wickedly hilarious and sinfully good-looking, but the rampant and unapologetic narcissism! Puh-lease. How could I possibly justify rooting for a guy like that?!" I mean, thanks to a rather well done, pre-release marketing campaign it's not like Dante's personality has been a secret or limited to a tiny book blurb. Oh no, this fictional male made of self-proclaimed awesome has his own entire website in which he proceeds to tell the world just how amazingly amazeballs he actually is. Huhyeah.This should be a gigantic turn off... amiright?Actually, no. I mean, yes... in real life. But in imaginary, bookish world, not as much.What can I say? Narcissism fascinates me.So, I guess that's the answer to my "Why?" Way to be all vague and whatever, Self.So anyway, the story. There's this dude - the aforementioned narcissist Dante - and he works for the Boss Man claiming souls for the kind of eternity that includes brimstones and never-ending torment. And he's good at it. Like the best. If Boss Man had an employee of the month photo wall, Dante would be totally owning that shizzle. And because Dante's the best, Boss Man's given him a new assignment: Dante has ten days to corrupt Charlie Cooper's soul and claim it. If he does this, Dante gets a bright, shiny promotion that gets him the heck outta Dodge... er... Hell.Easy Peasy, right? Not as easy as you might think, actually.Dante Walker may have finally met his match in the unexpectedly squeaky-clean, vibrant, "glass-half-full" Charlie Cooper, and meeting his deadline is starting to prove a bit more difficult than he'd originally thought. Instead, the more time spent with Charlie starts "corrupting" his own worldview, and that is proving incredibly bothersome and problematic to the Boss Man's #1 Collector, because nothing is going to stop him from completing this assignment.So let's talk Dante... because I know you want to. As already established, there is nothing Dante loves more than Dante. If you looked up "arrogance," "hedonism," and "narcissism" in a dictionary, his picture would appear next to each one of those. So given that description, did I like him? Actually... yes, I did. He's kinda impossible not to like. As with most people, there's more to him than what he shows the world. And though he tries not to dwell on it - like ever... hence the drowning himself in pleasures, vices, and becoming Hell's number one soul collector - he's done a little soul searching since kicking the bucket two years ago. However, no matter how he conflicted and guilty he may feel about his job, his life and his afterlife, until now he's strictly followed his golden rule - Dante Walker looks out for Dante Walker. But meeting Charlie Cooper - a person so unaffected and innocent - causes his long-forgotten conscience to inconveniently battle it's way uncomfortably close to the surface.But never fear, Dante Walker isn't remotely close to achieving sainthood. Victoria Scott promised us a bad boy, and she delivers. Dante is snarky, mean, devious, self-serving and no matter how much Charlie worms her way into the spot where his heart used to be, he has no intention of sacrificing his promotion on Earth for one slightly likable girl. The entire story is told from his point of view and let me say: boy is hilariously funny. Even when he is being downright mean. Which he is. A lot. To everyone. It's the kind of mean that makes you feel bad, but Dante's snide comments and internal sarcasm are just too funny - like fits-of-uncontrollable-giggling-that-left-me-gasping-for-breath funny.When it comes down to it, with Dante, I am extremely impressed with the way Victoria made Dante such a kickbutt bad guy, but also made him believably vulnerable and broken. It's a hard balance to maintain, but she did it perfectly. Character development = two thumbs way, way up.So what's the deal with Charlie? Rainbows vs. storm clouds. Sparkly pink unicorns vs. a... manticore. (Just roll with it, ok?) If there ever was a walking antithesis to Dante Walker, Charlie Cooper is it.In fact, Charlie is atypical of most YA heroines you find in books these days. She's not what you'd call traditionally attractive... or cool... or socially competent. My mental reference for Charlie? Sue Heck from the Middle - super sweet, but with a wardrobe so bright and a disposition so sunny it almost hurts to look at her. Charlie is a nerd. But she's a happy nerd. She's bubbly, and caring, and giving, and optimistic, and grounded, and never assumes the worst of others. She's the bright light to Dante's perpetual darkness, and I love her.Charlie's two closest friends and fellow social outcasts, Blue & Annabelle, also pleasantly surprised me. Have you noticed that many YA besties/sidekicks all seem like the exact same person? Super bubbly, guy crazy with no inhibitions, constantly pushing the heroine toward the dreamy love interest... or uber snarky man-haters... or super driven and brainy. I guess that's technically three character types, but it feels like all YA besties fit one of those stereotypes, feel me? Blue & Annabelle just... aren't that. Annabelle is intuitive, protective of her friends, kinda ballsy and mostly confident, though also succumbing to that craving to just belong. Blue is sweet, though painfully awkward, but when push comes to shove also fiercely protective of his friends.So... romance? The romance in this book was surprisingly PG given Dante's corruptily sinful ways and hellbent nature. And it is the kind of romance I adore the most, a gradual meeting of souls - a recognition of something deeper. This entire book is pretty much one long delicious interaction between Charlie and Dante, and I gobbled that awesome goodness right up. For real. I devoured this book in an afternoon.World. I actually believe in Heaven and Hell, and this book isn't anything close to what I believe, but it is still an interesting take the whole thing. It's pretty much a scales and balances view of the afterlife - Heaven and Hell fighting to exist in equilibrium.Story. This book was definitely more of a character development piece than a plot-driven one. But nevertheless, the plot is still pretty solid with a good message. I have a feeling that The Liberator will be more plot-heavy based on how things ended in The Collector and by how well Victoria has established her characters. There were a few things in The Collector that seemed a little too coincidental and there was one nagging thing that bothered me about the conclusion, but I have a strong feeling (yes, another one) that this thing will also be addressed in subsequent books.Overall. So, is Dante as amazing as he says? I'd have to say, "HECK YES." He (and Charlie) totally owned this book. Narcissism justified.

Warning: this review is going to be totally fangirl-ish.I've been waiting for this book since forever. I've been dreaming it in my hands and now that I finally got to read, I want to explode. The Collector is SO good. Unique, full of romance, action. It was definitely worth the one year I had to wait for it to come out.First of all, I adored Victoria's Scott writing. It's so funny. The story flows perfectly, making you hooked immediately. She has a gift of making the story really vivid, like you can actually watch it unravel before your eyes. Victoria Scott is definitely a new voice in YA who needs to be reckoned with.And here's the good part. D A N T E W A L K E R. Swoon. This guy is the definition of swoon. Gawd, I just love him. He's... UGH! I'm fine, okay, I'm fine *exhales*. Dante Walker is the lead male of the book and we see the story from his point of view. I enjoyed reading the story from his POV. We get to see the real changes in him and also, the truth about who he is. Dante is a collector. He collects souls and brings them to Boss Man aka Lucifer. Yep, he's a demon, a villain. He's also the best collector out of the six of them. And he knows it. He's so totally aware he's flipping awesome, it just may annoy you in the beginning of the book. Let me tell you something. Dante's not your usual cocky, bad boy YA book character. He's the actual villain in the story. That's what's so unique about this story. Watching him change, or better yet, watching Charlie change him throughtout the book is just amazing. Yes, we can all see the good in him, even in the beginning. What we don't know is if the good side of him is enough for him to actually be good instead of a pawn of hell.Then there's Charlie. Another totally unique character. Charlie's a sweet, good girl who lives her life peacefully in Peachville. She's not pretty - glasses, bad skin, limp and all. Thank God for Charlie! I'm so tired of book heroines being so damn perfect. I mean, c'mon, that's just stupid. But then, here comes Charlie, with all her nerdy-ness and unpretty-but-at-the-same-time-pretty face and rocks our world. I love her! She had had a lot of crap on her plate since she was young but instead of being moody and constantly cursing the world, she tries to make it better. She smiles and has hope. So many people have lost hope, nowadays, and so many girls try to be too damned awesome - it's disgusting! Charlie really is a heroine to look up to. I personally admire her so much. Because she's not a coward and she's good and she cares about her loved ones and she actually forgives. GO CHARLIE!The Collector is definitely one of my favorite books of 2013 so far. Unique and full of romance with a boy who will rock your world and a girl who will make you feel confident again. Read it. The Collector is amazing!

I have to be honest and tell you that when I first heard about The Collector, I was scared to read it because the plot sounded just like Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers (which by the way, is one of my favourite books). I mean, a hot, arrogant soul collector from hell who is the best at what he does is sent on an assignment to collect a good girl's soul (and she just happens to have some sort of significance) and guess what?! The more time Dante spends with Charlie, the more he starts to care for her. Yeah, that sounds like Personal Demons all right but you know what? Time and time again I think of something that Maggie Stiefvater (author of Shiver and The Scorpio Races) once said - that just because two people have the same idea, it doesn't mean that it's the same book and it's all down to the execution of it. She's a wise woman is Maggie. I am pleased to tell you that The Collector IS a different book to Personal Demons and definitely just as enjoyable if you give it a chance.Now it's time for confession number two. When I first started reading the book, I HATED Dante. I thought he was an arrogant, selfish jerk and the way he talked? Who talks like that?! I almost stopped reading as I thought this was not the book for me. And then something magical happened. Slowly but surely, as I got to know him better through his interactions with Charlie and Grams, I saw that beneath the shiny exterior, he's actually a somewhat decent guy and I actually grew to like him. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for books that can make me change my mind and that my friends, is purely down to the talent of the writer.Dante is the main protagonist in the book but most of the focus is on Charlie, a sixteen year old girl who lives with her Grams. At first, I thought she sounded a lot younger than her character but I'm going to put that down to the fact that she's led a somewhat sheltered life and never goes out to parties or socialises with "the cool kids". She's not the prettiest of girls on the outside but she has an inner beauty that makes her a really decent person and she has two loyal best friends in the form of Annabelle and Blue, the latter being a boy who secretly holds a candle for Charlie. I liked the fact that Blue was the only one who saw the inner beauty Charlie had and as she became more beautiful on the outside, it sort of didn't matter as much to Dante at that point as he'd already fallen for her. They seemed like such an unlikely partnership in the beginning and you'll just have to read the book to find out if they can make it work.I will say that there is one particular question (not the one above) that isn't answered fully at the end of the book, an unresolved plot point if you will and this niggled me a little BUT it paves the way quite nicely for a sequel. I really enjoyed the book, it was fun and laugh out loud funny at times but there were also heartfelt moments that will touch even the coldest soul. A fantastic debut from Victoria Scott, my pre-ordered copy should be arriving any day now and all I have to leave you with is...POW ;)

Dante is the reason 'bad boy' exists. He is THE bad boy with a heart... or not since he's dead.He feels so real. As if you've met him in reality and your best friends etc. If. Only.Actually, I think I'd be terrified in a way. No way do I want to collect my soul to take to Hell.Victoria Scott I want to thank you for bringing Dante into this world. (I'm making it sound as if you gave birth to him... well in a way you did by writing him 😉)To all the people hesitating to buy this, FEAR NOT. You will be glad to have come across a dude like him. He is hotness and although he's a dead soul collector, he's more close to reality by his way of thinking than any other character I've read.

I really quite liked this book. It was a fun, easy read and a decent concept and plot. The characters and story were well written. I liked Dante and how the author progressed him through the story. Even when he's unlikeable, there is still something likeable about him. The story kept me interested enough that I didn't have to skip a single page (something I do when I'm not gripped, just to get to the end). Enjoyed the wit and banter between the characters and some very funny conversations/situations that made me laugh on quite a few occasions. I would definitely read another by Victoria Scott.

An interesting read. It was different from other books I have read but that didn't make it any less enjoyable. I can't wait to see what happens next.